(Chapter Seven. As people could tell from the previous chapter, I kinda merged Episodes 3 and 4 together. To be honest, Episode 4 is not one of my favourite episodes, so I used the manga as a basis for incorporating the characters introduced in Episode 4 into the storyline of Episode 3.
Also, Episode 5 is not a particular favourite of mine either, so you'll find that I didn't exactly blaze straight through this one.)
"This is the tale of a man who has yet to realize what his destiny is.
"Sonic The Hedgehog has just acquired the Gizoid, Freedom, for his own.
"However, a powerful Gizoid appears, piloted by the Black Arms called Shadow.
"In the midst of the battle, Sonic and Tails's two Gizoids, Freedom and Emerl, combine for the first time.
"Freedom Emerl's drill sends Shadow's Gizoid, ARK, fleeing.
"What powerful secrets lay hidden within Freedom Emerl?"
CHAPTER SEVEN:
I Don't Get It, Not One Bit!
"It's been a while since we've fought any Gizoids," said Sally.
"Yeah. I mean, we don't want my piloting skills to get rusty," said Sonic. "I mean, what happens if we find the recall point and we're swamped by Black Arms and Gizoids?"
"We've been looking for this recall point for two weeks now. We've been fighting Gizoids on and off for being the only Möbians to steal a Gizoid. Chances are we're gonna fight something soon."
"Maybe..." Then Sonic scowled. "So why are you riding in Freedom's cockpit with me? Didn't Rotor make a house out of scraps?"
Sally was sitting on the back of the controller's seat in Freedom. Her butt was less than a foot from Sonic's head.
"He did, but this is the best place to be when we're moving. That thing is murder on my butt." Behind Freedom, the sound of the house rocking this way and that could be heard.
"Are you sure it's not because your butt's so big?"
Then Sonic felt something pressing on to the top of his head.
Sally was sitting on him.
"Wow, this is really comfy," said Sally loudly and obviously.
"Grr... Are you sure your brains didn't sink down into your ass and that's why it's so heavy?"
A devious grin crossed Sally's face, hitching open the bullet chamber of Nicole.
"Sounds to me like you want to try out my meatball bullets," said Sally, pinching one of said bullets between her fingers before dropping it into the bullet chamber.
Sonic's eyes widened. "No! Not that!" he cried out.
raw! raw! fight the power!
Rotor jumped out of Emerl and pulled out his handheld. A small laser emerged from its underside, scanning the soil beneath them in a grid. Adjusting his hat so that the sun didn't get in his eyes, he raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm. This is interesting," he said.
"What's interesting?" asked Tails, hopping out after him.
"This soil was formed here comparatively recently," replied Rotor.
"How soon is 'recently'?"
Rotor typed away for a second on his handheld, reading the data which appeared.
"About... four- to five-hundred years ago, according to the readout," said Rotor.
And then the earth quaked. Again. And again. And again and again and again and again and...
Freedom was bolting along, the house bouncing along violently behind it. A blue flash occasionally emitted from between the silver Gizoid's clenched teeth.
"CUT THAT OUT, YOU CRAZY WOMAN!" came Sonic's echoing yell.
"Oh, come on! It's not like this'll hurt much!" was Sally's reply.
Tails and Rotor watched silently...
Then Tails palmed his face.
"Did Sonic make another crack about Sally's butt?" asked Rotor.
"Looks like it," said Tails as Freedom leapt into the air and came crashing down in front of them.
And fell straight through the dirt.
Numb shock shot through Tails and Rotor.
"Sonic and Sally fell in a hole," Tails said stupidly.
Then he heard rumbling.
All around Tails and Rotor, the earth was crumbling. In a haste, they leapt back into Emerl and closed the canopy...
Just as the earth in a 100-meter square around the hole Freedom fell through collapsed inwards.
"Where did this cavern come from?" asked Rotor, looking about in alarm as stones rained about them.
"What's going on?" yelled Tails, staring up at the disappearing point of light where the surface was.
Then a large rock fell in and struck Emerl, and Tails and Rotor were knocked out.
暗闇の中で何を考えてやがるッ!
A small group of a couple dozen people approached the large faces which had fallen down from the ray of light cast down from the endless void above the hub of Galahad Village. The one which was floating in the pool was only somewhat larger than a person, while the other was at least the size of the Face God which oversaw peace in the village.
And it was upside-down.
What they could not know was that inside the larger of the two new visitors, a certain blue hedgehog's pointed red shades had become entangled in the bra worn by a squirrel-chipmunk girl. Nor that it was of greatest fortune that she was the first one to wake up, quickly realizing her situation, and firing her handmade meatball bullets at him to blast him out of the large face.
All they saw were three blue flashes through the giant face's teeth, then the face's mouth flew open and a blue hedgehog wearing a tattered red cape and pointed red shades flew out into the water, along with a flame-decal bra.
Sally leaned out, clutching her vest tight to cover up her indecency. "It's a good thing I woke up first," she mumbled, before noticing the crowd watching her. She leaned back, her face burning in embarrassment.
"People from the Celestial Lands..." murmured one man reverently.
"Those who travel in the company of a Face God..." said a woman who had fallen to her knees.
Sonic had stirred by this point, and was baffled by the statements.
"What...? 'Face God'...?" he muttered, looking about. Looking around Freedom, he saw what those people had to be referring to...
A broken-down Gizoid, it's limbs splayed about in the water. As he stepped towards it, the stirring water revealed that this Gizoid had to have been here for a very long time, as the color of the Gizoid's paint was very different below the water level.
"What's a Gizoid doing here...?" he said to himself, reaching out to...
"Don't touch it!" cried out a voice.
Sonic's hand stopping short, he turned to face the figure who had called to him.
There was a pale-white hedgehog with bright yellow eyes, his quills styled into five points over the top of his head.
raw! raw! fight the power!
Tails sneezed. This village had some sort of dust in the air because of the landfall they had made, and the tunnels were dark and drafty. There were no artificial lights like in Kntohole Village, and the only thing that the people of Galahad could gather to warm him up were very small bundles of thin twigs.
"Yo, Pothead," Sonic said, addressing the white hedgehog. "Don't you got bigger bits of wood to throw on the fire?"
Tails gaped. Beside him, so did Sally. Pothead?
"My name is Silver, if you please," he replied testily. "And I'm sorry, but that's all the wood we have. Literally."
Sonic folded his arms surlily. "This place is a real barrel of laughs, ain't it?"
"Don't be rude! It's bad enough you called him 'Pothead'!" snapped Sally.
"Whoa, cool!" said a shrill boy's excited voice over Tails's shoulder. Turning, he saw a small bee boy wearing a helmet with goggles on his head. He seemed beside himself with excitement. "Are you guys really from the Celestial Lands?"
"Are you messengers of the Face Gods, Mr. Fox?" asked a girl's voice on Tails's other side. It was a young cream-colored rabbit girl, wearing a red dress and carrying a Chao doll which had a small red bowtie.
"Hmm?" Sonic looked at the two kids. "Where did they come from?"
"Charmy, Cream. Please don't bother our guests," said Silver. "Go off somewhere else."
"You got it, Silver!" said Charmy, buzzing off.
"Okay, Mr. Silver!" bowed Cream, before following Charmy.
"I apologize," said Silver to Sonic and company. "They both lost their parents, so they expect everyone else to take care of the-..."
"Who cares about that?" said Sonic, cutting across Silver's speech. "What's a Gizoid doing down here, anyway?"
"A... Gizoid?" asked Silver.
"That," said Sonic, pointing at the broken-down Gizoid in the middle of the pond at the center of Galahad Village.
"You mean the Face God?"
"What? You don't know what that is?" Sonic scoffed.
"Well, you weren't any different from him not too long ago, Sonic Hedgehog," snarked Sally.
"Hey! What did I do to deserve so much grief from you?" Sonic asked defensively.
Sally leaned in sharply. "You know what you did, so just shut up!"
Silver took note of how Sally's... assets bounced about when she leaned towards Sonic. He averted his gaze; she was barely wearing anything apart from her bra, vest, and short-shorts.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Sally, but could you... put this on?" He produced a white cloak.
"Why?" she asked.
"Maybe you should cover up," Silver still did not look at her. "Your manner of dress is... indecent."
Sally's expression showed irritance.
A question mark appeared over Kukku's head.
A minute later...
Sally was woefully stretching out her limbs in her newly-acquired white cloak.
"I don't really like wearing clothes that restrict my movements like this," she said.
Sonic was busy studying her figure.
Sally scowled at him. "What now?"
"Jeez... Take away the bare midriff and you got nothin', you know that?" he said, lifting up the front of her cloak and exposing said midriff.
Tails's eyes widened. As did Silver's and Rotor's.
Sally's face went red...
And her foot came down on Sonic's head.
"You louse! You're one hopeless pervert of a man, you know that?" she shouted shrilly, kicking Sonic in the head.
Then she smiled at Tails. "Make sure you don't pick up on his habits, okay Tails?"
"Please stop this violent behavior!" said Silver sharply. "I would expect Celestians to be above such lewd conduct."
A small crowd of about two dozen Galahad villagers had gathered by this point.
"Celestians? These people are Celestians?" said a man in the front of the crowd.
"Yes," said Silver, gesturing formally towards Sonic and his posse. "They travel in the company of Face Gods. Please show them all due respect."
"Master Silver!" called out a panting man who bolted through the crowd, hands on his knees as he stood before Silver.
"What's wrong?" Silver asked.
"Th-there's a problem? Venice's wife just gave birth!" the man said, voice hoarse like he'd run a mile.
Silver smiled. "But that's good news. I was just about to suggest that our visitors meet the High Priest."
"But... the thing is, the first child is a girl, and the second is a boy. As is the third!"
Suddenly, a wave of panic swept through the Galahad villagers.
"What...?" said Silver, going pale.
"Hmm? Why're they freaking out?" Sonic asked himself.
お前なんか信じられっか!
The candle was the only source of light in the small room. The elderly hedgehog nodded slowly.
"I see," said High Priest Aurum. "Venice and his wife had triplets."
"Yes, Father," said Silver.
"So that brings this village's population to 52," said Aurum, drawing a cup with fifty wooden straws in it. "We must choose two, then."
Silver felt quite uneasy for some reason every time this ritual went underway. He wondered if the High Priest did, too.
"Must we go through with this, Father?" he asked the older hedgehog.
The High Priest faced Silver. "Silver, do you not understand? This rite bestows a great blessing." He glanced at a small book, emblazoned with a purple spiral, that was the source of their faith. "Our covenant with the Face Gods entails paradise for any who pass into the Celestial Lands. We will celebrate the chosen. Just as we did..." He drew two wooden straws, tipped with red, from a pocket in his cassock. "...with your mother."
アダイ村のデコ助
"This place is a gloomy old dump. Even old Knothole Village wasn't this bad," complained Sonic. He looked down at the food bowl that was set in front of him; there was something in it that may or may not have been meat at some point. "So, when is the meal showing up?"
"I think this is the meal," said Tails, holding up a small skeleton of some small creature that none of them could identify.
"That ain't enough, though!" Sonic said loudly.
"Chao!" complained Kukku, his ball turning into a spiral.
Rotor stirred his bowl of sludge drearily. "Given the state of this village, I suspect this is a grand welcome for us. They don't have electricity. Or herds of livestock. All they got is this stagnant pond and a broken-down old Gizoid."
"So, even a meal like this is precious," said Sally, feeling suddenly guilty about receiving what was likely Galahad Village's supply of food for the day. "I wonder how hard it is to get this sort of food..."
"I'm sorry," said Silver, approaching. "Was the meal not to your liking?"
Sally started, and her stomach dropped rapidly; it was probably in the vicinity of Möbius's core by the time Silver spoke again.
"If... it's not too much trouble, could you tell me about the Celestial Lands?" he said.
Sonic smirked. "Really, Pothead? You wanna know what it's like to not be a cellar dweller?" He stood to his full height. "Then let's get it out of the way, so there's no confusion. Gizoids are no gods!"
"But, that's been what Galahad Village has believed in since long before I was born," replied Silver.
"Your village has always lived like this?" asked Tails.
"No, but our situation is said to have improved greatly since the High Priest took direct control of the village's administration."
"Really?" said Sonic. "And who is this High Priest guy?"
"That would be me," said a low voice behind Sonic, and everyone turned in shock.
An aged hedgehog with drooping quills stood there, his fur a faded gold.
"I apologize for not introducing myself earlier," he said. "I am the High Priest of Galahad Village, Aurum. I govern this village."
"Really?" said Sonic, striding up to him. "So you're the head honcho here, right? Since when did you think it was a great idea to tell these people that Gizoids are gods?"
"Do not test the piety of this village," said Aurum coolly. "Your words are too much for them." He beckoned them. "Now, I would have a word with you before we turn in for the night." He faced Silver. "You too, Silver."
"Y-yes, Father," he said nervously.
アダイ村のデコ助
"So... it's true, what they said?" Silver said slowly. "The Face Gods... are machines?"
"Of course!" said Sonic. "They were built by these crazy critters on the surface called the Black Arms, to kill any Möbian that goes to the surface. Not exactly godlike, huh?"
"Then... that means...?" Silver rounded on Aurum, his eyes burning. "That means... my mother...!"
Aurum bowed his head, and it was a long time before he spoke again.
"Whatever regrets I once had, I made my peace with long ago," he said slowly.
"Don't give me that!" Silver said, tears spilling down his face. "You sent her away! Even though she... you..." He collapsed to his knees.
"Silver, you see what the truth is doing to you?" said Aurum, leaning down and patting Silver's back. "If the truth would do this to the village, do they really need to know?"
"I know that!" shouted Silver. "But still... my mother..."
"This village does not have the resources to sustain a large population," continued Aurum, averting his gaze from Silver and looking at his book of faith. "The first thing I did when I became leader of this village was to impose a limit of 50 people living in the village at any one time. We must not exceed that number, not even by one. If we succumb to sentimentality, this village would be lost."
Silver, recomposing himself, stood up, wiping tears on his arm. "Then, your religion...?"
"Nothing more than a tool to achieve that end," said Aurum lowly. "It is regrettable, but it soothes the souls in a way one can scarcely imagine."
"Yeah, well, if it's regrettable, then why are you still doing it?" Sonic cut in, Tails, Sally and Rotor looking shocked at his intervention. "I don't get it, not one bit!"
"Sonic!" Tails said. "Don't yell at the High Priest. It's the law here in this village. It's not like they're doing this because they want to."
"If you don't want to do it, all you gotta do is stop doing it!" He pointed at himself with his thumb. "Who the hell do you think I am? I'm Sonic The Hedgehog, and I would rather die than do something I don't wanna do!"
"How could you know what it's like to live in this village?" said Aurum. "You do not know how much sorrow I would feel at this village's end."
"Well, I don't wanna know such one-sided sadness," Sonic said. "That's why we're trying to take out the Black Arms on the surface, so that people don't have to worry about living up there."
Aurum closed his eyes slowly.
"I see," he said. "In that regards, you have my greatest wishes of luck. But in the meantime, the hour is late, and Galahad Village has an important ceremony tomorrow. Good night. And please do not speak of Gizoids or the surface around the other villagers."
Sonic was the last to leave, glowering to himself about this village.
月と星とア・タ・シ
The next morning...
"Father Aurum, surely it doesn't need to be held now," said the orange mink. "My kits will not survive long on their own."
"Do not misunderstand, Venice," said Aurum, smiling warmly. "To be chosen in this ritual is to earn the blessings of the great Face Gods. Now, please draw."
Venice's face was wrought with emotion. "I... will draw for my wife and children as well, then," he said, drawing five straws, closing his fist around the tips, nodding in solemnity before departing from the altar.
"Next please," said Aurum.
One by one, the citizens of Galahad Village strode up and drew a straw, keeping the end concealed in their fist. Men, women, old, young... Sonic crossed his arms in the corner, Tails looking at him in worry, Sally scowling at him, and Rotor observing the proceedings with mildly polite disapproval.
Finally, Silver and Aurum drew their straws, fists clenched around the end that was in the cup. Still, there were two straws that were left in the cup.
"Is there anyone who has not drawn a lot yet?" asked Silver.
"Charmy hasn't gone yet, Mr. Silver," said Cream, from the front.
"Cream hasn't, either!" said Charmy, pointing at her, even though he was right next to her.
Aurum chuckled. "Oh right. That makes you two the last ones," he said, placing his book down and handing the cup out to Charmy and Cream. Each drew a straw, careful to conceal the tip from themselves.
"Now, open your hands," he said to Galahad Village. "If your lot has a mark on it, you have been chosen by the gods to live with them."
Venice opened his hand. All five were plain. He let out a heavy sigh of relief, tears that were held back now falling free.
All around the crowd, sighs of mingled relief and resignation were heard.
Until...
"She won! Cream won!" shouted Charmy, pointing at the red tip of Cream's straw.
"So did you, Charmy!" she said smiling, looking at Charmy's.
Charmy smiled brightly. "Wow, you're right! We both won! Yahoo!" He did a loop-de-loop.
Silver looked at Aurum in astonishment.
Aurum bowed his head.
raw! raw! fight the power!
"Take them with us?" said Sonic.
"The surface world is a dangerous place, from what you have said," said Aurum. "These children would be safer by far with your protection."
Sonic crossed his arms. "You fixed that drawing so that those two kids would be the ones to 'win', right?"
Aurum nodded solemnly. "Those children have no families. This way, there will be no one to miss them."
Sonic grit his teeth.
"Sonic?" asked Tails.
The blue hedgehog scratched the back of his head.
"I guess we don't got a real choice," he said.
"Right," said Sally. "I mean, we're not exactly heading towards paradise with Freedom Emerl, but they'll be safer than going off on their own."
Silver nodded approvingly. "That is exactly what we thought. Though I wasn't informed that Charmy and Cream were chosen by Aurum until after the ceremony."
"I guess we're gonna leave as soon as possible, then," said Rotor.
"I'm afraid that would be best," said Aurum.
raw! raw! fight the power!
There was a small crowd by the door leading to the tunnel to the 'Celestial Lands', seeing Charmy and Cream off.
"And take this, too," said a woman, putting more rations into Charmy's backpack.
"But we can't eat all this!" he said.
"Silly boy, it's not to eat all at once," she said. "Eat a little bit at a time and make it last."
"Okay!" said both Charmy and Cream.
Meanwhile...
"Are you sure about this, Silver?" Aurum asked.
"Yes. I will go with Charmy and Cream," Silver said. "Once we reclaim the surface as a home for Möbiankind, there will no longer be any need to be bound by such painful laws as population limitation." He smiled slightly. "Besides, wouldn't it be easier for you if there was only one person in Galahad Village who knew the truth?"
Aurum gazed at Silver for a few moments, then closed his eyes. "I understand." He held out his holy book. "In which case, would you like to take the holy scriptures with you on your journey?"
Silver looked down on the book.
"Thank you, but... I no longer believe." He gave a sad smile to the High Priest. "And besides, I thought you knew. ...I can't read."
Aurum smiled back. "Oh, is that all? Well, you don't have to worry about that, son." He grinned. "I can't read, either!"
Silver only stared in shock, but took the holy book just the same, opening it and looking at the strange symbols within.
"It may be nothing more than dead weight to you now," said Aurum, placing a hand on Silver's shoulder, "But I would like you to take it with you. Please, accept it."
Silver looked up from the book, and smiled.
"Yes, father."
お前のよ、そそり立て！
Up on the surface, Freedom Emerl had had some trouble hoisting itself and the small metal hut up from Galahad Village, but eventually Sonic had somehow managed to get its legs to glow green, and the Gizoid bolted straight up the wall of the chasm, leaping and landing just by a small cave entrance just beyond the rim. The metal hut bounced along for a moment before coming to a rest.
"Maybe you could've come up with a less uncomfortable way to get out," said Sally, herself and Rotor crammed into Freedom's cockpit.
"You think this is easy for me, either?" said Sonic.
Tails's image appeared on one of Freedom's screens. "Sonic, look!"
Sonic did. Silver, Charmy, and Cream were emerging from the cave just by Freedom Emerl's foot.
"Shall we depart?" said Silver, looking up.
"Wow..." said Cream, looking about, clutching her Chao doll. "This is the Celestial Land?"
"Looks awesome and empty!" said Charmy, putting a fist in the air.
"Well, it ain't exactly paradise up here. Get used to a few godly brawls," said Sonic from Freedom. He picked up the metal hut and set it upright. "Now, get in, everyone. I just had an idea."
Sally and Rotor leapt from Freedom's mouth and into the metal hut. Silver, Charmy, and Cream followed them.
"What's this big idea of yours, Sonic?" asked Sally.
She could hear Sonic's smirk. "Here we go!"
She saw the four spines on Freedom's back turn into drills.
Oh, she thought.
Freedom jammed the metal hut onto its back. The five inside the small house rushed as far from the four drills as they could.
"Watch it, Sonic!" Sally shouted. "You nearly pierced us!"
"Sorry 'bout that, but you should know how I do stuff!" Sonic's voice replied.
Then Freedom Emerl began walking, and the house did not shake and rattle nearly as much when it was dragging along the earth.
"Well, I guess this is better," Sally said, calming down a little.
"You bet!" said Sonic. "Now, let's rock and roll on to the recall point!"
"'Recall point'?" asked Silver.
raw! raw! fight the power!
Meanwhile, down in Galahad Village...
Aurum was looking up into the "sunlight", as Sonic and his companions called it, where Silver and Charmy and Cream were now much closer to.
It would indeed be nice to live under that without fear, he thought.
Then he furrowed his eyes.
Something white and fuzzy was fluttering down from the sunlight. He held out his hand. There was some small brown bud on the end.
And dozens - hundreds? thousands! - were drifting down, settling in the moist soil at the edge of Galahad Village's pond.
In a few weeks' time, plants would grow there, bringing fruits and vegetables, solving the issue of food for Galahad Village. With all thanks to Freedom Emerl, the greatest Face God of all, Galahad Village flourished.
つづく
To be continued...
次回予告
Next Episode Preview
If it's hidden, you want to see it! If you're told not to look, you can't resist peeking! That's what a man's adventure is all about!
Next time on Tengen Toppa Freedom Emerl: "There Are Some Things I Just Have To See!"