Chapter 9

Sandopolis

Tails opened his eyes. The sun burned downward, and the sand burned upward. He hadn't been lying there long-the sand was just starting to scorch through his fur. He sat up, slightly dizzy, and shielded his eyes from the sun. He had landed as Sonic had taught him and broke his fall by rolling. Fortunately they hadn't been as high as he had feared.

The fox stood up, brushing the rough sand from his coat. The air smelled of hot rock and baking vegetation, and the sun reflecting off the sand made him squint. He scanned his surroundings, becoming aware of where he was. Mirages shimmered on the horizon like pools of water, reflecting the blue sky. The remains of another ruined city stood in the distance, fallen to pieces over years of neglect. Dry scrub grew in the few shadows. It was a desolate, unwelcoming place.

A sound made him turn. A short distance away, Sonic sat up and gave a cry. Concerned, Tails walked up to him, feet crunching on the sand. Sonic glanced up at him, then back down at his feet. "Aw Tails, my skates are ruined! They're full of sand!" Mournfully he pulled them off and set them down. "That's the second toy I've wrecked today." He stood up and dusted himself off.

"Sonic," Tails said softly, "where are we?"

For the first time Sonic looked around.

After a moment of silence, he gave a low whistle. "Hoo boy, looks like we did it again. Another hostile location. Let's see if we can get out of this sun."

They trotted across the burning sand to the first ruined block. A few seconds of searching revealed a shady spot under several pillars that leaned against a roofless wall. They took refuge under this. Sonic leaned against the warm wall and said, "At this point, the sidekick always has the bright idea. What do we do now?"

Tails leaned against the wall beside him. "I have no clue. We're still on the island, right?"

"Yeah. I think this place is called Sandopolis."

"Hmm." Tails was working on the bright idea. Absentmindedly he rubbed his bandaged shoulder, eyes fixed on the rippling skyline. "Sonic, where was Flying Battery going? Any idea?"

Sonic shook his head. "Nope. It sure wanted to get there in a hurry, though. Nice to be shy of Knux for a while." He pulled off one glove and stared at his metal hand.

Tails looked at it, too. "Does that hurt?"

"This? Nah. It just feels funny-like I'm wearing stiff gloves."

Tails stepped back. One foot struck a pile of loose rocks, which tumbled down in a tiny avalanche. Instantly their ears were filled with a rattling buzz. They turned. They saw with horror that the whole wall was a rattlesnake nest. Three snakes were coiled up, ready to strike, and several more were slithering into view.

Sand flew in all directions as Sonic and Tails made tracks. They didn't stop until they were a good distance away from the ruins. "Good night!" Sonic gasped. "Did you SEE that? There were tons of 'em!"

Tails nodded, panting. "Yeah. I'm lucky they didn't bite first and ask questions later." He held up his thumb and forefinger, forming a mock gun. "Bang, stop or I'll shoot!"

Sonic chuckled. "Well, I guess this means we stay out of the ruins. All the shade will be sheltering snakes and scorpions and who knows what else." Another thought struck him and he sobered. "And tonight, when it cools off, everything deadly will go hunting. We'd better be out of here by then, Tails."

The fox looked up at his friend imploringly. "Can't we just look around a teeny bit? If we stay in the open, you know, away from snakes and stuff."

Sonic sighed, relenting. "Oh, all right, you little creep. We'll check around."

I stood silently in the shelter of the ruins, listening to them. There weren't as many dangerous creatures here as they thought. They had just happened to walk into a rattlers' nest. I wasn't afraid of the snakes, for my race had long been immune to their venom.

They were walking toward me. I crouched in the shadows and listened to them as they passed by, chattering like magpies. It seemed they talked a mile a minute when they explored. This time, instead of it irritating me, it made me lonesome. It would be nice to have a friend to talk to. I thought guiltily of Espio. I had abandoned him to board Flying Battery, without telling him, of course. He had a low opinion of Robotnik, and I didn't want to take the trouble to explain why I was working for him. Maybe after this was over with, I could go back and find Espio.

Sonic and Tails were a good distance away. I slipped out of my shelter and began to follow them. The ruins of Sandopolis were nothing like Marble Gardens. These were older, and their layout was simpler. I wouldn't lose them this time.

Metal Sonic was tracking all three with radar, shielded behind a stone wall. He had already decided he disliked Sonic and Tails, but wasn't sure about Knuckles. The echidna had helped build him, after all. There was something about the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of Sonic and Tails-it didn't seem right for him to be so enthusiastic.

Mecha paced out of hiding and down a deserted street, parallel to Sonic and Tails's course. Knuckles was more difficult to track, as he wove in and out of the ruins, sometimes stopping for minutes at a time, then vanishing noiselessly. Knux's feelings for Sonic were rivalry, not necessarily enmity. Those feelings could lead to trouble.

The robot clenched a fist. At that point, Knuckles would have to be done away with.

I was unaware of Metal Sonic's presence. My attention was focused on Sonic and Tails as they poked around. They were nearing the spot where I had beamed down with the ring teleporter. It always vanished behind me and never reappeared, and I wasn't worried about them finding it.

So a feeling of horror struck me as Tails exclaimed, "Sonic, look! It's that glowing teleporter!"

"Great," Sonic replied, sounding less than thrilled. "Well, let's see where it takes us."

"No!" I leaped out of hiding, but I was too late. They had already touched it and teleported. I stood still, my hands doubled at my sides, a horrible rage tearing my insides apart. Hidden Palace. The teleporter only glowed when it was set for Hidden Palace. The Master emerald! What if-what if they-

I yanked out my miniature emerald, rubbed my hand across it and threw it on the ground. A teleporter should have appeared, but nothing happened. I tried it again. Still nothing. My suspicions were confirmed. I couldn't teleport because the channel was filled: it would take them there and back before freeing up. I had set it to do it myself, but now I cursed the ingenuity of my ancestors. It would appear for them instead of me. Must have something to do with the chaos emeralds.

I was helpless. I hated feeling helpless. But there was nothing I could do. Ah, but I could wait, and I would make them pay. Hidden Palace was off-limits to all but me. Intruders! I beat one of my fists against the block wall, my knuckle-spikes punching double holes. The pure, heated rage I had felt before was back, stronger than ever.

After a moment I retreated to a place where I could watch without being seen. I would get them when they came back. Oh, I would make them suffer ...

Sonic stood in the cool dimness of Hidden Palace, Tails beside him. Before them was the Master emerald on its pedestal-around them were the six dead super emeralds and the single glowing green one.

Tails touched Sonic's metal hand. "Let me charge one," he said, his voice echoing in the cavern. "It might hurt you to touch one."

Sonic looked at his hands, face darkening. "If not for these darn things, I'd put up a fight." He sighed heavily. "But I know what the emeralds do to machinery. Are you sure you want to try to charge one? It's really hard on you."

Tails nodded. "Hey, I'm in better shape than I was. I can handle it." All the same, he looked nervous.

Sonic walked to an emerald near the one he had charged. It was a dull ashy grey, cold and lifeless. Tails stood beside him, biting his lower lip. "You gonna be able to handle this, little bro?"

Tails nodded. He drew a deep breath and slapped his hands down on the emerald's top.

It happened as it had before. Light appeared out of nowhere, surrounding Tails and the emerald. Sonic watched as he was lifted into the air above the pedestal, enclosed in a force-field-like bubble, and slowly drained of his energy. Tails refrained from thrashing about, but his small body was tense, fists and teeth clenched, eyes shut. Sonic flinched along with him, stiffening and suffering along with his sidekick.

At last it was over. Tails was let down to rest on top of the charged super emerald, limp as a shoestring. Sonic pulled him off and held him in his arms. Tails collapsed against him, breath ragged and choking. "Oh Sonic," he gasped. It was all he could say. "Oh Sonic." Sonic could feel him trembling. "That was very brave, little bro," he told him softly.

Tails opened his eyes and looked up at him. "I'll never touch another one, I swear it," he breathed. "That was too much."

It took ten minutes for Tails to recover. Then he and Sonic walked around a bit, looking at the other emeralds, putting off their return to the scorching desert as long as possible. Sonic knelt beside one of the dead crystals, looking at the inscriptions on the pedestal. "Wow, look at this one," he said to Tails. "You can almost read it. See, it looks like a D, then sort of an O-" He reached out to trace the letters. As his fingers touched the pedestal, there was a sudden flash of light and Sonic was jerked to his feet. "I thought you had to touch the emerald!" he yelped. "No fair!" Then the power transfer process took over, oblivious to his robotized hands.

I saw them stumble into view. Literally stumble-they both took two or three steps, then fell over. They lay in the sand for a while, then Tails got up and knelt beside Sonic. Sonic looked awful. His face was grey, and if I hadn't seen him moving I'd have thought he was dead.

Surprisingly, I felt no compassion. Nothing but a hard, cold resentment. "He deserved whatever he got," I thought. "And I'll see to it he gets more of the same."

Sonic opened his eyes and looked at Tails. "Three down, four to go," he mumbled, "and I have no strength left. You okay, kiddo?"

"I guess so. Are you gonna be able to go on? We can't stay here- there's no water."

"I guess I'll have to." Sonic pulled himself to a sitting position, wincing as his muscles flexed. "I feel terrible. This must be what it's like to be old."

Tails looked worried. "Are you all right? Want me to call Slasher?"

"No, no. I'm okay, just tired." To prove it, Sonic dragged himself to his feet. He was forced to lean against the wall as the blood rushed to his head, but once it passed he felt a little better. "C'mon, Tails," he said, motioning to the bright outdoors. "Let's get outta here."

They set out once more, but the thrill of exploring was gone. The ruins were unfriendly obstacles, and travelling was work. Knuckles followed them, his grudge against them growing with everything they touched. Not only did he want them off his island, he wanted them out of commission, dead.

Mecha continued to trail all three of them, observing and transmitting reports to Robotnik every fifteen minutes. He was still an obedient robot; he had not developed into a ruthless, uncontrollable, scheming killer.

An hour passed. The sun began its decline toward the west, and it was the hottest past of the day.

Sonic and Tails discovered an old stone cistern that had a foot of rain water in the bottom. It had dead insects in it and dirt in the bottom, but they didn't mind-it was water. They drank, ducked their heads and drank some more. They continued on after a brief rest, refreshed.

After a while they discovered a tall brick wall that cut the city in half, spanning from north to south. The mortar between the bricks had crumbled away, creating hiding places for scorpions, spiders and small lizards that zipped for cover as Sonic and Tails approached. "Wow," said Tails, looking up. "I wonder what's behind a wall that size?"

Sonic, still not feeling himself, replied, "Who knows. Maybe a river, maybe the other half of the city, maybe nothing. Curiosity killed the cat, ya know."

"And satisfaction brought it back," Tails retorted. "I'm gonna check it out." He twisted his double tails together and unfurled them with a flourish, spinning them like helicopter rotors. He left the ground and flew lightly to the top of the wall. Sonic heard him whistle. "Must be something cool over there, Sonic. There's a great big open place in the ruins, like an arena. What do you suppose-"

Tails broke off. Sonic saw him look at something, cupping his hands around his eyes to see better.

"What is it, little bro?"

"It's a huge black cloud front. Looks like another thunderstorm."

"Another one? You're kidding me."

"No, and it's coming really-" A sudden gust of wind nearly hurled Tails off backward. "Sonic, I think it's a sandstorm!"

"Wonderful, just what we need. Get down and lets find some shelter."

Tails spun his tails, intending to fly down. Instead the wind caught him, lifting him off his feet and into the darkening sky. "Tails!" Sonic yelped in horror. Tails slowed in the lull between gusts, and tried to land. But another gust hit, followed by more, blowing him away like a stringless kite.

Sonic ran along under him, dodging around buildings and hurtling fallen pillars. The wind was full of sand, carrying it like a curtain through the air, forming little eddies behind obstacles, cutting into the stone with a savage hiss. It burned Sonic's back and legs and drove into his eyes and mouth. For a second Tails saw him and reached out pleadingly-Sonic stretched-their fingertips touched-then the sandy clouds enveloped Tails and he vanished.

Sonic ran a few more paces, straining to see through the clouds, voice hoarse with calling. He stopped, eyes fixed on the stormy sky, heart like ice. Once more he cried his friend's name, but the whistling wind only mocked him in return. Tails was gone. The finality of it hit him like a ton of bricks. Gone! He couldn't go on without Tails! He ran on, but couldn't call anymore because the sand and dust were beginning to smother him.

He found a building with a roof and sank down in the leeward side. His teeth gritted with dust, his throat felt like sandpaper and his eyes burned. He wanted to scream with grief and frustration. Grief over the loss of Tails, frustration at the storm that prevented him from searching.

It was stifling in his little shelter. Sand trickled down the walls in little rivulets. Sonic slumped against the wall and closed his stinging eyes. So-tired-poor Tails-hope he's all right-

The sound of footsteps aroused him. He sat up, wanting-hoping to see Tails- Instead, his blurred eyes made out Knuckles's stocky form. The echidna was standing just out of the wind's reach, panting. Their eyes met. Sonic was startled. Knuckles's countenance had changed so much he was almost unrecognizable. His eyes were black and burning with hatred. In two bounds he reached Sonic, fists raised.

Sonic leaped to his feet, sensing this would not be a friendly meeting. Knuckles shoved him against the wall, but Sonic swatted his hands away and moved up a step. "Keep your mitts off me," he growled.

Knuckles stood his ground, head lowered, eyes narrowed, teeth bared. They faced each other, neither wanting to make the first move. Sonic folded his arms and threw his head back. "Go ahead, hit me," he challenged. "I'm not going to fight you."

He didn't expect Knuckles to attack, but sidestepped and Knuckles's fist hit the wall with a thud. The echidna moved back a few steps, knees bent, back arched, fists up. Sonic felt a twinge of fear. This guy meant business and had not said a word.

"Knux, please-"

Knuckles swung at him again, eyes full of hate. Again Sonic dodged. There wasn't room for fighting in this little ten foot square. Again they faced each other. For the first time Knuckles spoke, his voice little more than a beast's snarl with words. "I'm gonna kill you-" He sprang, caught Sonic as he dodged and slammed him to the ground.

The echidna crouched, pressing one knee into his opponent's chest, holding his arms. Sonic struggled, but was too weak from his episode in Hidden Palace to throw him off. Again their eyes met.

I was surprised that Sonic didn't seem frightened. He lay there and stared at me, sort of pleading and not fighting. "What aren't you scared?" My voice sounded strange, even to me. His lips barely moving, he replied, "I'm terrified."

"You don't look it."

He didn't answer, but kept looking me in the eye. It maddened me. I lifted one fist, intending to bring my knuclaws down in his face, but the blow never fell. His hand darted up and closed on my wrist. I felt the cold metal plating through the fabric of his glove, and with a chill remembered his hands.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" he asked. I sat frozen, uncertain. The horror of his robotization was still with me, even though I had tried to bury it. But the protective instinct for the emeralds was still there, and the indignation-turned-hatred. I was torn.

The fire left Knuckles's eyes. Grudgingly he moved aside and let Sonic up. "I'll let you off this time," he warned as Sonic climbed to his feet. "But Hidden Palace is forbidden. If I catch you there again, you'll be breathing out your ears."

Sonic primly dusted himself off. "Knuckles, if you knew what we were doing in Hidden Palace, you'd thank us a thousand times over."

"Why? What are you doing?" Knuckles looked curious.

Sonic looked up at him. "I can't tell you yet, but I'll tell you this-it sure has beat the heck out of me and Tails." At the thought of his friend, Sonic looked out at the blowing curtain of sand. Knuckles realized Tails was not there. "Where is he?"

"I don't know." Sonic fell silent, knowing if he explained he would shame himself by breaking down before his rival. He sat down at the wall again, staring out at the storm.

After a moment Knuckles turned and dashed out into the sandstorm. Sonic watched him go. In a brief lull the air cleared, and Sonic saw another figure moving after Knuckles. Its head turned, and two glowing red eyes examined Sonic for an instant. Then the sand hid it from view once more.

The storm died out around sunset. Sonic cautiously came out of hiding, scanning the sky, wondering if it was some trick of the weather's. But the storm was over. The sand was blown into ripples and heaped against everything that had blocked the wind. The grey-green desert scrub was half buried in some places and lay with roots exposed in others.

Knuckles was gone and the wind had covered his tracks. Sonic thought uneasily of the red-eyed figure. Unless he was mistaken, that was Metal Sonic. What was the robot doing here? Did Knuckles know?

He stopped and held his breath, listening. He could hear the hissing of sand trickling down the walls of the ruins. He could hear the plastic rattling as a scorpion crossed his path, leaving a tiny trail in the dust. Then it was perfectly quiet.

Sonic cupped his hands to his mouth and brayed, "Ta-ils! Taaiills!" He listened again. Nothing. His head filled with thoughts of what might have happened-falling on sharp rocks and breaking an arm or leg-landing exhausted and being buried by the drifting sand-being carried off the island and into the sea-snakebite-Metal Sonic! He stared around at the empty ruins with horror, his insides twisting. Tails lost, and Sonic was utterly alone!

He wandered aimlessly, watching the night shadows grow in length, making Sandopolis echo with calls of, "Ta-ils! Miles! Miles Prower, do you hear me?" The sky faded into evening blue and a few stars appeared. With the sun gone, the desert was growing chilly. Sonic thought of Tails out there by himself, watching night come, having to sleep in the open, cold and alone-

Sonic found himself back at the ten-foot wall where his friend had been swept away. He looked up at it with distrust. If Tails hadn't have wanted to climb it, they would still be together. Well, he might as well try it-

The wind had drifted sand over the top of the wall and deposited it in heaps, some reaching nearly to the top. Sonic struggled up the highest one he could find, feet sinking in the soft sand. At last he reached the top of the wall.

The wall was eighteen inches wide. To his surprise, the other side of the wall had a solid slope of sand packed against it, deposited there by other sandstorms. He looked westward, toward the ruins Tails had described. There was a vast open space in their center, not far away. In the failing light it looked like Stonehenge, outlined against the dimming sunset.

Sonic turned and looked eastward in the direction Tails had gone. He wished for the chaos emeralds' power to enhance his vision, and bitterly thought of the life-draining super emeralds that had stolen them.

"Taaiillss!" he shouted, hoping his new vantage point would let his voice carry further. Silence was his answer. He thought again of Metal Sonic's presence and swallowed uneasily. He made an easy target up here. He trotted down the packed slope. Night was falling, and anything could happen under the cover of darkness. He wondered where Slasher was ...

Tails had heard Sonic clear as a bell, but didn't dare answer. He was pressed flat against a wall, motionless, hardly breathing. On the other side of the wall was Metal Sonic.

The robot was updating Robotnik on all that had happened. Tails could hear him speaking aloud, barely audible.

"I apologize for the long delay, sir. A small storm blocked all transmission." He paused for a long moment. The fox waited, heart in his mouth, wondering if he should run. To his relief, Mecha continued. "Yes. Knuckles and Sonic are both in scan range. No, Tails is lost. Excuse me-Miles. No, he was carried away by the storm ... I do not know his location." Tails gulped and wished he could turn invisible. "Yes sir, I will continue to track them. Yes sir. Mecha out."

The robot fell silent. Tails held still, beginning to sweat from the tension, straining his ears for departing footsteps. For a long time there was no sound at all, and he began to wonder if Mecha had somehow departed in total silence. He was on the verge of leaving, himself, when he heard the robot's feet crunch on the sand as he walked away.

Tails let himself relax and breathe freely once more. Now to find Sonic.

Sonic made his way through the new territory, alert to any sound. He saw a few snakes, another scorpion and some lizards, but nothing more. He thought of Knuckles, the robot and Tails as twilight deepened, wondering where they were.

The open space in the midst of the ruins was a puzzle. The sand was a lighter color than the surrounding desert, and was unmarked even by insects. The buildings around it were not as ruined as the others, for some still had roofs and the remains of pavement. Sonic wandered about in the eerie silence, curious about the open area but not daring to walk into it. It felt unnatural.

It was an accident he discovered what the arena was for.

He had found a small hut with paintings of the walls and was looking at them, wishing for a flashlight. Some of the figures looked like the ones in Marble Gardens. He was tracing one finger along the hieroglyphics, wondering what they said, aware of the metallic sounds his hands made against the brick. To his surprise, one of the bricks wobbled under his touch. Curious, he pushed it.

The brick slid inward with a grinding sound, then clicked loudly. Sonic stepped back, ready to run. A tick, tick, tick was coming from within the wall, like a time bomb. An eternity of ten seconds passed.

The quiet was broken by the whirr and whine of machinery. The wall split apart, dust pouring into the air. It was a concealed door, the bricks on the outside interlocking like clasped fingers. They were sliding apart with a terrific noise. Sonic shielded his face and bounded out the doorway, afraid but hating to admit it.

After a moment the rumbling subsided. Sonic stood outside, letting the dust settle, curious and nervous at the same time. How he wished for Tails's company!

He stuck his head in the doorway and looked around. It was completely dark by this time, and he could see little. However, there seemed to be more space at the rear of the room. He ventured inside, straining to see in the dark, ready to run at a moment's notice. He noticed a musty odor that hadn't been there before. Had it opened a secret room? Cool. He moved forward a few more steps, wondering about traps.

A face!

Sonic tore out of the building, heart ricocheting around his ribcage. He whirled around to see if it was following him. The black doorway was empty, and total silence reigned. He stood still, letting his heart find its place in his chest. What had it been? It had resembled an animal, maybe a lion. It had been staring straight at him, teeth in a terrible snarl. Maybe he should leave. And have it follow him around in the dark? No way. Maybe he should go back and see for sure.

He crept back to the doorway, his eyes the size of dinnerplates. He ventured inside a few steps, probing the darkness. There it was! He froze, staring. It stared back, teeth shining in the shadows, eyes glowing. He waited for it to move, but it didn't stir. Hesitantly, one foot at a time, he inched closer and extended a hand toward its head. Very carefully, he touched it.

Stone. The cold sweat of relief broke out all over him. It was a carving. He looked closer. It had fiery diamonds for teeth and dark green emeralds for eyes. It was a lion, crouched in the dark behind the secret panel, meant to frighten away intruders. It had nearly worked.

He looked around, but the stone lion seemed to be the room's only occupant. He ran one hand over the wall, looking for another loose brick. His hand encountered something cold and round. He couldn't see it, but it felt like a button. Without hesitating he pushed it.

The button lit up, casting a bright yellow glow into the darkness. He turned away from it, half-blinded and wondering what it did. His answer came in the form of a mild earthquake.

He ducked into the open, away from the ruins, thinking of Marble Gardens. The ground was vibrating, rippling a little. He thought of Tails, wondering if he could feel it, and hoping he would be all right. Then he glanced toward the empty white arena and forgot everything else.

A hill had formed in the center and was slowly increasing in height. The sand streamed down it. After a moment dark brick emerged, lifting into the sky. Sonic stared as row after row of brick appeared, each new layer increasing in size and width. It was a step- pyramid, and growing like Jack's beanstalk. It rose higher and higher, its base nearing the ruins around it. It stopped short of them, and there it stood, a massive, imposing shape against the night sky, sand pouring down its sides in rivers. The earthquake subsided, and total silence resumed.

Metal Sonic stood silently in the shadows, his red glowing eyes shut off so as not to reveal himself. His scans swept the pyramid. It was full of tunnels and extended far beneath the ground. A labyrinth began to appear in his radar.

I stared up at the pyramid, watching the sand slide off it. I had read of the pyramid, of the traps and tunnels and secret passages. It had been concealed for many years. But here it was! How had it been buried, and what had forced it up? Sonic had to have done it. But what in the world had he done?

I crept closer. There had to be a way inside.

Tails stood atop the high wall, warily eyeing the vast structure. Not only had he found Sonic's tracks in the soft sand, he had also found two more sets. Metal Sonic's undoubtedly, and probably Knuckles. Who or what had caused the pyramid's appearance he didn't know, but was feeling very small and alone. Sonic would probably hear if he called, but that might expose both of them to their enemies.

Tails began to creep down the sandy hill.

Sonic stood silently in the darkness, moving only his eyes. This was the part where the guns appeared and blasted everything to cinders. But nothing happened. It was so quiet he could hear the sand sifting to the ground. He paced forward, wondering what he was supposed to do now. He stopped a dozen feet away from the base and again reconnoitered. The uncanny silence was getting on his nerves.

Cautiously he began to circle the pyramid. It was big. Each block was half again as tell as he was, and twice that length. It towered sixty feet into the night sky. He could smell the settling dust. Still nothing happened.

He reached the far side and came to the first break in the outer shell. It was a stone door as big as a garage. It had no handles or keyholes, and looked as if it had been sealed for years. Sonic sidled up to it, uneasy and feeling something was always behind him. He turned and scanned the black doorways and hollows in the ruins. It seemed full of eyes and faces, the faint starlight picking out odd shapes. But now his back was to the strange door. It could open and anything could come out. He whipped around to face it. "If I hear a sound," he thought with grim humor, "I'll probably scream and shoot straight up. And I won't come down very soon, either."

Sonic looked up at the top of the door, examining the stone, and extended one hand to touch it. As his fingertips touched the stone surface, the entire door trembled like a leaf. He jerked his hand away immediately. The door rumbled, electronic sparks flashing through the cracks in the rock. It quivered again, then vaporized into dust on the threshold.

Now Sonic was really scared.

He backed away from the vacant doorway, feeling a cool breath of air on his face and arms. The pyramid was open. Oh, where was Tails when he needed him? Even Knuckles would be welcome-anything to reassure him that he was still on planet Mobius. Sonic stood uncertainly and looked at the sinister opening, then all around-especially behind him. Nothing. The logical thing to do was enter the pyramid. No, he couldn't without Tails ...

Sonic turned his back on the pyramid, squelched his fears of his enemies hearing, and called, "Ta-ils! Where are you?" He stood still and listened. After a few seconds he was rewarded by a soft call. "Sonic?"

Footsteps crunched on the sand, and Tails's light figure appeared from behind the debris. He flung himself into Sonic's arms and they exchanged hugs. "Oh Sonic," he whispered, "I'm not afraid of the dark, but I hate this place. Metal Sonic is following us."

"What about Knux? Have you seen him?"

"No. He's tracking you, not me."

Sonic cast a wary glance into the darkness. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt in the storm?"

"N-no. I curled up and it dropped me way out in the desert. I hid behind some rocks 'til it stopped. What about you?"

"Oh, Knux tried to start a fight, but I reminded him of my hands and he backed off."

Tails moved back a step, looking up at the towering pyramid. "I saw this thing come up. Did you do it?"

"Yeah. Don't ask me what I did. I'm still not sure." Sonic turned with him, one hand on his friend's shoulder. "Wanna go in?"

Tails shivered, looked down, then back at the ruins. "Well ... I donno. What about THEM?"

Sonic followed his gaze, thinking of how Mecha's eyes glowed. "Maybe they won't follow us. Maybe they'll chicken out."

"Or maybe they WILL follow us. Oh Sonic, can't we call Slasher and go back to the mainland where it's safe?"

"You've turned into quite a chicken yourself," Sonic said, although he, too, had considered that option. "No, let's go in. No telling what we'll find."

Tails looked uncertain. "Well, if you say so ..."

"Sonic, look out!"

The two of them leaped out of the way as a large stone plug fell from the ceiling. Sand poured through the opening. "Run!" Sonic barked as the sand began to fill the corridor.

"I can't run," Tails protested. Sonic grabbed his hand, and they four-wheeled it down the passage.

They had wandered in the pyramid for two hours, and were hopelessly lost. The first sand trap they had triggered had filled the passage for a hundred feet, so they knew what to expect with the second.

They were exhausted. They had discovered another teleporter and travelled to Hidden Palace once more. They charged one super apiece, dropping the number of dead ones to two, but lost their second wind. Tails was all for dropping in his tracks and sleeping, but Sonic was afraid to. Something, perhaps a survival instinct, kept him moving.

"Sonic," Tails gasped, dragging his feet. "I can't run. I gotta rest."

Sonic looked back at the growing mound of sand. "Tails, we can't stop here." He was alarmed as Tails sank to his knees and leaned against the stone wall. "Sonic, I just can't. Gotta rest ..."

A fine, choking sand-dust was filling the air. In desperation, Sonic scooped up his friend in his arms and fled.

The tunnel sloped up, curved right and left, criss-crossed by other corridors, studded with doorways. Sonic kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, aware that peering into the shadows meant losing his nerve. Tails laid his head on Sonic's shoulder and sighed. He was too tired to care about anything anymore.

The hedgehog's footsteps lagged. Tails was heavy, and Sonic hadn't much strength left. Maybe they had run far enough. He looked up and scanned the dim ceiling. After a moment he spotted an ancient mechanism with a metal bar dangling from it. They would rest beneath it.

Sonic knelt and laid Tails on the floor. The fox was sound asleep. Poor kid. Sonic stretched out beside him, muscles aching. Normally, sleeping on a cold stone floor would have been uncomfortable, but tonight he was tired enough to sleep in a wind tunnel. He gazed vacantly at the machinery in the ceiling.

It was an old fashioned light-switch. Pulling it activated the torches that lined the hallways, making them flare up and burn brightly, producing little smoke. After a while they would dim and go out. A curious technology. Knuckles' ancestors must have been very advanced ... Sonic dozed.

Time passed. The pyramid was as silent as it had remained through the ages, and the two exhausted explorers slept. The old torches flickered out. All was deathly still.

Tails opened his eyes. Strange, he who had been most weary was the first to awaken. He had dreamed of Metal Sonic stalking silently through the pyramid, using no light and needing none, feet hardly touching the ground-

It was pitch dark. He put out a hand and felt Sonic lying beside him, sleeping soundly. All was well. He closed his eyes again, reassured by his friend's presence.

A motion of the air touched his face and ears. He snapped awake. Why would the air be circulating when it had been dead still? Someone was coming. Dread filled his heart. Trying not to hyperventilate, he sat up and listened. His large ears caught the faintest whisper of a footstep, far down the hall. He remembered his dream about Metal Sonic and was certain it was the robot.

He groped in the darkness until he found Sonic's warm body. "Sonic, wake up," he whispered fearfully, shaking him. "Something's here."

Sonic groaned loudly. "What? Tails?"

"Shh!"

Sonic sat up, drugged with sleep. "What's wrong?"

"Somebody's coming."

Sonic rubbed his eyes with the back of one hand, trying to wake up. He felt Tails's hands clench around his arm and his friend's frightened breath on his face.

"It's getting closer. Can we turn on the lights?"

"Yeah. There's a switch-right up there."

Tails jumped to his feet, one hand waving above his head. His groping fingers encountered the rough, cold metal. He grabbed the bar and pulled.

There was a protesting screech from above and the aged torches blazed into life. The darkness retreated into the shadows. Sonic bounded to his feet, aroused by the noise and light. Tails stood still, listening, filled with the child-like conviction that a light would drive away the spooks. The footsteps had stopped. The only sound was the faint crackle of the torch flames, high on the walls.

There was the sound of brick grating on brick, then scratching. Tails's hand crept into Sonic's. "Do we run?" he whispered.

"Not yet," Sonic replied, faking more nerve than he felt. "Lets see what we're running from first."

More echoes of scratching. Then from around the corner sprang- something. It was taller than Sonic, draped in a yellow-brown cloak that reached the floor. Its face was hideous. A mockery of a human face, it had stony square features, heavy brows, glowing eyes and gleaming fangs. It charged at them without a sound.

Sonic and Tails ran for their lives.

"Wow," I thought as I pursued them, "this old mask and cape are more effective than I thought." I had found them in a trunk in one of the musty rooms. The mask was copper-plated aluminum, with quartz for teeth and rubies for eyes. It was similar to the lion Sonic had found, but I didn't know about that until later. All I knew was that I had to keep quiet. If I laughed at their terror I would give myself away.

Deciding to make myself even more frightening, I climbed a wall and glided diagonally across the hall, gaining on them. "What fun!" I thought.

Well, I thought it fun until the unexpected happened. As I hit the wall and gathered myself for another glide, my foot pressed a loose brick. There was an ominous click.

At once a huge slab dropped out of the floor just ahead of Sonic and Tails. They yelled and tried to stop, but it was too late. They skidded into the dark hole.

I rushed up to the hole and looked in, pulling off the mask to clear my vision. I had expected a spike pit, but this was a deep shaft. I could feel a faint, musty draft wafting from the depths. There were no sounds from Sonic or Tails. "Hello!" I called down. My voice reverberated down the shaft, then was flung back to me in a taunting echo. Gosh, were they dead?

I can't say I was sorry for what I had just done. Instead, I was filled with a sort of sick curiosity. I wanted to see their dead bodies for myself. But _I_ wasn't about to jump down that shaft. There had to be another way down.

I stood up and pulled off my cloak. Cumbersome thing, there no use for it now. I glided across the pit and continued into the pyramid. There had to be an alternate route someplace ...

Metal Sonic calmly walked to the lip of the shaft and looked down it. His scans showed it dropped straight down thirty feet, went into a steep slope for fifty, then dropped another thirty. Sonic and Tails were at the bottom, 1100 feet below the pyramid. Both were alive, but unmoving. Well, that meant he needed to keep a scan on them. It wouldn't be difficult, once Knuckles found a way down.

"Dr. Robotnik," Mecha said through his communicator. "Sonic and Tails will be out of the game for a while ..."