-Sorry for the long wait on this next chapter, guys.-

Chapter 12

"Diagnostics show normal heart-rates... Their breathing is beginning to return to normal as well. You have amazing abilities, Robo." The automaton let out a puff of steam in reaction to the compliment from the fellow android. Both her and the chipmunk were instrumental in decreasing the tensions in the room, and for that he was quite thankful. It was not looking good for them with multiple unconscious bodies strewn all around the cave-woman and robot!

Afterwards, the Freedom Fighters contributed bedding for the fallen party to rest upon. It all fit neatly within Sally's rather spartan bedroom that was now converted into an emergency field hospital. Nicole, Sally and Sonic all elected to stay behind to make sure they had a full recovery.

Everyone had contributed to the well being of their comrades, which continued to pleasantly surprise the metallic man, but the other was beginning to feel left out...

Ayla huffed and crossed her arms angrily. "This one can help too! You no ask Ayla. Makes me upset!" She had tried her patented kisses, almost to the point of resuscitating them through sheer force of will. However, there was something at work here that had eluded all of them. Something that natural cures were not going to fix.

The blue hedgehog that accompanied them quickly shuffled through his backpack and removed a spent power ring. "I don't know what going on, but I think I may have been the one who screwed up here."

Sally was quick to retort. "Sonic, they saved our lives with that magic of theirs!" He fixed her a worried look and stared back at the dull circular object, twirling it with his finger.

"Yeah, but I think I overcharged them. That's why they're like that, Sal..." Sonic felt genuinely guilty as he looked over his new friends that were now bedridden.

"Oh! That's it...!" The excited reaction from the lynx caught them all off guard and Nicole balked slightly at the confused stares she was now receiving. Clearing her throat, she continued, "Well. It seems that this "power surge" you gave them allowed them to temporarily gain access to some sort of hidden potential!"

"Not helping my case, Nicole..." Sonic exasperatedly stated as he leaned forward with a deflated expression.

"Ayla think you both silly. Crono was always strong! So were the others!" After her quick outburst, she nearly jumped out the window as the green knight entered the room silent as a mouse!

"Ah, sorry about that lass! I just got back from escorting Antoine back to his house." He gave a polite bow to the tall woman, who blushed slightly at her indiscretion. "I've decided to help Rotor repair the young man's blade, we'll need his aid if we are to help them recover!"

"Thanks Frog...or should I say Glenn?" Sally replied with a sly look, which startled the amphibian greatly.

"How did you come about that name perchance?" Sonic huffed at the befuddled gentleman as he shook his head in disappointment.

"It's literally to written on your sword, dude. 'Glenn, Inheritor of Cyrus' Will'. Whoever -that- is!" Frog paused for a moment and turned his head downward with a severe look.

"He...was a great friend of mine and a wonderful mentor. Do not speak ill of him, hedgehog." Sonic raised his hands defensively at the knight's sudden aggression.

"Please calm down! There's no time for this. Our friend's lives may be in danger..." Robo's words brought the two back to reality and they looked over their fallen comrades, ashamed.

"Crono, Marle and Lucca must be proud to have you as friends..." Sally remarked with a curious passion. Sonic caught onto what she was thinking immediately and they both nodded to each other in silent agreement. Hey, they -are- just like us, huh? Even across dimensions and time...

"I...think I can help them." Nicole replied suddenly. She had been deep in thought the whole time, even with the chaos that raged around her. Taking off her chest-plate, she revealed a glowing fragment of the stone that gave the ring generator outside the village it's power! Holding it over the trio, emerald energies seeped outward into their prone bodies and their eyelids fluttered at once!

"Fascinating! It's a similar wave pattern to the one I used to heal their injuries prior, but something's different." Robo was beside himself as he tried to ascertain what had just transpired. He was cut off abruptly by the excited prehistoric lady next to him!

"Oh! All friends waking...!" Ayla raced to each bed excitedly as the others drew closer. One by one, each of them opened their eyes to the excitement of their friends waiting for them. The automaton let out a series of exhalations that sounded like forced laughter as he brought his gaze over to the victorious AI.

"Now, about those Time Stones..."

–

The next morning, everyone convened at the Great Hall once more as sunlight drifted through the open pavilion, casting an almost hopeful light on the now complete group of time travelers and Mobians. All waited in anticipation for the meeting that was to be held within.

"Now to hold up our end of the bargain..." Sally calmly stated as she brought forth a strange contraption which had the appearance of an owl's head with two gleaming red eyes. It was carved neatly into two separate pieces meant to be combined into one.

Keeping the two ends apart, she fixed the group of humans with a stern look as the young lady began her explanation. "Here we are...these are the very same objects that transported both me and Sonic through time itself. However, their power is limited and can only transport two at a time. You also have to know the exact location and point in time that you wish to be." She sighed heavily and looked at the two red stones with a pronounced sadness. "There will be consequences if these directions are -not- followed to the letter."

Lucca moved toward the ancient artifacts and ran her fingers over where they interlocked and moved upwards towards the stones. Adjusting her glasses, she took a hammer to one of the rubies within!

"What are you doing!?" Sally didn't know how to react as everyone jumped out of their seats at once! Suddenly, a bright glow emitted from the implement that the inventor held in her hands... Only one such material reacted in such a manner...

Robo eyes flashed and steam forced its way out of him as they came to the same conclusion. "Dreamstone!?" The crimson aura from the rubies already had them suspicious of such and the opening of the gates seemed to confirm it. This was an alternative future of some sort, or maybe...

"Parallel dimensions." Lucca pondered for a moment, then immediately shook that thought out of her head. "Nope. Not going down that rabbit hole."

"Me neither!" Bunnie responded on cue as both of her ears lopped toward the ground. Sonic was pounding his quilled head on the table slowly while Tails tried to console him.

"Sally, have you tried using them again since? Just to see if they still had power?" The chipmunk peered downward in embarrassment. I wanted to go back to see my dad one last time. To warn him of Robotnik's betrayal... She knew he had been banished to a realm within the Void portals, now doomed to a fate worse than death.

"Yo, Sal. You're awfully quiet. Don't tell me—" The auburn-haired lass cut the blue hedgehog off before he could continue.

"They...don't have power left. We used it all up on our two way trip... Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Sonic." He zipped over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder as she began to tear up.

"Oh, this was about your pops...King Acorn!" Sonic always knew that the chipmunk had a hard time controlling herself when remembering her old man.

Marle stared at Sally and gasped as the realization soon hit her. "No way... We're both royalty! Lucca, this is getting weird. Can we get to the point before my head explodes!?"

"Right. I was just about to ask them where they found such a strange device." Sonic gripped his head as pain began to form behind his temples.

"Oh man, there was this island in the sky and we had to go through a massive maze guarded by two stone guardians." He brought his gaze skyward and took a deep breath before continuing, "It was watched over by this big owl guy called "The Keeper of Time". We had to answer a riddle for him in order to get it from the old timer." Sonic turned to the chipmunk with a relieved smile as she grinned smugly. "Sal bailed us outta that one."

Frog piped up this time as the hedgehog concluded his story. "How are we to get there. I don't think your flying machine is powerful enough."

"That's where I come in.", said the walrus with bloodshot eyes and bags under his eyes. A loud yawn erupted from Rotor as he struggled to get the next words out, "I...worked all night fixin' up your ship. Should..." Sleep deprivation began to take hold as Antoine tried to hold him up. "Be...enough to get you anywhere in Mobius at this point."

"Enough Rotor." The coyote turned and gave the group a collective salute. "Let's get you 'ome and resting immediately." With that, Bunnie and Antoine carried the walrus back towards an awaiting bed.

Crono leaped out of his chair once more and pumped his fist triumphantly and raced off toward the forest clearing where the Epoch had been left sitting all this time! Sonic was excited to see this white ship back in action and quickly caught up to the excited red-head. Let's see how fast this thing can -really- move!