Chapter 4: Loyalty Part 1: The Right to Rule.
Seanzilla115: Hey minna. Again, I want to apologize for not putting up the Omake in the last chapter. But don't worry. I'll be sure put it up this time! Anyway...I don't own anyone in this story, nor the series Sonic the Hedgehog, the Ben 10 series, or the Blazblue series. I do own Haseo Yukimaru Sakurai the Hedgefox.
"And that makes ten," Sonic smirked after he finished off his tenth EggSwat.
"...looks like we're tied," Amy noted since she had defeated ten EggSwats as well, a pile of said bots behind the pink hedgehog.
"Look's like..." Sonic began before someone tapped him on the shoulder, causing the blue hedgehog to turn around and gawk.
"Heh..." Big Chill smirked, leaning against one of fourteen, frozen and broken EggSwats before changing back into Ben, "Looks like I win the bet."
"Wait...when did..." Sonic began again.
"Ahem!"
Sonic, Amy, and Ben turned around and gawked, seeing Makoto sitting on top of a broken pile of twenty EggSwats.
"Tee hee! Looks like I beat the most EggSwats, which mean I win our little game, Ben-kun," Makoto giggled a bit.
"...y...yeah...looks like it," Ben sweatdropped with a small chuckle.
"Honestly you guys..." Tsubaki sighed as she and Rook walked up to the four as Tails landed the Tornado not too far away, "Making a game out of this...need I remind you we're saving people here?"
"Sheesh, Tsubaki. Lighten up, will ya? And in case you haven't noticed..." Sonic began as he motioned to the cheering crowd, who were celebrating Team Fighters for saving them, "We just did."
"Well...I supposed that's true..." Tsubaki admitted, "But still...we need to catch up with Eggman's ship before it gets too far away."
"She's right. Before the princess got away, I managed to overhear her mentioning a place called the Shazamazon," Rook added, "Why do you think they're heading there?"
"Well..." Tails began, "If I remember right that's were the Wolf Pack and the Felidae...live...uh oh."
"Sonic! You don't think..." Amy began in a worried tone.
"Yep. No doubt EggButt's cronie is going there and probably going to attack the leaders of each side," Sonic frowned.
"I'm...kinda lost here. Who are the Wolf Pack and Felidae?" Ben asked in a confused tone.
"Hai...I don't think you told us about them yet," Makoto added.
"We'll tell you guys on the way there. Now let's..." Sonic began.
"Matte!"
The team of seven turned to see a young hedgefox(the same one from the last chapter) with midnight-black and snow-white white fur, and two, different colored tails running towards them from a alleyway.
'He's...got two tails like me...' Tails thought in a surprised tone after seeing the hedgefox's tails.
"A...A...arigatou, for saving my home..." the hedgefox bowed.
"Uh...it's...no problem uh..." Sonic began.
"Oh...Ano..gomen...I...didn't introduce myself..." the hedgefox blushed embarrassingly, "O...Ore wa Haseo Yukimaru Sakurai..."
"I...didn't understand..." Ben began.
"'Gomen' mean 'Sorry' in Japanese, 'Ano' is 'Um,' in Japanese, and 'Ore wa' is one way to introduce yourself in Japanese," Tsubaki explained to him.
"Ahh..." Ben nodded.
"A..Ano...Can...Can I ask you something?" Haseo asked.
"Sure. Ask away, dude," Sonic nodded.
"W..well...ano...can..can I go with you guys? A...Ano..if..if that's okay with you that is..." Haseo asked nervously and shyly.
"...uh...sure. But...why do you want to come with us?" Sonic couldn't help but ask.
"W..well. My Onee-chan was supposed to come home today from New Mobotropolis...D...demo...after seeing Eggman's ship...I'm...I'm afriad something bad might have happened to her...S-so...t...that's why I want to go with you guys...be...because I want to find my Onee-chan and see if she's okay..." Haseo explained.
"...Well...you guys okay with it?" Sonic asked his group.
"Nope," Amy replied.
"I have no problem with it," Tails added.
"Same here," Ben and Makoto agreed.
"If...he's okay with it...then I got no problem," Tsubaki stated.
"Agreed. After all...he wants to go and find his 'older sibling' if my Japanese is right," Rook added.
"You're half-right, Rook-san. 'Onee-chan' is 'Big Sister' in Japanese while 'Onii-chan' is 'Big Brother' in Japanese," Tsubaki explained to him.
"Ahh...I see. Thank you then, miss Tsubaki," Rook nodded to the crimson haired girl.
"No problem, Rook-san," Tsubaki nodded back.
"Okay..." Sonic began as he turned back towards Haseo, "So...you sure you want to go? I mean, where we're going, Eggman's bots are no doubt going to be there too."
"I...I know...D..demo...I..I want to do this...for my Onee-chan..." Haseo replied in a slightly determined tone.
"I see...well...welcome to the team then...Haseo..." Sonic greeted the hedgefox with a grin.
"R..really?" Haeo asked hopefully, earning a nod from the blue hedgehog, "A...arigatou."
"No prob..." Sonic nodded before whispering to Tsubaki, "Translation please?"
"It means 'Thank you' in Japanese," the crimson haired girl replied.
"Ahh..." Sonic nodded as he turned to Tails, "We got enough room in the Tornado for Haseo, right?"
"Yeah. I added a extra seat into the Tornado before we left Freedom HQ," Tails explained.
"Sweet," Sonic grinned as he turned back towards Haseo, "Well...grab your things and we'll..." a black and white blur shot by him before it shot by him again, revealing Haseo, who was carrying a suitcase full of cloths and other stuff, "Head out?"
"Did...did you just...run as fast as Sonic just now?" Tails gawked.
"H..hai...m-me and my Onee-chan can run really fast. D...demo...I only d-do it if it's necessary, like when I need to run away, or get r-ready if I'm heading somewhere," Haseo stuttered with a small blush.
"I...I see..." Sonic noted.
"Good thing Rook and Tails modified one of the plains in the hanger for us to move around in before we left," Ben whispered to Makoto.
"Hai. Otherwise it would've been impossible for us to catch up with Sonic and the others," Makoto nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, in the DeathEgg 2, Lien-Da was currently being yelled at by Eggman, who was on a monitor in the main, control room.
-What do you mean Sonic's back?-! I had that blue rat's spirit broken after I put that friend of his in a coma!- the egg-shaped mad doctor snapped.
"I...I know! I didn't think it was possible either but...he came back!" Lien-Da explained, "In fact...he had that boy with him! Along with that tall guy and two others!"
-...Really?- Eggman blinked a bit, earning a nod from the female echidna, -...send me the data you managed to record before retreating-
"Of course..." Lien-Da nodded as she entered a few commands into the computer, sending the data on the battle from last chapter to Eggman.
-Hmm...a form that has ice powers and can go intangable...intresting...- Eggman noted as he watched the video Lien-Da sent him off screen, -Lien-Da...update the file on that boy who could transform. Also...create a file for that crimson haired girl and...the Mixed Breed-
"Alright! Who said it?-!" Makoto snapped from her seat in a resized, black and white version of the Tornado, "Someone just called me a 'Mixed Breed!' I just know it!"
"None of us said it," Tails noted.
"I...I didn't say anything...in fact..m-me and my Onee-chan really hate that word," Haseo informed nervously.
"Really?" Amy asked the hedgefox, earning a nod from him.
"Whoever said it must be really close minded in terms of species," Tsubaki stated with a frown.
"Indeed," Rook nodded.
"I will, Master Eggman," Lien-Da nodded.
-Good- Eggman nodded before glaring at the screen next to him, which showed both Drago and RazorKlaw, -As for you two! What's this I hear about your base being behind schedule!?-
-W..well...you see...It's the Wolf Pack Nation, boss- Drago gulped.
-They've allied with Felidae. Together, they're too much to...- RazorKlaw began.
-DON'T GIVE ME THAT!- Eggman roared, causing the two GrandMasters to flinch, -You've got a army of Legionized Cyborgs, tanks, and laser weapons! If you two don't have a better excuse by the time I get back, I'll...!- He was interrupted when everything went off.
"What the?-! What's going on?-!" Lien-Da demanded one of the Dark Egg Legionnaires.
"It seems we've run out of power, mistress," the Legionnaire responded.
"Damn...all those attacks on New Mobotropolis after the Roboticizer broke must've drained the power," the female echidna frowned, "That stop in Furville didn't help any. In fact, we've lost half our EggSwats after that failed attempt."
"Mistress Lien-da. Before the power went out, the computer said we're close to the Shazamazon," another Legionnaire explained.
"I see. But Eggman failed in trying to take over that place. Especially since the two warring nations found peace thanks to Sonic and..." Lien-Da began before an idea popped into her head, an evil smirk growing on her face as the female echidna turned towards Mecha-Sally, "The Princess...Mecha-Sally. Tell me, how would you go and destroy the peace your old self worked so hard to create?
-The peace between the Wolf Pack Nation and the Pias Misterioso is tenuous and maintained only by their matriarchs. Take out the leaders, leave room for suspicion, and the two groups will turn on eachother- Mecha-Sally replied in a cold tone.
"..I really like you when you're like this, Mecha-Sally," Lien-Da grinned, "Normally Eggman would say, 'Carpet Bomb the continent,' but guess what? I'm not Eggman. I'll let you take care of this while me and my Legionnaires refuel and restock the Death Egg."
-..by your will- Mecha-Sally responded as her eyes glowed menacingly.
In a aztec looking temple, a slender Mobian wolf was going over some papers. She was around her late twenties/mid thirties. Her fur was a fair sheen of gray and auburn. A bushel of long, black hair with a white highlight was shaped into a braided ponytail while her tail was primarily black with an auburn/gray tip. She wore a simple pair of strap sandals that went up to an inch below the knee, gold bands on her arms, and a light-blue one-piece connecting to her neck by a gold collar and hugged her waist by a blue band, the one piece hugging her figure. Under one of her ears was a charm with three feathers on it. She looked up from her papers as she heard someone behind the curtains nearby.
"That's odd...the meeting of the Pack Leaders isn't for another couple of hours," the wolf noted before seeing a shape familiar to her behind the curtain, "Princess? Is that you? What a pleasant surprise! What's the oca...?"
Before she could even finish, the figure behind the curtain shot forward, grabbing the female wolf by her neck as the figure slammed her against the wall.
"Uhh...who...?" the wolf began before her eyes widened in shock, seeing that the person holding her by her neck...was Mecha-Sally, "N...no...h...how?"
-Grand Chief Lupe of the Wolf Pack Nation...You wil come with me quietly. Otherwise...the blood of your 'rescuers' will be on your hands- the Roboticized princess stated in a cold tone as she tightened her grip on the wolf/Lupe's neck.
"Run ahead to the docks and make sure my ship is ready. my day of rest won't be leisurely if I'm made to wait," a Tall, mobian cat with white fur and blue eyes with yellow sclera ordered a Mobian cat walking next to her. The white cat wore a blue cloak with a high collar, two gold buttons and a red lining. Beneath this she wore a black dress-gown with a gold-colored "V" mark coming down from her shoulders and a black cowl that fits snugly over her head and neck, the sleeves of her dress red with gold trimmings. She also wears two small hoop earring with large gold orbs on each ear. On her head was a metal crown with multiple colored feathers on it.
"But...Queen Hathor...is her majesty sure she's safe alone?" the other cat asked her queen.
"Pah! No Wolf or Legionnaire would be foolish enough to attack this close to the city," the white cat/Hathor scoffed.
"O...okay..." the other cat nodded as she moved further ahead, only to feel a sudden breeze pass by her suddenly as she quickly turned around, seeing that Hathor was no longer behind her, "My...my queen?"
"Man...it's great to be back in the Wolf Pack Nation," Sonic grinned as the group arrived in a town with stone buildings and straw huts.
"I can why you're glad to be here..." Rook noted as the four, non-Mobians looked around, "This place is amazing."
"Hai..." Tsubaki agreed, "It looks so peaceful here..."
"You got that right, Tsubaki. But...it kinda sucks that we're bringing bad news to them," Sonic sighed a bit.
"It's fine, Sonic. With Lupe backing us up, we'll really be able to sock it to Eggman!" Amy declared in a determined-tone.
"You got that right Amy," Sonic nodded in agreement.
"...A...ano...it...it's really q-quiet," Haseo spoke shyly.
"...He's right. It's awfully quiet around here..." Ben noted as the houses and huts the group passed by were empty, "What do you suppose it going on?"
"Don't know. Maybe we'll find out once we get to Lupe's place," Sonic shrugged before he noticed a few young Mobian wolf pups and human children peeking in at a nearby window, one of the children and wolf pups being hold up by two, Mobian wolves with rose-red fur, long, brown hair that was done in thick-dreadlocks, and both wearing a one piece that hugged their figures with gold accents, the one piece the one on the left was wearing being a dark blue while the right one's one piece being a light green.
"Sonic...isn't that..." Tails began with a whisper.
"Yeah...it is..." Sonic nodded as he waved to the children, "Hey guys! What's..."
"Shh! They'll hear you..." the wolf pup standing on the light green wearing wolf's shoulders hushed.
"Who'll hear us?" Amy asked as the younger wolf jumped off the older ones shoulder and ran towards Amy with a sad look on her face, "Maria, what's wrong?"
"It...it's mama. She's missing..." the young wolf sniffled a bit, "And papa thinks the Felidae did it..."
"...That doesn't sound right...Why would they abduct Lupe during a time of peace?" Tails pondered quietly.
"Dad says you can't trust those nasty cats!" one of the wolf pups growled as he slammed a fist into his opened palm, "So he and the other Pack Chiefs are deciding on how best to go to war!"
Ben flinched at the mention of war, recalling a certain planet-sized civil war between Reds and Blues. He saw what was going on between the war...but...seeing an aftermath from one of the Reds and Blues' battles shook him to the core. He...he never seen so many dead bodies before in his entire life. The thought of hearing war again reminded him of...that moment.
"I'm with Tails on this one..." Sonic noted as he looked at the two, female Wolf Mobians, "And you two don't look like you buy it either."
"Yes. The Felidae are violent, but their not hostile towards us now...nor subtle. If they kidnapped Lupe, there wouldn't be any doubt," the female wolf Mobian in the light-green one piece stated.
"All we care about is Lupe. She gave us a pack when we had none...we're really worried for her and want her back safe and sound..." the female wolf in the blue one piece added in a worried tone.
"...This has Eggman written all over it," Amy frowned.
"Hai..." Makoto agreed with a frown.
"Huh?" the two, female wolf Mobians blinked in confusion a bit.
"Well...you see, Leeta, Lyco. We tracked Eggman's Flying Battle Fortress to here," Tails explained, "We were going to warn Lupe about his new Death Egg and that he...well...Roboticized and Weaponized...Princess Sally..."
"What?-!" both of the female wolf Mobians/Leeta and Lyco gasped.
"Roboticization works again? If that's true...then if he used the Princess..." Lyco began.
"Then Lupe wouldn't raise a hand against here. She'd be the perfect agent for a kidnapping," Leeta finished with a frown.
"Such a cowardly tactic..." Rook frowned.
"I agree..." Tsubaki nodded with a frown.
"We have to tell the Pack Chiefs about this and..." Tails began before Lyco stopped him from entering the house.
"They won't listen. Lobo is beside himself with worry...and I'm afraid many of the Pack Chiefs are eager for an excuse to attack the Felidae," the female wolf stated.
"Hmm..." Sonic pondered for a bit before he got an idea, "Say...if wew were to, say, rescue Lupe and save the day before the Pack Chiefs finish their meeting, everything will be cool, right?"
"..In theory, yes..." Lyco nodded.
"Cool. You ladies wouldn't happen to know where Eggman's cronies are hanging out these days, would you?" Sonic asked the two, female wolf Mobians.
"...As a matter of fact...we do," Leeta replied.
"Sweet! Then I suggest we split into two teams," Sonic suggested, "Lyco will go with one group while Leeta goes with the other."
"...I get it. If one group runs into Doctor Eggman's forces, then the other can sneak in undetected while the guards are distracted," Tsubaki realized.
"Exactly," Sonic nodded before motioning his team, Lyco, and Leeta to move in closer to him, "Okay...here's the teams that we'll split into...Oh. And I guess some introductions are in order, right Lyco?"
"Yes. Me and my sister have been meaning to ask who your new friends are," Lyco nodded.
"Okay," Sonic nodded.
"And Dr. Quack says Antione is stable, but we don't know if...I mean when...he'll wake up," Amy finished explaining to Lyco as they, Rook, Tsubaki, and Haseo walked around the jungles of the Shazamazon.
"That's awful!" Lyco gasped.
"Yeah...It's...been hard on us," Amy sighed sadly, "What about you? How have things been for the packs?"
"...To tell you the truth...boring," Lyco sighed, "Our pack used to tell of all the good they did when they were Freedom Fighters. All we do these days is stand guard against enemies that might attack."
"I see..." Sonic noted as Leeta gave him the same explanation while they, Ben, Makoto, and Tails walked around a different part of the Shazamazon.
"Me and my sister have been thinking about going to New Mobotropolis," Leeta added, "From what you told us, perhaps Lupe will let me and Lyco join Rotor's Team Freedom."
"Cool. We're always happy to have some help," Sonic smirked as he gave the rose-red wolf a thumbs up, "You sure you won't miss your life of peace down here?"
"Please...Me and my sister crave for adventure!" Leeta replied with a small giggle, "We want to help make this world a better place!"
"..." Makoto was about to say something before the sound of gun fire was heard nearby, "Looks like you'll be getting that 'adventure' sooner than later, Leeta-chan."
"Right," the rose-red wolf nodded as the group lowered themselves behind a pair of bushes, the gunfire sounds coming closer as Hathor, who was missing her black robes, ran before she tripped on a fallen, tree branch.
"Wait...that's the queen of the Felidae...why...?" Tails began with a whisper.
"Eggman demands that she brought in alive!" a voice roared as RazorKlaw and a few Dark Egg Legionnaires with cat ears and tails came bursting out of the same bush Hathor ran out of, the Grand Master and Legionnaires aiming their blasters at the downed queen, "But he didn't say she had to be...'intact.'"
"Uh oh...not good!" Sonic gasped quietly as he turned towards Tails, "Please tell me you brought T-Pup with you?"
"Of course. I don't leave home without him," Tails nodded as a orange blur zoomed pass the group and headed towards RazorKlaw.
"What the?-!" RazorKlaw growled before the blur rammed right into his stomach, sending the feral wild-cat staggering back a bit as he clutched his stomach. He then looked up to see a small, robotic fox growling at him, "Th...that...isn't one of ours. Wh...what the hell is it?"
"A Great distraction!" a voice caught RazorKlaw's attention as Tails, Sonic, Leeta, and Makoto came rushing out from their hiding place and knocked out all the Cat Dark Egg Legionnaires.
"Not as satisfying as busting down a SwatBot...but they'll do," Sonic stretched a bit as he turned towards the downed, Felidae queen and RazorKlaw, "Now..."
"Nobody move!" RazorKlaw growled as he aimed his claws at Hathor, "One step closer and I'll slit her thro...!" a green flash of light caught his attention before his face was met with a fist, the feral wild-cat staggering a few feet away from the Felidae queen as he glared at the owner of the fist.
The person, or creature he was glaring at was a large, muscled, orange furred humanoid tiger with white and black fur on the torso, hands, feet, stomach, muzzle, and crotch area, the black going on his back in tiger stripes. On it's fist were black spikes that looked like they could cause some heavy damage. On it's chest was the Omnitrix symbol.
'Wait a minute...that symbol...it must be that boy Eggman told me and the other Grand Masters about,' RazorKlaw thoguht once he saw the symbol on the tiger's chest. He then shook of the blow and glared at the tiger, "You made a grave mistake by hitting me, punk!"
"Let me tell ya somethin' RazorKlaw; Grand Master of the Dark Egg Legion in the Shazamazon: Rath hasn't begun to show you what Rath's got!" the tiger humanoid/Rath declared.
"So this is what you told me and my sister about," Leeta noted in surprise after seeing the transformation.
"Yep," Sonic nodded before looking at the downed queen, "I suggest you move back with us. I have a feeling things are about to get crazy around here."
"...o..okay," Hathor nodded as she moved over towards Sonic's group, who moved back as RazorKlaw and Rath prepared to fight.
Ben Tennyson (Rath) VS RazorKlaw
Stage: Shazamazon (Felidae Territory) - She who gives blessings upon fertility and our kind, ruler of the southern sands.
"My claws will tear you to shreds, punk!" RazorKlaw growled as he slashed the air a few times.
"Let me tell ya somethin' RazorKlaw; Grand Master of the Dark Egg Legion in the Shazamazon: we'll see who tears who to shreds!" Rath roared as he got into a fighting stance.
THE WHEEL OF FATE IS TURNING - REBEL 2 - ACTION! CUE: REBELLION - Theme of Ragna the Bloodedge
Rath roared as he and RazorKlaw charged at each other, the feral wild-cat attempting to slash at the humanoid tiger, who dodged the attack and slammed his outstretched arm into RazorKlaw's neck, knocking him over.
"Cosmic Clothesline!" Rath roared before grabbing the rising RazorKlaw's waist from behind and slammed him into the ground head-first, "Ophicius Suplex!"
RazorKlaw grunted in pain a bit before getting up and attempted to slash at Rath again multiple times before ht humanoid tiger jumped into the air and delivered a swift left kick to the feral wild-cat's jaw, sending him crashing through a tree.
"Sirius Butt-Kicking!" Rath roared.
"Hey!" Leeta called, getting Rath's attention, "Is that 'Sirius' like the star or 'Serious' like important?"
"Like the star!" Rath roared as he jumped on top of a nearby tree," From the top pole..." Rath jumped off, "Ursa Major Body Slam!"
"Ouch…" Tails flinched as Rath impacted with RazorKlaw, causing a large crater to form, "That has got to hurt."
"You know…This guy just makes me wanna get a box of popcorn, kick back, and just watch," Sonic noted.
"Sonic, this isn't the time for…Okay, me too," Makoto admitted.
"Reticulum Armbar!" Rath roared, pulling RazorKlaw's left arm into an armbar hold.
The Feral Wild-cat grunted in pain, feeling his cybernetic arm slowly slowly coming off the hing. Grabbing a bit of dirt on the ground, he tossed it into Rath's eyes, making the humanoid tiger let go as he attempted to rub the dirt off his eyes. RazorKlaw took advantage of this and slashed Rath hard in the chest with both of his claws, sending th humanoid tiger stumbling back words, holding his chest a bit. The Feral wild-cat smirked in victory before his eyes widened, seeing Rath shaking off the attack like it was nothing Hell, the slashes he delivered on Rath's chest didn't seem to work at all since there were only small cuts on the humanoid tiger's chest.
"Let me Tell ya somethin' Razorklaw; Grandmaster of the Dark Egg Legion in the Shazamazon: You just made two, BIG mistakes! The more you hit Rath, the more you make him angry! And If you cheat around Rath, then you better say your prayers!" Rath roared as he charged and jumped behind Razorklaw and grabbed his waist from behind.
"What the?-!" Razorklaw began before he was slammed into the ground head-first.
"Taurus..." Rath began as he picked RazorKlaw up from behind and slammed him into the ground head-first again, "Atomic..." He then tossed Razorklaw high into the air and jumped after him, placing the feral wild-cat's head upsidedown on his shoulder while he grabbed both of his legs, "Muscle...
"...Oh no...Oh nonononononononononono!" RazorKlaw paled and pleaded, realizing where this was going.
"BUSTER!" Rath roared as he shot down towards the ground and crashed hard into it, the sound of bones cracking filling the air as RazorKlaw felt a HUGE jolt of pain coursing through his back, waist, and neck from the impact.
DISTORTION FINISH!
"...Man...isn't that going a big over board, Ben?" Sonic asked with a cringe as Rath let go of RazorKlaw, the beaten Wild-cat falling face first into the ground.
"Tch! He deserved it for cheating," Rath scoffed as he changed back into Ben.
"Y...yeah but...nevermind," Sonic sweatdropped a bit.
"So...I'm guessing you're Queen Hathor. Right?" Leeta asked the tired, white cat mobian, "Where is Grand Chief Lupe?"
"I..I'm sorry but...I...I"m not the Queen. I am but a humble emissary," Hathor replied, "But...the Queen and Grand Chief are in terrible danger!"
"...Um..Sonic? Isn't this the Queen?" Ben whispered to the blue hedgehog i confusion.
"Yeah...I'm kinda confused about this myself," Makoto added with a whisper.
"Well...yes and no at the same time. You see, the Felidae's culture is based on clothing. And currently right now, since she's not wearing her queenly robe, she's not the queen," Sonic explained.
"R..really?" Ben gasped in surprise with Makoto.
"Yeah. Threw me off at first too. Don't worry, I got this," Sonic assured his team as he turned towards Hathor, "Hey there, Emissary Hathor. I'm Ambassador Sonic. You might remember me by my socks."
"...O..oh! Yes. Hello Ambassador," Hathor greeted.
"Hey. Look um...can you clue us in to what happened to the queen and Lupe?" Sonic asked her.
"Yes. I certainly can," the white cat Mobian nodded, "The two of them were captured by one of Eggman's robots. The Grand Chief believed it to be a transformed Princess Sally."
(FlashBack)
"And as a Robian, you're a slave," Lupe finished explaining to Hathor as the two sat in a holding cell, "I was Roboticized once. Saying it was a horrible experiance is only a start."
"...And you say the Princess has been further modified? Like some common tool?" Hathor asked her, anger slowing boiling up inside the Felidae Queen.
"As far as I can tell...yes," Lupe nodded with a frown.
"Such a Dishonor...Such a Disgrace!" Hathor growled as she clenched her fist in anger, "My warriors will not sit idly by with me missing. No doubt they'll lash out, most likely at your wolves. There's no glory in such a conflict!"
"...Then you must stop them," Lupe spoke as she got up.
"What?" Hathor looked up at Lupe in suprise, "How? We're trapped in here."
"Not quite," the Grand Chief of the Wolf Tribe as she jumped up towards the only ventilation shaft in the room and removed the cover before landing back down on the floor, "I can help you reach that vent up there. You can escape while everyone's distracted re-supplying this base. I have faced Roboticization before, and I will do it again."
"...How noble of you, Grand Chief Lupe. But there's only one problem. I can't fit in there with all my robes," Hathor replied as she got up.
"No...you can't," Lupe stated.
"...You do know what you're asking of me, right" Hathor asked the wolf as she started removing her robe.
"Yes, I do. I"m asking you to save our people from both war...and Dr. Eggman," Lupe stated, "I'm making my sacrifice as you're making yours."
"...Very well," Hathor, now only wearing her red dress, nodded as she placed her robes and the floor, "Before I go, I have something to say..."
"...Go ahead," Lupe nodded.
"I have met many wolves in my time as queen...but not ones that'll sacrifice themselves for there people...you're truly and honorable warrior, Grand Chief Lupe. And I will see to it that your sacrifice won't be in vain."
"...Thank you...Queen Hathor," Lupe nodded, "Now please...hurry. I hear the guards coming."
Hathor nodded as Lupe helped her up into the vent, the white cat closing it just in time as the guards opened the holding cells door.
"An interesting story..." The group immediately turned around to see a few, tribal Mobian cats growling and aiming their spears at them, "Coming from one who meets with wolves, Outlanders, and OverLanders."
Ben, Makoto, Leeta, and Sonic were about to fight back before Hathor held up a hand as she looked at the cats.
"Wolves and OverLanders who are our allies...for now. and Outlanders who would drive back the Legion, and have served our Queen in the past," The white cat Mobian frowned at the leader, a Leopard Mobian in tribal armor.
"This could get ugly, guys. So get ready to do it to it," Sonic whispered to his team, who nodded in response.
"I may not have the Queen's authority, but I bear here will. Wolf and Felidae must unite against Dr. Eggman and his Legion," Hathor informed the Felidae warriors, "I will see to it that the Outlanders free the Matriarchs and return them to their domains. What say you?"
"..." the Leopard Mobian frowned before holding a hand up to the other Felidae Warriors, "We follow the command of the Queen. But..." he paused as the Felidae warriors started to leave, "It will be up to the wolves to listen. If they strike first...We will make it their last."
"...If only the Queen were truly here," Hathor sighed sadly once the Felidae Warriors left the area.
"..She is here, Hathor-san. In spirit," Makoto said to the white cat Mobian, "Now come on. We didn't have a lot of time before ,and we have less time now."
"She's right," Sonic added before looking down at RazorKlaw with a grin, "And if I were you ,buddy, I'd stay down until this is all over."
"I'll...hunt you down...and gut you...like a fish..." the beaten wild-cat growled.
"Heh...tough talk from someone wo got owned by a tiger who fights and talks like a wrestler," Sonic quipped.
"Grr..." RazorKlaw growled as he attempted to get up, only to fall back to the ground, holding his back in pain.
"Yeah...so hang out there until this is all over with," Sonic grinned as he turned towards the group,"Now then...let's get going, gang! The day's not going to save itself!"
The others nodded as the group, along with Hathor, left the area and headed towards the place Lupe was currently being held right now.
Meanwhile, in the Shazamazon's Dark Egg Legion Base, Lupe was struggling to get free as she was laying on a metal table, her arms and legs locked in place by metal cuffs.
"So...enjoying your stay, Grand Chief Lupe?" a voice grinned darkly as Lupe turned her head to the shadows to see Lien-Da approach her.
"...Lien-Da I presume?" the Grand Chief of the Wolf Tribe asked the female echidna with a frown.
"You're correct," Lien-Da nodded as she turned towards a computer showing information on Lupe, "My my my...You have quiet the record here. Finding your people's homeland, uniting said people, getting the top rank...very impressive indeed. Why, it makes you the perfect robot slave. Except...there's one, teeny, tiny problem."
"...and what is that?" Lupe frowned before Lien-Da traced a finger down the wolf's figure a bit before stopping on her chin.
"It's the pesky formor-Robian immunity. Pity really..." Lien-Da pouted a bit before grinning darkly, "No matter...there's alwasy a back up plan."
"Back up plan?" Lupe repeated as Lien-Da took her finger of the wolf's chin.
"Yes...instead of Roboticizing you..." Lien-Da began as she took a cloth off a nearby table, revealing several, cybernetic parts, "I'll just have to Legionize you instead."
Lupe's eyes widened at that before glaring at Lien-Da, a look of pure hatred and anger in the wolf's eyes.
"Okay Mina...You can do this...You can do this," a Yellow, Mobian Mongoose with long, Purple hair that reached to her back and emerald-green eyes repeated to herself as she stood in front of the entrance to Freedom HQ. She wore black and purple tank top and skirt, the top stretched a bit by her still developing breast, purple and green boots, and white gloves with green and gun-metal black gauntlets on the cuffs. Her ears had several piercings and were adorned with silver hoops.
She took one, last deep breath as the Mongoose/Mina entered Freedom HQ and headed towards the lab downstairs.
"Hello? Nicole? It's Mina Mongoose. Are you...home?" the yellow mongoose pasued when she noticed the Digital Lynx working on a nearby computer, 'She's...out of her computer? Well...at least that's a bit of progress I hope.' "Um...Nicole?"
"...May I ask why you're here, miss Mongoose?" Nicole asked her, not once turning around to look at the teenage mongoose.
"..W...welll...We..we need you back, Nicole. Please," Mina pleaded as she sat down in a metal chair, "The city's barely coping without you..."
"...I have been exiled, remember?" Nicole reminded Mina, "You got just what you wanted. I am where I can cause no harm to anyone."
"No no no! I'm so sorry, Nicole! This isn't what I wanted at all!" Mina replied before looking down with a sad look on her face, "I wanted to empower the people with my music. I wanted them to ask the hard questions and stand up for themselves. Instead...all they did was get...angry and frightened. I...I'm still not sure how I got it so wrong...Please let me explain? I dmit I didn't fully understand your situation at the time...but I do understand how it feels to be controlled. I...I..." she then started to tar up a bit, "I wanted to Freedom Figthers to make sure you were alright instead of taking it on faith. Weve got to get you back into the city Nicole..."
"...No," the Digital Lynx responded.
"N...No?" Mina repeated.
"No. I couldn't save Sally. I wasn't there for Antione. I watched Bunnie leave...I..." Nicole began.
"All that stuff happened under Sonic's watch too, but he didn't quit," Mina stated to the Digital Lynx, "He's out there leading Team Fighters right now! And Rotor's pulled together Team Freedom and..and I'm..." she paused as she looked down from her seat, "I'm trying to make things right with you. Because..I failed you."
"..." Nicole didn't say anything as she stopped from her typing on the computer.
"I failed as a Freedom Fighter..." Mina sighed sadly as she got up, still looking at the floor, "I froze up and almost got myself killed once...I..I moved on to be a singer to inspire people. But...instead...I...I turned them against you. I really missed the mark in my last concert. I want to..no. I have to make things right..for you. So please...talk to me..."
"...I wish I could..but...I'm only limited to HQ..." Nicole replied sadly as she turned around to face Mina, a sad look on the Lynx's face.
"That's true..this place maybe big..but...it's not enough space for you," Mina stated, "We need you back to run the city and to counter Naugus. And..as selfish as it sounds...I need you back. I...I can't forgive myself if you remained locked up here forever. I'm sorry but...tht isn't enough. You need to be free."
"...Someone once told me...I should be brave. To meet the anger with frustration..." Nicole said, recalling the words one of her friends told her long ago.
"Yeah...it's not an easy thing to do..." Mina nodded in agreement.
"No, it is not. But he said I should also count on my friends to support me," Nicole noted.
"And you can count on me to be one of them," Mina smiled as she looked at the Digital Lynx.
"...E..Even if it means letting me back into the city?"Nicole asked, a small smile growing on her face.
"Yes..." Mina nodded as she pulled the lynx into a hug, "And...can you forgive me for taking this long to say I'm sorry?"
"..Yes. I can forgive you," Nicole nodded.
"Thanks Nicole! You're the best!" Mina smiled as she released the hug, "I'm working on a whole new set of songs right now. I'm going to get the message right this time! We're going to chang the people's minds, and we're going to get you back where you belong!"
"I...thank you Mina. I look forward to hearing it," Nicole giggled a bit, "I..suppose part of developing emotions is learning to cope with them as well."
"It's not easy. So...you're back with us? No more hiding?" Mina asked her friend.
"...No. No more hiding," Nicole replied, "None of the Freedom Fighters would hide. I need to move forward. After all..I don't want to upset one of the many friends I have made today."
"Yep," Mina nodded before blinking, "Wait...what do you mean? Is...is there someone else aside from me and the other Freedom Fighters?"
'Oh...that's right. She doesn't know about Makoto and the others,' Nicole thought before looking a Mina with a serious look on her face, "Mina. There's something I need to tell you. But I want you to promise me that what you learn in here today, must never be found out, especially by Naugus. Okay?"
"...O...okay, Nicole. I won't tell anyone," Mina replied, surprised to see Nicole act so serious right now, 'I...I've never seen her act like this before. Whatever it is...it must be really important and secret.'
"Good..." Nicole nodded as she began to tell Mina everything that happened before Team Freedom and Team Fighters were formed.
Nearby, hidden in the shadows near the entrance, a Mobian owl was quietly listening to the conversation with intrigue.
'Hmm...intresting. It would seem what the Time Walker told me was true,' the owl thought, 'As much as I would like to hear more, I do hope miss Nicole would finish explaining. I need her assistance for a certain...project of mine.'
Instruct me, Magister Tennyson
(Starring: Max Tennyson, Taokaka, and Silver the hedgehog)
Max: *walks in* Hello everyone. It's nice to meet you all once again. *sighs* I would like to apologize about not being here in the last two chapters. There were some...'minor' technical difficulties with the equipment.
Taokaka:*runs in* Bouncy, where did ya go?!
Max: Woah! Slow down there Tao.
Taokaka: Eh?*notices Max and grins*Oh! It's Hawaii-guy again!
Max: *chuckles*So Tao...are you ready for today lesson?
Taokaka: Eeyup. Tao is...Eh?*notices a portal appearing out of nowhere before Silver falls out of it*
Silver: Ow...*gets up and looks around the room*Huh? Where am I? Wasn't I practicing with Shard and the others a second ago?
Taokaka: Oh! It's a Cockatoo Quills guy!
Silver: Huh?! C...Cockatoo Quills?!*thinks*'Why do people keep calling me that?!'
Max: Now Tao, calm down.*looks at Silver*Now then, what's your name?
Silver: *looks at Max*Um...it's...Silver. Sir.
Max: A pleasure to meet you, Silver. I'm Max Tennyson
Taokakak: And Tao is Taokaka, Cockatoo Quills guys!
Silver: *sweatdrops*Please don't call me that, miss Taokaka.*looks at Max* Um...what's going on?
Max: Well, we were just about begin todays lesson. Would you care to join us, Silver?
Silver: Um...s-sure. I...I guess.
Max: Alright then. Now...*Motions to a computer showing a image of Tsubaki Yayoi and Rook*Today, we'll be talking about these two, Tsubaki Yayoi, and Rook.
Taokaka:*cheers*Yay! It's Eye Lady!
Silver: *thinks while looking at the Izayoi*'Why do I have a really bad feeling about that weapon she's holding?'
Max: Now then...*the monitor changes to just Rook* This is Rook Blonko, a member of the Plumbers Special Forces, and current partner to my grandson, Ben Tennyson.
Silver: *raises hand*Um...excuse me.
Max: Yes Silver?
Silver: Um...why does Rook remind me of a cat?
Max: Well Silver...*the image on the monitor changes to Rook and his family* Rook is a Revonnahgander, a humanoid race of aliens with cat-like features that live on the planet Revonnah. Here's a fact, the people of Revonnah's only source of food and fuel is a single plant that grows all over the planet.
Taokaka: *a question mark appears over her head* Meow? Stripey-Man's a cat? But...where's his tail, meow?
Max: interesting question, Tao. You see...Revonnahgander's have tails when they're children. But when they reach puberty, the tails fall off.
Taokaka: *freaks out*What?! They lose their tails?! That's terrible! oh no...what if Tao loses her tail too?! I don't want to lose my tail, meow!
Silver: *sweatdrops*I think that only applies to mister Rook's species, miss Taokaka.
Max: Um...why don't we change the subject?*The image on the monitor changes to Tsubaki*This is TSubaki Yayoi, a friend of Makoto's when she was in the Millitary Academy, a fairly exclusive school where students of all ages go to study to become N.O.L soldiers and officers. During her time in the Military Academy, she was close friends with Noel Vermillion and Makoto Nanaya. She's described as a straight A student, and has a rather no-nonsense personality. She's very serious and reserved, and is a member of the dignified Yayoi family. By the end of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger's True Ending, she is assigned by Hazama to kill Noel Vermillion and Jin Kisaragi, a childhood friend of hers.
Silver: Wh...what?! Why...why would this Hazama Guy give such a order?!
Max: *frowns*I'm about to get to that. In BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, after her fight with Noel, Hazama tells Tsubaki that because of Noel's continued presence, she took Tsubaki's place as Jin's secretary, relegating Tsubaki herself into assassination tasks. Tsubaki, already slowly losing her sight due to overuse of her weapon, the Izayoi, becomes depressed and angry at Noel, believing she stole everything from her (though Hazama left out that Tsubaki would have died anyway in the timeline where she is with Jin). Hazama uses the surfacing of these emotions to his advantage by having Phantom use its sorcery on Tsubaki to manipulate her jealousy for his own purposes. The critical point of her jealousy is reached when she pleads Jin to back down, telling him that she only wanted to be with him, and wishes Noel were dead. Ultimately rejected by Jin, Tsubaki sides with Hazama and the Imperator.
Silver: Th..that...that's terrrible!*growls while thinking*'That Hazama...for him to manipulate emotions like tha...adn to have friends turn on another...it...it's unforgivable!'
Max: I agree. In her True Ending, she has the opportunity to kill Noel, but finds she cannot bring herself to do it, and is confused as to which side she's on. But...that's where things started to change for when someone, I won't say who, told he that the N.O.L were not all they seemed to be. Curiou, Tsubaki had left in the same direction Noel left in and...
Silver: And?
Max: And..well...I should probably go ahead and stop there. I should probably let the author explain that later in the story.
Silver:*blinks in confusion at that*Okaaaaaay...Um...can we...continue the lesson, mister Tennyson?
Max: Oh. yes. Sorry about that Silver.*The monitor changes to a image of Rath*This is Rath. He is an Appoplexian from the planet Appoplexia.
Taokaka: Oh! It's a Big Tiger Man! Um...where is his tail, Hawaii-Guy? Did Tiger-Man lose his tail like Stripey-Man did?
Max: *chuckles*No Tao. Appolexian's don't have tails. Appoplexians value emotional openness: if an Appoplexian has a feeling, they express it. Generally, the feeling is a blind rage. Appoplexians take great pride in their fighting love to fight and have great appreciation for the best fighter. Instead of shaking hands when they meet, they engage in a wrestling match until one is established as dominant."
Taokaka: Wow...*awes as the screen shows a clip of Rath beating up a printer when all it needed was to be reset*
Max: Appoplexians believe any problem can be solved by hitting it. An Appoplexian's addiction to violence leads them to be quite dim, forgetting things and being easily distracted. *the monitor showes a clip of Rath passing out from lack of oxygen when Gwen had put his head in a Mana Bubble* Appoplexians are prone to referring to people by their full title, as well as beginning a conversation with 'Let me tell ya somethin'!' Appoplexians have animistic tendencies, such as growling, roaring and relentlessly seeking food when hungry. *the screen showed an clip of Rath mixing metaphors* Appoplexians are prone to mixing up metaphors. Appoplexians can always remember things relating to fights or battle techniques learned.
Taokaka: Hit him! *Cheers as she watched Rath fight Manny Armstrong on the monitor*
Silver: Wait. The name 'Appolexian'...does'nt that sound like a play on the word 'apolexy,' the part of the brain that deals with anger?
Max: Yes Silver. You're correct about that.*the screen then changed to show a baby Appoplexian beating up The Undertaker*It is said that an average 2-year-old Appoplexian could easily defeat a human heavyweight wrestling champion. Appoplexian brains are more developed towards the parts that control anger and aggression, which is why their intelligence is dominated by emotion.
Silver: I see...*thinks*'Man...I would hate to go up against one if it's angry. Even worse, what if I went up against a Prelate Appolexian?'*shivers*'That's a scary thought...'
Max: Well. That's it for todays lesson. Next time we'll discuss about one of the Freedom Fighters. Until next time...
Taokaka: *Waves at you*Bye!
Silver: *waves as well*Uh...bye...*Thinks*How am I going to get ho...?'*a portal appears underneath him and pulls the surprised hedgehog in before it disappears*
Taokaka: *notices that Silver was gone* Meow? Where did Cockatoo Quills Guy go?
Max: I don't know, Tao. Perhapes he went home.