Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, as Sally was with Dulcian, Tekno and Rosie were busy trying out different formal wear for the festival, eager to enjoy themselves. That is until they stumble upon a trio of residents of Chun-nan talking amongst themselves, revealing Conquering Storm's mother had been killed. Meanwhile, an unknown creature is spotted leaving a mountain cave to attend the festival down below…
In the festival grounds, Sally and Dulcian were seen eating some of the local delicacies of the festival, some mochi and apples dipped in syrup.
Sally: "Mmm! These are delicious… Thanks for the treat, Dulcy."
Dulcian: "Hehe! You're welcome! Personally, I'm a big mochi fiend."
Sally: "Mmm… So Dulcy? Does Chun-nan have any Freedom Fighters? This island looks fairly untouched by Eggman."
Dulcian: "Eggman? …Well, no. Not since my papa all those years ago. The Zodiac come to meetings every few years, but as far as being a team goes, they've stopped doing that. What's an Eggman?"
Sally: "O-Oh, right… Eggman is this evil scientist bent on world domination. Me and my friends have fought him and his forces and manage to push him back, but… His hold over my kingdom is ever stronger and expands outward to places beyond…"
Dulcian: "So he's one big bully, huh?"
Sally chuckles before eating the rest of her candy apple and tossing the stick into the trash bin.
Sally: "I'm hoping to gather enough help to save my kingdom and defeat Eggman. Put him behind bars… before the rest of Mobius falls under his command… His last major plan involved trying to use a space station to wipe out all life on the planet. Who's to say what his next plan will include…"
Dulcian: "If you're looking for allies then I know someone cute, kind, and a powerhouse when she needs to be - ME!"
Sally looks at Dulcy before smiling, appreciating her help.
Sally: "By the way, Dulcy. Your dad is a dragon, Zan, that much I caught earlier… But who's your mom?"
Dulcian: "My mom is an iguana, from Spagonia, the city of art. According to my dad, she came to Chun-nan looking for inspiration for her next art piece, only to leave a happily married woman and mother. She visits Chun-nan on occasion, but her sole focus art first."
Dulcy then points to a few of the nearby statues.
Dulcian: "Those… are all by her. Recreations of older statues, but still by her. My dad loves her art so much that he uses them as decoration for all of Chun-nan. He must be so proud of her."
Sally: "I bet."
Dulcian: "Anyway, while my mom is an iguana, my dad is still a dragon. Which makes me a fire breathing iguana."
As a demonstration, Dulcy breathes in and spits a fire ball into the air, which then explodes into a nice display of fireworks. Sally was in awe at that display of control over fire. This display causes a panic nearby, or at least that's what it sounded like. Dulcy and Sally rush over to the sound to find a male tiger running a kebab stand kicking out a strange looking creature wearing a mask, stating in a foreign language not to steal his hard work.
Dulcian: "Is everything okay?"
Tiger: "Ah, Lady Dulcian. This thief tried to make off with my kebabs. The nerve…"
Creature: "...Zemma… hungry… Zemma… very hungry…"
Sally looked at the creature before them walking up to the tiger, pulling out some coins.
Sally: "Three kebabs, please."
The tiger nods and hands three freshly made kebabs to Sally. The chipmunk walks up to the creature and kneels down to her.
Sally: "Hey… There's no need to steal, ma'am. Are you okay?"
Creature: "...Huh? …Who you?"
Sally: "I'm Sally."
Sally gives the creature the kebab, which she takes and starts eating, though not moving her mask beyond just showing her mouth. After eating, the creature stands up, looking… nervous…
Creature: "Y-You… not attack Zemma…? Y-You no bad…?"
Sally: "Hm? Of course not. Why would I attack you?"
Dulcian: "It's one thing to keep thieves away from your stand, but don't be so rough next time."
Tiger: "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry…"
The creature was genuinely scared and confused by Sally's actions. The princess sees this and approaches very slowly and softly.
Sally: "Hey, hey. Are you okay?"
Creature: "...Others hurt Zemma… Everyone hurt Zemma… Zemma no trust… Zemma… no… trust…"
The creature pulls out her club and swings it, though not hitting Sally; instead a storm of dust blinds her, Dulcy, and any onlookers. When Sally and Dulcy could see again, the creature was gone. Sally and Dulcy looked around, curious.
Sally: "...What was that about? More importantly, who was that?"
Dulcian: "Hmm… A club… A mask… And she was a very strange looking creature, nothing like a human or Mobian… Was she the… Ogre of Iron Mountain?"
Sally: "'Ogre'?"
A vibration in her pocket, causes Sally to pull out Nicole's mini computer, popping it open to greet the computer lynx.
Nicole: "Sorry for the vibration, Sally. …And the lack of talking… I can't really enjoy the festival with you due to…"
Sally: "Oh, no you're fine, Nicole. I'm sorry for being so distracted… Um… Was there something you wanted to say?"
Nicole: "Yes. The story of the Ogre of Iron Mountain is a supposed myth that dates back to just before the fall of the Iron King. On a stormy night, a bright light opened in the sky, sending a creature to this island. This creature brought ruin to the island using its mighty club and mystical abilities. Four heroes rose to stop the creature - the would-be monkey king, the wolf, the phoenix, and a human trained in the art of the bo staff who would bring peaches for the Zodiac. When their battle was won, the creature left, badly injured, while the human would perish due to their injuries. In their honor, peaches would be served to the festival of myths as a sign of good luck. The creature supposedly never returned every since then…"
Dulcian: "Except now that is… But there is something odd about it- her… She seemed… more docile than I expected."
Sally: "You're right. Nicole? Is there any way to find her?"
Nicole: "When you were close to her, my sensors detected faint levels of EMP, or some kind of natural ability to disrupt machinery. Though I am reluctant since such things can potentially damage my systems… It can act as a tracker of sorts to help locate her."
Dulcian: "Sally, what exactly is your plan? The Ogre of Iron Mountain is stated to be dangerous, you know?"
Sally: "Yeah, I get that… But… I dunno… The way she spoke made me think that… she was just lonely… I'd rather not let superstitious tales dictate my opinions of someone. So I want to hear her side."
Dulcy looked at Sally with a look of surprise before smiling. She might get in trouble from her dad, but…
Dulcian: "Alright. Count me in then."
Sally smiles and nods, the two shaking hands for this partnership. She then turns to Nicole.
Sally: "Nicole? Contact Tekno and Rosie; tell them to find a black and white creature wielding a club and wearing a mask. Do not engage, but approach with caution."
Nicole: "Of course."
With that, Sally and Dulcy started their search, heading to another part of the festival.
On top of a roof, overlooking the events that transpired, the fox that Sally met before can be seen eating a bowl of noodles with chopsticks, her tail swaying back and forth rather lazily as she observed the scene below.
Fox: "A soul of hex… A soul of the trees… One that has felt the pain of betrayal… The other that has felt the pain of loss… What do these souls have in common, I wonder? Hmm… Well, dear reader… I won't be telling~"
After speaking to no one in particular, the bowl in her hands fades away, before she herself vanishes in a storm of cherry blossoms, no one aware of her presence…
"To be continued… dear reader~"