Chapter 2: FOLLOWING A MARSH TRAIL
Fiona and friends had started going down the path of The Great Forest. The weather was calm, the birds were singing, and the flowers were blooming.
"This forest is really beautiful" Kimi said in awe!
"I can vouch for that!" Zeke said "I could go camping here if I wanted to."
"This forest has plenty of space for that." Sonic said "Next time you guys come over, we can have ourselves a camping trip."
"Sounds good to me." Zeke said "It totally beats the loud noises of the city life!"
"It usually does" Tails said in agreement.
As the gang took a moment to enjoy the beauty there was one question on Fiona's mind.
"Oh Milo!" Fiona Said "When you came by yesterday, you mentioned that you were asking for directions for somewhere."
"Oh that's right!" Milo said "we were looking for directions of how to get to Vermabar!"
"I never heard of that place" Sonic said.
"Vermabar" Fiona Said "You mean..."
"Yup!" Milo said "the town where we all first met, where we hung out before we had to move."
"Is that where you use to live, Fiona?" Tails asked.
"Yeah" Fiona replied "It was the town where my Childhood home was! I haven't been there in years, not since the Robotnik fiasco. I thought it was destroyed!"
"That's what we thought too" Milo said "I knew Robotnik can be savage, but I didn't he'd be THAT savage! Anyway, the town has recently been rebuilt with all the houses and businesses that was originally there still intact, and we were heading down there to celebrate the town's grand reopening."
Fiona was thrilled to hear this, but as thrilled as she was, she knew she had a mission to confront the past, but she also figured that visiting her old hometown might provide some answers.
"That reminds me" Sonic Said "Since this journey is about you, how do you plan on confronting your past?"
"Well for starters" Fiona Started "I made a list of People I associated with after breaking out of Robotnik's prison prior to joining the Freedom Fighters."
"That's a good start, Fiona!" Sonic Said now let's take a look at that list!"
Sonic began to observe the list very thoroughly, however some of the names he came across were ones he didn't expect.
"Wait, you mean to tell me that you were involved with Hershey?" Sonic Asked "I haven't seen her in a while."
"Well this was during my time as a bounty hunter." Fiona Said "After a while we sort of went our separate ways."
"I see..." Sonic said
"Wait!" Zeke said "You use to be a bounty Hunter?"
"Yeah, but please understand!" Fiona said "I was only trying to make ends meet at the time, as a means of survival!"
"It's okay!" Zeke said assuredly "I actually work as a bounty hunter!"
"No Kidding!" Fiona Said in surprise
.
"Yep!" Zeke said proudly "I may not look like it, but I'm one of the best around, and between you and me, I actually have my own reality series."
Zeke took out some photos and ads from his pocket and showing them to everybody.
"That's very impressive!" Fiona Said
"I'll say" Sonic said "these photo look very impressive!"
"I bet you went on plenty of adventures tracking down bad guys!" Tails said
"Yup, my buds and I would be in tight spots now and then! "Zeke explained "But in the end, we would always get our man. I would get paid plenty but the reward money doesn't mean much to me, I'm just doing what I can to keep the bad guys at bay."
"That sounds really inspiring" Fiona said
"Believe me, it's very invigorating" Zeke Said "If you ever want to resume being a bounty hunter, you're welcome to join my group, we're always looking for new members."
"Well gee..."Fiona said "I will have to keep that in mind"
"So who else is on the list?" Milo asked
"Now let's see." Sonic Said "We got a few names I'm not familiar with, hey that reminds me, didn't you use to work with Nic the Weasel"
"Yeah, but after a while, we sort of had a falling out" Fiona replied "She is on the list though, I assure you."
Sonic continues to observe the list.
"Okay so we got Bean and Bark" Sonic said "Well that's obviously a no brainer."
He kept looking over the list until he comes across some names that catches him off guard.
"No Way!" Sonic Said
This sent a sense of Shock to Fiona, She was worried of how Sonic would react. She knew this journey wouldn't be easy but she also knew that it wouldn't be easy for her friends either.
"Tails, take a look at this" Sonic said "Do these names sound familiar to you?"
Tails walked over and takes a closer look at the list
"They sure do Sonic!" Tails replied "it says Jet, Wave, and Storm!"
Sonic and Tails knew right away what that meant!
"The Babylon Rogues!" Sonic and Tails exclaimed in Shock!
"Yes" Fiona said with a guilty expression on her face "I had a run in with those guys but that was years ago, It was during a time when I tried to do some treasure hunting with Nic."
"That's so cool!" Kimi said "I've always wanted to be a treasure hunter, exploring new areas, finding hidden gems and ancient artifacts! That must be really exciting!"
"Well it's not all fun and games" Fiona said "Sometimes it can be very risky. especially when you get tangled with some sketchy people."
"And the Babylon Rouges are no angels, something tells me finding those three won't be easy" Sonic said "And as surprised as I am about all this, all that matters is that you're making an effort to fix your mistakes, so we can't worry about those three now."
"Thank you Sonic!" Fiona Said "I was a bit worried for a while."
"So how do we get to Vermabar from here?" Kimi asked "It's probably miles away from here."
"I can use my wrist communicator" Fiona Said "Tails managed to install a GPS system on it when he was repairing it, so I can input our destination that way."
"Smart thinking Buddy!" Sonic Said
"Thanks, I figured it could help her in future missions" Tails said. "And Sonic I hope this doesn't give you the wrong idea."
"Relax, Tails" Sonic Said "I overheard you and Fiona talking yesterday, It's great that you were able to sort out your feelings."
"Thanks Sonic" Tails said with a smile "I feel better knowing that."
And So Fiona began to input the coordinates, and until a green light flashes, indicating that she was able to get the directions needed to head on their way.
"Excellent!" Fiona Said "According to this, we need to take a left over by the Marshlands."
"Good thing I stocked up on Calamine lotion and bug repellent" Milo said "You never know when you need it."
"Tails, this is amazing!" Fiona said as she gave Tails a high five. "The GPS works really well, Thank you!"
"You're welcome, Fiona!" Tails said "I'm always happy to help!"
And so the group continued to head down the path of the great forest. It was long walk but they made it to the Marshlands based on the directions of the GPS.
"All right everyone!" Milo said "You guys better put on some bug repellent and Calamine lotion. There will probably be lots of mosquitos so it's best to be prepared."
"And Knowing Kimi, she probably wants to eat them" Zeke said Sheepishly
"Cut that out!" Kimi Said "It's a frog thing!"
"It's alright, I'm not here to judge" Sonic Said.
And So Milo handed everyone a bottle of Calamine Lotion and bug repellent and they all proceed to put it all over them to ensure that they don't have to worry about any bug bites.
"Now with that out of the way" Sonic Said "does your GPS say where to head to next?"
"Yep!" Fiona Said "According to this we keep heading straight until we see a fork in the road, then from that point we turn left."
"All right, then we better hurry" Sonic said "the place is starting to smell!"
"No kidding!" Tails said "It makes Antoine's Cologne smell like paradise in comparison!"
The gang continued to head down the marsh while avoiding many obstacles in their path, whether it's the hanging vines, or the low tree branches. And the foul smell certainly wasn't doing them any favors either, but they knew they had to keep going.
"Hopefully it won't be to far now!" Fiona Said "I'm not sure how much longer I can handle the smell."
"probably not much longer if you keep up with that attitude" A voice shouted.
"Who said that?" Milo Said
"It sounded like it came from above us." Tails Answered
The Gang looked above to see where the voice was coming from. There they saw a Gecko Mobian with a red cape sitting on top of a tree branch.
"Sorry to sound skeptical" Milo said "but who are you?"
The Gecko Mobian leaped off the branch and jumped down to the ground with such grace.
"Allow me to introduce myself" The Gecko Mobian said "I am Thaddeus, the keeper of this Marshland, and I am on a quest."
"A quest for what?" Sonic asked
"I am missing a very valuable item, a family heirloom if you will" Thaddeus explained
"Can you describe it for us?" Fiona asked "Maybe we can help you find it."
"That would be most appreciative, my Vulpine friend!" Thaddeus said "Very well, it is a Staff that has a red jewel on Top, it holds much sentimental value to me, and if it falls in the wrong hands, it could spell disaster."
"Is this staff capable of doing magic spells?" Kimi asked
"No, it's just an item that was passed down from my father which was given to him by his father and so forth" Thaddeus said.
"I see, well don't worry, we'll help you find that staff." Sonic said
"Thank you my friends!" Thaddeus said "I am deeply filled with gratitude!"
"All right" Fiona Said "Where did you last leave your staff? It always help to retrace your steps."
"Let me see..." Thaddeus said "Last place I had it was over by that log stump, I was sitting there reading my favorite book, The Flies of War. The next thing I knew after I was done, the staff was gone."
"This is indeed a mystery!" Milo Said "Lets search around for clues!"
And so the group started heading over to the log stump and looked around.
"There doesn't seem to be anything over here." Tails said "Is anyone else having any luck?
"Sorry, I'm having much luck either." Zeke said
"If treasure hunting has taught me anything, it's that you always need to be careful of your surroundings." Fiona Said "All it takes is a good eye."
The gang continued to search to no avail, but after a while Kimi noticed something over by the stump.
"Guys Look!" Kimi Said "I found some footprints over by the mud, I don't think they're ours.
"Great Job Kimi" Fiona Said as she observed the foot prints "You're right, these footprints aren't ours.
"Then whoever was here must've taken it while Thaddeus was reading his book" Sonic Said "If we follow these footprints, it might lead us to the culprit."
"The only question is, who would be crazy enough to take something out here in a swamp? "Zeke Asked.
"I think we'll have our answer once we start following the footprints" Kimi said.
And so the group followed the footprints, and as they day went by they noticed that the mud was starting to get a bit deep.
"Be very careful my friends" Thaddeus said "The Mud around here can get pretty thick, making it very difficult to move."
"You're not kidding" Zeke Said "This Mud is starting to make me think of Chocolate Fudge, and boy could I go for some right now."
"Hopefully it won't be long now" Kimi Said "This area is starting to get very Humid"
The group continued to followed the trail despite the thick mud and the humidity. It wasn't long until they reached the end of the foot prints.
"This is the foot prints end" Fiona "but no sign of the culprit."
The group looked around until they noticed an abandoned Cabin in front of them.
"I bet whoever took Thaddeus's staff must be hiding in that Cabin" Tails Said "But how do we get inside?"
"Just Leave that to me little buddy!" Sonic said
And So Sonic managed to do a spin dash at the door knocking it down in the process.
"After you" Sonic said
"Well aren't you the charmer!" Fiona said teasingly.
"It is one of his best qualities after all" Kimi said as everyone else laughed.
"Okay we better be careful, we don't know what we're dealing with." Sonic said
And so the group went inside the cabin only to see that it was dark. Sonic took out a flashlight from his backpack and began to do a search around the area.
"Boy, it looks like this place has seen better days." Sonic Said.
"it's rundown places like these that makes it perfect for crooks to hide in" Zeke said "That's how I managed to get most criminals, by finding them in places you would least expect."
Just then the group heard a noise of someone coming down the stairs.
"Sounds like someone is coming" Kimi said
"If we hide, we can do an ambush then we can retrieve the staff" Thaddeus suggested
"Sounds like a plan" Sonic Said" Okay everyone find a spot to hide, and when I say now, you guys leap out and attack."
And So everyone was running around finding a spot to hide. Tails and Fiona found a spot behind the couch, Sonic found and old hope chest and hid inside, Kimi hid underneath the couch cushions, Thaddeus was able to use his cape to hide right next to a staircase, and Milo and Zeke was able to find a closet. As the sound of the footsteps started to get closer, sonic peep out of the hope chest to see if anyone was coming. he noticed a shadowy figure carrying a rod like item, he waited until the figure was done walking down the stairs, and by the time it took the last step, the figure decided to sit down on an a recliner and began observing them. It was at that moment Sonic knew it was the right time to strike.
"OKAY NOW!" Sonic yelled
And so the group came out of hiding and began piling on the shadowy figure.
"Stop you insignificant fool" Thaddeus said "give me back my staff or suffer the consequences!"
"What's going on here!?" The shadow figure yelled "Get off me!"
"That voice sounds familiar" Fiona Said "Sonic use the flashlight so we can see who this thief is."
Sonic was more than happy to comply. By using the flashlight Sonic was able to reveal the shadow figure's true identity, revealing it to be Nic the Weasel
"Just as I thought" Fiona Said "It's my old partner, Nic the Weasel, I knew that voice sounded familiar."
"Well, well, well" Nic Said "Look who decided to come crawling back! I guess being on your own wasn't good enough since you decided to end our partnership."
"I had a good reason!" Fiona said Angrily
"Oh really" Nic said tauntingly "And what would that be?"
"You left me alone in the tunnel in Sandopolis Zone" Fiona Said "You were going to leave me high and dry, you didn't even think about getting me out."
"It's not my fault you were slow!" Nic said "You should've known that place was teeming with ghosts."
"I WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD YOU THAT WHEN WE GOT THERE" Fiona Yelled with tears filling up "AND YOU KNEW WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH AT THE TIME! BEING IN THAT DARK PLACE BROUGHT BACK PAINFUL MEMORIES!"
"Sounds like she's been through a lot since we splitted up" Milo thought
"Well to be fair I thought you would've found your own way out and from the looks of things, you already did!" Nic Said.
"Yeah...No thanks to you!" Fiona said angrily
"Nic, Why did you abandon Fiona like that?" Sonic Asked
"Look when it comes to treasure hunting" Nic explained "You don't know who to trust, anyone would want to come after the treasure without getting your fair share. When it gets right down to it, it's all about looking out for yourself, because you never know if someone tries to pull a fast one on you, especially if that someone is the person who worked closely with."
"It's logic like this that gives treasure hunting a bad name." Zeke said "Have you ever considered splitting it evenly and honoring the partnership that you had?"
"Ordinarily that would be the sensible thing to do" Nic explained "But when it come to survival, you gotta be on your toes."
"Fiona, I'm sorry you had to go through that" Kimi said as she put her hand on Fiona's Shoulder "If I was your treasure hunting partner I would never do that to you, and I would've been more then happy to give you any of my shares."
"That's very sweet of you, Kimi" Fiona Said as she shed a tear, she then turned her attention to nic. "Now...Nic, I thought you were the one person I could trust...especially after all of the several false starts I had to put up with...But I guess I was wrong."
"You're one to talk!" Nic said "remember back in Hydrocity Zone you almost left me to drown!?"
"It wasn't my fault the water was starting to rise up fast!" Fiona Said. "I panicked and I didn't know what to do!"
"I'm familiar with that feeling" Sonic said.
"You're lucky I was able to climb out of there!" Nic Said "Then there was the time at Lava reef Zone when left me in an area full of Rising Lava!"
"Well you're the one who shoved me into that cave in that area!" Fiona Said "There was a whole bunch of Badniks who had me cornered!"
"Man this is really getting tense!" Zeke said
"No Kidding" Sonic said in agreement
"And let's not forget about the Casino Night Zone Incident!" Fiona said angrily
"I thought I told you never to bring that up" Nic Said Angrily!
"We might as well talk about it now since we're bringing up memories!" Fiona Yelled "In fact we got ourselves an audience right here!"
"Oh boy..."Sonic Said "Looks like we're in for a treat..."
"Casino Night Zone...that's an unusual place to go treasure hunting" Zeke said "What exactly happened?"
"I don't think it's any of our business" Tails said
"Well it looks like they're about to explain it to us anyway" Kimi said
"Well to answer that question, She put the both of us through so much humiliation that day" Nic said with tears began to rise up "I never thought I would recover from that"
"Oh no! "Fiona Yelled as tears began to fill up her eyes" You're not laying the blame on me for this one! If I recall, you wanted to go through with it"
"No, you wanted to go through with it" Nic Responded "You wanted that thrill!"
"Okay we have an important task to complete" Thaddeus said as he was getting annoyed by the constant bickering "So can you two just...GET TO THE POINT!?
"Fine!" Nic said "it was a couple years ago that we made it Casino night Zone, the area so vibrant and full of thrills."
"Tails and I had been there once" Sonic Said "So many twist and turns, not to mention those floating slot machines, so I can understand the thrill part."
"Oh yeah" Tails said "I still get a bit dizzy just thinking about it."
"Do you mind?" Nic Said "This story is very important, so If I were you I pay close attention"
"Sorry" Sonic and Tails Said
"That's better" Nic said "Anyway, Fiona and I were incognito, We were thoroughly searching the area when we came across a few people wearing dark outfits and dark helmets to conceal their identities."
"I remember" Fiona Said "They were heavily guarding a huge gold colored treasure chest. We attempted to retrieve it but the security was tight."
"That's when Fiona came up with idea that we should dress up as showgirls and distract those guards!" Nic Said
"Wait a minute!" Fiona Said "That was your idea, You specifically said that I had the flair and the charm!"
"It was your plan!" Nic Said "You said I had a very Cunning personality!"
"ENOUGH!" Sonic said "Can you please go on?"
"Very well!" Nic Said "So after we dressed up as show girls, we proceeded to distract the guards, and boy were they fooled. They couldn't resist us."
"That's not a shocker" Sonic Said "Fiona always had a unique charm"
"Oh You!" Fiona said as she blushed and giggled
"Anway" Nic continued "everything went according to plan, until Fiona accidently slipped on a banana peel then she started slipping backwards and crashed right into me. After that we went down several ramps and obstacles and when we landed, we somehow got caught in the same dress. We were lucky to break free, and by the time we got back up again, the treasure was already gone."
"Talk about crazy" Milo Said
"Well you know as they say, what happens in Casino Night Zone, Stays in Casino Night Zone." Zeke Said "That's all I will say on that matter.
"Look it wasn't like that, okay!" Fiona Said
"Well it's still your fault, if you haven't slipped up like that, we've could've got that treasure!" Nic Said
"How was I supposed to know there was a banana peel there!?" Fiona Said "People should learn not to litter!"
"Enough of this foolishness" Thaddeus said "I've come to claim what's rightfully mine and you can't stop me!"
"I like to see you try!" Nic said as she took out her blade.
"I think it's obvious that she's not going to give up that easily." Sonic Said "We need a plan"
"Leave that to me Blue Dude" Zeke Said "Maybe I can lay my own charm on her"
"Oh Geez!" Milo Said "At a time like this, really?
"Trust me" Zeke Said "I got this!"
Zeke started to head slowly towards Nic in a calm and cool manner. Nic noticed he was coming so she prepared her blade.
"Don't come any closer" Nic Said "This item is going to cost a whole lot of Mobiums and I can't afford to lose it."
"Easy I don't want any trouble" Zeke said calmly "But do tell me what's a pretty thing like you hiding in a place like this?"
"Excuse me?" Nic asked confusingly
"We're doomed!" Kimi said
"For someone as lovely as you, you deserve a lot better" Zeke continued. "With your slim Physique, your keen skills, and your amazing personality, You could get all the treasure you wanted."
"Wow...no one has ever said that to me before" Nic said as she blushed "You certainly have good taste."
At this point Nic lowered her blade and started to slowly walk towards Zeke who was starting to back up slowly but he knew he had to keep her occupied.
"Tell me, what's your name?" Nic asked as she walked closer
"Well Zeke is my name, miss" Zeke said nervously as he got backed into a corner of the room.
"Well Zeke" Nic said "Today is your lucky day"
At that moment she began to Kiss Zeke, much to his surprise.
"Man you really know how to get to a guy" Zeke said
"Oh believe me, you haven't seen anything yet" Nic said
Nic started to wrap her arms around Zeke and began kissing him a bit more.
"Wow, I can't believed that actually worked!" Sonic Said "He really got to her!"
"Zeke always had a way with girls" Fiona Said "It was his calm and cool nature that made him really popular."
"Well he certainly distracted her long enough" Sonic Said" Thaddeus, I believe that's your cue."
And so Thaddeus walked slowly and carefully while Zeke continued to keep Nic occupied, he was able to walk right up to the staff, and grabbed it without her noticing and slowly walked back to the group.
"I got my staff!" Thaddeus said "Now how do we get out of here without her chasing us?"
"Leave that to me" Fiona said
Fiona searched around the room for something she can use as a means to escape, when she notices a bucket placed over by the window sill.
"This will do" Fiona Said as she started heading over to Nic.
Fiona walked quietly and slowly to ensure that Nic didn't hear and by the time she walked up to her, she placed the bucket on top of her head.
"HEY!" Nic Yelled "What's going on?"
"All right everyone let's beat it!" Sonic said as he headed towards the door.
Everyone soon followed Sonic and in a matter of minutes they were all out of the cabin. Nic managed to get the bucket of her head and started to find where Sonic and the group went when she noticed that the Staff was gone.
"Why that Little Vixen!" She Yelled as she started heading out the door. "Wait till I get my hands on her!"
"I think she's coming" Kimi said "Let's hide behind those trees."
"Smart thinking, Kimi" Fiona said
And so the group hid behind the trees as Nic was coming out from the cabin. She looked around to see where the group went. She walked around for a bit to see if they were still around. After a while she started getting upset.
"FIONA" Nic Yelled "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS! I WILL FIND YOU, MARK MY WORDS! YOU WILL PAY FOR STEALING MY TREASURE...and for...stealing that Zeke away...
And with tears in her eyes she slowly headed back into the cabin while Sonic looked around to see if the coast is clear.
"All right, she's gone!" Sonic said "We should head back to where we were."
"Allow me to lead the way" Thaddeus said
"Man...I never seen someone so upset" Zeke said
"Oh don't tell me you're starting to have feelings for her" Milo said Teasingly
"Hey take it easy, Milo" Zeke said "My charm may be a gift, but sometimes it can be a curse."
"Are you going to be okay, Fiona?" Tails asked
"Don't worry, I'll be fine" Fiona replied "This whole thing sort of made me realize why I broke ties with her in the first place."
"Sounds like you made a good call" Sonic said "But I'm sorry you had to put up with all that back when you two were partners."
"Oh don't worry about it, Sonic" Fiona said "Nic and I were just on two different wavelengths. I'm just sorry that you had to get involved with that mess back there"
"Well all that matters is that we were able to escape, and Thaddeus got his staff back" Sonic Said "And once we get back, we can pick up where we left off."
After a while Thaddeus led the gang back to the area where they were originally while dealing with the thick mud and humidity.
"Well friends" Thaddeus said "Thank you for retrieving my staff, I feel very relieved knowing that it's right back where it belongs."
"You're welcome Thaddeus" Fiona Said "I'm only sorry that you had to get involved with my old partner"
"No apologies needed" Thaddeus Said
"We were just more than happy to help, Thaddeus!" Tails said "Freedom Fighters always help those in need!"
"Couldn't be more well said!" Sonic said
"Rest assured that your generosity will not go unrewarded" Thaddeus said
"That's nice of you" Fiona said "But you don't have to go through all that trouble."
"Trust me, I insist" Thaddeus said
Thaddeus grabbed a bunch of small glowing stones displaying different colors and gives one to everyone.
"These are way past cool! "Sonic said as he observed the stone
"These look beautiful" Kimi said "Thank you Thaddeus!"
"Yes, thank you" Fiona said "I've never seen something so radiant.
"You're welcome my dear friends" Thaddeus said "And Anytime you need my assistance, you know where to find me. Farewell!"
And so Thaddeus headed off back to his home waving goodbye with everyone waving back. after he left Fiona input the directions for Vermabar to make sure they were on the right track.
"All right now that we're back on the main path, we just need to move forward" Fiona said "And we will be there before you know it."
"Sounds good to me" Milo Said "Let's just hope Romeo here doesn't try to use his charm on anyone else."
"Hey take it easy, Dude" Zeke said as everyone laughed.
And So with the efforts of Fiona, Sonic and friends, they were able to help Thaddeus retrieve his staff from Nic the weasel. As they continue their path towards Vermabar, Fiona can't help but show excitement of visiting her old childhood home. Whatever lies next for Fiona, one thing's for sure. Whatever she faces, she won't have to do it alone.
END OF CHAPTER 2