The Next Day Sally was up and about waiting for Larry to come over to pick up Fiona to take her to the rehab center. While she was waiting she took the opportunity to call up her Mom. She remembered Chief Kowalski mentioning that she made a generous donation towards the center so she wanted to ask her about that. She turned on the video screen and started up the voice chat, and a few seconds later, Queen Alicia Acorn was able to answer.
Q. Alicia: Why hello dear, this is quite a surprise!
Sally:Hi, Mom! I hope you're doing well.
Q. Alicia: Things are good, your father's still asleep but he's doing alright.
Sally:That's good, I hope I didn't wake you.
Q. Alicia: I was up about 20 minutes ago, so you're fine.
Sally:I have been meaning to ask you, I was told that you made a donation to the rehab center here in Floterna.
Q. Alicia: Oh yes, I was more than happy to show my support for that place! I can imagine the wonders it will have on those poor troubled people.
Sally:Did you know about Floterna?
Q. Alicia: Oh yes! Long ago your father came to that town when we were still dating. At the time it was an old settlement village with the kindest people you'll ever meet. In fact we met this kind gentleman once who provided us with plenty of Food to help us start a garden back home, I forgot what he looked like but he had this nice medallion around his neck.
Sally: You mean Gary?
Q. Alicia: Yes, That was his name! It's coming back to me now, have you met him.
Sally:Yes, he was the one who guided me to Floterna, he was very nice.
Q. Alicia: I'm glad to hear that he's alive and well, can you be as so kind as to let him know that I send him my best wishes?
Sally:Sure thing, Mom!
Q. Alicia: And how's that teaching job of yours?
Sally:It's really good, the students are really eager to learn, the staff is really nice, and it just feels great.
Q. Alicia: Good! So I heard from Sonic that Fiona has joined the rehab program
Sally:Yes, she just started yesterday and her first day went pretty well.
Q. Alicia:Well I hope you're keeping a close watch on her.
Sally:I am, don't worry.
Sally hears a knock on the door
Sally:Door's open!
The door opens and Larry comes walking in the room.
Larry:Sorry to bother you, but are you ready? Oh Sorry, I didn't realize you were chatting with someone.
Sally:It's alright!
Q. Alicia: And who is this gentleman?
Sally: Mom, this is Larry! He works as a gym teacher at the school I told you about. Larry, this is my mom Queen Alicia Acorn.
Larry: You mean the same Queen Acorn who made the donation?
Sally: Yes!
Larry walks up to the screen and bows down to Alicia.
Larry: It's an honor to meet you your majesty. On behalf of everyone of Floterna, I want to thank you for that generous donation, It really helped a lot.
Q. Alicia: The pleasure's all mine, Larry! I've heard great things about the center and I hope they continue to keep up the effort.
Larry: I'm sure they will, thank you.
Sally: Well I need to get going, Larry and I are about to drop Fiona off at the Center, He volunteers there on weekends and I'm helping him to help Fiona feel adjusted.
Q. Alicia: Alright, dear! Just keep up the good effort, see you soon! I love you!
Sally: I love you too, Mom!
And with that the video chat ended
Larry: Your Mother is very nice
Sally: Yeah, she has a great heart indeed. Anyway, I'm just about ready, I'm just waiting for Fiona to get ready.
Fiona has exited out of her room and noticed Larry talking with Sally.
Fiona: Hey Larry! How's it hanging? *Gives Larry a gentle hug*
Larry: I'm good, thanks for easing up on the hugs. The last couple times, you nearly broke my back and I would have to give up teaching gym. And we couldn't have that now can we? *Chuckles*But seriously, it's good to see you in good spirits.
Fiona: Yeah well, you're alright! *She gives Larry a friendly slap on the back*
Sally: Are you ready?
Fiona: Yeah, let's go!
And So Larry, Sally, and Fiona headed out the apartment, went inside Larry's Car and drove to the rehab center. During the drive, Fiona noticed a playground with a group of children playing.
Fiona: *Thinking*I remember when I use to be like those young children...all those years ago, how I miss those days...
Sally: Is something wrong Fiona?
Fiona: I was just enjoying the view is all.
After they got to the rehab center, the saw Dr. Willow and Kimi waiting for them.
Dr. Willow: Welcome back, Fiona!
Kimi: You're just in time, we got some new stuff for the activity center, come with us!
And so Dr. Willow led the group to the activity center and they saw a new assortment of Jigsaw Puzzles, some new musical instruments which includes a banjo, electric guitar, a Trumpet, and a Saxophone, and a tv with a video game console hooked up to it.
Larry: Wow this looks really great!
Fiona: Yeah, that looks like the console Hershey brung over the other day.
Kimi: Those are very popular, we found that Co-Op games can be very helpful and we got a few, including a real classic. *Kimi holds up a game cartridge that had the name "Whisky the Fox" Written on it.Remember when we were kids and we would play this whenever the weather got bad?
Fiona: Hershey brung this game over a few days ago, and when I started playing it, it brought up a huge flood of memories.
Kimi: You were really great as Whisky, and I would always play as her sidekick Leggy the Squirrel because he was my favorite.
Fiona: Remember the TV series?
Kimi: Oh yes! We would have a great time watching the show.
Sally: Whisky the Fox? I remember watching that show with my Father when I was younger, although I never really played the games.
Fiona: The games were phenomenal! You play as whisky as she rescues all of her animal friends from an evil villain known as The Collector, Her weapon of choice was a bomb that she uses to either clear a path or stopping the bad guys in their tracks. I can show you how to play if you like.
Sally: Well I never really played much video games, but sure I can give it a shot!
Lucy: Fiona, I'm glad you're here, did you see the new stuff?
Fiona: I did!
Izzy: Isn't it great!? They even have in my favorite game, Moon hound, a great shooter game, that we can play together.
Dr. Willow: Everyone is brimming with excitement. Well let me grab out the timer before we start. This is used as a way to have other people take turns.
Sally: Good idea! but how do you decide who goes first?
Dr. Willow: Well we put these numbers in a hat. *Dr. Willow takes out a set of numbers written on squares of paper, then puts them inside a baseball cap.*Then I shake it up a bit, then everyone picks a number out of the hat, and whoever has the highest goes first. Alright everyone, take a number.
Kimi: You and Larry are welcome to join in too, Sally.
Larry: Sure why not? This might be fun.
Sally: Sure, Count me in!
At this point Nicole appears in her Lynx form.
Nicole:And I can keep watch on things to make sure there's no foul play!
Kimi:Excellent, now pick a number everyone!
Sally and the rest of the group picked one number out of the hat. Larry got a 4, Fiona got a 3, Lucy got a 2, Izzy got a 5, and Sally got a 1.
Kimi: Well look at that, looks like our guest, Sally gets to go first.
Izzy: Aww man...I got the lowest number, but I am curious to see how well Sally plays. I wonder what game she will pick.
Dr. Willow: Before I set the timer, if you're playing a Co-Op game, you can choose whoever you want to play with, and it won't affect that person's turn.
Sally: Okay...let me think! *Sally took a moment to think while everyone was waiting with anticipation and after awhile she made her decision* Fiona, since you know more about the Whisky games then I do, why don't you be my partner?
Fiona: Really?...well sure! You made the right choice!
Kimi set up two chairs for Sally and Fiona to sit on.
Fiona: Now remember the goal of the game is to rescue as many animals as you can before the collector takes them away.
Sally: This pretty much sounds on par with what we do when it comes to Fighting Dr. Eggman. Since this is Co-Op we need to work together.
Fiona: Right...*Takes a deep breath*
Sally: No need to rush, I'm new at this, so you can be in charge and show me ropes of how to play, and I can pick it up from there.
Fiona: Sounds like a good idea.
Sally: Alright let's do this.
At that point the game was set up and Dr. Willow took out a timer from her bag and set it for 30 minutes, and Fiona and Sally were ready to play the game.
Meanwhile at the Floterna Library, Herman was reading up on some research on robotics when Stan came up to him.
Stan: Herman, I'm glad I found you. I just thought I remind you about the upcoming debate next month, and we need to come up with an interesting topic.
Herman: I know, in fact I have written some ideas but I don't know if they're good or not. *Herman hands Stan a piece of paper with some ideas and suggestions written on it, Stan takes a moment to read the list* This is all I came up with.
Stan: You're on the right track, but I feel as if these topics has been discussed before. I think what we need is something that can give everyone a new perspective on life, not just here on Floterna, but all of Mobius if you get my drift.
Herman: Yeah, I think I see what you mean, It should be something that has never been done before, something fresh.
Stan: Exactly!
At that point, Emily and Misty caught up with the two.
Emily: Hey, what's going on?
Herman: Oh Stan and I were discussing ideas for the school's debate next month. Maybe you might have some ideas.
Emily: Well how about the importance of being a Freedom Fighter?
Stan: That one was already done by another team last year.
Misty: well...maybe you can do a topic about trust and Loyalty?
Stan: That one sounds pretty good, but I think we need to have more to it then that.
Herman: Yeah, it feels like it could be one of those topics that can do more harm than good if we don't think it through.
Misty: Maybe we can ask Miss Acorn for help?
Emily: Great Idea, Mist! And maybe Aunty Erma can help too? She's a Freedom Fighter too!
Stan: That's great, who better to help with the debate Topic then a professional Freedom Fighter.
Herman: Maybe their perspective on things can help us come up with a great topic.
Meanwhile back at the rehab center, Sally and Fiona was playing Whisky the Fox with Fiona playing as Whisky and Sally playing as Whisky's Sidekick Leggy. Fiona was trying to guide Sally through the first level but Sally was still having trouble figuring out the controls.
Fiona: Come on, Sally! You gotta keep your head in the game!
Sally: I'm trying but I'm still have trouble which button I press to attack and which one to jump.
Fiona: The Yellow button is the attack button, and the blue button is the jump button.
Sally presses the buttons and she was able to attack an incoming enemy in a short time.
Fiona: There you got it! now follow me, I know a secret passage.
Nicole: This is quite intriguing, it seems that Fiona has a lot of know how for this game.
Kimi: Yeah, Fiona always had a knack for this sort of stuff.
Fiona: Better brace yourself, because here's the boss!
Sally sees on the screen that the boss looks like a round sphere with two arms
Sally: This looks tense how do we fight it.
Fiona: All you have to do is aim for the arms, and you'll be just fine.
Sally does her best to attack the arms with the attack button but isn't having much luck.
Fiona: You need to aim
Sally: I'm trying but that thing keeps moving real fast.
Lucy: I remember that boss fight, I would always have a heck of a time defeating it.
Izzy: I would always get frustrated because he moves so fast.
Sally kept doing her best to attack the arms, however in the process while pressing the attack button she unintentionally pressed the blue button at the same time which resulted in Leggy doing a move combo that managed to destroy one of the arms, surprising Fiona in the process.
Fiona: Sally...that was...INCREDIBLE! How did you do that!?
Sally: It seems that I might have accidentally pressed this blue button that was next to the yellow button while I was attacking.
Lucy: I've heard about this combo, by pressing that blue and yellow button at the same time, Leggy can do his super stomp on the enemy.
Fiona: Super Stomp? I forgot all about that, I guess it's been a long time since I played this game with someone. regardless this should make defeating the boss much more easier.
Fiona pressed the yellow button and the red button at the same time which resulted in Whisky doing a move combo which showed the character throwing a barrage of bombs, taking the other arm out in the process thus defeating the boss.
Fiona: That was great...you weren't too bad, Acorn!
Sally: Thanks Fiona! It was really fun, I'll have to practice some more sometime.
Just then the timer went off, meaning that Sally's turn was over and it was now Lucy's Turn
Fiona: Well that was quite the experience. I'll head over to the craft table and draw something while I wait for my turn.
Sally gave Lucy the controller while Lucy put in a game called "Starbase Commander"
Sally: I know this one, You can make your own base on an alien planet and you must protect it from incoming enemies.
Lucy: Oh it's my favorite!
Larry: Starbase Commander, huh? Excellent pick!
Sally and Dr. Willow took a moment to head over to the craft table to check on Fiona who was beginning to draw a picture while Larry set up the timer for Lucy.
Sally: It looked like you really had some fun back there.
Fiona: Yeah, I guess I did, to be honest I haven't had that much fun in the longest time.
Sally: I guess considering the circumstances, it's understandable.
Fiona: well I guess when we were playing together, it really brought back some fond memories of my childhood and how I would play with Kimi. in fact one day we played that very game before we headed outside to play. It made me feel very happy but at the same time very sad, because up until yesterday, it was the last time I saw Kimi...
Sally: Before Robotnik came and captured you...
Fiona: Yes...
Dr. Willow: This is very troublesome indeed...
Fiona: and at the time I thought I would never see her again...but just seeing her in person after all these years gave me a small spark of hope.
Dr. Willow: That's an interesting perspective, Fiona. It's always good to run into an old friend, even when you least expect it.
Sally: I know how that feels, just a couple days ago I ran into Hershey who is old friend of mine who I thought was gone forever, and when I saw her in person, it brought me great joy.
Dr. Willow: That's a great example, Sally! Sharing your experiences can often help other people's perspective. I hope this gives you something to think about, Fiona.
Fiona: It does, Doctor!
Dr. Willow: Good, it just goes to show you that friendships comes in all shapes in sizes but it's also important to be careful who you're friends with.
Sally: That's true, because sometimes you never know of the person's true intentions.
Fiona: Yeah...that's what makes it hard for me to trust someone. As much as I want to be able to change, I'm also scared about being burned again.
Dr. Willow: It's understandable to feel that way, Fiona. But remember just take it one step at a time, and before you know it, You'll be able to tell who your real friends are, which in turn can be a much more valuable thing than you know.
Fiona: I hope you're right, Doctor!
TO BE CONTINUED