"No, those boxes go over there! And be careful with those Wispons! C'mon guys, let's hustle!" Cassia had taken to her new role in the Knothole Resistance rather quickly, all things considered. It was a surprise, to be sure, when she woke up in one of their cells, to the news that she had been captured at the request of her own sister. Naturally, she didn't believe it at first, but Clove herself had confirmed it over a video call.

Clove had told her that the Knothole team were able to offer her the same treatment as Eggman, and so they were switching sides, but that she wanted to stay on Eggman's side as a spy a while longer. That was the story that Cassia had been given… and while Sally and the others felt bad about deceiving her, that was one of the conditions Clove had laid out for joining their side.

Cassia seemed happy to accept the story. Though she suspected there were some details her sister was leaving out, for now, she was happy that she would be helping people instead of hurting them.

Though she was voluntarily helping out, a close eye was kept on her all the same. Knothole had taken enough losses recently, and the civilians under their care were uneasy about a former Eggman soldier – a cyborg, at that – being under their roof, so a schedule was arranged, where her work would keep her away from anyone not enlisted as a Resistance fighter.

Cassia didn't seem bothered by this, putting on a strong face and using her cybernetic body to prove her worth. She could lift heavy loads without any equipment, scan boxes to see what was in them in a flash, deliver messages almost as fast as Mina, and little-by-little, she was winning the soldiers over. Her cheerful, playful personality certainly helped, and Sally was thankful she wasn't as intimidating or as short as her sister.

Some of the children were fascinated by Cassia's body, and against their parents' and guardians' wishes, they snuck into the restricted areas to watch her work. She knew they were looking, and put on a show for them, juggling the supplies and carrying heavy equipment, or flying around and occasionally hitting her head on 'accident', earning some laughs. At first there was outcry, but even the angry parents couldn't argue when their depressed children came back all smiles.

Over the next few weeks, the refugees had slowly-but-surely started accepting Cassia, and the restrictions on her interactions were gradually lifted. Cassia was like a social butterfly, and had been the breath of fresh air Knothole needed to raise its morale, going around and getting to know those who would talk to her, offering a sympathetic ear to their problems and helping to cheer them up with idle small talk.

Clove's intel had also helped a tonne, allowing the Resistance to reclaim some of its lost territory, and feel more secure as Eggman's patrol groups were led astray. And after weeks of working on the new hideout, communications with the other Resistance factions had finally been restored. Sally made contact with the Resistance's Commander, Knuckles, to update him on their current situation, and also to learn of what had been happening outside.

Sally concluded her report with the intel Clove had given her about her family's location, and their preparations to rescue them. "We're almost ready to begin the operation," Sally said. "According to Clove's report, the key to entering Null Space is the Phantom Ruby, and we have a replica in our possession, we just need the energy."

"So you'll be using the Chaos Emerald," Knuckles surmised, but Sally shook her head.

"It took us too long to restore communications, and even now it's dicey." The screen showing Knuckles flickered, static rolling over the screen that occasionally blinked off-and-on. "If we remove the Emerald, we might not be able to reboot them so easily. We're planning to use the Hyper-go-on stored at our old base."

"I hope it goes well," Knuckles said through the static-laden imagery. "Just try to keep a low profile for now. The Chaotix are following a strong lead to something that might turn this war around, so we want all the Resistance factions to be ready for a big counterattack. Do you think you'll be able to reclaim the Kingdom with Clove's help?"

"With Father's leadership, I don't doubt it," Sally told him. "Clove has been steadily sabotaging things on her side, and when we launch our attack, she'll make the full switch to the Resistance. I think we can have the Kingdom back by the end of the month."

"Sally, there's an incoming call from Rotor's team," Nicole said.

"I'll update you later on how things go," Sally said, and then she ended the call with Knuckles. A separate call started, and an image of Rotor appeared on the screen. "Report."

"We're at Knothole now," Rotor told her. "Doesn't look like Eggman's sent any of his robots here, just like Clove said, but there's something unusual." Rotor pointed the camera to Knothole's entrance, where Sally could see a hole that had been dug through the debris blocking it. "This hole was here when we arrived, and it goes pretty far. Looks like someone was here before us. It doesn't look like they're still around, but..."

"Keep an eye out, and be ready to retreat if it looks like an ambush. How's Bunnie?"

"Ah'm fine!" Bunnie called, and the camera turned to her. She flexed her new arm. "Ah'm ready, Sal! Just give the word, and we'll give Rotor and Uncle Chuck's work a test run!"

"Don't overdo it," Sally told her. "We just need the Hyper-go-on. Have you studied the map?"

"Sure have."

"Make no detours, and take no chances. There's no telling how unstable the ground is, so take it slow, and use the supports Rotor brought along. Head straight for the storage and only take what you can carry, and if you receive the signal to retreat, do so."

"But without the Hyper-go-on, we can't rescue your fami-"

"There will always be another chance, but not if we lose you. Please, promise you'll prioritise your own safety here, and retreat the moment you're told to."

Bunnie nodded. "Okay, Sal. Ah promise."

As Bunnie headed towards the entrance of the base, the camera returned to looking at Rotor. "Sal," he began, "The hole in the dirt, it looks like it was made from inside. There was only one person that was trapped under there."

Sally thought about it for several seconds, before steeling herself as she came to her decision. "If she's still under there, there's no chance she would still be alive. If she made it out, she'd be long-gone by now. This isn't a rescue operation, Rotor; we don't have the resources for that right now."

"I know, I'm just saying, maybe you should let Zooey know-"

"Until we know for certain, I don't want to get her hopes up. If you have time, please look around the clearing for any signs of whoever was there."

Rotor nodded. "Will do. Catch ya later."

The call ended, and Sally was silent for a while, staring at the blank screen. After taking in a deep breath and slapping her own cheeks, Sally turned to Nicole. "How are the preparations with the portal going?"

"Uncle Chuck is putting the finishing touches on it now," Nicole said. "There's nothing left to do now but wait, so why don't you rest? There's no telling what you might encounter in Null Space. You'll need all of your energy to pull your family out of there safely. Cassia and I can take care of anything that crops up until then."

Sally nodded, releasing a long yawn that suddenly crept up on her. "Yeah, that's a good idea," she said, pouting as Nicole laughed. Sally took a step towards Nicole, but then stopped, looking away. Nicole also looked away, and there was a silence between them for a moment. "I'll uh, go rest then."

Nicole nodded, and as Sally moved, Nicole took the initiative to step forwards and hug her. Sally smiled, returning the hug. Nicole pulled back, and the two locked eyes for a few seconds. It was Sally's face turning red that snapped Nicole out of it, and she quickly stepped back. "Sorry."

"No, I don't mind. Thanks."

Nicole smiled, and waited for Sally to leave before sinking to the floor, hiding her face in her hands. "Why did I do thaaaaaaaat? I'm so dumb!" Sighing, Nicole collected herself and shook off her embarrassment. "Come on, girl, Sally's counting on you! Right, let's go see how Cassia's getting on, and then check on things with Uncle Chuck."

"Clove!" Thunderbolt ran into the room, huffing. "R-Report from the field! Another false alarm; no Resistance fighters were found at the location we attacked!"

Clove sighed, marking off another location on the map. "They're always one step ahead of us. If we could just catch them off-guard even once…"

"H-Hey, don't give up yet!" Thunderbolt rushed to Clove's side, examining the map of the Kingdom. Many locations had been marked with X's, to indicate places they thought they would find Resistance fighters, only to come up short. Some were simply bad leads, while others led them to places that had been abandoned before their badniks could attack. Some had even led them to ambushes, costing them many robots. "We'll get your sister back! Those Resistance losers will be sorry they messed with us!"

Clove hummed, turning away to pretend she was reading a report from a SWATbot. 'She's finally giving it her all, and I'm misleading her every step of the way. I almost feel guilty…' She cleared her throat. "Our priority should be maintaining control of the region."

"That's… I mean, I know those are our orders, but this's your sister! We can totally do both, we just gotta make sure we get results." Thunderbolt tugged Clove's jacket, and stuck out her fist as Clove turned around. "We got this!"

Clove smiled, bumping her fist with Thunderbolt's. "Yes. Thank you." 'And sorry.'

"Commander Clove," a SWATbot reported as it entered the room, "There is a visitor for you."

Clove frowned the robot. "Who? I wasn't expecting anyone today."

A figure walked into the room from behind the robot, and Clove tensed. It was a female lynx, wearing a purple gi and a conical straw hat. Her irises were black instead of white, and a pair of glowing, orange eyes met Clove's. Cybernetic eyes that had been given to only one member of Eggman's army.

"Conquering Storm," Clove said, eyeing the lynx carefully. "What brings you here today? You shouldn't leave the Dragon Kingdom unprotected-"

"Lord Eggman's orders," Conquering Storm said, approaching the two. Her eyes shifted to Thunderbolt, who jolted, but didn't stop glaring at the lynx. She turned back to Clove. "He's not happy with the lack of progress you've made here. He said you had a golden opportunity to wipe out the Knothole Resistance, but fumbled it."

"We're working on it, but my sister-"

"My condolences, but your sister's life is not worth compromising the war effort. She was weak, so she was captured, and now your weakness is making her sacrifice meaningless."

Clove furrowed her brow, and Thunderbolt's fur began to crackle. Clove put her hand on Thunderbolt's shoulder, signalling for her to stay calm. "But you being here jeopardises the Dragon Kingdom, does it not?"

Conquering Storm nodded. "However, Lord Eggman wants Sally Acorn killed. He is labelling her a top priority."

"He's that afraid of one little girl?" Clove narrowed her eyes. 'No, even with the Sword of Acorns, should he really be that worried? Or maybe he's just taking it personally.'

"I will be taking command here for now."

"What?"

"You can verify it with Lord Eggman later. Resistance will be treated as treason." Conquering Storm snapped her fingers, and the SWATbots in the room all turned on Clove. "He has also given me full command over all of the robots in this region."

"What the hell?" Thunderbolt asked, looking around at the robots, her fur bristling. "This is our region, you can't just-" Clove looked down at Thunderbolt, shaking her head. "… I-I mean, I guess it is Lord Eggman's order, but-"

"Then we're in agreement." The SWATbots returned to their tasks. "Fret not, this will not last long. Conquering this region is no longer the objective; Lord Eggman has a much simpler solution to the problem, one that will take care of everything in just one day."

Clove watched Conquering Storm leave, taking the SWATbots with her. 'This could be bad. Leaving her to her devices could jeopardize everything. Should I kill her myself?' Conquering Storm stopped to look over her shoulder, locking eyes with Clove. Clove froze, unable to move or look away until Conquering Storm continued walking. 'No, that would be suicide. I'll have to ask Knothole for help. One way or another, though, we need to take her out of the picture.'

When Sally awoke later that night, Rotor and Bunnie had already returned with the Hyper-go-on they needed. The final preparations to the portal were nearly complete, so Sally readied herself to journey into Null Space, and met with her friends in Chuck's lab.

Nichole, Bunnie, Mina, Ash and Cassia assisted Chuck and Rotor with hooking the portal up, and powering it with Hyper-go-on. Sally wrapped a metal rope around her waist, connected to an anchor in the lab, which would act as her lifeline; if she was spending too long in there, or the portal became unstable, she was to be pulled out immediately.

"Sal?" Rotor approached Sally, leaning to whisper, "I checked the area around the old base, like you said, and I found bootprints. No way of confirming whose, but…"

"Thank you," Sally said, focussing on the portal. "One thing at a time."

"Yeah…" Rotor tipped his cap, then returned to his task. He and Chuck operated the controls together, and the portal sparked to life.

"This is it," Sally whispered as she watched the portal lighting up. "I'm going to be able to see them again. To bring them back home."

Nicole squeezed Sally's hand, smiling at her. "I'm happy for you."

Sally smiled back, though it was short-lived, as Chuck approached her, looking like he had bad news to deliver.

"Sally, there's uh, a slight problem," he said, bringing a worried look to Sally's face. "See, this is all new territory for me – well, all of us – and the Phantom Ruby's about as unpredictable as a Chaos Emerald, perhaps more so. Julian's calculations are solid, but calibrated to his tech, and so with our limited resources-"

"Are you saying that we can't reach Null Space?" Sally asked, but Chuck shook his head.

"I'm confident that we can, and I can keep the portal open long enough for you to find your family and pull them out. The problem is with the Phantom Ruby Replica we'll be using. I can't guarantee that it'll survive the attempt." Chuck adjusted his glasses as he faced Nicole. "We may only have this one chance, and whether we succeed or fail, Nicole will lose her solid form."

Sally's heart sank. She immediately turned to Nicole, expecting to see fear, dread, perhaps even frustration, but she was surprised when she saw Nicole still smiling at her. Has she already known? "Nicole, you don't have to-"

"But I want to," Nicole said. She took Sally's hands, and looked her in the eyes. "I was lucky to have been given this body, and the chance to be closer with you. But I care about you far more than that, and I know you'll hate yourself if you don't take this chance now to rescue your family."

"Nicole..." Sally held Nicole's hand, and tears welled in her eyes. "I know you can't cry yourself, so do you mind if I cry for you?"

"Yes, that's fine," Nicole said. "But, you know, it's not like I'm going anywhere."

"I know. I know that. Still, you've done so much, been through so much, and it just feels so unfair."

"I'll still be here." Nicole handed her handheld to Sally. "And I'll always be by your side. So please, don't have any regrets. Save your family, and come back safe."

Sally wiped the tears from her eyes. "I will. Thank you."

Nicole nodded, and after a moment of silence, she closed her eyes and leaned forwards.

"Oh." Chuck was caught off-guard by the kiss, and turned his head to offer them some privacy, the others doing likewise.

After Nicole pulled back, her body dissolved, retreating back into her handheld, and when it was gone completely, Sally reluctantly removed the Phantom Ruby Replica, and handed it to Chuck.

"You know, there is still a chance it'll be fine," Chuck told her as he made his way back to the portal.

"I was never very lucky when it came to gambles," Sally said, "But maybe all that bad luck will finally swing around."

"Are you ready, Princess?"

Sally secured the lifeline around her waist, tested it, and then gave a resolute nod. "Ready. Do it."

Chuck and Rotor activated the machine from two separate consoles, and Sally hooked Nicole's handheld up to one of them so that she could help run the vast number of complex calculations in the background.

"Sally?" Nicole's voice called out. "When you get back, wanna go on a date?"

Sally smiled. "Yes, absolutely."

"Portal opening in ten seconds," Chuck announced. "Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five."

"Good luck!" Cassia called.

"Four. Three. Two. ONE!"

The portal opened with a violent flash of light, and Sally wasted no time in leaping in.

Sally looked around the vast, empty space that stretched all around her. There was no light, yet she could see. There was no sound, yet she heard her own footsteps. There was no ground, yet she wasn't falling. This truly was a space of nothingness, so it was odd that she could exist in it.

The Sword of Acorns glowed in her hand, and she could feel its pull, directing her through the endless nothingness. She followed the sword's pull, and soon found three figures in the distance. She felt like she could have cried, but she held it together as she ran towards them, calling out, "Mother! Father! Elias!"

The three figures turned to face her, their faces struck with astonishment. "Sally!" Elias called, running to meet his sister. His face suddenly showed a hint of fear. "Why are you here? Don't tell me you were also..."

Sally shook her head. "I'm here to free you. We found out where you were, and Uncle Chuck created a portal to Null Space."

"'We'?" Alicia asked, walking over slowly with her husband's arm around her shoulders. Max himself was limping, and clutching his stomach. His fur was pale, his hair was beginning to grey, and his breathing was heavy.

"The Resistance," Sally told her, not taking her eyes off of her father. "Dad? Are you okay?"

Elias looked grim. "He was tortured, before being thrown in here. Eggman wanted to know how to reach Knothole, but Dad never said a word. Eventually, Eggman gave up, and just left him in here with us. Thankfully, being in Null Space is like being in suspended animation, so his condition hasn't worsened."

"How long has it been?" Alicia asked. "It's impossible to keep track of time in here. Is the war over? Or..."

"I'm afraid it's still ongoing," Sally said, "And not in our favour. I've done my best to lead, but Knothole's taken hit after hit, and we're barely keeping things together. Dad, you need to lead our soldiers!"

"Sal," Elias said, "Dad's in no condition to-"

"I'll," Max began, surprising his family, "Do it. I'll... lead our forces... and take back Mobotropolis."

"Dear," Alicia said, her voice dripping with concern.

Max stood straight, taking a deep breath and puffing out his chest. "I can still fight." Despite his bravado, he still appeared to be a sickly old man struggling to stand. "Don't count me as an invalid just yet."

"So, it was the Princess." Everybody turned to the source of the sudden, new voice. It was Infinite, flying above them with trembling hands. "I sensed somebody had breached Null Space. How did you manage it? It shouldn't be possible without the Phantom Ruby. No, even with one, the Doctor is the only one who should be able to pierce dimensions!"

"We have our own scientist, one far-more gifted than Robotnik!" Sally told him.

Infinite held a hand over his eye, thinking. "Could it be you have our inside information somehow? Was the Doctor's theory correct?"

"Sally, my sword," Max said, but then he suddenly fell to his knees. "Hngh!"

"Dear, please stop!" Alicia pleaded.

Infinite laughed as he watched the display. "Is this what you came to rescue? A decrepit old man and his soon-to-be-widow? Perhaps the son might have some fight in him, but it doesn't matter, because none of you will be leaving here alive!"

Elias took the Sword of Acorns from Sally, pointing it at Infinite. Sally activated her energy blades and stood alongside him. "Dad, leave this to us," Elias said. "You and Mum get out of here!"

"I don't think so!" The ground - or rather, the whole space around them - shook violently as Infinite rose higher into the air. Suddenly, the family found themselves in the ruins of Mobotropolis, the rain pouring harshly onto the war-torn city. Pieces of rubble floated into the air, and came crashing down on them.

Sally deflected as much of the rubble as she could, while Elias moved their parents away. "Sis!"

"I've got this! Leave him to me!" Sally leapt over a piece of rubble, landing on another, and then bounding between the floating debris, making her way closer to Infinite. She sprang out, slashing the jackal with her blades, but he simply laughed as his image shimmered away.

"Looking for me?" Infinite slashed down from behind, and Sally narrowly managed to avoid it by curling herself into a ball and propelling herself downwards. Her lifeline, however, was cut. She sprang up after hitting the ground, and unfurled to land on her feet. "It's only me and you - there's no one to save you now!"

"Don't count on it!" Elias cried, leaping up and slashing at Infinite with the Sword of Acorns. Infinite parried it with his own sword, and delivered a kick that knocked Elias back to the ground.

As Elias gathered himself, a large shadow was cast over him. He gasped as he saw the castle collapsing over him, and he hurried to get away.

As Infinite focussed on Elias, Saly attacked him from behind. He sensed her approach and dodged the first attack, then turned around to block the second. The castle behind him flickered and vanished as his focus shifted, and Sally parried Infinite's sword to create an opening, and then drove her boot into his chest.

After being winded, Infinite flew up high and brought his hands over his chest. The world trembled again as it changed, this time to a city that neither of them recognised. Like Mobotropolis, it was in ruins, and Sally could see Death Egg Robots in the distance, laying waste to what little remained standing. She looked down, and found the still body of a familiar blue hedgehog on the ground.

"This is where your hero fell," Infinite told them. Four new figures stood before him: Zavok, Chaos, Metal Sonic, and Shadow. "Behold the Doctor's power! Even Sonic the Hedgehog was no match, so what hope have you got?"

Elias ran forwards, striking Zavok with his sword. The image faded, and Sally joined him, dispersing the other illusions until only Infinite remained. Sally hurried to Sonic's body, but before she could kneel down to check on him, the ground opened, swallowing him up, and the world trembled once more.

This time, they found themselves in the depths of space. Both Sally and Elias instinctively held their breaths, but when Infinite laughed without a care, they realised it was another illusion, and they started breathing normally. "This is the Phantom Ruby's power," Sally told Elias. "It can mess with your mind. Try to fight it."

"I can't even tell what's real and what's fake," Elias said. He tried to plant his feet on solid ground, but couldn't find any. "Or maybe it's a mix of both."

"Over there," Infinite said, turning his head to the fleet of ships owned by the Eggman Empire, with the Death Egg at its centre. "Eggman has completely blockaded our world, preventing reinforcements from coming to your aid! You can't count on GUN, you can't count on anyone! Why continue with this meaningless resistance?"

Sally furrowed her brow. "It's not meaningless! Things look bad now, but there's still hope! As long we breathe and we fight, Robotnik will never have truly won!"

"It won't be long now 'til that last light of hope has been snuffed. You're only delaying the inevitable, and causing far more pain than is necessary." The world trembled again, and they found themselves in the middle of a barren wasteland, with a large, imposing tower standing over them. Sally recognised it from the data the Diamond Cutters had retrieved. Infinite raised his sword, and flew at the Princess. "Your days are numbered!"

Sally deflected the overhead slash, and countered, but Infinite shielded himself with red-and-black particles, then circled around to attack from behind. Elias attempted to strike Infinite's exposed back, but Infinite turned suddenly, grabbing Elias' wrist and gripping it tight. Elias flinched, but he didn't let go of his sword.

"Elias!" Sally attacked Infinite, who moved swiftly to dodge, and then he threw her brother at her, sending them both crashing to the ground. Sally's energy blades deactivated, and the Sword of Acorns clattered across the ground, landing some distance away.

"Should I leave you here?" Infinite asked, hovering over the downed siblings, "Or should I show you mercy, by killing you now? Perhaps I'll kill one of you, and let the other fester in their despair."

Elias rolled onto his feet, and pushed Sally away as Infinite brought his sword down. He caught it between his hands, and struggled to push it back. Sally rushed Infinite, tackling him and causing him to falter, and then drove her fist into his gut, winding the jackal a second time. The imagery around them shattered, returning them to Null Space, and Infinite let out a cry as a shockwave pushed the siblings back.

Sally reactivated her energy blades, but Infinite was already on her, bringing his sword done. She deflected it, but the heavy blow put a lot of strain on her wrists. Sally reared back and drove her feet into Infinite's chest, pushing him back. Her arms felt like they were on fire, so rather than defending, she took the initiative, slashing at Infinite while his guard was down.

Infinite laughed as he backed away, staying out of range of her attacks. "Is this the best the Princess can do?" Infinite held out his hand, creating a barrier that Sally crashed into. As she rubbed her head, she saw the barrier crumble to nothing, and wondered if it was ever really there at all... The pain sure felt real enough, though.

"Are cheap tricks all you've got?" Sally bent her knees, her eyes fixed on Infinite. She waited while he focused on her, and when Elias jumped him from behind, she struck. Infinite flailed in Elias' hold, and Sally thrust her blades at him. The Phantom Ruby shone, and suddenly, Elias was holding Sonic the Hedgehog! Sally stopped. It only took her a couple of seconds to realise it was another trick, but that was all the time Infinite needed to elbow Elias, freeing himself, and spring towards Sally with his sword.

Sally parried the blow and slashed, creating a gash along Infinite's right arm. Infinite let out a cry as he flew back, and the world began to shake again, a red aura surrounding his body. "No more time for games! You will perish now!" Infinite held out his hand, and pillars of red-and-black particles erupted from the ground around the siblings, twisting as they rose and curved to create a cage, trapping them.

As Infinite laughed at their fear, he almost failed to notice the figure creeping up on him from behind. He turned at the last possible second to deflect King Max's strike, and the cage trapping Sally and Elias broke apart.

"I told you back in Mobotropolis," Max said, panting as he drove the Sword of Acorns down against Infinite's sword, "Eyes on me, boy!"

"Impossible! You're already at death's door!" Infinite took a step back under the weight of Max's attack. "The Doctor reduced you to a miserable shell of your former glory!"

"It's just as Sally says; hope is not so easily snuffed. It hides when it needs to, biding its time, so that it can emerge at just the right time!" Max knocked Infinite's sword out of the way, and then performed an upwards slash, creating a large gash along Infinite's chest and left shoulder.

"UGH-GAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Infinite flew into the air, clutching his shoulder as it bled into a puddle that had formed quickly on the floor. His breathing was ragged, his eye trembled, and the Phantom Ruby glowed so bright that it was blinding. "I won't forget this!" Infinite cried as a portal opened behind him. Red-and-black particles swarmed his wound, and it slowly vanished, as though he had never been injured at all, but his ragged breathing did not slow down. 'I can mend the wound, but I've lost too much blood! I must retreat!'

"You coward!" Elias yelled. "Turning tail just after the tides turn?!"

"Elias!" Sally shouted. "Now's not the time! Let's get out of here before it's too late!"

"I promise you!" Infinite shouted, glaring down at King Max and his two children as he slowly backed into the portal. "Mark my words: the pain I feel now will be visited on you tenfold! The day is coming, and I will have my revenge!"

"Let's hurry!" Sally noticed that her father's breathing was quick and uneven, and he was supporting himself using the Sword of Acorns as a cane. "I've got Mum! Help Dad to the portal!"

Elias draped one of Max's arms over his shoulder, while Sally lifted Alicia into her arms and ran. "Oh! You've uh, become stronger," Alicia said.

Sally grinned. "Had to. Trust me, there's a lot you missed, but we'll have time to catch up later."

"Sally!" Nicole's voice cried, though it was faint. It became clearer as the portal came into view. "Sally! Can you hear?!"

"I'm here, Nicole! We're coming out!"

Sally passed through the portal, letting her mother down on the other side. Elias and Max followed her shortly afterwards. "Your Majesty!" Chuck cried in joy.

"Shut the portal!" Sally shouted. "Hurry, before he comes back!"

Chuck and Rotor shut the portal quickly, and when it was closed, Sally breathed a sigh of relief. "Before who comes back?" Rotor asked.

"Infinite," Sally told him. "He was there. He detected our intrusion."

"Are you okay?" Nicole asked, reaching to hold Sally's hand, but her own passed through it. "Oh."

"I'm sorry," Chuck said, "But I'm afraid the Phantom Ruby Replica broke."

Sally studied Nicole's face. Nicole was smiling, but it was clearly a façade. The holographic image flicked, and Sally wrapped her arms around it, hugging Nicole as best she could. "I'm sorry," she said.

Nicole held her arms around Sally. "Don't be. I'm glad you were able to save your family."

"Sally," Elias said, drawing his sister's attention, "Dad needs a doctor right away."

"Are you okay, Your Majesty?" Chuck asked, noticing the King's pale complexion.

"I… may have exerted myself in there…" Max dropped the Sword of Acorns to the ground, bringing his hand up to his head. "I will be fine, I just need rest."

"Dear," Alicia began, her eyes shaking.

"Ah'll take 'im," Bunnie said, draping Max's free arm over her shoulder. "Ah'll get 'im to Doctor Quack right away."

"I'll go with you," Alicia said, taking Max's other arm from Elias.

"I-" Elias began, but Alicia shook her head.

"You stay here, and get yourself up-to-date on the present situation," she told him. "You can advise your father when he is feeling better. Right now, you must carry out your duty as Crown Prince."

Elias was clearly reluctant, but he nodded, watching as his father was taken out of the room. He looked around, feeling at ease at the familiar faces, and he also noticed a few new ones, as well. Somebody was missing, though… "Where is Antoine?" he asked. "I expected he would be by your side."

A heavy silence fell over the room. "He's-" Sally started.

"-Alive, but out of commission for the moment," Chuck finished. "Fret not; he is in stable condition. The enemy is at our doorstep, so we must focus on that, first-and-foremost."

"Right…" Elias straightened himself, and with a confident voice, he asked to be caught up on everything that had happened.

While Chuck and Rotor took their turns briefing him, Mina tugged Sally's vest, and motioned for her to step aside. Sally and Nicole followed her to a corner of the room. "What's wrong?" Sally asked.

"Nothing," Mina said, "Just some new intel I thought you should hear right away. While you were in Null Space, we received a communication from Commander Knuckles." Sally nodded, waiting for her to continue. "The Chaotix's mission was a success, and the intel they retrieved is huge." Mina took a breath before continued. "Sonic's alive, and we know his location."

Sally held in her breath. She turned to Nicole, who nodded to confirm what Mina said was true. "Sonic's… alive…" She felt a tear rolling down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. Mina hugged her. "I knew it. I knew he couldn't really be dead. Sonic…"