Author's Note: The song featured here is a parody of "The Right Side" from Swan Princess 3. Any and all comments are welcome.
Wolf was mortified at what she had just learned. After seeing that Kipo was half-mute, she ran off as far as she could. Unfortunately for her, she had followers. Benson, Mandu, Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese walked a few feet behind her. Having enough of her pursuers, Wolf turned around aimed her Deathstalker tail at them.
"Turn back now, before you get lost." She warned.
"Look, we can fight poisoned tail to giant hammer all we want all day," Amy said holding up her mallet, "But don't you think it'll be much better if you come back to Kipo with us."
"No. I'm not going back." Wolf insisted.
"Look, I get where you're coming from." Benson said. "I'm a surface person, you're a surface person. We're the same. We're survivors. And Kipo, she looks at an erupting volcano and sees a fountain of rainbows and teddy bears."
"What's wrong with rainbows and teddy bears?" Cream asked.
"The point is," Tails said, "I know it's weird that she's part mute. We were all surprised by it same as you… Well, save for Benson. But at the end of the day, she's still Kipo."
At the sound of motor engine running, the gang jumped to hide in the nearest bush. A gang of Scooter Skunks drove on by and stopped right in front of them.
"Are we sure the burrow girl and the hedgehogs are down here?"
"They aren't on the road. So keep searching. Nobody hands them to Scarlemagne but the Scooter Skunks."
With that, the skunks took off leaving a cloud of stink behind them. Thankfully, the gang in hiding were holding their breath until it passed.
"Looks like Scarlemagne is pulling out all the stops trying to find us." Tails said.
"No. They're trying to find you." Wolf corrected. "There is no us. I'm getting out of here."
"Seriously?" Benson asked. "We were so close on getting Kipo back to her father and the hedgehogs back to their mother. We could see the second clover from the trash canyon. We have to go back there."
"I don't have to do anything but survive long enough to get out of this death trap." Wolf said. "I won't be hunted over a few mutes."
"But this isn't how friends treat each other." Cream said.
"Chao, chao."
Wolf said nothing and continued on her way.
"Stop following me!" Wolf demanded as she reached the highway with the others behind her. "You're gonna get us caught."
"Stop running and we can keep up." Benson said. Wolf's only response was a quick sprint. "Oh, come on!"
Wolf ran right through a broken down ice cream truck. Unfortunately for her, Tails hovered down in front of her to stop her.
"What's your problem?" Wolf asked.
"I'm not the one with the problem." Tails said. "We just wanna talk."
Wolf was about to respond, but that was interrupted by the sudden sound of the ice cream truck music. It triggered because as Benson was trying to get through, his foot bumped it and turned on its music. Everyone paused in fear just as a new voice was heard from above.
"You hear that? Six o'clock!"
"Humming Bombers!" Tails yelled. He and the others hung themselves underneath the highway just as the birds landed.
"Eyes peeled for bogeys." The leader said as he looked around. Luckily, they didn't find any sign of their targets.
"I say we drop some nectar bombs." Another bird said. "Smoke 'em out of whatever hole they're hiding in!"
"You think this is a toy?" the leader asked. "One slip and we're Sunday roast. There's nothing here. Humming Bombers, let's fly!"
He and the rest of his team flew out of sight giving the kids the chance to climb back up. Although, Wolf wasn't any less angry.
"That was stupid! We could have died. Just go away. I can survive on my own."
"Aren't you tired of just surviving?" Benson asked. "Obviously, you can handle yourself. I mean, you just jumped over a full-on truck back there. I mean, how did you do that? You're four feet tall and it was a truck. Look, I know you don't need any of us to survive, but without us, that's all you'll ever do. Don't you want to see what else there is? Don't you wanna see what we could all do together?"
"I'm done playing nice with others." Wolf said.
"Come on!" Amy said. "We could be shaking hands with all of Kipo's burrow friends by now. We're at the finish line by a single hair. Why is it so hard for you to cross it?"
Wolf grimaced as she continued running.
Wolf kept running until she entered the forest. Not long after that, her ankle got caught in a rope which quickly hung her upside down. Benson and the others came from behind trees and approached her.
"Finally! It got you. You got Benson'd!"
"Did you seriously just say 'you got Benson'd'?" Tails asked.
"Now, are you ready to talk things out?" Amy asked.
Wolf quickly swung her weapon to cut herself free. When she landed back on the ground, she pointed it at Benson.
"Uh… It was Mandu's idea." Benson asked holding up the pig as a shield.
"Wolf, not all mutes are bad." Cream said.
"She's right." Amy said. "You taught the raccoons how to fight. You had plenty of chances to kill us."
"And I saw you pet Mandu that one time." Benson added. "You don't really hate all mutes. So what's this actually about?"
"…She lied to me."
"So what?" Tails asked. "I mean, you lied to her first? Remember Rouge taking the Chaos Emerald? Kipo forgave you."
"She lied about who she is! There's a difference! How could I ever trust her again?"
"Because your friendship wasn't a lie." Benson said. "You're practically sisters. You can't fake that."
"You're wrong! You can fake it!"
"No, you can't!" Tails said. "There's fake friendship and there's real friendship. Kipo obviously doesn't believe in the fake one, so when she offers friendship, it's real."
"WELL, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THE WOLVES THAT RAISED ME!" Wolf lashed out. As soon as she realized what she said, she regretted it. She noted the surprised expressions on their faces and she looked down.
"You wanna know why I can't trust Kipo? It's because I trusted someone who was like a sister to me before, and it was all a lie. My old wolf family found me and raised me. They taught me everything they knew about being a wolf and being part of a pack. But out of everyone there, Margot was the one I grew closest too. She was my sister… Or so I thought. As it turned out, all the training I went through was just a final challenge for all the other wolves. They wanted me to be the ultimate prey for them to hunt down. I felt betrayed, but what hurt even worse was that I tried to beg Margot for help, and even she turned on me." She started to tear up before wiping her eyes. "If even she could betray me, then why can't Kipo? I'm sorry, but I can't take the risk."
Wolf turned to walk away while everyone watched. Well, everyone except Tails. After a moment of thinking, he hovered himself with his tails and landed right in front of Wolf.
"I just said…"
"I know what you said. And for what it's worth, I understand. Heck, I'm probably the only person out of everyone else who understands. But before you do anything, at least hear me out. Let me tell you a story. Just one. And if at the end, you are absolutely certain you want to leave, we'll let you. No more argument. Deal?"
Wolf shifted her eyes before letting out a sigh. She found a nearby rock and sat on it. The others gathered around.
"Spill it." Wolf said.
"Right." Tails said. "So do you know how Sonic and I met?"
"Yes. He saved you from Scooter Skunks." Wolf said. "Is that your point?"
"No. Actually, that's just one part of the story, near the end. You see, I don't know anything about my real family. All I know is that I was left on my own with nothing but my brains and my two tails. Obviously, because of my tails, no one wanted to be near me. They would just make fun of me. But when I showed signs of genius, that's when the Scooter Skunks found me. They came to me and sweet talked me. Like a naïve kid, I believed them when they wanted me to join them. All I had to do was use my know-how to trick up their rides. And I did. But it turns out, the Scooter Skunks weren't as welcoming as I thought. As soon as I did what they wanted, they refused to let me into their gang. They circled me spraying me with their most foul stink. I was beginning to lose all hope. And that's when Sonic showed up.
"Like a blue comet that came from out of nowhere, Sonic dashed right at the Scooter Skunks and chased them away. He then offered to help me up, but after what I just experienced, I thought there was no way I could trust him. After I stood up on my own, I asked him what he wanted in return. And all he said was, nothing. After that, he ran off without saying another word.
"For the next couple of days, I had nothing but Sonic's selflessness on my mind. I thought for sure he wanted something in return or that he had an ulterior motive. But so far, there was nothing. I just stayed at my garage working on the Tornado. Then one day, I heard the sound of explosions. The Humming Bombers were chasing Sonic trying to blow him up. I saw the state he was in and thought he wouldn't last long, so I went on the Torpedo and rushed over to him without hesitation.
"I don't know why I did what I did, but it just felt right. After all, he did save me from the Scooter Skunks. Despite my pessimism, I couldn't just let him die. So I flew on over and brushed the Humming Bombers away. While they were distracted, Sonic jumped over to the Tornado's wing and I flew us both to safety.
"After returning to the garage, Sonic thanked me and was about to be on his way. I stopped him and asked him why he saved me. He smiled right at me and asked 'why did you save me'. Just then, even though I had bad history of mistrust, I ignored all that and saw him not as a heartless user, but as a hero and someone I could truly call my friend.
"So what I'm trying to say is, if I can still be there for Sonic, why can't you do the same for Kipo?"
Wolf was nearly speechless by the story as were the others. She shook her head and responded, "But that was different. Sonic wasn't hiding anything. Kipo was."
"That's not the point, Wolf." Tails said. "Sure, there are a hundred reasons in the past why you shouldn't trust anyone right now, but that's just it. They were in the past. We can't let that shape our actions right now. Wolves tried to hunt you. Skunks tried to spray me. But Kipo was giving you a home and Sonic made me his best friend. Can you really say that Kipo is anything like this Margot?"
Wolf turned her eyes left and right still unsure. "But… How do I know it will be any different? How do I know that Kipo won't betray me?"
"That's just it. You don't." Tails answered. "But it's not about if you can take the risk. It's whether the risk is worth it.
Tails:
You will always be hurt if you cling to the past
And you let your fears dictate your life
Amy:
And this pain you're feeling is always gonna last
Tails:
Unless you decide which friend is right
So be brave enough to try. You gotta take the step
Feel the friendship and let go of the hate
Benson:
There's just no telling what will happen to you
But you'll know once you take the leap of faith
Everyone:
Leap of faaaaiiiiiith
Leap of faaaaiiiiiith
Cream:
Where there's a path that only you can create
Cheese:
Chao, chao
Tails:
We don't know where this leap will go
They can be either friend or foe
Everyone:
You'll only know
When you take the leap of faaaaiiiiiith
Tails:
If your mind is a big mess
Amy:
If your head's just unsure
Tails:
Then maybe your brain's not the issue
You don't need to think to decide on your future
You just need the heart inside of you
Sometimes, it can get uncomfortable
Amy:
Sometimes, you're gonna get burned
Tails:
But it's better than waiting 'til it's too late
So take my hand and join me to figure this out
Came with me and take the leap of faith
Everyone:
Leap of faaaaiiiiiith
Leap of faaaaiiiiiith
Where there's a path that only you can create
We don't know where this leap will go
They can be either friend or foe
You'll only know
When you take the leap of…
Tails:
I can't guarantee it'll be easy
Amy:
And your answer might not be what you hope
Benson:
Perhaps it will make you queasy
But at least you'll take the…
Everyone:
LEAP OF FAAAAIIIIIITH
LEAP OF FAAAAIIIIIITH
WHERE'S THERE'S A PATH THAT ONLY YOU CAN CREATE
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS LEAP WILL GO
THEY CAN BE EITHER FRIEND OR FOE
YOU'LL ONLY KNOW
WHEN YOU TAKE THE…
Tails:
TOGETHER, WE WILL TAKE…
Everyone:
YOU'LL ONLY KNOW
WHEN YOU TAKE THE LEAP OF FAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIITH
Leap of faith
At the end of the song, a slow clapping sound was heard. The scary thing was, it didn't come from any of the kids. Everyone turned with frightened expressions when the leaders of the Newton Wolves, Billions and Billions, approached with hungry eyes and slowly-clapping hands.
"Bravo. Bravo. An extraordinary performance." Good Billions said.
"Never thought you'd be dinner AND a show." Bad Billion added.
Everyone got ready to fight, but soon found themselves surrounded by Newton Wolves creeping from the bushes. Every method of escape was lost.
"We had you all right under our noses, yet we couldn't sniff you out." Good Billions said. "We won't make that mistake again. So tell us. Where are the burrow girl and the hedgehogs?"
"We don't know." Benson said.
"Pity." Bad Billions said. "We'll find them soon enough."
"In the meantime, you'll do as a nice mid-hunt snack." Good Billions said.
The wolves closed in and the kids prepared for the worst. Wolf however had her mind flooded with memories, both good and bad. In the end, all she saw was Kipo. Like she actually saw Kipo, running at her from behind the Billions brothers.
Kipo slipped right past the wolves and regrouped with Wolf, who was surprised to see her. Then, Sonic spun from out of nowhere and dashed right at Bad Billion's head. Sonia jumped in front of Good Billions and kicked him backwards. Manic ran right in afterwards carrying Dave.
"Kipo?" Wolf asked.
"Sonic!" Amy cheered.
"Dave!" Dave yelled.
"Leave them alone, fleabags." Sonic said. "It's us you want."
"Just take me instead." Kipo said.
"Instead?" Bad Billions laughed as he and his brother got back up. "You are in no position to make demands."
Just then, the Scooter Skunks drove right over and landed right next to the wolves.
"Not so fast, moon boy." The Skunk leader said. "Hand over the burrow girl and the hedgehogs, or things are gonna get real stinky."
"Fools!" said Sartori as she and her Mod Frogs hopped in from above. "The Mod Frogs are the first to find them all together. They're ours."
"Coming in hot!" cried out the Humming Bomber leader flying in with the rest of his team. "Hand over the humans and the hedgehogs, groundies, or we're all heading up to the sky!"
"I'll do it! I'm craaaaaaazy!"
"Well, this is a mess." Sonic said. "Not one minute after reuniting, and we find ourselves surrounded by every bad mute we've ever angered. Well, save for the Hooligans. Where are those nuts?"
"We'll worry about them later." Sonia said.
Everyone gave daring stares at one another, each waiting for the right time to make a move. And unfortunately, Kipo Underground was right in the middle waiting for the crossfire. They kept staring until the fluttering sound of a dragonfly and Jamack's laughter was added to the silence.
"All right. OK. Everyone take a seat." Jamack said as he moved himself from his dragonfly. He went to each pack one by one. "Hey, it's my old crew. Good to see you back on your feet. Wow, and the Newton Wolves too. Makes sense for you to be involved in this. No surprise that the Scooter Skunks are here though. I could smell you guys for miles. And the Humming Bombers, what a surprise. I don't see a lot of you guys."
"What's he doing?" Manic asked.
"I don't know. You'd think he'd be more scared of the crowd." Sonia said.
When Jamack was done greeting everyone and patting them on the back, he walked over to Kipo Underground. "Heck of a show, everyone. Applause. Thanks for holding onto my prisoners, but I'll take it from here, OK? Why don't you all head out before things get messy?"
"…HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Every evil mute broke out in a mass hysteria of laughter. They clearly didn't take Jamack seriously, but it still didn't drop his confidence.
"Yeah! Keep it going, everyone! You're gonna love it! It's gonna be great! Ah, you idiots."
The laughter ended when the Newton Wolves picked up a smell and sniffed into the air. They followed the scent to their backs and found a clump of white bunny fur attached to them.
"Mega Bunny fur." Kipo realized. "Jamack gave it to all of them."
"Then that means…" Sonia started to figure it out.
BOOM!
An explosion burst out of the ground as a mama Mega Bunny crashed right through. Everyone was flung into the air, but Kipo Underground returned to the top of the Mega Bunny. They raced on down its spine right as the Humming Bombers dropped their explosive nectar.
The fiery explosion erupted over the whole area. While the smoke cleared, Kipo Underground and Jamack escaped safe and sound.
Jamack lead the gang back to the trash canyon. He stared off at the horizon trying to fight off his regret.
"Are you still going to turn us in?" Manic asked.
"The thought did cross my mind, but there's something you should know, especially you, Kipo." Jamack said. "Up here, you have to be selfish to survive. You don't seem to know how to do that. You insist on helping and talking. So… why?"
Kipo smiled right at Jamack and asked. "Why did you save us?"
Jamack took a deep breath before turning his back. "Just take your friends and go. Before I change my mind."
"Whoa. She changed your heart, dude." Dave said. Jamack shot his tongue at his feet. "AH! He's changing his mind! Bail! Bail!"
Leaving Jamack behind, Kipo Underground continued to walk across the field. But as they reached the halfway point, Wolf stopped.
"I'm sorry I ran." She said getting Kipo's attention. "I was scared of what was happening to you. Scared that you'd hurt me. I still am, but I'm tired of running."
"I'm scared too." Kipo admitted. "But whatever happens on the outside, who I am on the inside idn't gonna change. We're sisters, no matter what."
Wolf immediately ran at Kipo and gave her a hug much to her surprise.
"Whoa, Wolf. You're hugging her?" Sonic asked.
"Deal with it." Wolf turned to Tails and smiled. "Thank you." The fox nodded with a proud smile.
"We're here!" Amy cried out as they reached the edge of the giant grassland.
"I can't believe we're almost at the second clover." Kipo said.
"But how are we going to get past the Mega Dogs?" Cream asked.
"Cream's right." Wolf said. "They see us, they'll chew us to bits."
"I have an idea." Kipo said as she pulled out a can of tuna.
Within his lair, Scarlemagne took in the sweet sounds of piano that he was playing. All the while, the mind-controlled humans were forced to stand and listen to him.
Near the end of his song, Scarlemagne was approached by three bounty hunters who he invited into his palace days before. He grimaced the sight of them.
"The three of you Hooligans better have a good reason why you're coming back to me empty handed."
"Oh, you'll love this, sir." Fang said.
"Yeah! Even more so than I love donuts and ice cream and pizza and…" Bark shut Bean up with a smack to his head.
"Thank you, Bark." Fang said. "Now, Scarlemagne, feast your ears on this sweet set of news. We know where the human burrow is. That's where the girl and he hedgehogs are going."
Scarlemagne widened his eyes. "Where?"
"The Mega Dog field." Fang answered. "Just outside of trash canyon."
"Are you sure?"
"I bet my life on it."
Scarlemagne broke out into his maniacal laughter. "WHAT JOY! THIS IS BRILLIANT! HAHAHAHA!" He turned to his humans. "Someone ready my flamingos."