A MATTER OF TRUST A Sonic the Hedgehog story by Daniel J. Drazen drazen@andrews.edu Pause for bourgeois legalities: This story is copyright (c)1996 by the author, who grants permission to reproduce and distribute it, so long as A) you don't screw around with it and leave the text as it is, and B) you don't try and make a buck off of it. If you're serious about the latter, drop me a line at drazen@andrews.edu and we'll discuss my cut. All the normal provisions of Title 17 (the U.S. Copyright Law) still apply. Based on characters and situations created by Sega Corporation, Archie Comics and/or DiC Productions. Bookshire Draftwood appears in this story courtesy of David Pistone Talent Associates. There are terms used in this story which may be unfamiliar to some readers; they are advised to do some lurking in alt.rec.sport.pro-wrestling. This was the part Sonic always hated. He didn't mind checking in with his Uncle Chuck, who worked for the Freedom Fighters as a spy in Robotnik's midst. He enjoyed seeing him, despite the fact that Uncle Chuck's body had been roboticized. What he hated was leaving. "One of these days, Uncle Chuck, I'm checkin' you out of this dump and gettin' you back to Knothole so we can deroboticize you." "Nobody's looking forward to it more than I am, Sonie, but until they've got the bugs worked out of the system, I'm needed here." "I know. But it still stinks!" "That's what I get for building a hideout in a garbage dump," he smiled. "Now scoot." Sonic gave his Uncle a hug, said "Be cool!" and jammed off into the twilight streets of Robotropolis. As he ran the well-known streets to the edge of the city, Sonic wondered how soon it would be before he could make good on his promise to Uncle Chuck. Some days, it seemed as if the Freedom Fighters of Mobius weren't making any headway against Robotnik. They were able to slow down Robotnik and his spoiling of the planet, but there still didn't seem to be a way of rolling it back and returning things to the way they were. These thoughts so preoccupied Sonic that he almost didn't hear the approaching whine of SWATbot patrols. He ducked down an alley just in time. He could hear the SWATbot intercom: "ALL UNITS IN SECTORS D4, D6, AND D7. ASSISTANCE NEEDED IN SECTOR D5. RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!" Strange. Usually there were enough SWATbots patrolling a given area to take care of anything. If they needed that much backup, they must be up against something big! Sonic couldn't resist--he had to check this out! Following the SWATbot hover unit from a discreet distance, Sonic trailed it to an area adjacent to the trash heap that was one of the Freedom Fighter rendezvous points. Afraid that one of his comrades was in danger, he cautiously approached to get a better look. He saw a number of SWATbots...at least a dozen...converging on someone, someone Sonic didn't recognize. It was a badger. He was tall and built like a barrel. Two leatherlike straps crossed his muscular chest and held up a belt from which hung two small hatchets. The badger was using a third ax--a double-headed ax on a long, stout pole--to ward off the SWATbots. He'd already destroyed several SWATbots with it, judging from the pieces on the ground. Sonic had heard that there were few things on Mobius as impressive as a badger in combat, but he hadn't really believed it until now. The badger didn't just lash out blindly as the SWATbots tried to approach. He made the most of every move, making sure that every backswing was at least as effective and as lethal as every thrust. But it was clear that the badger was beginning to tire and that the SWATbots would soon have him. The fact that the badger hadn't been blasted meant that he was supposed to be taken alive. Not if Sonic the Hedgehog had anything to say about it! "It's time to play 'Bowling for Bots!'" Sonic announced. The SWATbots turned. "HEDGEHOG--PRIORITY ONE! APPREHEND...." But the SWATbot never finished his sentence, for Sonic had gone into Sonic Spin mode and simply plowed into the SWATbots. A second later, only two were standing. "Stand back, big guy," Sonic said to the badger, "I've got to pick up the spare." Using the spin again, Sonic plowed into one bot, ricocheted off him and took out the other one. He turned back to the badger. "Are you OK?" But the badger didn't answer. Instead, his eyes narrowed and he pulled one of the smaller hatchets from his belt. Before Sonic could say or do anything, the badger hurled it in Sonic's direction. It missed the hedgehog, sailing over his head. The next thing Sonic knew, he heard a dull, metallic CLANG. He turned to see one of the SWATbots he thought he had taken out still standing, but it now had a badger hatchet buried in its head. It shuddered for an instant and then fell to the ground. Sonic turned to the badger, extending a hand. "Whoa, I owe you one, fella!" But the badger didn't say anything right away. He only looked at Sonic with a curious expression, as if he were coming out of a trance. "Sonic? Sonic Hedgehog?" he finally asked in a deep, smooth voice. "That's my name--don't wear it out." A broad smile slowly crossed the badger's face. "Sonic... Sonic, it's me! Spartacus!" The hedgehog's eyes widened. "No way!" he squealed. "Yes way!" The two embraced, which was easier for the badger who was half again as tall as Sonic. It was rather like a child hugging a doll, and Sonic came off the worse for it. When the badger loosened his grip, Sonic was still gasping for air. "Man," Sonic finally said, "you've gotten...HUGE!" "You think I'm big, you should see Adonis!" "Hey, we'd better get out of here before we tangle with any more bots." Sonic led Spartacus through the dump, down the twisting path known to the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Several minutes later, Sonic and Spartacus paused in the evening shade at the edge of the Great Forest. Waiting in the shadows were two figures: Tails and Antoine. "Sonique, what is the meandering of this? Who is this stranger?" "This 'stranger' was once my best bud when I was a kid. Spartacus, this is my pal, Tails. And that's Antoine." "Hi!" Tails said as he shook the badger's massive hand. Antoine, however, seemed even stiffer and more aloof than usual. "And wherefore were you doing in the dumps?" he asked the badger. "Making a mistake I'll never make again! For the last four months now, we badgers haven't been able to work our traditional mines in the hills north of the Great Forest because of increased SWATbot activity. As a result, we haven't been able to fashion new weapons. I thought I could find some high-quality metal to bring back to our smiths to forge into ax heads. Instead all I found was scrap. And then the SWATbots found me. I was fighting them off when Sonic showed up and saved my life." "How is it you are knowing Sonique?" "We go way back, Ant," Sonic began. "We were both like five years old when he came to Mobotropolis." "My family lived deep in the Great Forest with the other badgers of our clan. But about that time my father got very sick, and it was more than our healers could handle. So my mother, my brother Adonis and I brought our father to Mobotropolis, to the hospital." "And did they help him get better?" Tails asked. "My father was in the hospital for three months, but he never seemed to get better. Finally he died. That's when I got this," he said as he indicated a long diagonal scar across his chest. "I was cut to mourn his passing. "I'd never been in the city before and I guess it showed. I got teased pretty badly by some of the other kids. Until Sonic stood up for me." "Hey, it just seemed to me like you needed a friend." "And you were a good friend, Sonic. I...I only wish I could have told you when my father died. But we left Mobotropolis with his body at the first opportunity, to bury him with his fathers. This is our way. And as it turned out, we left the city two days before Robotnik took over." "Talk about your great timing!" Sonic said. "I wondered what happened to you; it was like you just disappeared." "When a badger dies, his family turns its back on the world for a time of mourning. But what about yourself, Sonic? How have you fared?" "Better than fair. We're freedom fighters, living in Knothole." The badger's brow furrowed. "Knothole? I've never heard of it." "It is just as well, for we are needing to keep it a secretion," Antoine said with more than a hint of nervousness in his voice. "In factuality, we must be returning there *tout suite*!" "But..." Sonic began. "I understand," Spartacus said. "I have to get back to the clan myself. But can you meet me here tomorrow at noon? So we can catch up on old times?" "No prob!" Sonic said, getting in a quick elbow shot to Antoine's ribs to prevent further interruption. "Fine. It really is good to see you again, Sonic. Until tomorrow, then." And with that, the badger turned and walked into the Great Forest. He moved with a speed and a quietness that belied his size, and he was soon lost from sight. "Hey, Ant! Who put the starch in YOUR shorts?" "About what are you talking?" "You know about what I'm talking! Spartacus was my bud, and you treated him like pond scum!" "We will see what the Princess has to be saying about this!" And with that, Antoine turned and headed back for Knothole. "Wow!" Tails whispered. "I've never seen Antoine so uptight before!" "Aw, he's just being his usual obnoxious self. Let's give him a head start; I'll bet you BOTH of us can still beat him back to Knothole." If Sonic had hoped that Sally would be more understanding than Antoine, he was in for a surprise when he returned to Knothole (after having left Antoine in his dust) and told Sally about his reunion with Spartacus. "And you believed his story?" was what Sally said. Sonic was shocked. "Of course I believed it!" Sally's brow furrowed. She consulted her hand-held computer. "Nicole, verify." "LATEST INTELLIGENCE REPORTS INDICATE INCREASED ACTIVITY BY ROBOTNIK IN THE MOUNTAINS NORTH OF THE GREAT FOREST. HIGH PROBABILITY THAT SUCH ACTIVITY WOULD DISRUPT TRADITIONAL BADGER MINING...." "That's enough, Nicole," Sally said as she closed up the computer. "So where's my apology, Sal?" "Don't hold your breath waiting for it, Sonic." "What's with you, Sal? This isn't like the time when we ran into Ari -- I KNOW Spartacus!" "Sonic, I don't want to believe you've forgotten EVERYTHING you ever learned. Don't you remember anything about the Clan Wars?" "The who?" "This is hopeless! Between the 24th and 28th centuries, the badger clans were split into two factions. One faction challenged the legitimacy of the House of Acorn to rule Mobius and waged war against it. The other faction defended the House of Acorn." "OK, so some of the badger clans and the House of Acorn didn't get along; so what?" "So during that time, there were six attempts made against the lives of members of the House of Acorn; four of them succeeded." "Sal, this is ancient history! What's all this got to do with Spartacus?" Sally paused for a moment. "Look, just promise me one thing: don't tell him or show him where Knothole is located." "C'mon, Sal, you know I'd never do anything stupid like that!" "Just promise, OK?" "OK, OK! All of a sudden I need some fresh air," he added as he dashed out of Sally's hut and headed for the pond. Antoine, who had heard most of the conversation, sat down on a nearby chair. "You were handling that very well, my Princess." "No I didn't." Sally sat down on the edge of her bed, her chin resting in her hands. "I totally blew it!" "What was it to be blowing?" "Antoine...I was afraid." "But you were having every reason...." "But what if Sonic's right? What if it IS all ancient history?" "Then I am supposing you are not having anything to be worried about to meet this friend of Sonique's." "Antoine, you're absolutely right!" Sally rose and, after giving Antoine a kiss on the cheek, left her hut to find Sonic. Antoine was confused by Sally's meaning, but having been on the receiving end of a kiss from her he didn't care that much. "Tell me again why you're doing this. Sal." Sonic and Sally arrived at the appointed spot just before noon. Sonic had been just as confused as Antoine about Sally's about-face on Sonic's meeting with Spartacus, but Sally still hadn't explained why she now insisted on accompanying Sonic to the rendezvous. "If I thought you could understand...." "Hey, try me!" "Not yet. When is your friend, uh..." "Spartacus." "Spartacus. When's he supposed to be here?" "I'm here now." Both Sonic and Sally jumped at the voice behind them. It was indeed Spartacus, this time with only one hatchet hanging from his belt. "Man, where'd you learn to be so quiet? And where'd you come from, anyway?" "Part of it is training in stalking; the rest comes naturally. As for where I came from, I came down that trail." Sonic looked for several seconds. "WHAT trail?" he finally asked. "There's always a trail, if you know how to look for one. It's all part of my training as a tracer -- one who follows tracks through the forest. The elders tell me I'm pretty good at it. But enough about me; who's your friend?" "Spartacus, this is Sally." "Pleased to meet you." For several seconds, Sally could only stare at him while three words ran through her mind: "Drop dead gorgeous!" "Likewise," she said finally. "I didn't know that you'd be bringing her, Sonic. Are you two...?" "No way!" "Spartacus," Sally broke in, "I came with Sonic because I need to know something. I need to know how your clan feels about the House of Acorn." Spartacus paused for several seconds. Sonic was sure he could see his old friend's face flush crimson. "It's to our...shame...that some badgers still want to fight the old battles. They're mostly old badgers who entertain old notions. The younger warriors, those of my generation, know that Robotnik is the true enemy. Why do you ask?" "Because I loved, and have lost, someone very close to the throne of the last Acorn King. And if this should get in the way of your friendship with Sonic...." "Don't worry about it," Spartacus said gently, resting a massive paw reassuringly on her shoulder. "When I deal with Sonic, I see only him. And when I deal with Sonic's friends, I see only that friendship and I respect it." "Thank you, Spartacus." "So, what is this 'Knothole' place you mentioned?" For the next several hours, Sonic and Spartacus reviewed for each other the lives they had lived since their parting as children. Sonic mentioned as much as he could about Knothole without giving away its position. He also failed to mention that Sally was, herself, of the House of Acorn, and that she had been speaking of her father earlier on when she spoke of her loss. Spartacus, for his part, described life among a badger clan. It was a rugged life with few physical comforts -- fewer, even, than Knothole -- and one given over to preserving the old ways of the clan. Yet Sally detected a note of disenchantment in Spartacus's voice. "I sometimes ask myself," Spartacus told her, "what the point is of learning to fight if there's no opponent to fight. Sonic told you of my encounter with the SWATbots; in some ways I was unprepared to fight them." "You didn't look that unprepared to ME!" Sonic chimed in. "Thanks, but we've never really trained to fight Robotnik or his forces. I feel there's much we can learn from your experiences." "Then why not fight by our side, and learn from us?" Sally asked. "Such a matter would have to come before our clan elders, many of whom still think the House of Acorn is the true enemy of badgers. They consider Robotnik to be something best left alone." "Well, why don't you kick some of those old guys out of their jobs?" "You don't know our ways, Sonic. The power they hold over the clan is due to their length of days and experience in combat. It will be a while before enough of them rest with their fathers for the old prejudice to become the minority view." "Man, I'd sure like to tell those old guys what's really happening to Mobius!" "Why don't you?" "Huh?" "Come visit the clan tomorrow evening, as my guests and as my friends. Put your case before them. The worst that can happen is that they'll reject your proposal." "Will they let us in?" Sally asked. "We ARE outsiders, and not of the clan." "You have also fought against Robotnik most of your lives. They will respect you for that, if for no other reason." Sally considered it for a few seconds. "Very well, then: tomorrow evening." She extended a hand and Spartacus took hold of it. "Agreed. Meet me back here an hour before sunset; I'll guide you to the clan myself." Soon, Spartacus had once more melted back into the Great Forest. "Come on, Sonic, let's get back to Knothole." "Nothin' doin', Sal." Sonic stayed rooted to the spot, his arms crossed in front of him. "Now what?" "Seems to me that someone here owes someone else here an apology." "You're right," Sally admitted, "I'm sorry I distrusted your friend. I shouldn't have been so suspicious." "That's better! Now, why can't you say that more often?" "Why can't you be right more often?" And the banter continued all the way back to Knothole. The following evening, there were four Knothole freedom fighters waiting for Spartacus. Sonic and Sally were joined by Bunnie and Antoine. Sally thought that the badger clan might not appreciate what would happen if they were to let Robotnik continue unchecked. So Bunnie was along as sort of a visual aid. Antoine, who had shared Sally's apprehension that the badgers would continue to keep the old grudge alive and might attempt to harm Sally if they learned she was of the House of Acorn, insisted on going along to protect Sally. Sally finally relented (over Sonic's strenuous objections). This was actually a second reason why Bunnie was coming along: to keep an eye on Antoine as he kept an eye on Sally. At the appointed time, Spartacus stepped noiselessly into the clearing. "Ooo-wee!" Bunnie whispered. "Sally-girl, you weren't half- kiddin' about them badgers! Ah hope they got a few more like this one!" "He DID say he has a brother." "You've brought quite a few friends, Sonic," Spartacus observed. "Yeah, well, we're kind of a team. You've met Sal and Antoine; this is Bunnie." Spartacus shook her hand and stared at her for a few seconds. "I don't understand; where's the rest of your armor?" "This ain't armor, sugar. This is little ol' me after Robotnik got his hands on me." "We were able to save Bunnie, but not before Robotnik did his share of damage. I'm hoping to convince the elders of the clan that they can avert this danger." Spartacus considered Bunnie for a few more seconds. "It may be difficult; some badgers would consider this an improvement." "It's not what you think. How can I put this so you'll understand? When a creature is roboticized, they're given a warrior's body but they're robbed of a warrior's heart." "Is this true?" "Yes. Once you're roboticized, you no longer have a will of your own; you can only carry out the bidding of Robotnik." "That IS a consideration. As long as you put it in those terms, there may be a chance the elders will listen to you." "Way to go, Sal!" Sonic whispered. "Thanks, but we haven't made our case yet." They walked on through the Great Forest, with Spartacus leading the way. Though the light was beginning to fail, the Knothole Freedom Fighters instantly recognized a small clearing they passed through several minutes later. Spartacus said nothing about it, but the others knew that they had just crossed a seldom-used trail that was a shortcut back to Knothole. They kept it in mind for future reference. It was just as the sun was setting that they heard sounds up ahead: deep and gruff voices speaking a strange tongue, the high- pitched cries and shouts of small children, and someone telling a cadenced story to the accompaniment of a simple skin drum. They knew from the way Spartacus lengthened his stride that they were nearing his home. The badger settlement was a seemingly haphazard array of stick-and-mud lodges built so that their doorways faced a central clearing. Small cooking fires burned in front of many of them, boiling the contents of iron pots. As Spartacus entered the clearing, conversation dimmed and all eyes turned on his guests. The Knothole Freedom Fighters didn't exactly feel welcome as the badgers silently scrutinized them. Sally saw one small boy, a mere toddler, holding tightly to one of his mother's leg with one hand while in the other hand he brandished a wooden spoon as if it were a sword. "Not exactly the red carpet treatment, is it?" Sally whispered to Bunnie. The mood changed appreciably as they were directed to Spartacus' hut. Outside, bent over a fire, was an elderly female badger who gave the travellers the first kind look they'd received so far. Forgetting about the contents of the pot, she walked up to them and took Sonic's hands in one of her own. "So your old friend has grown up, my son." "Yes, Mother. This is my mother, Diana." "Yeah, I remember you from when you were in Mobotropolis." "That was too many sunsets ago, I'm afraid," she chuckled. "But let's get your friends something to eat. Adonis!" Out of the hut stepped the impossible: a badger even larger and more powerful-looking than Spartacus. "Adonis, your brother's friends are here. Fetch bowls for them." "But Mother, I was on my way to target practice." "You can hurl axes with your friends after you've showed our guests some common courtesy." "They're not MY guests," he muttered as he retreated back into the lodge. He emerged a few seconds later with a stack of carved wooden bowls. Diana began ladling a thick stew into them and passing them to the Freedom Fighters. Sally noticed that there weren't any spoons or forks being passed around; a quick glance at some other families taking their evening meal confirmed her suspicion, and she began to scoop the contents out of the bowl with her hand, bringing it to her mouth. The others followed suit, the fastidious Antoine with the greatest reluctance. "This is very good, Diana," Sally said. "Thank you, child. And you may call me 'Mother' if it pleases you." "It's a common way of showing respect," Spartacus added. "Thank you, but it's because of what has happened to our own mothers and fathers that we're here. Spartacus, when can we speak to the clan elders?" "It's customary to wait until after the evening's festivities." "And even then you may not be heard!" someone croaked. Everyone turned around. An extremely old badger shuffled toward them, so old that two young males held up his arms on either side to enable him to walk. He stared at the Knothole residents with dark, beady eyes. "Sophocles!" Diana scolded, "you just about scared the life out of my son's guests." "As if that gives them the right to address the clan elders! I know why you're here. You can't fight your own battles, so you want us to do your work for you. Well, you'll get no help from us, I assure you!" He motioned with one hand to move off in another direction, and the two younger badgers changed course. "It's because we fight better than any animal on Mobius. We fight better. We hunt better. I can still smell a member of the cursed House of Acorn a mile away!" He rambled on in a similar vein until he was out of earshot. The Knothole Freedom Fighters exchanged a glance that communicated the same message: "It's a good thing he can't smell one any closer!" "Pay no mind to Sophocles," Diana assured the others. "When it comes to remembering the old glory of the clan, he's the worst of the lot." "I take it he's a clan elder," Sally observed, handing her bowl to Diana for a second helping. "The head elder. Who's the elder of your clan?" "We have none. We live together and fight against Robotnik together." "What is a 'Robotnik'?" "Robotnik isn't a what, he's a...." "Save it for the elders, Sal," Sonic said. The meal continued with polite conversation; the Freedom Fighters made sure the subject of Robotnik didn't come up again. It was going to be a hard enough sell to the elders if the rest of them were anything like Sophocles. Sonic helped Spartacus clean up after the meal -- the badgers considered this "sons' work" -- while the others left to take part in the evening's festivities before the meeting. The "festivities" of the evening, like every other evening, weren't organized. Some badgers took ax in hand and used a designated tree for target practice. Others engaged in a tug-of- war with a stout rope. Bunnie and Sally wandered over to a crowd of badgers and saw that they were arm-wrestling on an old tree stump. Adonis was among them. "You!" he barked, pointing to Bunnie. "Let's see what that arm can do." Amid the cheers of the badgers, Sally tried walking away. "C'mon, Sally-girl! They asked for it!" Bunnie demurely seated herself on one side of the stump while Adonis knelt on the other side. She offered her left hand to Adonis, who wrapped his own around it. At a signal, the contest began. At first it seemed as if neither contestant had heard the signal. But after a few seconds the crowd realized that both contestants were exerting equal strength and that neither had an advantage. Then the action began in earnest. For the next three minutes the momentum shifted from one to the other; just when Bunnie seemed about to pin Adonis, the badger would let out a roar and raise his hand from the stump, or Bunnie, her hand an inch away from the surface, would raise it up as slowly as a sunrise. One of the badgers tried declaring the contest a draw; most of the watching crowd disapproved of his attempt. They wanted a fight to the finish. Finally, after five minutes that seemed like an eternity, Adonis slowly worked Bunnie's hand to the stump. It barely grazed the wood but it was enough; Adonis was declared the winner to the cheers of the crowd. Adonis extended a hand to Bunnie, who shook it, then got up and began walking back to Diana's hut with Sally walking beside her. "That was very gracious of you, Bunnie," Sally whispered. "'Gracious,' mah bunny behind! Ah just about blew a gasket!" "You mean he actually beat you?" "Sally-girl, you do NOT want to get on the bad side of these here badgers! Sorry Ah let our team down," she added. "Look on the bright side; maybe they won't think your 'armor' is such a good thing after all." Antoine, meanwhile, had been content to watch several badgers engage in target practice using hatchets. Unfortunately, he was not content to simply watch. "Hey, Blue Coat!" one of the badgers yelled. "Let's see what you got!" "*Certainment*!" Antoine replied. He walked up to the line where the badgers had been standing; the target tree suddenly looked a mile away. Someone handed him a hatchet. It was then that Antoine discovered that a badger hatchet was a large ax to most Mobians. The thing must have weighed at least as much as he himself. But to his credit, he tried. Grabbing the handle with both hands, he hurled it with all his might. Unfortunately, all his might didn't amount to much and he managed to sink the axhead into the ground in front of him. He struggled to maintain his composure while the badgers around him roared with laughter. "You may have better luck with that one!" one badger said, pointing to a nearby ax resting on the ground, handle pointing straight upward. Determined to better his last performance, Antoine walked over to it, reached over behind his head, seized the handle and gave a tremendous heave. But Antoine's string of bad luck remained unbroken. The ax was a trick; the handle was only loosely fitted into the axhead and it came out cleanly. The momentum of Antoine's heave carried him forward and he landed flat on his face as the badgers once more burst into gales of laughter. Antoine still tried to salvage a measure of dignity from the debacle. "You are having some activities that are a bit more ...philosophical?" At this, a badger named Brutus laughed heartily. "Oh, so it's something 'philosophical' you want. Perhaps you'd like to engage in a little something we badgers call 'squaring the circle.'" "Ah, the geometricals! *Oui*, I would be enjoying that very much more." The badgers cleared a spot between four stout trees. Tying a rope to the trunk of one tree, they ran it around the other trees until it had formed a rough square. Brutus then stepped through the ropes into the center, motioning for Antoine to follow. As he did so, a crowd of badgers gathered around. Only then did Antoine discover that what the badgers called "squaring the circle" was a euphemism for no-holds-barred wrestling. Antoine scrambled to get out of the ring, but he was either pulled back in by Brutus, or if he did managed to get even halfway out another badger would pick him up by the scruff of the neck and throw him back in. Sonic, having finished helping Diana clear away the dishes, worked his way to the edge of the ring, where Sally joined him a second later. They had both heard Antoine's all-too-familiar scream, a signal that he had once more gotten in over his head. "Oh my gosh! Sonic, we've got to do something; he'll get killed in there!" At that moment, however, Antoine became aware that Sally was at ringside. In accordance with the logic of chivalry, this was Antoine's cue to attempt the impossible for the sake of his princess. He ran straight for Brutus, as if to tackle him. Antoine's attempt came to nothing; the badger simply put Antoine into a bear hug and practically squeezed the life out of him, then followed that up with a belly-to-belly suplex. The three-count to signal the end of the match was a formality. While Brutus acknowledged the cheers of the crowd, Antoine was picked up by the scruff of the neck and placed outside the ring. Sonic and Sally ran up to him, picked him up into an uncertain yet upright pose, and guided him back to Diana's hut. His eyes were wide open but unfocused. "Yo, Ant! You OK?" "*Sachez que je suis a votre disposition.*" "Say what!?" "*Je pars dans quelques moments.*" Having said that, he passed out. "Antoine!" "Forget it, Sal, nobody's home." They left Antoine to sleep it off and resumed watching the next wrestling match, this one between two badgers of similar size and strength. After a few seconds, though, someone stepped in front of them to block their view. It was Sophocles. "You thought I'd forgotten about you two," he croaked. "I may be old, but my memory is still good." "I'm sure it is," Sally said in a bid to be diplomatic. "I remember. I especially remember every injustice we badgers have suffered at the hand of the Acorn kings." "I'm sure other badgers have other memories," she replied coolly as she turned her attention to the match. "Yes, they remember the time before the Acorn kings, when the throne of Mobius was held in honor." Sophocles, too, kept his eyes on the ring. "Mobius hasn't been cursed with evil rulers; not until Robotnik, at any rate." "Even his rule is preferable to the cowards of the House of Acorn." "Then you'd rather see Robotnik on the throne than a member of the House of Acorn?" "I'd rather see the throne smashed! The Acorn Kings have thoroughly corrupted it!" It was a curious conversation that they engaged in. Both Sally and Sophocles kept their eyes on the wrestlers, never making eye contact with each other. This style -- known as "side talk" -- had evolved into a ritual language of mutual insults in the royal court of Mobius. If cool heads prevailed, such a conversation would NOT be a prelude to a duel. Clearly, however, this wasn't happening. Eventually, only a handful of badgers and the two wrestlers hadn't stopped to listen to the conversation. Antoine, who had sufficiently recovered his wits, had joined Sonic and Bunnie to listen as well. Both of them noticed that Antoine was pale with fright. "The House of Acorn has never been, and never will be, an honorable one! Only little cowards like yourselves would think otherwise!" That did it. Sally broke off the side talk, walked in front of Sophocles and looked him in the eye. "Then if only to shut your old mouth, I'm willing to take up the honor of the House of Acorn!" "A typical Acorn stratagem: to issue a challenge to an old badger!" "Then you can name your champion if I can name the place and time!" "Done! Adonis will be our champion. Name the place and time!" "In the ring! Right now!" Barely managing to control her temper, Sally pulled off her vest, unclipped Nicole from the top of her boot, wrapped the handheld computer in the vest and handed it to Bunnie. "Sally-girl, have y'all lost your mind!?" "Yeah, Sal, you saw what that one goon did to Ant! And Adonis is even bigger!! I say we juice!" "Relax," she whispered, "I know what I'm doing." "Girl, Ah hope so." Sally stepped into the ring where Adonis was waiting. Without any signal that the match had begun, Adonis charged straight for her. Antoine covered his eyes. A second later, however, the crowd of badgers let out a roar. Fearfully, Antoine looked up. Sally was still upright, knees slightly bent, her body tense and ready. Adonis was in one corner, flat on his back under one of the trees. "Sacre bleu cheese! What has been happened?" He got a chance to see what had happened, for Adonis charged at Sally once again. And just as the time before, Sally deftly stepped aside and, grabbing Adonis as he passed her, used his own momentum to propel him toward the far corner. Sonic and Bunnie resisted the urge to high-five each other. After two more tosses, Adonis found himself down on both knees. As he tried to get up, he put one arm behind him for balance. That was Sally's cue. Grabbing his wrist with one hand, she used her other hand to put pressure on his elbow, forcing it to bend in a direction it wasn't meant to bend. Adonis howled in pain; the crowd of badgers let out another roar. Sally knew that Adonis wouldn't submit to a simple armbar; she did it mainly to buy a few seconds of time to figure out what to do next. What she had to do next, however, was duck a rock that someone in the crowd had thrown at her. That was enough to cause her to release Adonis from the armbar. "Hey! That's not fair!" Sonic yelled out. But before he could say or do anything else, a number of badgers in the crowd turned toward him with very unfriendly looks. Sonic realized that if he said or did anything now he'd be in the middle of a full-scale badger melee. He shot a quick glance at Spartacus, who shook his head slightly. It was his way of telling Sonic that it would be a bad idea to say something like that again. Seething, Sonic backed off a step. Satisfied that Sonic wasn't going to protest further, the badgers turned their attention back to the ring. The situation inside the squared circle hadn't changed. Adonis continued to attempt a direct assault on Sally. And Sally continued to either duck out of the way or else use Adonis's momentum to hurl him to the ground. After about a minute more of this, Adonis let out a roar of frustration. The crowd of badgers grew silent. Then Adonis bellowed out one word which electrified the badger crowd: "Claw!" "What the hoo-ha's a claw?" Bunnie asked. "THAT," Spartacus said in a hushed tone, "is the Claw." A badger handed Adonis a cruel-looking metal glove, covered on the back with shining metal spikes. Adonis made a fist; to Sonic, it appeared that the Claw had more spikes than he had quills! Another badger poured a clear liquid over the Claw, as if to anoint it. "What's that stuff?" Sonic asked Spartacus. "Fire water." "What's it for?" "Just hope your friend doesn't find out." Another badger was now offering a second Claw to Sally. She took it from him and slipped it on; it practically came up to her elbow. "Sonic," Spartacus whispered, "if your friend continues the match now, she's either very brave or out of her mind." Just as another badger was about to pour fire water on Sally's Claw, however, she motioned him away with her free hand. Then, the tossed the Claw through the ropes to the outside of the ring, where its spikes drove into the ground. "That settles it, then. Your friend's out of her mind." Once more Sally faced off against Adonis. Adonis wasted no time; he lunged at Sally, swinging the Claw from side to side. Once Sonic thought that Sally had been cut, but she stayed on her feet. Finally, with a roar of frustration, Adonis raised the Claw high in the air and brought it down toward Sally, who again managed to dodge out of the way just in time. But Adonis had swung with such force that he buried the spikes of the Claw in the ground. He tugged at it once, but it wouldn't budge. Adonis was on his knees, his eyes level with Sally's. Sally knew she had to work fast. She hit Adonis with three spin kicks to the head in rapid succession, followed by a standing drop kick to the head. Adonis slumped to the ground unconscious, and his hand loosed its grip on the inside of the Claw. That signalled the end of the fight. Sally stepped out of the ring, to the sullen silence of the crowd. She started putting on her vest. "Let's get out of here," she said softly to the others. "I think I just wore out our welcome." Sonic turned and looked at Spartacus. The badger nodded his head slightly. And then the taunts started. "Get back here, runts!" "Finish what you started!" "Just like an Acorn to run away from a fight!" "Coward!" This last was the unmistakable voice of Sophocles. Sonic had heard enough. He was about to turn around and confront the old badger when Sally grabbed him tightly by the upper arm. "Let it go," she whispered through clenched teeth. "Just keep walking!" On they walked, Sally maintaining a fast pace. Finally she asked: "You think we're beyond their hearing?" "I think so, Sal, but...." "One, two, three four," she said as she began counting her steps out loud. "What's the deal, Sal?" "Just making sure, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty." At the count of twenty, Sally let out a cry like a pup and dropped to the ground, holding her abdomen. Her face was pinched in agony and tears flowed from her eyes. Her breath came in gasps and pants. "Sal! What's wrong?" "What is happening to you, my Princess?" But Sally was clearly in too much pain to answer. So Sonic scooped her up in his arms and, with Antoine hanging onto his neck and Bunnie hanging onto Antoine's, he juiced back to Knothole. Knothole apeared empty when they arrived, for everyone was inside fast asleep. Sonic skidded to a halt. He didn't dare let go of Sally, who was still trembling like a leaf in his arms. "Hey! Somebody! Anybody! It's Sally! She needs help!!" "We need help!" "Assistance! Assistance!" Light came on in some of the huts and freedom fighters came running. A crowd gathered around Sally, who seemed to be unaware of what was going on around her; she was aware only of her pain. Finally, Bookshire Draftwood managed to push his way through the crowd. "Get back!" he yelled. "Give her some room! Sonic, what happened?" "It happened all of a sudden. We were walking away from the badger village when it hit her...WHATEVER it is!" "She's holding her stomach. What did she eat when she was there?" "Nothing that Ant and Sonic and me didn't have as well," Bunnie answered. "OK, so it's probably not food poisoning. What else happened?" "Sal got in a fight with a badger." "What kind of fight?" So Sonic gave a short account of the wrestling match. When he spoke of the use of the Claw, however, Bookshire became even more interested. "Did you notice if the spikes on the Claw were coated with anything?" "Yeah, with some kind of water." "I was afraid of that. Sonic, Rotor, Bunnie, Antoine, you'll have to hold down Sally's limbs. If I'm right...." The four of them dropped to their knees, pinning Sally's arms and legs to the ground. Bookshire called for someone to bring a light, and Rotor handed him a flashlight from his toolbelt. Then the raccoon began gently parting the fur on Sally's belly. Immediately Sally started screaming at the top of her lungs, as if she were in the worst agony of her life. Bunnie was so frightened she was on the verge of crying herself. Finally, Bookshire found what he was looking for: three superficial scratches on Sally's abdomen, each one not more than an inch or two in length. The skin around them was a fiery red and blistered. "I thought so. We've got to get her to the pool!" The pool where the power ring generator was located was fed by several streams. The largest and most powerful stream cascaded over rocks rounded to smoothness by years of wear. It was to this point above the pool that Sally was taken. On Bookshire's orders, Sally was laid in the stream so that her body bore the full brunt of the stream. She gasped for breath for the first two minutes as only her head remained above the cold water. "Easy, Princess," Bookshire said gently, "try to slow your breathing. You don't need to hyperventilate." Gradually her breathing eased. "Man, what was THAT all about?" Sonic asked. "When you told me that they poured some sort of liquid on the Claw, that was the clue. The badgers call that liquid 'fire water.' It's distilled from a mixture of woodland leaves and berries and yields a powerful neurotoxin...." "Hey, you're starting to sound like Nicole!" "Is she gonna be all right, Booker?" "She'll be OK, Bunnie, but she'll have to stay in the stream until we're sure that the Fire Water under her skin has been diluted or flushed away. That could take a day or two. There's no known counteragent and no medicine strong enough to overcome the pain of the fire water." "It's not like a...poison or anything, is it?" "No, it's used to disable an opponent by distracting him with pain. It's not powerful enough to kill you, but just powerful enough to make you WISH that you were dead. It's probably not all that strong if you're a badger." "Well after seein' what they did to Sally, all Ah can say is Ah'm glad Ah ain't!" "Bunnie, you'd better stay with Sally until her condition stabilizes." "Try keepin' me away, Booker!" Bunnie didn't sleep the rest of that night as she kept watch over Sally as she lay in the stream. Sally's body might have adjusted to the cold water, but her mind was still overshadowed by pain. Occasionally Sally would cry out after moving too much, but she would soon settle back down again. Finally, toward morning, Sally was worn out from her physical ordeal, and the pain from the fire water had subsided enough to allow her to drift off to sleep. Even then, Bunnie kept watch over her friend. It was midday when Sally awoke. "Bunnie, where am I?" she murmured. "Doctor's orders, Sally-girl. Booker wants you to stay here until that fire water they put on the Claw is out of your system. How you feelin'?" "Like Robotnik's been sitting on me. I also feel incredibly stupid. How could I let Sophocles get to me like that?" "Girl, Ah'd have done the same if anybody'd trash-talked about MAH kin like that. Ah'm just glad to have you back." For the rest of the day, the two spent their time in conversation. So much of their lives was taken up in the fight against Robotnik that time to simply socialize was a luxury they couldn't always afford. Bookshire was their only other visitor, for he had cautioned the others to leave Sally alone until she was well enough to return to Knothole on her own. By the next morning, Sally was looking and sounding like her old self. Bookshire told them that Sally had apparently weathered the storm and could return to Knothole. Sally stiffly rose up out of the water, climbed to the bank where Bunnie had left Sally's boots and vest, shook herself as dry as she could, then lay down on a flat rock in the sunlight to finish drying off. Sally began to chuckle. "What're you laughin' at, Sally-girl?" "I was just remembering the last time I was here. It must have been...four summers ago, wasn't it?" "Yeah, Ah remember. That had to be the hottest summer Mobius ever had!" "I remember feeling so miserable in the heat, and I knew that my fur wasn't going to get any thinner. Finally I couldn't stand it any more and I came up here to lay down in the water. I'm not a water animal myself, but even I have to admit that it felt so good just to lie here and be out of the heat! It was so comfortable I must have drifted off to sleep. "The next thing I knew, Sonic and Tails came by to collect the day's power ring. I was so startled when Tails said 'Hi!' I jumped up out of the water. And then I saw Sonic staring at me like he'd never seen me before. Then I realized why: my fur--or what was left of it--was clinging to me like another skin. I've never been so embarrassed in my life!" "Ah guess poor Tails was too young to appreciate what he was seein'." "What about Sonic? He couldn't look me in the eye for three days after that!" And both Sally and Bunnie dissolved into laughter. "Oh, Bunnie," Sally said at last, "I needed a good laugh!" "After what them badgers put you through, Ah'd need one, too!" "I don't get it, though. I've been going over the whole situation with the Clan Wars in my mind. There have been clashes in the past and misunderstandings, but there have also been individual badgers who have been fiercely loyal to the Royal House and who served it with honor, even to the death. But even during the Clan Wars, no badger ever went so far as to suggest that the monarchy be dissolved! I just can't get over Sophocles' saying that the Acorn Throne was corrupted and might as well be smashed. Something about his words just doesn't sound right, but I can't figure out what." "Well, like Sugar-hog said, it's all ancient history." "By the way, where IS Sonic?" Sonic was walking at a slow pace. That in itself was a novelty. But he didn't feel like running. He was walking back toward the clearing on the edge of the Great Forest where he had met with Spartacus. He remembered how happy he was to be reunited with his childhood friend; then he remembered how everything had gone sour in the badger camp. Even if the news was good and Sally was going to recover, Sonic still couldn't understand why things had gone so wrong. He approached the clearing, so depressed that he didn't look to see if anyone was in there. He stopped short, because someone was in there. It was Spartacus, seated on the trunk of a fallen tree. "Spartacus? What're YOU doing here?" "Sonic, I was hoping you'd come. Is your friend Sally all right?" "Yeah, she's gonna be OK. How long you been here?" "Since yesterday morning." "Say what!?" "Sonic, I feel just awful about what happened. I had no idea that Sophocles had become so inflexible." "Yeah, well, I didn't know Sally would get in the ring with your brother. How's he doing?" "He's fine. He told me that he respected your friends' abilities in combat." "He said that?" "No, what he said was: 'Too bad they're not badgers.' That's the closest he's ever come to paying a non-badger a complement." "Anyone else feel that way?" Spartacus' silence was all the answer Sonic needed. "Here," Spartacus finally said, "give this to Sally when you see her." With that, he handed Sonic a rough-woven canvas bag, tied with string at the top. A paper tag hung from the end of the string. "What's in this thing?" "I'd rather you give it to Sally as is." "Oh. OK." Sonic turned to go. "Sonic!" "Yeah, what?" "I...I'm truly sorry." "Hey, it's cool. Later." Sonic arrived back at Knothole a short time later, but nobody seemed to be interested. Instead, everyone was clustering around Princess Sally, whom Bunnie had accompanied from the pool. Even though Bunnie and Antoine had each answered dozens of questions about the badgers and about the fight, everyone wanted to hear about it from Sally. What she said wasn't exactly good news: "No, I don't think we can rely on the badgers of that clan as freedom fighters. Not only do they live pretty much to themselves, but their hatred of the House of Acorn appears to be as deep as ever." "Yo, Sal!" Sonic called out. The crowd of Mobians surrounding Sally parted and Sonic walked toward her. "You feeling OK?" "Much better, thanks. Where have you been?" "I was talking with Spartacus in the clearing. He was really bummed by what happened, and he said for me to give you this." Sonic handed the bag to Sally. She spotted the paper tag at the bag's neck. She tore it off and set the bag down on the ground. "Sonic, how come there's no writing on this tag?" "Huh?" "What's in that bag, anyway?" "He didn't say." "Anyone else smell that?" Bookshire asked. "Yeah," Tails said. "What IS that?" Rotor sniffed the air. "Smells like...pine tar." "Pine tar?" Bookshire picked up the bag. He placed his hand against it and immediately jerked it away. "Everybody back off! This thing's hot!" Everyone backed away. Everyone, that is, except Sonic. Taking the bag from Bookshire, he bolted from the clearing, returning two seconds later. "No problemo, guys. I pitched that thing into the Great Swamp." Everyone started to congratulate Sonic, but Sally seemed lost in thought. Then, borrowing a rangefinder from Rotor, she ran toward a nearby tree. "Where do you think you're going?" Bookshire called after her. "You SAID I needed some exercise after all that time flat on my back!" she called back as she began climbing. In a few seconds she was lost from sight, only to reappear a few more seconds later on her way down. "What was THAT all about, Sal?" Sonic asked. "We've got trouble, Sonic." "Hey, I ditched that bomb, remember?" "I wondered why we hadn't heard an explosion if that really was a bomb, so I went up to have a look." "So what'ja see?" "I saw a huge column of black smoke rising from the Great Swamp. I also saw two of Robotnik's hover units converging on the site, and another two on the horizon. "Sonic, I don't think that bomb was meant to blow up and harm anyone. I believe it was a smoke bomb, meant to betray our position to Robotnik and to lead those hover units straight to Knothole." This was sobering news to the residents of Knothole, for whom the secrecy of their location was a tactical strength. Sonic took the news hard. His expression went from shock to deep hurt to boiling anger. "OK, THAT'S IT!!" he yelled, and tore off into the woods without a word of warning. The others began to pick themselves up off the ground, having been left in Sonic's wake. "Oh my gosh," Sally said, "I've never seen Sonic so angry about ANYTHING before!" "Ah'd hate to be those badgers when Sugar-hog gets there!" "I think Sonic's going to be the least of the badgers' worries," Bookshire observed. "Why?" Sally asked. "Because if that smoke bomb was indeed Robotnik's idea, and if Robotnik has four hover units loaded with SWATbots in the area, those badgers are going to have some explaining to do." "INCOMPETENT!" Sophocles roared at Spartacus. "Your mission failed!" Sophocles stood in the center of the assembled badgers of the clan. That morning, when Spartacus had returned without the sack, the badger elder had issued a call to arms for all able- bodies badgers of the clan. The call went through the clan like a bolt of lightning. Weapons were gathered and sharpened, anticipation ran high. But now two young scouts had reported that the smoke column they had been sent to follow originated, not in some village, but in the heart of the Great Swamp. Sophocles didn't take the news well. "It failed!" he repeated. "How then are we to have our revenge against those who sympathize with the House of Acorn?" "Revenge!?" Adonis spoke up, as all eyes turned to him. "Revenge for what? They harmed no one here except myself, and even then the damage was only to my pride. What cause have we to fight them?" "Because they represent the House of Acorn. They are an impediment to the rule of Mobius by its rightful overlord." "And just who is this rightful overlord, Sophocles? Yourself?" "I speak of...Ivo Robotnik." There were several seconds of stunned silence. That name had never crossed the lips of Sophocles before. Adonis, baring all his teeth in a snarl, picked up a nearby ax. "You withered old traitor!" he yelled as he hurled the ax at the old badger. Sophocles, however, tossed aside the two younger badgers who had been supporting him as if they were nothing. He caught the ax in mid-flight before it could strike him. Then, with no warning, he hurled it back at Adonis, where it struck him in the chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. Diana began to scream, as did every other badger. Anyone who could pick up a weapon did so and began to rush toward Sophocles. It was a badger melee. But the melee was short-lived, for suddenly the woods surrounding the badger encampment erupted with blaster fire. SWATbots began emerging from the woods, shoulder to shoulder. The melee ended as swiftly as it had started, with five more badgers dead. Sophocles now strode to one of the SWATbots with a youthful vigor the badgers had never seen before. The SWATbot carried a communicator, and Sophocles began speaking into it: "Can you hear me, Dr. Robotnik?" Those badgers close enough to Sophocles could hear Robotnik's malevolent voice on the communicator: "Have you begun the attack on Knothole yet?" "Negative. The smoke bomb was diverted to the Great Swamp, and resistance to you among the badgers is still strong. I had to order the SWATbots to attack the village. Your plan appears to be infeasible." "BLAST IT!" Robotnik cursed, then spoke in a more measured voice: "Never mind, then. Select the strongest of the badgers and roboticize them; if they won't fight for me, they'll at least slave for me." "And the others, Dr. Robotnik?" There was a pause. "Do you think I really care what happens to the others?" "Understood, Sir." Handing the communicator back to the SWATbot, Sophocles strode to Spartacus who, like Diana, was bent over the fallen Adonis. He seized Spartacus by the throat and lifted him to his feet. "Now you shall pay for your incompetence!" He released Spartacus, who was grabbed by two SWATbots. Spartacus was too overcome by shock and grief to resist. The SWATbots took him to the edge of the village, where a portable roboticizer unit had been set up. They began to raise the glass chamber to place Spartacus inside. Suddenly the glass shattered into a thousand shards as something passed through it at incredible speed--something indistinct excerpt for its color. It was a deep blue. Whatever it was didn't stop as it ricocheted off one SWATbot after another with sufficient force to knock it to pieces. The SWATbots found it impossible to target the object in order to blast it. None of the badgers could follow it with their eyes. Finally, all of the SWATbots lay in pieces on the forest floor. The blue blur came to a stop a few feet in front of Sophocles. It was Sonic. Sophocles swiftly took up a nearby battle-ax. Sonic simply fixed a stare filled with hate at Sophocles. "Take your best shot!" Sophocles raised the battle ax above his head. The instant he did, however, Sonic went into spin mode and ran not just into but through Sophocles' body. And now the badgers could see that Sophocles was no badger, but a replicant--a mechanical likeness. The body twitched and sparked and leaked hydraulic fluid onto the ground. Sonic returned to the body, took the battle ax from Sophocles, said: "This one's for Acorn!", cut off the replicant's head and drop-kicked it into a nearby fire. The badgers were silent as Sonic looked around him. "Don't everybody thank me at once!" He might as well have said: "Don't anybody thank me at all," for that's just what the badgers did. They paid no attention to Sonic. Instead, they looked to another elder of the clan, named Eumenides. "We must leave this place. We will establish a new home in the Great Forest. Let us be off. Leave no trace." Immediately, silently, the badgers began gathering their weapons and their household goods, dismantling their lodges and extinguishing their fires. Sonic couldn't believe it! He turned to Spartacus. Spartacus' eyes--eyes full of anguish--met Sonic's. In his hand, Spartacus held a small hatchet, its blade dulled with fresh blood. And across his chest a fresh scar bled freely. Then, as if there were nothing more to say, he bent down next to Diana and helped to bury his brother. Sonic stayed in the clearing for the entire five minutes it took for the badgers to break camp. Spartacus, with Diana leaning on his arm, was the last to leave. He looked back at Sonic as if to say something, then turned away. Sonic was left alone, surrounded by pieces of SWATbots and by the graves of the badger dead, buried where they had fallen. No sound could be heard inside the hut except for the scratch of a pencil on paper. Sally was at work decoding a message from Uncle Chuck. When she had finished, she took the piece of paper and went outside. The first person she saw was Tails. "Do you know where Sonic is, Tails?" "Uh-huh. He's at the pond. You want me to get him?" "No, I want to talk to him myself. I just got a message from Uncle Chuck." "You think it'll cheer him up?" "I hope so, honey." Sally found Sonic sitting by the pool, looking at nothing in particular. Just as he'd been doing for most of the past seven days, ever since he walked sullenly back into Knothole with his account of the fight in the badger village. Sally sat down next to him. "Sonic, I just received a reply to my message from Uncle Chuck." Sonic continued staring at the pond, as if he hadn't heard. "He says that according to the computer records he was able to search, a badger answering the description of Sophocles was apprehended by SWATbots three months ago. And he reports that Robotnik had indeed prepared a replicant to take his place in the clan." Sonic continued ignoring Sally. She seated herself directly in front of him. "Sonic, this means that Robotnik fooled all of us, including the badgers of the clan. He must have wanted to infiltrate the clan, win them over by persuasion, and have the makings of an army of roboticized badgers at his command. You broke up his plan just in time." Sonic continued to ignore her as he simply sat and stared. Sally realized that Sonic wasn't about to reply. She decided to sit next to him. He'd talk when he was ready, which was a couple of minutes later. "Sal, I...I can't figure out why. I thought we could be friends again, like when we were kids. He must have known about the smoke bomb. I...we were supposed to be friends. Why did he do it?" "I don't know, Sonic. The Sophocles replicant probably convinced him that what he was doing was for the good of the clan." "C'mon, Sal, that's a bogus reason to do anything like...." "Like betray a friend?" Sonic nodded. "Maybe to us it is, but I think I know what he must have been going through." "Oh, yeah? How?" "Remember, I grew up being told that I'd one day have to make decisions that would affect all of Mobius. Even in Knothole, Julayla wouldn't let me forget. Believe me, it's not as easy as it looks. I don't think it was any easier for Spartacus, either." "Get real, Sal! It's not the same thing." "When you get right down to it, it is. It all comes down to making choices. And some are more difficult than others." "Yeah, well..." Sally got to her feet. "Come on, let's rejoin the others." Silently, Sonic got to his feet and began walking with Sally back to Knothole. "Hey, Sal, you never told me you knew how to wrestle like that." In reply, Sally hooked her right arm around Sonic's left arm, and swept his left leg out from under him with her right. They both fell backwards onto the ground, but while Sonic was still recovering from the surprise Sally sprang to her feet. "You never asked," she said. Then laughing like a schoolgirl, she began running back toward Knothole. "Oh, so you want to play!" Sonic got to his feet and prepared to run rings around the Princess. "Sonic! Sally!" It was Tails, heading toward them from Knothole. From the tone of his voice, Sonic knew something was wrong. "What's up, big guy?" "The bridge. Hurry!" was all Tails said. Sonic didn't waste time with further questions, but sped toward the bridge. When he got there, he stopped. A small cluster of freedom fighters stood near the end of the bridge. On the other side across the river stood a stranger. This was an alarming development, since Knothole was supposed to be a secret. But the figure at the far end of the bridge just stood there. And he wasn't a stranger to everyone there. It was Spartacus. To Sally, there was something intensely sad about him; he looked smaller and more vulnerable than when she had seen him before. He had two hatchets hanging from his belt and held a battle ax in his hand, but the battle ax trailed behind him like the tail of a wounded animal. In fact, that was the word that flashed across Sally's mind as she looked at him: wounded. Sonic, however, bristled at the sight of him. Pushing his way through the crowd of freedom fighters gathered at the near side of the bridge--a discourtesy he had never shown before--he strode across the bridge. Sally, sensing what was about to happen, motioned for Bunnie to follow her back to her hut. "What do YOU want?" Sonic asked Spartacus. There was no mistaking the contempt in his voice. In answer, Spartacus knelt on the ground before Sonic, a gesture no badger would make to any other animal. "Your forgiveness." "You think you can get off that easy? You sold me and my friends out to Robuttnik, or you TRIED to!" "I know; I don't deserve..." "What I deserve is the Fathead of the Year Award, for thinking we were still friends." "Sonic, please...." "You KNEW there was a smoke bomb in that bag! You KNEW that Robuttnik was looking for us! And you still acted like...like we were still buds!" Sonic's voice began to choke up. "Yes, I admit I knew about the bomb, but..." "No 'buts.' Get out of here and go back to the rest of the badgers." "I can't." "What do you mean, you can't?" "I...I've renounced the clan." "What's this supposed to be, another scam?" "This is no trick, Sonic. I've renounced my ties to the badgers of our clan." "And I suppose that made Diana real happy!" he said sarcastically. "It was for her sake that I did it. The clan elders were preparing to denounce our family as sympathizers with the House of Acorn. My self-imposed exile was the only way to prevent that." "Gimme a break!" "It's the truth!" "So now you found us. What're you gonna do, rat on us to Robuttnik the first chance you get?" "No!" "How...how can I trust you anymore? I've got a whole village full of people here I've come to trust. And if I thought there was a chance of you betraying us one more time, I swear I'd...." Sonic let the sentence go unfinished, not only because he struggled with what he was going to say--that he would kill Spartacus himself to keep him from betraying Knothole--but because he noticed that Spartacus' expression had changed. He no longer looked forlorn and helpless; now he looked like he had just seen a ghost. Sonic turned around and followed Spartacus' gaze. The crowd of freedom fighters gathered at the other side of the bridge parted and Sally walked through them. But this was a Sally Sonic had never seen before...or, if he had, it was only in his dreams. She wore a long blue hooded robe lined with scarlet and embroidered with gold thread. The wind caught the cape and swirled it around, and Sonic could see that embroidered on the back as well as over the heart was the symbol of the planet Mobius: a serpent embowed about to bite its own tail. On her head was a simple golden tiara. These were items that Sally hadn't planned on wearing until her coronation, but she wore them now with a gravity that filled everyone with awe. Sally approached the two, then brushed past Sonic as if he weren't there. She looked hard at Spartacus and said nothing. "You mean you're...?" Spartacus began. "You are addressing Sally Alicia, Princess Royal of the House of Acorn and heir to the throne of Mobius." It was the formal language of the court. Spartacus was at a loss for words. "Princess, I...I didn't know...." "Silence! You sought to deliver the Princess Royal into the hand of our enemies. Your actions have been treasonous. How do you plan to atone?" Spartacus said nothing. He reached to draw an axe from his belt and several Mobians gasped. Yet Spartacus offered the axe, handle first, to Sally, before kneeling on the ground before her with head bowed low. He bared his neck in the process. Just as suddenly, without saying a word, Sally raised the axe and brought it down with a resounding thud... ...an inch from the badger's head. "Please get up," Sally said gently as she touched Spartacus' shoulder. The badger lifted his head. "You were ready to give your life to prove your sincerity, and I accept the offer. You have a home here." Spartacus rose to his feet. "If you wish it," Sally continued, "we can get a message to the new badger settlement for Diana, telling her that you are well and that you have joined our fight against Robotnik. Your mother shouldn't have to mourn the loss of both her sons." "Thank you," he whispered. "I only wish I knew of a way to persuade the other badgers." "There's only one way: by fighting together against Robotnik, we'll prove the elders wrong." They made their way toward Sonic, still standing dumbfounded at the end of the bridge. "Until we can find you permament quarters," Sally said, "you'll need to lodge with one of our most experienced freedom fighters: Sonic the Hedgehog." "Uh, Sal, I don't think I..." "You'll learn!" Sally snapped. Without another word, she strode back across the bridge, passed the stunned freedom fighters who had gathered on the far side, entered her hut and closed the door. "Quick," she said to Bunnie once she was inside, "tell me what they're doing? I can't bear to look." "Well, neither of them are saying anything. They're just kinda lookin' around. Now Sugar-hog is saying something Ah can't make out, and Spartacus is sayin' somethin' back, and now Sonic is saying something." "Is that it?" "Wait a minute. Now they're crossing the bridge. Together." Sally sighed with relief and let herself lean backwards against the door. "You wanna tell me what the hoo-ha you were doin' out there?" "I remembered something I said to Sonic a while ago: that I should have trusted his taste in friends. Something told me that Sonic would never have befriended a badger who was an undying enemy of the House of Acorn. I needed to know for myself, and to demonstrate to Sonic, that that was so. So I put these on to gauge Spartacus' true feelings." "Well, Ah'm just glad to see Sugar-hog not lookin' like he'd lost his best friend." "He almost had. Now help me out of these things. I really don't feel comfortable wearing them." "If you ask me, Sally-girl, they fit you perfect." THE END