Back to Chapter 98

It was a windy day in the Green Hill Zone. Dark clouds hung in the sky. Leaves whirled about in the air. And the Freedom Fighters had all assembled. As Sonic ran in a circle around the Star Post, the others watched on with some anxiety.

It all seemed insane, of course. Sally had pondered for a moment if Sonic had well and truly lost it when he told her that he’d received a message from Feist, the deity who resided in the Special Zone, via his Kintobor watch. It sounded like complete and total nonsense. But Sally could see Sonic was being truthful and agreed to follow him, along with all of their friends who were available- Tails, Johnny, Porker, Tux, Joe, Chirps, Flicky, Rotor, Bunnie, Antoine and even Dulcy- on a journey into the Special Zone itself.

“Remember, guys,” Sonic shouted out over the noises of the wind, “the Special Zone is a weird alternative dimension. It’s full of crazy, not to mention dangerous stuff and things may not be as they seem. So let’s be careful in there!”

The top of the Star Post rotated and flashed, with stars twinkling above it in a ring. Sally outstretched her arms, a chain of their friends forming behind her, “Everyone jump!”

Sonic grabbed Sally’s arm and leapt up through the ring of stars, dragging everyone through with them.

In a second, there was silence, as if they’d never been there at all.

***

When the world popped into place around them once more, the Freedom Fighters saw they were in a multi-coloured landscape which not only defied description, it defies sense. Colours and shapes flew all around, some in a formation, others not. Some things looked like planets, other things looked nothing like planets. Some things were upside-down and somethings were sideways. It was maddening and, yet, in its way, all seemed to follow a logic of its own, so wasn’t too much to bear.

Sonic looked up. Sure enough, Feist looked down at him, arms folded, a cross expression on his face.

“Hey there, big guy,” Sonic waved.

“YOU DISAPPOINT FEIST, TINY ONE,” the impossibly huge panda spoke.

Sonic was a little taken aback, “Me? What did I do?”

“YOU TAKE THAT WHICH DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU AND YOU COVET IT FOR YOURSELF”

“What are you—” Sonic realised what Feist meant, “wait… are you talking about the Chaos Emeralds?”

“INDEED. FEIST SPOKE WITH YOU PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE CHAOS EMERALDS. THEY ARE NOT TO BE HOARDED AWAY. THEY BOAST UNIMAGINABLE POWER”

“Hey, hold on, now. We earned those emeralds fair and square. And they’re better in our hands than Robotnik’s”

“BY WHOSE DECISION?” Feist demanded.

“By—what?” Sonic cocked his head, a little angry, “I’m sorry, did you just suggest Robotnik is as entitled to the Chaos Emeralds as we are?”

“Sonic, please be careful,” Sally warned.

“I’m n-n-n-n-n-n-not too sure about this,” Porker noted, more scared than he’d ever been.

Sonic was steadfast, “Feist, we’re hanging onto the emeralds in case we need them. We want to use their power as Doctor Kintobor did, for Mobius’ benefit. Unfortunately, that means hanging onto them before Robotnik can get his hands on them”

“YOU WILL TELL FEIST WHERE YOU HAVE KEPT THE EMERALDS”

Sonic grew suspicious, “They’re safe. Remember our chat about them? I took it on board. I kept them safe, that’s all you need to know”

“YOU TRY FEIST’S PATIENCE, TINY ONE”

Sonic raised an eyebrow. Something wasn’t right, “Feist, what’s going on? You’re usually pretty happy to see me. Why are you so mad? And why would an all-powerful being care about where a mortal like us has put the Chaos Emeralds? Surely to you, this is all blink-of-an-eye stuff. Why would—”

Sonic’s eyes widened.

This was a trap.

A white, crackling flash filled the air.

“Sonic!” the Omni-Viewer boomed.

“Big Om, am I glad to see you,” Sonic replied, “We need to get out of here on the double”

“Of course, Sonic,” Omni-Viewer replied. Feist remained oddly silent. “You and you friends need only to… to… need to…”

Sonic’s friends found themselves linking their hands again, subconsciously. They were frightened.

“Sonic!” Omni-Viewer shouted, “You and your friends need to RUN! QUICKLY! GET AWAY!”

“Omni-Viewer, what’s happening?!” Sonic demanded.

“I’m so sorry, Sonic! I can’t help myself! And nor can Feist! Please forgive us, I beg you!”

A bolt of blue electricity crackled from Omni-Viewer’s screen. It split into smaller bolts, one for each of the Freedom Fighters, wrapping around them and puling them into Omni-Viewer’s screen as they cried out in surprise and fear.

Silence hung in the air as the Omni-Viewer disappeared.

“Well done, my slave. You have carried out my will… as all in the Special Zone must!”

Seated in his Egg-O-Matic, Robotnik looked very pleased with himself indeed.

“As soon as I worked out the Special Zone was composed of Chaos Energy, it took little for me- the master of Chaos Energy- to work out a way to manipulate those who lived there! From there, it was only a matter of time until I found a Warp of Confusion to enter this place and make its most powerful inhabitants bend to my well! Hah! The godlike being, my craven cowering minion! The omnipotent Omni-Viewer, reduced to doing my dirty work! Ha ha! And now, Sonic is gone! Trapped somewhere in the future where he can never interfere with my plans again!”

Robotnik roared with laughter and rocketed through the Special Zone to his brand new base of operations.

On to Chapter 100