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| The Chaos Begins; Timeline Alpha | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 3 2009, 09:33 AM (479 Views) | |
| Dr. Finitevus | Dec 3 2009, 09:33 AM Post #1 |
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Not a Spoiler ...
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Log Summary: Princess Sally returns from her incident seemingly unharmed yet gives many unusual orders. Once she sent the strongest of the Freedom Fighters off on their own she took on the task of hunting down Mephiles for herself. What is she planning on doing and why is she acting so strangely? Rouge: “Hm.” Rouge put her chin in her hand and flicked her wings idly, for once assuming a natural pose rather than a calculated one. “You know, it just might be worth looking into. I don't think they would have bothered sending you of all people out if they weren't sure.” Shadow wasn't known for his tolerance for wasted time and effort, after all. “Two odd occurrences – Scourge and your phantom Chaos force – in one day. It's not that small a world, but I still wouldn't chalk it up to coincidence. These kinds of things do have a way of conversing. So.” She straightened, posing consciously once more with one foot forward and a hand on cocked hip. “What did you have in mind?” Antoine: Antoine was both pleased to be away from the thing and unhappy at not knowing what was happening. Still, there was no time for him to worry about that; he needed to alert the others. A fine time for Sally to suddenly start being late to her own meetings – that was worrisome in itself. Still, he thought he caught a glimpse of her ahead, along with Tails. Two less things to worry about. “Princess!” he called, sprinting toward her. “Somesing is...” Was what, really? He hadn't had time to ponder what to tell her yet. “Somesing is in zere, we are not certain what is happening. Comng from ze urn, I t'ink...” Sally?: After answering a few quick questions for Tails about her previous whereabouts she sent the boy on his way to go retrieve his camera from the forest. There was still a meeting to attend which was where she'd been going before coming across Antoine. " An urn in the break room? " A hand was placed under his chin in brief consideration. " Maximilian Acorn collected artifacts from all over Mobius to put in Castle Acorn. I may have accidentally taken one of those artifacts to decorate the room when we moved. " Hmm ... Sally's dialogue seemed to be much more airy then usual though it did seem she knew what she'd been talking about. Strange, but there were more important matters to attend to. " Where are Sonic and Bunnie? I hope they are not in there trying to fight that creature without their leader's guidance. " In any case she followed Antoine back to the building in question just to make sure that her friends were not being ambushed. Shadow: She was thinking exactly the same thing. Good. Made things a bit more simple for someone like Shadow, who couldn't use a computer too far beyond sending an E-mail. Rouge, on the other hand, seemed particularly talented at breaking down doors, firewalls, and private codes. Just what they'd need to find the original information. "This way." Shadow led the way towards an office he was relatively sure was empty. Rouge might recognize it as one of the places she frequented when she did this sort of thing on her own time. If so, the striped GUN agent wouldn't be too terribly surprised. Sonic: As good of an idea as it might seem to keep its freedom limited, within city limits, Blue was suddenly having second thoughts. Not exactly safe for the citizens after all. It was best left up to Sally's decision. Speaking of the chipmunk in question, he brightened and swiftly ate up the distance between them when she started to approach. He stood directly in front of her, hardly a foot away as he pondered how to make sense of this into words. He was sure Antoine told her something but given how hysterical he was before, he couldn't trust that he made that much sense either. "Seems we've got another problem, Sal. I don't know what it was, but something freaky just took on the handsome form of yours truly from what we thought was an urn in the board room. It got knocked over which seemed to have unleashed it." Something she might want to look at. How it got knocked over... maybe she wouldn't ask. Bunnie: ::Bunnie's face had rarely shown such trouble as it did now. Whatever had happened back there, it had actually managed to shake the normally rock-steady rabbot. Nonetheless, she'd flash her husband a reassuring smile, for both their sakes:: …s'true, Sally-girl, it was…ah dunno what it was, called itself Mephiles. Listen, we can't let that thing get t' th' general populace, we have t' find it an' trap it. ::And then, she vehemently hoped, get rid of it. She had no idea what that thing was capable of, but she did not really want to find out, especially not through the suffering of the innocent…:: Antoine: Antoine frowned a little, watching Sally. Something seemed a little off about her speech patterns, particularly her references to herself and her father... but he let it go for now, urning to Sonic and Bunnie as they approached. “Zey are here, perhaps zey have noticed somesing new.” He frowned a little as he listened to them. Not much in the way of new information, but maybe Sally would recognize the name at least. Rouge: Rouge smiled a bit as they stepped into the office. Oh yes, this was familiar. “All right, handsome, just give me a few minutes.” She tapped her fingers idly against the desk a few moments, planning out her attack strategy, and then the bat went to work, clicking rapidly across the keyboard in search of Shadow's information. Knuckles: Knuckles headed into the city, coming up empty-handed during his time out with Espio. He figured it was a good time to go back to the populated area to regroup for a while. Sally?: " Mephiles the Dark ... " Her eyes took on a strangely insightful tint right before they lightly closed to absorb the rest of the information that her comrades told her. Sonic's description in particular was especially helpful in confirming her suspicions. It was all too convenient that they were genuinely coming to her for a decision on how to handle the situation. Without diving too deep into the details she'd give her friends assurance that this was not as serious a threat as they perceived it to be. Why? Telling them that they just unleashed a time altering demon might set off all types of alarms that went against her own personal agenda. " Drastic measures will not be necessary, Bunnie. Mephiles is just a ghost of a hedgehog who passed away in ancient times. Sonic - " A knowing glare was sent in the blue hedgehog's direction when she spoke his name. " - must have disturbed its final resting place when he knocked over the urn. Most ghosts can be reasonable since they only wish to love onto the afterlife, however. I am sure we can settle this diplomatically. " Now it was time to issue her orders. A plan of action for the Freedom Fighters. " Bunnie and Sonic, I want you to go back to Freedom HQ and begin the cleanup effort. A small crisis within Mobotropolis' borders is no reason to ignore our original agenda. Antoine, I want you to accompany me on my search for Mephiles. Guys ... " Addressing Bunnie and Sonic with her voice and her eyes. " ... if you see any of the Chaotix on your way out ask them to check on Tails. He was playing with some toys in the forest. " Shadow: A gentle click sounded Shadow's closing of the door. They didn't need any interference or nosy workers stopping by to see what they were up to. He propped himself against the door, lightly hugging his torso as he tapped his hip with idle fingers. Not surprisingly, he was unphased by Rouge's comment, unlike a certain red echidna tended to be. Large, focused eyes reflected the computer screen as the bat worked, crimson oculars only moving a little to each side as he tried to keep up. Mephiles: If he could just get his new-found hands on a Chaos Emerald, that would be too perfect. Those gems were his ticket to putting the mortals back into his servitude. The way things should be. While it didn't last long, he had missed the days when the djinn were feared and respected as a god. As much as he wanted to get out and enjoy his freedom, Mephiles knew he couldn't waste time with a little chaos and emotional destruction at the moment. First things first, he had to secure his future. This led him into the palace. Something so large and obvious drew him in immediately. And slipping past the guards was hardly an issue. He re-formed himself somewhere near the Princess's sleeping chambers, glancing about with a void expression. Wealth such as a King might have usually included an interesting collection of gems. Where better to look first for such an important treasure? Sonic: Dumb founded eyes blinked innocently in response to that accusing stare. How would she know that it was him? How insulting! But not one to argue, especially since she was right, he looked away, ears flattening as she gave further orders. Blue wasn't convinced. He knew what he felt from that thing... A ghost? Really? It just... Something seemed wrong. But Sal sounded so confident, not a hint of worry or doubt. "But, Sally..." Sonic frowned, torn between arguing or not. He didn't feel good about leaving the area, but if what she said was true... and she seemed to know a heck of a lot more about this than he did... Sighing, Sonic turned his back to her, motioning for the rabbit, "Come on, Bunnie." The Chaotix, huh? He absently wondered what they were doing lately, but it seemed nothing short of taking a couple of days off. He wasn't that interested anyway. He was extremely reluctant to go back to Freedom HQ and clean though. Couldn't she had found someone else to do that? At the very least, wouldn't he come more handy looking for that handsomely eerie ghost? Well, back to the Chaotix... "Oi, Knuckles!" He gave a wave, meeting up with them as they were just leaving city limits. "Have you guys seen Tails around? Sal wanted somebody to check up on him and it seems me and Bunnie have to go play maids back at Freedom HQ." Bunnie: ::Her brow furrowed, head canting gently to one side. Normally, Sally was the cautious type, and her people had always come first. Even if Sally did think it was just a ghost, she was still brushing this off with a terribly light touch. Word that she was at least going to search for the monster comforted her a bit, however, she was not sure her friend understood the gravity of the situation. Bunne had been there. She had seen it, and moreover, -felt- it. This was no confused shade, some unhappy tatter of a life past. This was malevolent, entirely self-assured, and it had smacked of unknown power. Sally was in charge, more or less, so Bunnie would obey…for now.:: …we….well, ah s'pose you know best, jus'….be careful, please? Ah think it's more'n what yer givin' it credit. ::The sight of a familiar echidna would perk her up enough for a cheerful greeting, at least.:: Hey there, Red! Antoine: His frown deepened a bit as he listened to Sally. This hadn't seemed like anything harmless, ghost or not. Her recognition of the name was a little reassuring, but her cavalier attitude was, to say the least, unnerving. He looked at Bunnie as she replied, then nodded slowly, opting to follow his wife's lead for now. “Very well, Princess. Come, I will show you where it was seen.” Rouge: Rouge barely flicked an ear toward the closing of the door, though she did keep that senstive hearing at least partly focused on the hall. If something happened their way, she would know about it. Within a few moments she was into the files she needed and would wave Shadow over, leaning back in her commandeered chair. “This what you're looking for?” Knuckles: He looked back at the sound of Sonic's voice, giving him and Bunnie a nod and a small smile. "Hey." It faded quickly at the question his brows furrowed. "No. We just got here. You have any idea where he'd be?" He'd go check on him, considering the two seemed busy cleaning whatever mess he was sure Sonic made. Sally?: " An order's an order, Sonic. " The princess told him when he tried to protest his new mission. In her eyes laid a spark of mischief that often came about when she plotted doing something technically wicked. " Not all missions can have you running all over the place. " Or otherwise interfering with her plans. That was the precise reason she sent the strongest amongst them away with a task that should preoccupy them until she sealed the deal with that demon. " I think we will be able to take care of ourselves, Bunnie. It is just a frightened little ghost. " Which unimaginable power! The two retreating Freedom Fighters were given a parting wave before she turned on a heel to Antoine. " In the break room, correct? " Then chances are he would have started wandering around to look for a source of power. Luckily they would not be completely in the dark when it came to places to search. " NICOLE. " Sally called out seemingly to the air. " I am sure you can detect a being with a strange composition moving across your nanites. NICOLE: When you pinpoint its location can you transport us there? " The A.I. was still reeling from temporary downtime a few minutes before. Hearing her friend's voice brought her back to her senses. Though she didn't materialize nearby her voice could be heard in their vicinity. " Of course, Princess. " Sally: Nodding, Sally moved alongside Antoine to follow. " I do hope you have been practicing your swordsmanship. It might come down to you protecting me and our kingdom if the ghost proves less then friendly. " No pressure, right? Shadow: Shadow obeyed the gesture, leaning forwards as his arms lifted to cross a bit higher over his chest. "It seems that way." But Shadow didn't immediately recognize any of these as a video file, and that had been what he was hoping for. "Hm. Pull up the direct report to the Commander, if you can find it. Chances are, the real information was cut before getting to me." Mephiles: Despite how quiet the duplicate hedgehog had managed to be, he was still spotted by another Mobian. The guard (or whatever he was - Mephiles didn't care too much because it was soon clear that he was at no risk around the being), seemed excited to see him, and spoke briefly before apologizing and going about his business. Perhaps it had given the wrong impression when the grayish hedgehog didn't speak, but he was genuinely in shock at the reaction just his appearance seemed to invoke. Whoever this Sonic the Hedgehog was, Mephiles had certainly hit the jackpot in taking his form. He seemed to be finding himself more and more indebted to this individual. Perhaps a less painful death was in order... Sonic: Sonic made? Well, Sonic's evil half, anyway. As Knuckles had first hand experience of what his anti-self was capable of. "Seems he might be wandering around in the forest." Certainly vague, but the only hint Sal gave him. "I'm sure you guys can spare some of your aimless wandering around time to check up on him for us." Aiding Sonic the hedgehog, no matter a task so small, was certainly an honor. Slappin' him lightly on the back in an obnoxiously friendly gesture, he got to juicin.' "Thanks, that's great!" And pretending Knuckles had already agreed, his legs shot him forward, flinging up dirt in his wake. Right before hand, he also grabbed Bunnie's hand to pull her on too. Impatient as always, he was still concerned about being brushed off when Sal called the spirit a 'frightened little ghost.' Yeah, right. "What do you make of the ghost, Bunnie?" He was just curious to see how doubtful she was too. Looking for any reason to call off this cleaning expedition, Blue still headed towards Freedom HQ, nonetheless. He let go of her hand shortly after leaving Knuckles and Espio, knowing full well she could keep up with her jets. Bunnie: ::Keep up she did, twin flares of compact jets easily propelling her forward at incredible speed…though not supersonic, that was for certain. She seemed almost glad he had asked…she too, was a touch concerned over what Sonic may think of the strange affair, and was grateful for the opportunity to speak her mind.:: …ah don't think she's takin' this as seriously as she ought ta, Sugar-hog. ::Bunnie raised her voice over the inevitable roar of wind. There was hesitation then, as she wasn't exactly wild about casting doubt on her friend…and her leader…but she would speak again:: Was it jus' me, or was Sally-girl actin' a lil…ah dunno, strange? Antoine: Antoine swallowed hard, but nodded, straightening his spine to offer a proper salute. “Yes, ma Princess. I am at your command.” He moved a bit ahead of her, taking this seriously despite his nerves; how often did someone take him so seriously, after all? He would lead her back to the room, opening the door to peer in and then walking in fully. “Gone. But perhaps not far?” He glanced back at her, watching for a reaction. Something was off that he still couldn't place... but for now, he would wait and see and worry about the more obvious, immediate threat. Rouge: “Roger.” A fangtouched smirk and she was off; one might almost think Rouge was having fun here. If she could find it... ha! “All right, here we go. My, does look a bit longer than a standard ship-out... what do you suppose they're not telling you?” Knuckles: He was about to speak in order to agree to the hedgehog's request, even though the urge sat to just walk away considering how annoyingly abnoxious he was about it. He snorted and gave Sonic a glare before watching him run off. The echidna stood by for a moment, flinching at the dirt knocked up from Sonic's feet and considering the area Tails was in. The forest. Very vague indeed! He better start looking for the fox then. Turning, he headed towards the woods to look for the kid. Sally?: Sally lagged a few seconds behind Antoine entering the break room. He was correct and only confirmed her suspicions; Mephiles was gone. " I am sure NICOLE will be able to locate our little ghost friend. " Her confidence in the situation was undeterred by the doubts of her allies apparently. The chipmunk was usually the one to show cautious optimism about any given situation to balance out Sonic's overconfidence that they would prevail. This time it appears the polarity's been reversed. NICOLE: " Princess Sally ... " A familiar holographic lynx formed just inches from Antoine's face only to turn on a heel to face the one whom she was addressing. " I was able to locate Mephiles. He is currently in Castle Acorn. Transporting ... " The ability to instantly move any stationary mobian within the Kingdom's borders proved quite to be very useful. Antoine and Sally needed only to remain still for a few seconds before a funny feeling washed over them. That would be the nanites mucking around with their molecular structure to move them from the break room to a hallway just around the corner from their target in the span of a few seconds. NICOLE thought it wise to bring them in just outside of the ghost's site despite her opperator's confidence that he was docile. The last thing she wanted was to be indirectly responsible for putting her friends in a situation where they'd be blasted to smitherines. Shadow: Arms dropped from their previous position as he read, placing one hand on the back of the chair and one on the desk to bridge his support. He took it in silently, brow furrowed, recognizing most of the terms used as those with which they measured his own power. Chaos Force was not something you could put into numbers and graphs, but GUN certainly insisted on it, anyway. If only they had any idea... However, it was effective enough to communicate to Shadow just what sort of 'disturbance' it had been, whether they recognized it or not. "It appears to have been an advanced form of Chaos Control. Either someone just left for, or came from, a particularly long journey." That's what he made of it; however, he could be wrong. There were certain readings and numbers that he was completely unfamiliar with. Mephiles: Around the corner or not, he detected the change in atmosphere and narrowed suspicious eyes. He was just about to enter Sally's bedroom when he felt the new presence. He left the door open and turned around, waiting patiently for his visitors to find him. Sonic: He forced a lot of weight into both his heels, leaning back as he skidded to an abrupt halt before standing on flat feet again. Sonic looked thoughtful as he gave Bunnie a chance to realize his stop. He scratched the top of his head with a finger, "Now that I think about it..." She was right. Sally was acting a little strange. Lowering his hand, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared in the direction of Freedom HQ. Ugh, cleaning... He'd rather go with this hunch they had and put himself in possible peril. That's how bad it smelt there. Well, at least he wasn't bored anymore. "Whether this is going to turn out to be a ghost story or not, I kind of want to go back just to make sure." Once they got started on Freedom HQ, it'll take forever to clean everything up, especially if it's just them. And what if Sally was wrong?Underminding her authority could prove to be a bad trip too, however. Still, he was willing to take that chance. Bunnie: : ::Bunnie would let loose a comical squeak of surprise, cutting her jets and slicing two long, deep furrows in the earth as she came to an eventual stop. She would have to take a moment to shake and shimmy each leg to rid it of the resultant packed soil and torn grass, too. The look she gave him was one of concern…but also of relief. He was right, and once more, speaking her thoughts for her.:: Well, th' place aint gonna get too much worse without us there ta clean it, ah think it'll live, right? Th' hell we waitin' on, then? ::Jets flared once more, and she blasted right back the way they had just come. Disobedient? Certainly. Stupid? Neither of them were, really, once past Sonic's impatience and ego…something was up.:: Antoine: Antoine gulped a little as they were moved – not from fear, but because the process tended to give him a sort of motion sickness. Still, it took next to no time for the coyote to regain equilibrium, and he would peek around the corner with a little frown before ducking back around to report to Sally. “Zere – just before your room. I t'ink... he is waiting for us.” He was not so confident as the Princess, and unnerved by her rather reckless optimism. “I... shall I be going first?” It took a lot to volunteer that, but Antoine HAD gotten a little less jumpy and inclined to protest or stall over the last few years. Rouge: “And then sashayed on off into the desert sunset, eh?” Rouge leaned forward, resting her elbow on the desk and her chin atop the back of her hand, lips pursing as she reread the information. “That's a little suspicious, I think. Who does that for no apparent reason?” She had a feeling that they would find out just who had done it and what it was all about before long, but Rouge wasn't one to like waiting, or not being in on something. “Known people with such an ability?” she asked, unconsciously slipping into a more terse, businesslike mode of speech, normally deliberately drawling voice growing brisk. It wasn't really her concern, but in her experience leaving these things alone just never turned out well. Knuckles: Heading into the wooded area, Knuckles kept an eye open for the fox. It couldn't take that long to find him.; Tails never wandered too far from the city. He scanned the forest briefly then walked in deeper, willing Tails to appear. The shorter they could make this little search, the better. Sally?: Antoine's rare act of bravery would have been appreciated at any other time and even complimented on by a princess who encouraged him to be the man she tried to tell a certain teasing blue hedgehog he very well could be. In the very least she offered him a reassuring smile before making her more. A quick pivot was enough to bypass the coyote's position unless he'd been foolish enough to try to stop her. Antoine was getting better with his sword, true, but she was the resident master of close quarter combat. Was that to say she would have become violent towards him if he decided to physically stop her from confronting Mephiles? " Actually Antoine, I want to try to speak to Mephiles alone first. He might become frightened if he sees you or anyone else brandishing a weapon. The last thing we would want is for the ghost to get spooked with all of their supernatural powers. " The chimpmunk glanced around the corner before looking back to Antoine. " I'm going to lure Mephiles into the room where its safe. In the meantime I want you to stand outside and guard the door. No one gets in or out of that room without my expressed permission, understand? " She certainly hoped so because there she goes! Circling around the corner to look at the gray furred being who took on a familiar form directly for the first time. " It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mephiles the Dark. I assume that you have an agenda with Mobius? " For the third party listening it could be percieved that Sally was simply trying to help the ghost find peace with himself so he'd be able to go onto the afterlife without conflict. She just hoped that the demon picked up on the double meaning of her statement. " Perhaps I can be of assistance ... " Shadow: Shadow shook his head, standing upright once more. A raised hand almost cradled his bottom lip on the back of a gloved finger, his line of sight wandering as he spoke, "No.. even my Chaos Control would not cause that sort of surge. I would have to double--" He paused as his eyes lit up, then trailed down to look Rouge in the eye. "What if someone was using Chaos Control between zones?" And if Sonic could initiate it, could Scourge? "Perhaps that is part of the Moebian's plan?" Allies from other zones? He felt like he should pay New Mobotropolis a visit after all. Mephiles: A slow tilt of the head led his gaze around to Antoine as he moved back out of sight. Was he wasting his time by waiting for these mortals? Possibly. His head swayed back up as he gave them one more minute to gather their thoughts. He really did have more important things to do, even if he had all the time in the world. As the chipmunk came to meet him, however, he was pleased to hear some familiarity in his name. There was something.. unique about this one. He couldn't place it. "Assistance?" Sarcasm, surely. But he could probe her for answers. "Why certainly. Perhaps you are familiar with an object known as a Chaos Emerald." Sonic: Sonic smirked, enjoying her enthusiasm. It didn't take but a second for him to catch up, running in place alongside of her, however, rather than in front. here were some things they needed to discuss before blindly running around the city, looking for something suspicious. He couldn't be sure where Sally had went nor that supposed spirit. "Alright, I'm thinking we ought to split up." Normally never a good way to start a plan, but Blue knew they'd cover ground a lot easier that way, and would be harder to spot. "Don't let Sal or Antoine see ya if you see them, if it's at all possible." Just in case they were wrong... Not to mention the obvious, to catch something going on that shouldn't be. "We can meet back up just outside the city. Let's scope out as much as we can until then." Unfortunately, he didn't have a watch. They could estimate poorly, he guessed. "In roughly twenty minutes?" He spoke over the winds as they neared the city, wondering where to look first. |
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| Dr. Finitevus | Dec 3 2009, 09:33 AM Post #2 |
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Not a Spoiler ...
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Bunnie: ::The plan was last-minute, reckless, and haphazard. Bunnie…was definitely in, and the grin she cast him bespoke of her confidence in it…and in him.:: You take East an' lil ol' Bunnie'll cover th' West, startin' with th' room we had trouble in. See ya soon, an' I mean that! ::The unspoken behind those upbeat words being, of course, that if he took too long, she'd assume something was amiss and would come looking for him. The jets were cut gently this time, and she came to a graceful stop. She'd give Sonic a jaunty, two- fingered salute and would head on in to do her job:: Antoine: Antoine would not physically try to stop her, and his verbal protests were quickly overridden as she stepped into the hall. He stood indecisive for a long moment, large ears twitching with mingled worry and annoyance, before sidling to the corner with his back to the wall, peeking around at the princess and the alleged ghost. He froze at the phase 'Chaos Emerald', of course. What would a ghost want with such a thing? There was something interesting in how direct it was about it, of course, but it was still a bit unnerving. He scooted a bit closer to the corner, straining to pick up every word. Rouge: She nodded approvingly, rising from her chair – a touch too close to Shadow for just a moment, but this time there was no calculation in it and she stepped out of his space almost immediately. “You may be on to something, Shadow. For where they landed, they might be able to trail Scourge through some prearranged means. Could they possibly go from there straight to where he is – namely, New Mobotropolis – and thus leave no trail for us to follow in the desert?” She headed for the door, listening carefully a moment to be sure no one was in the hall. “Maybe we'd better look into it. Not that it's my kind of party spot, but when things go to hell there they have an interesting way of pulling the rest of us in.” Sally?: There was something definitely beyond what could be seen only using the eyes in reference to the chipmunk. Her voice may have been her own but the airy way that she spoke suggested that she had more insight about the situation then a common teenager who took up a hobby reading old books. " Chaos Emeralds; mystical gems of power that were created when the waste from an seemingly apocalyptic attack combined with beryl deposits thousands of years ago. There used to be thousands of Chaos Emeralds scattered throughout Mobius. Thanks to a prophecy coming to pass those hundreds of emeralds were sent to the Special Zone to be reshaped into seven uniquely colored emeralds. " That would seem to suggest that they were hard to come by. But - " Your assumption that there is a Chaos Emerald in Castle Acorn is correct. Two of the Freedom Fighters retrieved a Chaos Emerald from the Special Zone to cure an ailing monarch. It is in a heavily guarded vault. You will not be able to retrieve it on your own without drawing attention to yourself ... which is where I come in. I may be able to simply retrieve the emerald for you if you're willing to hold conference with a mere enlightened mortal at a remote location. " Shadow: Despite her stepping close, he held his ground and responded with only a flick of his ear and a twitch at the corner of his mouth. She posed an excellent point about the tracks, however, and one he hadn't thought of before. Why didn't GUN just tell them exactly where this disturbance happened without him having to look it up on the computer? He could have gone straight to the source and if there had been a visible trail of movement, the two agents might have already solved this. Shadow was surprised that Rouge was still in on this, but she undoubtedly saw potential profit for herself if she tagged along. And she was right; one thing or another always brought him back to that crowd. Whether he liked it or not. Mephiles: "Where you come in? Perhaps you underestimate me." He took the same bold step attempted earlier on the hedgehog, moving to brush this bizarre creature's cheek with a gloved hand. "However, who am I to deny such an offer?" Perhaps this creature's thought him a different sort of djinn, Ifrit, perhaps. If a Nightshade could smile, Mephiles would. Sonic: Sonic gave a thumbs up to Bunnie and an over-confident wink to boot. With an attitude like her's, how could he not get pumped? That probably went both ways, but Blue was always optimistic and ready to go. Tearing apart from her and going in the opposing direction, Sonic made himself scarce by being too fast to see. Now, where to look first? Apparently the three he was looking for wasn't out in the open, not that he'd expect such an easy discovery. Passing the prison housing a certain individual, he didn't see the point in going inside What would that creature want or need around here? Where was the most important place he could look first? Bunnie: ::Bunnie of course headed her own way, metal feet surprisingly silent, as they would have had to be in order to get through their many stealth missions. Ears alert and eyes bright, she would comb through this place with a practiced skill. She did have to remind herself that this was not a dangerous mission…well, possibly…but just to prevent any disastrous knee-jerk reactions on her part, she placed splayed fingers over her metal arm as a self-reminder to not raise it in surprise. Antoine, in the meantime, was no doubt increasingly suspicious of this whole affair. Sally would have mentioned her father as…well, her father, not as simply "monarch".:: Sally?: " On contraire, I respect the powers of a ... ghost ... such as you. " When Mephiles crept closer her voice dipped in volume in hopes of keeping prying ears from hearing the true extent of Mephiles' power. " When coupled with Iblis you can cleanse this corrupted planet in a wave of unholy fire before erasing all that ever was or would be from existence. That plays well into my own ideals. Mobius is beyond the repair of any of these foolhardy monarchs. It is time for those who have the power to set things right to do so. " Her eyes narrowed sharply when he touched her cheek though not in distaste. There was something sinister in her eyes that could only be seen when staring directly into them. Sally's normally deep blue irises were clouded with black ink that would disperse into nothing when her shielded eyes met with the light again. " I can speak with you more on the matter at a more secure location. In return I will continue using this puppet to locate the remainder of the Chaos Emeralds for you. They are of no value to me. You may have at them if you're willing to listen to a new perspective. " Sally would wait for Mephiles' response before liberating her own castle of one Chaos Emerald. Mephiles: Intriguing. How could he turn down such an interesting opportunity? Even if he did decide this was not in his best interest later on, he could simply back out. There was a lot more to this girl. He could tell that before any physical change took place. His contact with her brought her aura into more perspective. In order for this being to know what he was capable of, and to mention it so freely, well, at least he could sense a similarity in their goals. A ghost, was it? "Then I suppose I have no choice but to let you cleanse my spirit from the burdens of this world." Amusement rang clear in the voice that penetrated their minds. Sonic: Sonic came to a restless stop not anywhere in particular. While he had a couple of places in mind to check first, only shortly after parting ways with Bunnie did he realize he had a better alternative than running aimlessly around. He wasn't completely in the dark after all. So long as a certain hologram could keep a secret. "Alright, talk to me NICOLE." Waiting for the lynx to appear, his sneaker clad toes were already tapping against the ground by the time he even demanded her asistance. Only after he appeared would he inform her of his wishes, "I need some help here. Wouldn't by any chance know where Sal is, would ya?" Sally?: Sally smiled a smile that could not be considered warm or friendly. It was an all knowing smile that hinted that she knew the true implications behind that all too well. Stepping backwards to put some space between them would put her at an angle where Antoine would only be able to see Sally's backside. The visual illusion was needed so he would not be able to see the actual handing off of the Chaos Emerald. " NICOLE, I need your assistance in an exorcism. " NICOLE: The A.I. was elsewhere attending to her duties when Sonic summoned her prescience first. It took no less then a second to materialize close to the blue hedgehog. Somehow her near instantaneous appearance was still not enough to appease the speed demon. No surprise there. " Princess Sally and Antoine went in pursuit of Mephiles the Dark. She asked me to transport them to his approximate location for negotiations. They are currently in - " Her entire body flickered in a gesture that made her frame slightly static even to the naked eye. " I apologize, but Sally requested my assistance. " And when choosing whether to give her attention to her operator or a close (albeit handsome) friend there was one who would win out every time. That meant her form reluctantly disappeared with a flicker to carry out the strange request given to her; temporarily lowering Mobotropolis' defenses to transport the city's lone Chaos Emerald into the hands of the Princess. Mephiles: Greed shone in his eyes more than anything, slow hesitant tilts of his head displaying that he was not entirely certain that it could be this easy. If he could just wrap his fingers around one.. just one.. surely the others were still scattered and would come when he called on them. If things were as this mortal described, not many people had the stones within their possession. Imagine! If he could call all of them at once! Iblis would love his loyal servant once again. Sonic: "Hold up, NICOLE!" She couldn't have bothered with a name of a location before she disappeared? Blue ears pinned back in frustration as a hand gripped firmly against his own hip to rest. He'd wait seeing as how her assistance would still be faster than running around and looking in all the wrong places. "When you're done, teleport me just out of sight of Sal, ya got me?" It appeared he was grumbling to the air. He wasn't expecting a response though, not until she was done doing whatever the chipmunk had asked. Might have been to help against Mephiles, which only made him want in on the action even more. He was already regretting leaving to begin with. Bunnie: ::Antoine's obedience to the monarchy was being sorely tested as he became unsure whether it was more treasonous to stay put or enter the room proper to see exactly what was happening over there. His concentration was such that he wouldn't notice his wife approaching until she was nearly upon him…and -she- had no compunctions about : simply walking in if she felt she had to. Sonic said not to let Antoine see her, but, silly hedgehog, sheknew how to handle her own husband, with a quick hand to his mouth and a gentle but firm pin to the wall as she peered in. Wasn't that...the creature? What was Sally -doing-?:: Sally?: Handing over the Gray Chaos Emerald that had been previously stored in the Royal Treasury. It was offered up to Mephiles in a ritualistic fashion that nearly masked her true intentions. What exactly she had in her hands was hard to see at this angle. If either of their eavesdroppers managed to see the glistening gem before their business was finished she was already formulating a completely rational explanation. " On the behalf of our beloved Goddess Aurora and all those who believe in her divine wisdom I will clear a pathway for you to finally join her and all of your fallen brethren in the Virtual Zone. " Actually, she was giving him the Chaos Emerald and ample time to make a hasty escape but who was keeping count of that. " Mephiles the Dark, I beseech you to leave behind our Mobius to ascend to your rightful place in the Afterlife! " Though NICOLE had been instructed to lower her defenses to a point that she herself felt fleeting jolts of an emotion called anxiety from her stimulator she thought there was no harm in complying with Sonic's request once she finished her obligations to Sally. She could not be held accountable for anything that Sonic choose to do on his own after all. Sonic was hit with that same strange sensation that washed over Sally and Antoine earlier before being transported to the far end of the hallway Antoine and Bunnie resided. Mephiles: Aurora... what a laugh. No, soon these mortals would be singing the praises of their new god, Solaris. A hungry spark in his eye doubled upon her extension of the gift. He placed his palm over hers, dropping each finger, one-by-one onto his prize. He lifted it and stared for a beat, awestruck by the whole occurance. It took everything he had not to laugh as his eyes grew wild. Mephiles raised his other hand to produce a dark, sparking ball of what appeared to be black electricity. He released it and was immediately gone. The orb remained for a moment, however, charging anything nearby with a good bit of static, and giving the chipmunk, or anyone nearby, a chance to follow if they were brave enough. Sonic: It was about time NICOLE complied. Not looking at all bothered by the motions that he went through in order to be transported to his desired location, Sonic calmly shook it off and looked around warily. He spotted two familiar faces before he was aware of where Sally was. No signs of Mephiles either. Wandering towards the two, he looked questioningly at Bunnie. Had their concerns been paranoia? Peeking around the corner, he spotted a suspicious orb, having no clue as to what just went on. Bunnie: ::In fact, Bunnie -had- seen enough of the Emerald to identify it. She was uncertain as to what such an incredibly powerful thing was doing being used for what should be a fairly simple procedure that could be performed by any of the several spiritual figures here in this sanctuary. She had been uneasy enough as it was, but when the gem -vanished-, she could no longer stand by, and the look that met Sonic was incredulous and even slightly panicked.:: What th' hell are y'all doin?! He's leavin' with th' Chaos Emerald! ::Sally was -letting- him, too!:: Sally?: Hearing Bunnie's rather loud outburst made her turn calmly towards the group of eavesdropping mobians that tripled since the last time she laid eyes on them. The temptation to follow Mephiles into the orb to get away from these base beings was definitely there but she knew that her prescience was needed to ensure her own designs. " I used the power of the Chaos Emerald to send him to the Virtual Zone. " The place that mobians went when they died to await judgement and eventual ascension onto a higher plane. " The Chaos Emerald did disappear, yes, but it did not go to the virtual zone with Mephiles. I decided to send it back to the Special Zone with the others now that I had time to think about what to do with it. " Sally explained it as though it had been the plan all along. Just one that she didn't discuss with the Freedom Fighters. " Sending that Chaos Emerald away was best for everyone, guys. Sitting there in the vault collecting dust would do nothing for the city NICOLE worked so hard to build for us but make it a target for every villain in the world who wants to get their hands on one. When and if we need another one we'll simply go back into the Special Zone to retrieve it with the Star Posts. " At the expense of toiling away at some impossible difficult task for their guardian. The emerald they had they recieved for free. Now they had to work for another! Mephiles: It really had been easy. It had been far too easy. It was a good thing no one followed the djinn into the portal, because right now they would have been painfully cold. Mephiles had taken to the north. A mountainous region where ice and snow reigned. This did not bother him. It was less likely that a mortal being should find him here in his moment of ecstasy. He didn't see any purpose in laughing now - there was no one to entertain, so to speak - it was just Mephiles and the heavy snow. Once more, the Emerald was raised into the air, and he channeled the energy of the stone, focusing on calling to him all of the other Emeralds. When nothing happened, he became enraged, and thrust his hand up again. Nothing. Were they sealed away like him? Did someone have them? What was going on? Surely not all seven stones were in someone's control. This was not what he expected. A flare of energy and he was gone again. Something must be done to correct this. Entirely unacceptable. Perhaps at another time he could find the Emeralds. Sonic: Blue looked beyond startled when Bunnie snapped that the ghost monster had taken one of the emeralds. Balling his hands into ready fists and squatting for what could be a run, for where, he wasn't sure yet, but that portal seemed to be a start. He didn't exactly run into it though. In fact, he didn't really do anything, because he was still confused. He only started to move impulsively when Sally's attention had been snagged by Rabbot's loud cries, distracting him. He looked at her suspiciously, narrowed eyes and aggressively pinned ears. Of course, when she began to explain, his demeanor became a lot less hostile and more understanding. "Well... I guess that solves that." He still wasn't so sure but he didn't really know what else to say. If he had been able to talk longer with her or hear half the stuff Antoine did, Blue would be all over this in an instant. For now, he still felt rather in the dark, and couldn't say anything was for sure wrong with Sally. At the time of this relieving discovery (or what he assumed was) he was only glad she hadn't started to ask why him and Bunnie had returned, though it would have been obvious. He just didn't want to get reprimanded for being courageous and thoughtful. Moving the rest of the way over towards the chipmunk, a casual slip of the hand was around her waist in a second, pulling her side by side, hip to hip. "Good thinking Sal. How about I congratulate you?" Of course, that usual flirtatious tone was evident, perhaps his own off and on feelings getting in the way of the bigger picture, but at the moment, he didn't see a problem, or anything drastic enough for him to take further action. Well, he was taking some kind of action... Bunnie: … ::Bunnie backed away towards Antoine, frowning unhappily. No. No, no. Something was wrong here. One could call it 'woman's intuition', or blame it on the fact that Sally and Bunnie had been close friends for years, but…something just wasn't right. There was little she could do, however, without some sort of indelible sign, some unassailable cue that something needed to be done. …and even then…what was she to do?:: …Sally-girl, what's th' matter with you? Yer talkin' funny, actin' funny, an' ah jus' don't buy what ya threw at me. Maybe Nicole oughta do a thorough scan. Yanno...t' see if maybe yer sick...or somethin'... ::or had brain wave patterns that suddenly weren't matching past scans...Bunnie didn't know, but...:: Sally?: Sally may have been backed into a corner if a mobian with a mind that either couldn't comprehend the changes he'd been seeing or choose to ignore then hadn't stepped into the picture. A brief look was spared to Bunnie before all attention was directed to Sonic and his playful hand. The hedgehog was usually the one who gave orders whenever Sally couldn't, correct? Perhaps playing with his buttons would allow her better leverage over the group as a whole. Smiling a devious smile that told of mischief before she even moved into a more comfortable position she made an attempt to brush off Bunnie's serious inquies. An attempt that she was sure at least one amongst them would approve of. A bare hand was placed on the lower part of Sonic's peach furred stomach to start a five fingered trail up his stomach and chest, over the front of his neck, and roll along the underside of his chin to grasp it in her fingers. " I am pleased to see at least one amongst you has enough faith in my leadership not to question my decisions. That is reason enough to celebrate. " And without further adieu she briefly reintroduced Sonic to her awaiting lips in a kiss that would only last a second or so. " You don't think I'm sick do you, Sonic? " Think carefully. Sonic: Bunnie had some mighty good questions. Something Sonic appeared to have been blowing off in favor of making his own move. One that seemed to have hidden agendas less than professional. He started the countdown in his head but to his surprise, what did he get? An actually favorable response. Nothing he had to work for, or even a pity pat. If Bunnie was accusing her of something so serious, Sal would definitely be taking things more seriously too, and would have even less patience with him. But who was he to argue? He wasn't, not yet. Not with that warm palm and fingers raking through fur up his toned stomach certain to feel a brief skip of the heart and held breath evident from the stillness of his chest. Eyes locked onto hers, he had no doubts. The kiss that lasted simply too short had their lips parting and Sonic licking his lower one to further taste what had vanished far too quickly. Blue grinned, smug and sure of himself as ever. "Nah..." Fingers moved from her hip, hands ghosting up both her arms before resting on top of her shoulders. Fingers tightening in hold. "I know you are." This was not Sally. Bunnie: ::Bunnie had been grimacing in chagrin during this whole…"romantic" affair…but she perked considerably when she came to the realization that Sonic had also seen the truth here, and she wasted no time…:: Nicole! We needa scan Sal' hea' fer anythin' that might cause strange b'havior or personality changes... ::she paused a moment, then...:: ...please. Sally?: Hmm ... The hedgehog was less gullible then she anticipated he would be. Must have been peer pressure courtesy of the Rabbot who was beginning to be a thorn in her side. A verbal accusation would have been no cause for alarm; she would have denied it. Her muscles did tense when Sonic placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her still. There was a dark tint in her eyes for a brief moment that could have been mistaken for simple confusion when she narrowed them. They grew to their normal size when Bunnie requested that scan. " This is ridiculous. There's nothing wrong with me! " NICOLE was even beginning to doubt the legitimacy of that statement. Bunnie would not have to wait long to wait long to get the answer she'd been waiting for. NICOLE: The A.I. took it upon herself to do a little probing of her own citing all of the strange requests. " It appears that Sally is telling the truth. The extent of my ability to detect illness is limited to what my sensors can pick up. All scans are coming back as normal, genetic fingerprinting confirms it is her, my voice recognition software recognizes her voice, and I am detecting no change in her mental processes. My understanding of intimate mobian biology is limited to factual data, however, so it is best to get a second opinion. " Sonic: "Got that right." Sonic wasn't deterred in the least despite NICOLE's examination. Seemed they might be taking a trip to see Dr. Quack again. Adding pressure to those dainty shoulders, he intended to force her around so that her back was to him and he could lead her out of here. If Sally really wasn't herself, he could only imagine what was going to happen in regards to Mephiles. It was possible at this point she had actually given him a Chaos Emerald. Maybe it was because of his release that she was acting so strangely. Like a pawn or under possession. She only started acting strange after they met up with her outside from meeting the 'ghost.' Who knows? Hopefully they would figure things out. Of course, if she was under some kind of mind control, he wasn't so sure of Dr. Quack's abilities either. Bunnie: ::Bunnie's thoughts exactly. But when physical examinations failing, who did they have to turn to for more…unusual problems? Perhaps Sally was the one in need of an exorcism rather than that Creature. The idea of seizing a priest for Sally's sake was almost enough to make her laugh. What would a more normal Sally have to say about that? Oh, Bunnie could hear her now…but she squelched the amusement, instead accompanying Sonic.:: That's fine, ah wanted t' check on Scourge's blood test anyway. …say, ya dun' spose Nicole could trace where that thing went with th' Emerald? Sally: This had the potential to end badly, but what were her options when it came to handling this situation. Seeing how the Princess' word didn't have the type of pull that one would think she would have over her team and people there was only one option and only a narrowing amount of time and space to carry out that option in. The tension in her body made it difficult to get her body into motion to turn it around. It looked like Sally was going to make an attempt to step around in the right position to help him judging by the way she raised one of her legs slightly off the ground. That was just an illusion that would add to the mounting evidence working against her thus far. Her leg actually rose so her foot could catch the back of Sonic's knee, sole against that weak point, to push it forward and hopefully knock him off balance while she tried to wretch her shoulders free of him to keep herself from tumbling n the same direction. Her superb balance would keep herself from doing little more then stumbling if she managed to get away from Sonic's grasp. Now to cover Mephiles' tracks. Here's hoping the same trick will work twice in a row and that NICOLE's duty to Sally overrode her logic. " NICOLE, transport Sonic and Bunnie out of Castle Acorn now! NICOLE was working on Bunnie's request through it all. " I will try, Bunnie, but the extent of my power is limited. " The good news about this situation was that she was able to successfully send out the drone that she prepared for such an occasion before Sally gave her own illogical command. The drone was put on auto pilot to trace the unique energy signal of the Gray Chaos Emerald. With a little luck it might get a fix on its general location in about five minutes. There was mild hesitation on her behalf in fulfilling the other request; a nagging feeling riding on her the simulator for her instinct that told her that sending them away would be the worst possible thing she could ever do. " I am sorry. " Her hesitation voice uttered before she began that all too familiar process. If nothing went wrong they would be transported to the outer limits of the city without Sally in tow. They could risk moving during the process if they wanted to risk any one of their limbs or vital organs accidentally being mixed up by a program that still had the occassional malfunction. Mephiles: Having been unsuccessful in his attempt at collecting them in the past (there was a rather strange, ominous, mechanical-looking egg in the sky, however, and it distracted him for a short period of time. Such an odd.. face.. it had sculpted into the side of it), Mephiles returned to the present. The Nightshade hadn't decided whether or not he would meet up with the girl who gave him his first and only Emerald, or whether he would take out his frustrations on her, but he returned nearby New Mobotropolis with the Princess in mind, all the same. He surfaced along a trail, hoping to enter the city under the mask of Sonic's appearance. However, when he looked around the bend, he spotted what seemed to be two creatures materializing only a short distance away, and paused, watching intently with his serpentine eyes. |
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10:19 AM Jul 11