Petrified in Fear
                fanfic by Daniel Wheeler

Prolog:  Attack of Valkviz

        Antoine was following his daily duties of guarding the palace
when another of his guards reported that a djinni (also spelled "genie")
was attacking the city.  Sonic, Sally, Tails, and Melody already went out
to meet this fiend, but were trapped in a glass orb and they and the
djinni went out of sight.  Soon, the sky turned dark blue and the
holographic image of an aardvark warlock showed through.  The wizard
spoke:

        "I am Ard Antol.  I am a servant of the Shadows of Dark Mobius. 
With these hostages, I will have enough life energy to open the world
gates and to free me from the crystal statue I have been trapped in for
centuries!"

        After Ard Antol spoke, the image vanished and the sky brightened
up.  Rotor came to Antoine just after the image of the warlock
disappeared.  "I saw what happened, Ant," said Rotor.  "We need to get to
the Freedom Stormer and track down Ard Antol's djinni!"  "Oui and oui
again!," replied Ant.  "We must stop zis warlock before he can pessimate
our city!"  "You mean 'decimate', Antoine," snickered Rotor as they went
into their plane.


Chapter 1:  Rotor Homes In On Valkviz

        Rotor flew the Freedom Stormer through a nasty storm, obviously
made by Valkviz to impede progress.  Fortunately, Rotor included a magic
radar in the plane a few days ago to help them in future battles against
the Shadows.  Soon, Rotor caught a blip of light on the radar.  "It's the
djinni!," Rotor called out as he zoomed in.  However, Valkviz also found
them and sent Mini Thunderbirds at them.  They were quick and deadly by
easily dissapated.  Antoine used his sword to fend them off.

        The djinni, annoyed, sends a lightning bolt and sends the plane
down.  Antoine, ever loyal to his princess, tells Rotor to go on and fix
the plane while he sets out to track down Valkviz.  Rotor gives Ant a
magic-detecting "compass" to aid him.  "Merci," replied Antoine, "Now zat
djinni does not 'ave a chance of a ghost!"  "Antoine, it's ghost of a
chance!," chuckled Rotor.


Chapter 2:  In The Petrified Woods

        Antoine travels into the stony Petrified Woods nearest to Ard
Antol's tower.  The bleak, midnight blue sky with a magic-made moon gave
Antoine a chill up his spine.  He pretty much got the idea that it was
always night time in his area.  He thought to himself "Could zis place be
a zone?"  (Ant is referring to the zones found in Sonic games)  But
afraid or not, he knew he must go on, knowing that his princess was in
danger in the hands of such a vile warlock.

        A cluster of kobalds came up out of nowhere and attacked Antoine.
 Antoine dueled valiantly with the picayune attackers, suffering a few
minor wounds, and triumphed over the minute monsters.  As he continued
travel into the stony forest, he was ambushed by small dispatchment of
goblin warriors.  These goblins were tougher than the kobalds he met
before, but were taken down in a melee or two.  He journey to a nearby
barren hillock and was attacked by a green werewolf!

        Antoine screamed when the werewolf popped out of nowhere, but the
thought of his friends helped him regain his courage and he whipped out
his sword.  Knowing full well that a werewolf is vulnerable to silver,
Ant made a charge to the wolf and ran him through, vanquishing the
malevolent vulpine.  Antoine then made his way through the nocturnal
landscape.


Chapter 3:  Valkviz In Ard Antol's Tower

        Valkviz enters the Tower of Ard Antol and presents the orb
containing the captives.  Through the statue, a hazy face of Ard Antol
appeared and intoned "Good.  Very good.  Place it in my right hand.  As
long as my statue stands, the power radiating from their life energy will
grant the Shadows passage.  The portal will open when the lunar eclipse
is full!"

        Suddenly, the jewels adorning the walls of the master chamber
turned red.  Ard Antol looked into his magical Window of Foresight to
find the cause of alarm.  Now, the Window of Foresight is a strange
window.  When you look at it, you'd think that the tower itself was
carried on a cloud; you can see a night sky with lots of clouds and the
full moon for light.  Anyway, he looked into this window and saw that
Antoine had passed the werewolf.  "Valkviz!," shouted Ard Antol.  "Send
some more monsters to stop him.  Fight him yourself if necessary!"  "Yes,
master!  Your wish is my command!," replied Valkviz.


Chapter 4:  Antoine Locates Ard Antol's Tower

        Antoine journeyed further into the forest.  The petrified plants
thinned out as the semi-intrepid warrior made it into an extra large
clearing near a mountain.  As he looked up the mountain, Antoine noticed
a dark-looking tower.  Playing his hunches, Antoine guessed that this was
the tower that his friends were in.  But as he passed through the
clearing, a group of mutant rats attacked the warrior.  Antoine slew the
rats and continued toward the mountain.

        He climbed up an old path, facing animated suits of armor, until
the path came to an abrupt end, about twenty or so feet up.  Then, he
look to his side and noticed the mouth of a cave.  Hoping that it would
lead him closer to the tower, Antoine went into the cave.  It had a cold
air flow from smaller tunnels, but it was the interior design that made
Antoine shiver.  Bones of those who tried to destroy Ard Antol before lie
in the caverns.  Colorful crystals give off a beautiful but premonitory
glow.  And shadows flickered of the walls, assuming the forms of monsters
(some of which were real monsters!).  But Ant knew he must save his
friends... most of all Princess Sally!  So he continued on, prepared to
face anything.

        As he continued, he came across geysers that took him to higher
levels of the cave.  So he used them to his best advantage.  But in one
of the middle levels, he encountered a half-human bat (no, Batman has
nothing to do with this story!  :).  Sword in hand, Antoine took down the
mutant bat in five slashes.  He found another geyser and continued
upward.  In a mid-high level of the cavern, Antoine picked up some power
rings to help him in case he met Valkviz.  He continued on yet another
geyser that sent him right under the tower's foundation.

        The part of this cave was a maze of columns.  He used his
instincts and weaved his way through the stone cold columns and met a
dangerous Giant Gila.  It was ready to bite Antoine with its venomous
jaws, but its meal had his own deadly sting.  Ant slew the beast in eight
slashes and found a ladder that lead to the summit of the mountain.


Chapter 5:  The Tower Of Ard Antol

        Antoine stood before the Tower of Ard Antol.  Sword in hand, Ant
slashed the doors open and stepped inside.  He had to be on his guard,
because Warthog Guards patrolled the halls and corridors of the tower. 
Knowing that an all-out assault is suicidal (and getting himself killed
will hardly help the princess or her friends), Antoine hid when he could
and fought when he could, conserving his strength, climbing the many
stairs and ladders, until he made it to the top hall.

        Antoine saw two golden doors at the far north end of the hall. 
But before he could pass, Ant was intercepted by two giant Snow Leopard
Guards.  Fortunately, Antoine read about these guards in a book on his
way up the tower.  He read that he must destroy one of them before the
other would be vulnerable to attack.  So he took his chance and attacked
the guard on his left.  "Ha! And ha again!," laughed Ant.  "Eet seems zat
you are ze target for ze moment.  Soon, I weel take your brothair down as
well."  Once that guard was ousted, his brother stepped in.  But now that
his brother was down for the count, Antoine ousted the other easily.  The
doors opened magically, and Antoine stepped into...


Epilog:  Ard Antol' Inner Sanctum

        Antoine found himself in the aardvark warlock's master room.  He
sees the crystal ball holding his friends in the crystal statue's hands. 
The room was made of pure gold, had treasure scattered everywhere, and
had walls adorned by jewels.  But it had the danger of the eclipse that
would drain his friends' life if Antoine would not hurry!  Ard Antol's
image appeared in the Window of Foresight, and the warlock shouted "Ard
Antol!  Destroy that pest now!"  "Yes, master," said the djinni, "I hear
and obey!"  

        The djinni shot orbs of turquoise flame at the warrior.  Antoine
fended off the attacks with his sword, but he had to hurry and find a way
to save his friends before the eclipse became full.  Then, he thought of
a plan.  Valkviz shot a large fireball at Ant.  But with his sword, he
shot the flame at the statue of Ard Antol.  Valkviz vanished into thin
air, Antoine's friends were freed from the ball, and Ard Antol faded away
into the Dark World where his masters were, saying "I'll get youuu..." 
The tower began to rumble and collapse.

        The people in the room panicked a bit, but Sally, noticing the
Window of Foresight, thought of a plan quickly.  "Guys!  Melody!,"
shouted Sally, "We have to take a leap of faith into the Window of
Foresight!"  They did so and landed...

        Into the Freedom Stormer, just as Rotor was putting the finishing
touches.  "Wow!," exclaimed Rotor as he saw them in the plane
unexpectedly.  "How did you do that!"  "It's a long story, Rote!,"
replied Sonic.  And as he looked at Ant, fast asleep, he added "Antoine
can tell you about it... tomorrow!"


                                The End
                                :)