Sonic The Hedgehog: Nina Waterwoods By Holly-Beth Vixie Kraft Liz Raccoon and Jill by Liz Raccoon Sasha Prower and DJ by Jennifer Cleckley Up with the new day, Nina Waterwoods pirouetted around. She was in such a happy mood, that she just had to do a little ballet. "Well, you're smiling like a daisy!" said her mother, peeking into the skunkette's room. "Hey, I know today's gonna be a great day! That's why I'm up." Nina giggled. "Well that's good, honey. Oh, and I just remembered, Vixie wants you to come over to practice your staff form with her." said Nina's mom, leaving the room. Nina put on her gi pants, her favorite red tank top, and then her sash. She knelt as she knotted it and began to hum the Mobian National Anthem. She was very fond of the honor which came with the sash, so she hummed her planet's song to show her ardor towards the art. Nina ran into the kitchen and snatched a green apple from the wicker basket on the table. Finding her staff by the door, she took a bite out of her breakfast and bolted outside. Vixie was waiting outside of her hut for her best pal. "Hey Nina! Ready to whip some staff?" Vixie called. "Sure thing! I've been practicing basic stick for the whole week!" "Geez, musta been tough. So how many houseplants did you knock over this time?" Vixie smiled wryly. Nina blushed, remembering the incident in Vixie's house last week. "Let's get started." she smiled. Vixie laughed and gave her friend a warm smile. The two began practicing their staff forms in unison. It wouldn't be long before they had it done, and Bunnie would test them. "Yah!" Vixie exclaimed, crouching down into a high jab with her bo. The girls practiced for about an hour when Sonic came racing into the village. "Do you know where Sal is, you two?" said the hedgehog. "Um...I think she's in Bunnie's hut," said Nina, 'what's the problem?" "Lemme just say this, be in the Great Hall in two minutes." Sonic said, and juiced out of sight. Vixie and Nina looked at each other with confused glances. As soon as everyone had quieted down, Sonic began to tell his tale. "Okay. So I was cruisin' through the Great Unknown, right? And then I see this huge, weird-lookin' bot with tentacles galore. So, being my usual way past cool self, I started to try an' wreck the darn thing. I try a Sonic Spin, a Blue Whirlwind, a Tunneler, and all of those killer moves with a power ring, too. The scary thing is...I...I couldn't stop it. My quills were burnin' by the time I was done, and they're still a little warm now. The thing is, this thirty-pound weight motor oil brain is unstoppable!" Many shocked gasps were heard, and much mumbling began. Sally ran to the stage to talk to Sonic. "Sonic what in the world IS this thing anyway?" asked the princess. "No clue WHAT it is. All I know is that it's goin' down by the gloved hands of a blue hedgehog!" "Sonic, you're insane! You already know it's unstoppable! What good can you do if you can't even harm it?" "Sal, we haven't got anything else to stop it with, and I ain't stoppin' til that bucket of bolts stops kickin'!" "Have you ever thought about Bunnie taking that thing on?" Sally said, arms crossed confidently at the mention of her best friend. "Of course I did Sal. Hey, what makes you think a couple of dents will stop a bot that's over fifty feet tall?" Sally turned white. Sonic hadn't mentioned the actual size of the mechanical monster in his tale. He had only said it was 'huge'. "Sally?" said another voice. The princess turned and saw Nina Waterwoods looking at her. "Sally, I could get that bot." she said with a smile. "Nina, you can't get this thing alone. This...bot...it's over fifty feet tall!" I can't risk my friend's life over that." Sally said. Bunnie walked up to the skunk and put a robotic hand on her shoulder. "Let the sugar-stripes try, Sally. She's never really done a big mission before. If she says she can smash the ugly ol' thing, I believe she can." Sally looked at Nina. She looked and saw the friend she had known since childhood. They went through the coup together, shared the loss of many individuals, had fun, and all those things had added up to this moment. Should she risk the life of her friend because of a giant robot? What if she were Roboticized? "Okay Nina, but only on one condition." she said. "Anything." said the skunk. "Antoine must go with you." Nina's mouth dropped open. "Say WHAT?! Antoine's a total nerd! He'll screw everything up!" she exclaimed. "Antoine knows the ropes of Freedom Fighting, even though he's tangled himself up in them once or twice. He's even taught me a few things. Antoine's military skill are vast, and I think it would be perfect for this mission. Besides," said the princess with a smirk, "It teaches you to learn how to put up with a Depardeux!" Vixie was in Nina's room, braiding some of the fur on the skunkette's head. "So you have to go on your first big mission with ANTOINE?" said the vixen, making a gagging noise, "let it be known that I pity thee!" she added dramatically. "Pity appreciated," Nina then groaned, "...ya know, for my first mission, I think it's gonna rot." "Well look at the bright side, you get to kick some butt!" Vixie said, putting a bead on the end of the braid. "True. But I'd much rather go with someone else. Even another tag- along would do me good." "How about Liz?" suggested Vixie. "Liz Raccoon? I guess. Isn't she the one that hates you?" Nina queried. "No...that's Jill. Jeez, I don't see what's got her going. Just cause DJ had a crush on me doesn't mean she has to loathe me for it." sighed Vixie. "I'll ask Sal. She'll probably say 'yes.'" Nina said, admiring the braids. "You like?" Vixie asked with a grin. "Tres chic!" Nina smiled back. "Okay. Nina, you are going to zee Great Unknown, no?" asked Antoine. "Yes, and so is Liz." Liz beamed next to the skunk. "Well, you bettear leesen to what I am going to be sayeeng!" Antoine said stiffly. "Can it, 'Twan! This is MY mission. You've had your day of glory. Just cause you've been on a mission and I haven't, doesn't mean I do not know what I am doing." Nina said. "Besides, Ant, you needn't fear. I'm a mage, 'member? I can zap loops outta anyone in my path!" Elizabeth grinned. "Hmph!" blurted Antoine, crossing his arms. "Lets get going, Liz! Off to adventure!" Nina smiled, running down the forest path. It was about noon-time, and Nina was beginning to get the munchies. "Okay guys. Snack-time!" smiled the skunk. "Cool." laughed Liz. As Nina took a cloth from her bag, Antoine began to rant and rave. "Loonsh?! You do not have loonsh when a Swatty-bot ees lurkeeng about!" "Neat! Then this'll be a first in the history books!" Nina said. Nina placed the cloth on the ground and sat upon it. Liz chose to levitate. From out of her bag, Nina pulled out some Calamari. "I love this stuff!" she said, eying the little container. Liz made a disgusted face. "That stuff is WAY gross." "But good..." Nina said, dropping some into her mouth. Antoine didn't eat, but he did survey every aspect of the glen they were staying in. Nina noticed the squire's hyperactivity, and frowned upon it. "Lighten up, 'Twan. You gotta get a hold of yourself. If there's danger, we'll know it." Nina said, and began to munch on some crackers and chives. Nina was just about to swallow the cracker when she felt a slight tremor. Thinking nothing of it, she placed another into her mouth and began to munch away. Antoine hadn't jumped, and Liz was levitating while eating her salad, so Nina tossed the tremor aside. That was until the tremor came back, minutely stronger. Feeling a tad uneasy, she swallowed what was in her mouth. "Hey guys..." said the skunkette, her tail beginning to frazzle, "do you feel that tremor?" Liz listened contently for a few minutes. "It's very regular...like footsteps." she said. "Ze footsteps?! E-e-e-ees eet z-z-z-ze robot, you are theenking?" stuttered Antoine. Nina touched her nose. "AHHHHHH!" Antoine screamed, jumping into the air and hiding behind a rock. "Lemme check it out, Nina!" said Elizabeth, flying to the canopy of the trees surrounding them. Liz looked out and saw a huge robot, walking towards the glen. It was moving slowly, but she was sure it could pick up speed if it wanted to. The ringtail gulped quietly. "Well?" said Nina, watching the skunk float down. Liz twiddled with her fingers. "Um...I thinka we have a problem..." she said. Nina turned white. She suddenly realized what she had gotten herself into. ".....AHH!-I can't do this! Why can't I keep my dumb mouth shut at those stupid Village Meetings? AH-hah-hah-hah-hah..." sobbed Nina. Liz looked on with eyes the size of dinnerplates. Nina gasped. ".....Did I just say that OUT LOUD?!" "Zut aloris!..." sighed Antoine. Nina smiled shyly and stood up, taking her bo into her hands. "I can do this..." she said and flipped a switch on her staff. Without warning, two giant switchblades shot out from either end of the fighting stick. "Tempered titanium-alloy steel blades with blue diamond edges. Is there anything sweeter?" "Look!" shouted Elizabeth. "Huh?" said Nina, turning around. The robot had stopped to look at its surroundings. "Better cover, Liz! Don't use your magic unless I ask you!" Nina said, her eyes sparkling. Liz did as she was bid. Antoine was still hiding behind the rock, so the coon-mage decided to join him. Nina began to run into the meadow where the bot was. "C'mon ya over-sized Kenmore! I'm hanging YOU out to dry!" shouted Nina. "The Mega-Bot will not be stopped by a child." said a rocky voice. Robotnik. "Knew it was you, Chub-tub...been meanin" ta ask ya...how's that diet plan workin'?" Nina chuckled. Without even a growl of anger, the bot slammed it's fist down into the plain, leaving a huge imprint in the ground. Nina had jumped out of the way just in time. "Missed me, ya digitized dimwit!" laughed Nina with false pride. To be quite frank, the situation was not exactly her kind of a fight. "Take this!" screamed the skunk, jumping high and slashing the Mega- Bot where it's Achilles tendon would be. Many wires and bolts were exposed from the slash. A few minor sparks here and there, but the bot seemed to be minimally damaged. "Very cute, child. Very cute indeed...but not enough..." said the voice inside of the robot. "Cute?! You think that was CUTE?! Nah-ah...I don't think so..." Nina said, running up towards the gigantic metal menace. Swiftly, the robot lowered it's hand to the ground and swatted Nina into the brush, the skunkette screaming all the way. Nina Waterwoods landed with a thump on the ground. Liz ran to her side. "Nina?! Wake up! Are you okay?!" No answer. "Antoine! Help!" Liz screamed. Antoine ran over to Elizabeth, all fear gone. "You heal her, I will take on zis...zis fiend..." "I weel not let you hurt her, you overweight bag of sloodge!" Antoine said, kicking the bot savagely. "A very foolish and brave gesture, young squire. Too bad that it will be your last..." growled the voice from the Mega-Bot. "Zat is what you are theenking! Too bad you are theenking wrong, no?" Antoine said, dodging out of the way of the giant robot's foot as it slammed to the ground. "Antoine, get out of there!" Liz said, spreading her palms outward towards Robotnik's awful creation. Lightning shot from her palms and encased the robot. "Eee-uh! Oh my!" Antoine ducked. Nina stood up and growled at the automaton. "Eat THIS Robuttnik!" she said. Nina then threw her staff with all her little strength into the stomach of the bot, causing the droid to explode. The skunk then groaned softly and fell to the ground. Elizabeth and Antoine ran to Nina's side and watched as Robotnik's getaway pod flew from the scene. A dozen more smaller explosions preceded a much larger one which destroyed the whole body of the Mega-Bot. "She deed eet!" Antoine said in a hush-whisper. "...No...WE did it..." said the skunk, opening her eyes for a brief moment. "Antoine, let's get back to Knothole. Nina needs to see Sasha." A Few Days Later... Nina slowly opened her eyes. The clock on her wall said 4:30pm. She checked her calendar to notice that three days had been ripped off of it. Is THAT how long she was out? Sitting in a chair beside Nina was Vixie and Bunnie, both snoozing softly. Nina then began to remember about the big clash she had had a couple of days ago. Boy did that ever hurt when she got swatted. She looked at the arm she landed on and noticed it was in a sling. 'Musta sprained it,' she thought. Nina then began to look around her room. It was nice to be at home. Then Nina saw something gleam in the corner of her eye. Looking to her nightstand, she found a medal with a scroll next to it. The medal had a beautiful golden acorn on it and a circular shield with wings was it's setting. Nina admired the pendant for a few minutes before reading the scroll. 'It is on this day of October 23, 3235 that Nina Waterwoods of Knothole Village has been proclaimed an official Freedom Fighter. Standing up to tyranny is a very honored accomplishment, and Nina has earned the title of "Knothole Freedom Fighter." 'Signed, 'Princess Sally Alicia Acorn 'And 'Sonic Maurice Hedgehog' A tear had fallen from Nina's eye. Her dream had come true. She had just been accepted into the circle of greats such as Elizabeth Raccoon and Vixie Lamenta, Bunnie Rabbot and Rotor, Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails, Sally and Antoine, Dulcy, and Uncle Chuck. She had become a Freedom Fighter. "Congratulations, stink-bomb!" smiled a happy red-and-white face. "Thanks, Vixie! This is such an honor!" Nina said, rolling up the scroll. "You've been in La-La Land for three days! I thought you'd miss Spooks Day!" "Geez...I sure lost a lot of strength." "You're tellin' me." Bunnie then woke up and began to congratulate Nina in the same manner as Vixie did. "I told you y'all could do it! All ya had ta do was believe in your lil ol' self!" "Thank you, Bunnie!" Abruptly, there came a knock on the door. "C'min!" shouted Nina. In walked Mighty Fox, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Glad to see you up 'n' about! I thought we'd lost you!" he said, placing the flowers in the vase on Nina's little nightstand. "I'm glad I woke up! I get service on hand and foot! Totally cool!" "NINA!" shouted Vixie. "Jus' kidding!" Nina sat there for a moment looking at her friends. Vixie and Mighty sat next to each other, hugging. Bunnie sitting in the chair. Plus there were her friends that weren't there. They all believed in her. And she was happy. The End!!! (PS--Will SOMEONE at least write a silly CAMEO starring me an' Mighty? I feel as if Knothole has forgotten me! Golly... --Vixie~)