When the Sky Turned Black
by Jennifer Joeyen-Waldorf

        Sonic stared at the ceiling.  Not that there was anything particularly 
interesting about the ceiling.  He just happened to be lying on his back in 
bed, and the ceiling of his hut happened to be above him.  Not that there was 
anything 
wrong with the ceiling, either.  Coming to the conclusion that it was a 
perfectly serviceable yet unremarkable ceiling, Sonic rolled over on his side 
and 
glanced out 
the window.
        He saw Sally outside, demonstrating Rotor's latest invention.  She had 
told him that it was a new non-explosive short circuit-inducing missile 
projectile 
system, which Rotor had unaccountably dubbed "archery."  Not quite sure what 
she was talking about, and therefore annoyed, Sonic was in no mood to utilize 
his limited supply of patience to learn how to use the device.  The situation 
had 
followed the only possible course: Sonic was in his room being frustrated, and 
the others were practicing archery.
        Sally's voice could be heard through the open window.  "...then draw 
back the string like so, aim, and--"  This was followed by a soft thud, 
evidence 
that the arrow had hit a target.  "Now you try.  Oh, Mei Li, at this distance, 
you'll 
want to aim a bit higher, to allow for slight gravitation...there you go.  
Nice shot."
        Sonic got up and closed the window.  He didn't really want to hear how 
good Mei Li the Great Panda, a guest at Knothole, was at archery.  It seemed 
she was good at everything, especially things that he excelled the least in.  
Of 
course, he knew it wasn't her fault, but Sonic liked to have all the attention 
and 
admiration.  
He got back onto his bed.

        About half an hour later, Sonic's thoughts were interrupted by a knock 
at his door.  "Sonic!" called Sally.  "Can I come in?  I think you'd better 
hear 
this."
        "Door's open," replied Sonic, sitting up.
        The door opened and Sally entered.  "Mei Li, you should hear this, 
too," she called out the door.  "Come in here."  Mei Li came in.
        "Hi, Sally.  Rotor wanted me to tell you that I hit nine out of ten 
shots from twenty yards.  Oh, hi, Sonic."
        "Hi," muttered Sonic.  If anyone thought he wasn't being friendly, 
they didn't mention it.
        Sally got on with it.  "Sonic, guess what.  I went through the files I 
copied at Robotropolis yesterday, and found out why Robotnik wanted the stone 
of Lao 
Shan that Mei Li brought from her old home.  It wasn't so HE could use it, it 
was 
to prevent US from using it.  It can absorb energy."
        "Huh?"
        "Think about it, Sonic.  Why does Robotnik have control?"
        "Umm--"
        "Automation," she said.
        "Of course," joined in Mei Li.  "Everything at Robotropolis is 
automated. And that means--"
        "Take out his source of electricity--"
        "And he's helpless!"
        "And this stone can do that.  All we need is to get the Xing crystal, 
and then--"
        "HEY!" interrupted Sonic.  "Anyone mind clueing me in here?"
        "Sorry, Sonic.  It's like this," said Sally.  "We're going to use the 
Stone of Lao Shan and the Xing crystal to drain Robotnik's power directly from 
his 
generator.  If he doesn't have electricity, he can't power the Swat-bots, the 
roboticizer, or even his front door.  And think of what Rotor can do with that 
power source."
        "That sounds good."
        "We just need to get the Xing crystal."
        "Okay, where is it?"
        Sally sighed.  "That's the hard part."
        "What do you mean?"
        "I'll explain.  We need to hold a meeting."
        
        Sunlight filtering through the rich green leaves of a sprawling beach 
tree danced playfully on the many different colors of fur that decorated the 
motley 
band of Freedom Fighters as they held their conference meeting underneath.  It 
was 
outside so that Dulcy, who didn't fit in any of the buildings, could attend.  
Sally was explaining the situation to the rest of the Freedom Fighters.
        "That's cool, Sal.  How do we get this thing, already?" asked Sonic, 
who had waited at least half an hour to hear the answer to this question.
        "That's the hard part," repeated the princess.  "Nicole, activate 
physical world map."
        "Activating, Sally."
        "You see, according to the files that were in Robotnik's computer, the 
Xing crystal was abandoned inside of Mt. Zerstorung in the late 2090's."
        "Inside Mt. Whatzit?"
        "Mt. Zerstorung is a volcano," explained Rotor.
        "Someone needs to bring it back to  Knothole," she gestured towards 
Nicole's holographic map, "from Mt. Zerstorung.  There's a channel to cross to 
get to this island, so we can't go by land.  Whoever it is needs to ride on 
Dulcy."
        "Why?  What's wrong with the plane?" asked Sonic bluntly.
        "I'm afraid I'm responsible for that," said Rotor.  "I'm trying to add 
solar panels to it to conserve energy.  It should be ready in a few 
months...."
        "So who's going?"
        "I'm getting to that, Sonic," said Sally.  "I think Mei Li should go, 
because she brought us the Stone.  I think I should go, because I know about 
the 
volcano.  And I think you should go, because it will save a long, pointless 
argument 
that I can't win anyway."
        "What about Tails?" asked Sonic.
        "Tails is too young.  This is a volcano we're talking about."
        "Awww!"
        "What about Bunny?"
        "That's jist what Ah was sayin'," said Bunny.  "Ah wanna go."
        "Well, if Bunny goes, I'll need to leave Antoine in charge," she said, 
suppressing a smile at the calculated reaction.
        "Then again, four's a crowd," Sonic decided.
        "And just what have perhaps you been meandering by this mentionage?" 
asked the disgruntled--well, whatever he is.
        "Then it's settled.  We leave at dawn."
        "Man, we always leave at dawn," came a whine.
        Sally chose to ignore him.  "Meeting adjourned."
        Each creature went his or her seperate way, as Sonic strolled off 
muttering, "Why can't we ever leave at noon?  Mid-morning, even?"

        Sally was alone.  She was standing in an open space apparently in the 
middle of nowhere.  As far as she could see, there was nothing but bare, level 
ground in all directions.  Not even a cloud in the sky to tell north from 
south.  Suddenly, everything began to darken.  Alarmed, Sally looked upwards, 
and saw 
the sky turning black.  This was not an oncoming storm, it was as if a black 
cloth was being drawn over the great dome, starting at one horizon and moving 
rapidly towards the other.  Soon the sky dome above her was black, with no 
stars or 
any sign of the moon.  Only when the rumbling came did Sally realize that all 
had 
been deathly quiet up until now. The sound was so overwhelming that she could 
barely think.  When she looked up again, she saw that the sky was breaking to 
pieces, 
and falling.  There was nowhere to go.  She screamed.

        "Sal!  Sal, wake up, you're dreaming."  Sally became aware that she 
was in her own room, and Sonic was standing over her and shaking her.
        "All right, I'm awake," she said.
        "Are you all right, Sal?" 
        "Of course I'm all right," Sally said, though her pulse was racing.
        "You were screaming about he sky falling."
        Annoyed at him for witnessing her terror, she snapped, "It was just a 
dream.  What are you getting so upset about?"  She rolled over to face away 
from him, 
but not before she had noticed his brow furrowed with worry over her.  "I'm 
fine," 
she added.
        "I'll stay with you, if you like."
        "I'm not a child!  I don't need you here.  It was just a dream."
        Just the same, Sonic pulled a chair next to Sally's bed and sat next 
to her.  In spite of herself, Sally was glad he was there.
        She went over the dream in her mind and shuddered.  What could it 
possibly mean?
        Sally shivered.  Covered in cold sweat, she felt the night chill even 
though it was summer.  She pretended to be asleep as she felt another blanket 
being laid 
on top of her.

        Awakening to rumbling noise the next morning, Sally's stomach 
tightened until she identified the sound: it was Sonic snoring.  As she felt 
relief wash 
over her, she realized that the sun was already well up.
        "We're late," she said, jumping out of bed, and remembering too late 
that Sonic was sitting on a chair next to it.  She knocked over the chair and 
they 
both tumbled to the floor.
        "Good morning, Sal," Sonic groaned, after having been kneed in the 
stomach.
        "Sorry, Sonic.  But we have to go.  We're late."  Sally put on her 
vest and one boot as Sonic collected himself and got up.
        "What's the big rush, anyway?" asked Sonic, stretching.
        "Do I need to explain everything to you?" she replied, hopping across 
the floor in the direction of the door while attempting to put on the other 
boot. 
 Had Sally not been a princess, her position could have been described as 
ungainly. 
 "Let's go!"  She stood upright and grabbed Nicole from the nightstand.  "Are 
you coming?"
        Sonic, now fully awake, said, "Try and stop me!"

        Sonic was becoming less and less enthusiastic each time he looked over 
the edge of Dulcy's back at the Great Forest littered with clouds below them. 
 
        "Sal!" he yelled to the pouch on Dulcy's abdomen, which contained the 
princess.  "How much longer do we need to be up here?!"
        "What?!"
        "How much longer?!!"
        "We just left!"
        It hadn't been five minutes, actually, so Sonic had to be content to 
wait.  The eastward journey towards the ocean took only about an hour, but an 
hour of 
waiting was usually more than could be expected of him.  On this occasion, 
however, there was no alternative for the hedgehog.
        One can imagion the elation Sonic felt upon hearing after a few 
repetitions that the island had been sighted and they were about to land.  He 
was ecstatic until he remembered the reason why he had wanted to take the 
plane: Dulcy's crash landings.
        This landing was no exception.  Sonic wasn't clear on what happened, 
because somehow he had his eyes closed from the point when he lost hold of 
Dulcy.  He couldn't see anything, but was all the more acutely aware that he 
was falling.  Six long seconds later he was in a pricker bush, and wasn't 
quite 
pleased about the situation, to put it mildly.  Sally had fared better: she 
only had a 
new bruise on her shoulder from hitting the base of a tree.  Mei Li, however, 
was 
unscathed after having jumped clear before the crash.  
        For the second time that day, Sonic was groaning.  Sally got up and 
brushed herself off before checking on Dulcy, and looking for Sonic.  That 
wasn't 
easy, because the entire area was thick with various low-growing plants, 
seemingly 
unhindered by the shade of the trees.  
        Sonic picked himself up and was in the process of climbing out of the 
bush when Sally found him.  "Sonic, are you all right?"
        "Oh, I'm fine.  Are you okay?"
        "Yeah.  Sonic, you're bleeding.  It's a good thing I brought a 
first-aid kit."
        "No, no first-aid.  I know what that means.  That means something's 
going 
to sting.  Uncool."  
        But Sally was already bringing out the iodine.  "Don't be such a baby. 
 You don't want an infection, do you?  Sit down.  Not in those nettles!"
        Sonic was going to say that he might very well like to have an 
infection, but Dulcy came crashing through the foliage just then with Mei Li 
astride.  "We've 
found the entrance," Dulcy called.  "Hurry up!"

        That is how it happened that a dragon, a panda, a ground squirrel, and 
a bandaged, scowling blue hedgehog arrived at what appeared to be a cave 
entrance near the bottom of a mountain.  The entrance, about five feet in 
diameter, did 
not easily accomodate a dragon.
        "Sorry, Dulce," said Sally.  "I think you'll need to wait here."
        "I'll be waiting."
        As the three peered into the complete darkness lying ten feet within 
the tunnel, they knew they had no choice but to go on.

        Sonic's eyes were wide open, but it didn't make a difference in the 
long tunnel stretching beneath the earth.  He couldn't see a thing.  There 
wasn't 
really much danger because the tunnel was more or less straight, but he was 
frustrated that he was reduced to Sally's walking pace.
        "This tunnel that we're walking through," Sally was saying, so that 
the others could have a fix on her position, "is a lava tube.  It was formed 
when 
the lava pushed its way through a weak part of the ground.  The lava flowed 
along 
this very tunnel to the opening, insulated by the stone."
        "Fascinating," said Sonic sarcastically, because he had just bumped 
his head as the tunnel suddenly narrowed, and was mainly interested in not 
doing it 
again.  "I think it is," said Mei Li.  " I mean, do you realize the power that 
lava has?  It can only be stopped by the ocean.  To think that we are walking 
where it 
once flowed.  Incredible."
        "I agree.  But there's no need to worry about lava now.  Nicole is 
monitoring seismic and thermal activities."
        "Hey, Sal, any idea how long this tube thingie is?"
        "We should be getting there in ten minutes.  Someday you will need to 
learn some patience, you know."
        The conversation ended there.  Between the silence and the darkness, 
the travelers were all but swallowed up.

        "Wow," was all that Sally could say as she squinted even at the slight 
daylight which was coming through an opening above.  The light revealed a 
phenomenal cavern, large enough to hold Knothole several times over, she 
thought.  "This chamber must have been filled with magma once, and now it's 
drained and hollow.  I've heard of this, but I never thought I'd see such a 
place."
        "This will be hard to forget," commented Mei Li.
        Even Sonic was having a hard time brushing this off without interest. 
 The incredible size, the blackness of the stone that made up the walls, and 
the 
faintness of the light coming through the volcanic crater above, for that's 
what it was, 
had an ominous effect Poe would have delighted in creating.
        
        No one could say how long they stood there, reveling in this Mobian 
creation.  All time was lost in this underground land that seemed to belong 
more in a dream than below the surface of their comfortable homeland.  
Surprisingly, 
Sonic was not the first to lose patience.
        "Oh my gosh, we're wasting time," said Sally.  "We need to get moving. 
 
Let's find that crystal, and quickly."
        By now they had wandered far into the cavern.  The floor stretched a 
great distance in all directions, but it was undisturbed, and there was no 
sign of a 
crystal.  No one knew where to begin searching, let alone where to end.  But 
the crystal 
seemed secondary at this point, somehow.
        "If you don't mind my asking, Princess," said Mei Li, still looking 
upward, "what is your hurry?  I could stay here for hours just to look at this 
place. 
 Look how enormous it is!  A great dome like the sky.  Yes, I would say it is 
much 
like the sky gone black."  
        Here she turned to look at the princess, for she had drawn in her 
breath sharply.  Mei Li became alarmed, because Sally was trembling all over 
and 
clearly in a bad state, staring up at the stone above them.  "Sonic," she 
managed to 
hiss, "get us out of here!  Now!"
        Sonic turned, glanced at Sally, and didn't ask questions.  He picked 
up her limp body and Mei Li at the same time and ran, just as the rumbling 
began.  
Alarmed by the noise and Sally's sudden loss of composure, Sonic was only 
aware that he needed to get out of the cave, and fast.  Light spilled into the 
cavern as the ceiling of the hollow volcano began to break apart and cave in. 
 A large piece of rock crashed at their left, showering them with a fusillade 
of stone 
splinters.  Sally screamed, and Sonic, if it was possible, ran faster.  Sonic 
suddenly 
remembered his power ring, and grabbed it just as a stone came crashing down 
behind them.    Then they were in the tunnel, and surrounded by blackness 
again.  The 
rumbling, crashing noise was conducted through the solid black stone of the 
lava tube, and echoed off the walls to create a noise that sounded like the 
world 
was being destroyed, and at that moment all three of them, with their thoughts 
scattered in panic, thought that it was.  By now they were safe, because the 
tunnel was 
staying intact, but they were far from aware of it.  Sonic ran on as the tiny 
dot that signified the end of the tunnel grew ever so slightly larger, and the 
seconds 
seemed to stretch.  Suddenly, blinded by the broad daylight that looked like 
the 
explosion of the sun as they emerged from the tunnel, Sonic ran headfirst into 
a thicket 
of bushes.

        Sally was the first to regain herself.  She stood up.  "Sonic, are you 
all right?" she asked.
        Sonic, still lying flat on his back, looked around him, and then at 
Sally.  "Yeah, I'm cool," he said, sitting up.
        "You saved us."
        Sonic looked over at the flattened ruin of the once grand volcano, and 
brushed it off, saying, "Oh, that--yeah, I know.  It was nothing."
        Sally laughed, breaking the stillness that followed the catastrophe.
        "What?"  Sally kept laughing.  "I wasn't scared," he added.
        "Yeah," Sally giggled, knowingly, "I know you weren't."  She leaned 
over to kiss him on the cheek.
        "Sally!"  It was Mei Li's voice.  Sally stood back up.
        "We're over here!"
        In a moment, Mei Li climbed through some thick bushes to where the 
others were.  "Are you guys all right?" she asked, though she was still 
trembling 
herself.
        "Yeah, we're fine," said Sally.  "Hey, has anyone seen Dulcy?  I 
thought she was waiting outside the tunnel entrance."
        "I'm over here," came a whisper from deeper in the bushes.  Then 
Dulcy's face emerged.  "You guys all need to hide and be quiet right away.  
I'll 
explain."
        Sonic, Sally, and Mei Li followed Dulcy's face into thicker cover and 
crouched down in a circle.
        "What's up, Dulce?" whispered Sonic.
        "Robotnik.  I saw his ship fly in overhead, so I hid.  I think he's 
the one that 
set off the explosions."
        "What explosions?"
        "The ones that brought down that volcano, of course."
        "You mean someone did that on purpose?" said Sally out loud.
        "Shhh.  Yes, I'm sure of it.  Robotnik must have known you were in 
there."
        "How could he have known?" whispered Sonic.
        "Oh no."  Sally looked grim.
        "What?"
        "The files I copied from Robotropolis.  He must have found out.  He 
must 
have realized we would come here and--"
        "I'm afraid it's worse than that," interjected Mei Li.  "Robotnik 
hasn't been 
following us, he's been leading us on.  He planned this whole thing."
        "How do you know?" asked Sally.
        "He was waiting for us to come here.  He knew that that volcano was 
mostly hollow.  He set up bombs in the right places to trigger a massive 
cave-in.  
That takes precision--and time."
        "You mean--"
        "I think those files were fake.  There is no Crystal.  And the Stone 
is worthless.  He's been a step ahead of us the whole time."
        "You mean we've been out here risking our necks and we don't get 
anything out of it?" hissed Sonic.  Sally kicked him.  "Ow!"
        "We have to make the best of it," said Sally.  "We need to go back to 
Knothole.  We do have an advantage: Robotnik thinks we're dead.  If I hadn't 
given an early warning because of my dream, we wouldn't have made it out.  And 
Robotnik knows that.  He won't suspect we survived.  We need to go back to 
Knothole and discuss a new plan."  She stood up.  "Come on, let's go."
        The rest followed.  "What dream?" asked Dulcy.
        "I'll explain on the way."

        Their trek through the woods was long and difficult because of all the 
undergrowth, but Sally insisted that they get well away before taking off on 
Dulcy.  There could be no risk of Robotnik seeing them.  Because of this, they 
couldn't walk as a group, but had to spread out and find their own paths.
        Mei Li caught up with Sonic, who was maintaining his "snail speed" so 
he wouldn't lose the others in the forest.  "Sonic.  I wanted to thank you."
        "For what?" he asked, puzzled.
        "You saved my life," she said, with clear admiration.

        The trip back to Knotthole was uneventful once they got in flight.  If 
you could refrain from calling Dulcy's landing back in Knothole an event, but 
most 
Freedom Fighters were used to that by now.  The fact that Sonic was thrown 
into the air and landed on the roof of someone's hut didn't seem significant. 
 That 
was one of her better landings.

        Sally had scheduled a meeting under the beech trees for that 
afternoon, to discuss their next plan.  Everyone was late, of course, except 
for Sally, Mei Li, and surprisingly, Sonic.
        "Sally," said Mei Li.  "I wanted to talk to you."
        "What is it?"
        "I don't think I should stay at Knothole."
        "Why not?"
        "I thought I could do this, but I--I can't.  I was so confident until 
today, but then in the volcano I was--I was scared.  Really scared.  I didn't 
know what 
to do.  What use am I to you?  You can't depend on me.  I should leave.  I'm 
not 
strong enough to fight against Robotnik."
        "Don't be silly," said Sally, practically.  "You've showed tremendous 
talent in most standard training, and so far you've displayed presence of mind 
and 
intelligence in every circumstance, even under pressure.  You would be an 
asset to our team.  You're being too hard on yourself."
        "No, you don't understand.  I felt so helpless--" she paused, 
searching for words to explain, "I'll let you down."
        "Listen to me--"
        "Sal."  Sonic had been silent up until now.  "Can I talk to Mei Li a 
sec?"
        "Sure."
        There was a pause.
        "Alone?"
        "Right.  I'll go see what's keeping the others.  They should be here 
by now anyway."  She trotted off in the direction of Bunny's hut.
        "I know what you're going to say," said Mei Li.  "That I was doing 
great and I would be a good Freedom Fighter, but you don't understand how I 
felt--"
        "That's not what I was going to say," interrupted Sonic.
        "It wasn't?"
        "No."
        "...What were you going to say?"
        "I think there may be something you don't understand.  You're taking 
all the responsibility yourself.  The fact is, none of us are good enough to 
face 
Robotnik--at least, not alone.  That's why we have each other.  We're all good 
at 
different things.  None of us know what to do all the time.  We help each 
other when we 
can.  Do you see what I mean?"
        "Kind of, but--"
        "Besides that, I think I know how you felt."
        "What do you mean?"
        Sonic took a deep breath.  "I was scared too."
        "You were?"
        "Yeah, but we can still win if we trust each other."
        "I see."
        "I believe in you.  And I would be glad to have you with us."  And he 
meant it.
        Smiling, she said, "I'll do my best."

THE END