Chapter 3 "Dishing it out" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Chaotix ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The boarder between the Hidden Palace and Sky Sanctuary zones was calm serene that day. A frosty wind blew about the loose powdered snow on the ground. Even the harsh winter ice seemed more beautiful here. The frozen river was as smooth and shimmering as glass, calmly reflecting the sky. The soft flakes of snow pushed by the strong breeze whispered across it's calm surface. Everything, even the sky was pure white, and calm...and quiet, save the roaring of the icy wind. A little box with red slips of paper hung from a little, bare tree, covered with silvery slips of ice near the river. The serene beauty was suddenly pierced by shouts and whoops and cries in the distance coming up the river. Some of the voices yelled angry curses, some shouted with excitement. They drew closer gliding swiftly above the surface of the ice. Large, strange looking silhouettes could now be seen in the distance drawing closer, closer to their destination. That box on the tree. The sails on each of the ice boats was full and teams fought to steer and stay ahead. Shiny metal blades glinted in the dim light cloud covered sun. This was a race. The first of many events on the Floating Island's first annual Winter Carnival. The 20 mile race had begun in the Ice cap zone and it's course was along the river, to the end of the Sky Sanctuary Zone and then back to the starting point. Each team would have to reach the marker and get one of the little red slips of paper to prove they had finished the course. "TURN THE SAILS WE'RE LOSING SPEED!WE NEED MORE SPEED!" came a frantic shout, subdued by happy excitement from the ship in the lead. The ship looked very 'rustic', it was obviously home made. A bunch of loose boards tossed together in the shape of a flat boat, held together by glue, nails, rope, poor craftsmanship, and a prayer. It had a crooked branch (some leaves still growing from it) for a mast in the middle holding a big yellow sail ridden with patches and a big letter C scrawled in drippy blue and red paint on both sides. "We'd loose about eighty pounds of dead weight if Vector lost about six of his jackets." Espio complained. "If we want to loose some dead weight we could always throw all our chameleons overboard." the heavily padded Croc shook off his hood(s) and the music playing on his head phones got suddenly louder. "I didn't think you could hear me above that damn music!" "I SAID, TURN THE SAILS!" Shouted the Armadillo grasping the rudder so tightly that his friends would not have been surprised to see his finger marks embedded in the wood when he removed his hand. It was partially thanks to Mighty's strength in steering that this boat was in the lead. The chameleon obliged and heaved the ropes on mast around and turned the sail into the wind. "WE'RE ALMOST THERE! WE'RE ALMOST THERE! ESPY, GET OUT AND GET US OUR MARKER! WE'RE GONNA WIIIIIIIINNNNNN!!!!" "Settle down, Mighty.... Fool, Maybe you should switch to decaf!" "It was the hot chocolate. He had, like, ten hot chocolates." Espio commented as he jumped out to retrieve the paper, almost sliding on the ice with every slippery step. He waded a few steps through the snow and pulled a colored paper from the marker box. He shoved it into the pocket of the blue parka he was wearing and slip-slided his way back to the boat while Mighty and Vector turned it. The other contestants were still slightly behind but gaining fast shouting and screaming all the way. The three Chaotix were finished the first half of the race. They waved laughed as they passed the other racers and ploughed towards the finish line, faster than they had come up. "Ha! loo-zers!" Espio taunted. "Yo, This time we got the wind at our backs. So it's gonna be smooth sailin' from here. I think I'll just kick back here and listen to some tunes." Vector said, stretching out and leaning against the mast and turning up the volume on his walkman. "You haven't done anything BUT kick back. We did all the work." "WHAT?" he yelled over the music. "I SAID, oh never mind." Espio sat down with his back against the mast. All of a sudden a blue streak sped by in the opposite direction, momentarily knocking the ice boat off course with the wind it produced. As Mighty tried to start them moving again the streak charged by again, this time moving the other way. The wind carried the ship forward at tremendous speed. Espio, Mighty, and Vector all held on for dear life, bracing themselves to what ever they could. Mighty dangled off the stern, still grasping the rudder while Vector and Espio hugged the mast. The ship came hurdling toward the finish line, but once there it kept on sliding, The three Chaotix closed their eyes and braced themselves for the impact, until it crashed violently into a snow bank with momentum so great that the ship was shattered to pieces upon impact and tossing it's passengers into the snow. Dizzy and slightly shaken Chaotix poked their heads from out of the snow bank. They were seriously shaken but not hurt. They didn't think that there was much reason to come out of the bank, because they knew the race had been lost, they all recognized that blue streak... "Oh ma stars! Are ya'll all right?" a metal arm was offered to Espio from a female rabbit in a pink coat and earmuffs whom he recognized immediately. A walrus in yellow windbreaker (which looked much too light for the weather) and a fox wearing aa stupid, fury looking hat and a scarf and a buttoned up uniform jacket (also rather chilly looking) were hovering over his friends. They also were familiar and confirmed the Chaotix's suspicions about the blue streak. "Ahm awful sorry, guys" she said to the three of them. "Yea, whatever, Bunnie." Vector said brushing the snow off his many coats. The croc looked like he had swelled up to twice his normal size his friends didn't know just how many trenchcoats he had on. Vector hated the cold a lot. There were shouts of praise and protest from the winners circle. All the contestants had now finished the race and were watching Sonic proudly display his trophy and giving the victory sign. Tails was bouncing happily and Sally Acorn was standing off to the side facing away from Sonic with her arms crossed, looking a little bit angry. Some racers were talking to the judges, "But he didn't have a team.....or a boat!!!" one complained. "Yea, he just skated! I don't think he meets the age requirement either." The Chaotix ran up and through the crowd. "Hey!" Sonic greeted them "Did you guys see the race? Ha ha! I passed those suckers in the lead! Wow, did I cream them! No autographs, please" he said to the crowd Sally sighed angrily "Yea, we saw it." Mighty said briskly, shaking snow out of his scarf. "We saw it from reeeeeeeely close" Vector said. "Huh?" said the hedgehog dumbly. Sally sighed again, this time more of a growl than a sigh. "What's up, Sal? You haven't said much to me since I won." "You are so immature!" She exploded. "Why do you always have to be showing off!???! And so ignorant...... The Chaotix were the 'losers' you 'creamed'!" "Hey, I did not say losers! I said suckers!" He joked "So how's Charmy and Knuckles?" he asked the Chaotix politely. Sally would not be ignored, though. "Charm is in the Strawberry Fields, he forgot his hat or something. We aren't sure where Knuckles is. He was supposed to come." Espio answered bluntly. "You always have to go around being impulsive!" Sally yelled "I thought you liked my spontaneity!" Sonic yelled back. Tails snuck away from Sonic and Sally and hid behind Bunnie's legs. "Not when you spontaionously decide to be a jerk for no reason!!!" "I know! Why don't we all go see the ice castle?" Rotor interupted "Oui! Allons-y! Les Chaotix aussi! I herd it iz trez manufique!" Antoine said, realizing what Rotor was trying to do. Before Sonic could even tell Antoine to shut up he was interrupted by a yell of urgency. "HEY, GUYS!!" Something small was flying quickly towards them. "GUYS!!!" "It's Charmy! HEY,CHARM!" Mighty yelled at him. The little bee landed softly. He looked pale and exhausted. "Guys, you'll never guess what I just saw!" he said, out of breath "Hello there, Sugah bee" "Hey, freedom fighters!" Charmy smiled politely. He had been too frantic even to notice them. He then turned to the Chaotix again "I just saw the Dark Legion, the whole thing! they were near that old fortress of theirs!" "So?" yawned Vector "They had the tanks and the U.F.Os and everything. I think they're planning an attack!" "They can't attack, everyone is at the Winter carnival" Mighty said ".......wait a minute!" he said realizing, ",everyone is at the Winter carnival! They can just walk into Echidnanopolis and take over!" "Where is Knuckles?" Espio wondered out loud. "Ya know what I think? I think that a certain dirty, little, pink, Legion lovin', Kragok's butt kissin', ugly, atomic bi-otch who shall remain nameless may be influencing our old pal. Notice how all this is going on and he's nowhere to be seen? Maybe we should start callin' her 'The Pink Widow'. " He drew a line across his throat with his index finger making the 'ccccccc' sound indicating a cutting motion. "Vector, I don't think..." "Stopping them would be HIS job." Espio said "So what, Esp? It's not like we're just his back up boys. We'll stop this ourselves." "I don't mean that. I just wonder what kept him from the race. I don't have anything against Julie-Su but she hasn't really proven her loyalty. Even if it wasn't her than maybe someone else took him out." "Yes! some more action!" Sonic cheered. "What?" Sally groaned "We're going to rescue the guardian and save the Floating island" he said enthusiastically "First of all, he probably doesn't need rescuing, maybe he's just late. Second, don't you think that this is the Chaotix business. They didn't invite us along and I can't say I blame them." "What?" "I don't even know if I want you around right now. I can't say what they're thinking." "We'd love for you freedom fighters to come along. It'll be good to have some extra help." Espio said. "Let's get goin' then! I cant wait to kick me some Dark Legion butt!" Sonic started to speed off. "Don't you think it would be wise to scout it out first?" Sally sighed "Fine" Sonic shrugged coming to a screeching halt. So the pack left the Winter carnival for the location where Charmy had seen the gathering. Sonic and Sally walked side by side but not looking at each other. Each kept a stone cold visage and their words to themselves. The evening fell and it was beginning to snow. An abundance of beautiful colored lights were turned on inside the massive Ice castle flooding it with color. It looked like it were made of jewels. The falling snow glittered with the bright blues, pinks, reds and purples of the tiny, twinkling lights. "Oh, Sonic! isn't it b..." Sally caught herself before she could let her romantic thought slip out. The lights on the rides were turned on as well as the lights around the skating rink and ski hills. They showed a clear trail for which the freedom fighters to take. "Yea, Sal. It is." he sighed, wondering if this meant the fight was over... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- back at the Dark Legion camp ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sky was dark and getting darker all the time. Seeing as it was getting rather late the members of the Dark Legion had grown weary of their wait. The events of that evening had been forgotten. Now, one large flood light was being turned on and it's depthless glare shone in the eyes of all the legion as they saw five cloaked figures step out of the woods. They were all surprised to see that there was no damage to the trees or soil. On the Mobius they came from half the earth was scorched, half frozen, a tragic side effect of the war between the fire ants and the snow crabs. Code remembered that the chronometer in the Great Hall had said they had slept for ten years. She wondered how all the damage could have been undone that fast. "Why didn't you use the door in the tree?" Kragok whispered to the one he thought was Ayashi. "You didn't tell us to." Spade answered him bringing back his hood. "(Is this the new master, Ayashi?)" Spade asked. "(It is the man who SAYS he is)" "I'm sorry about that." Kragok apologized. "Come up to the platform. I'm about to give an address" for one of the first times Kragok did not know what to say. The reason that he waited for the creatures so long was because he wanted them to do most of the explaining. "There are more of you now." he stated this more as a fact than an observation, as if they didn't know that there were more of them now. "Yes. I am Spade, The Fourth Brother." Spade introduced himself, loudly to the audience as well as Kragok. The crowd did not seem to know what was going on. "Code. Sister Third." Code said. "Cinquo and seize here, but we don't go by numbers after the first four, it can get really dumb after the two hundred and fifty. I am Akuma, the fifth and this is Seraphim the sixth." "What's this? A baby?" He said looking at Seraphim. The child squirmed to get away. She seemed afraid to have Kragok touch her. "It must be your metal hand scaring her." The baby started to cry and loudly, a shrill whine intermitted by birdlike squawks . She dug her sharp talons into Akuma's arm. "Aki, take her back down" Spade said "Ok that's a... Ouch! (stop it, Sera) good (I mean it, Sera)....idea." She stepped hurriedly over to the tree elevator and tugged on the branch. "And you are Ayashi and Celebra?" He hoped that he remembered the strange names, and pronounced them correctly. "Yes." Celebra nodded absently. "Code...Celebra...? those are not proper echidna names." he stated blandly. "I'm not a proper echidna." Celebra said, in equally as bland a manner. "We picked our names" Code told him. "Just a moment, I have to explain some things to the Dark legion...." Kragok realized that he had told his followers nothing yet about these strange beings and they could not see how they looked without their cloaks and hoods on. While wearing the Dark Legion garb they looked like ordinary members of the Dark legion. "Only, could you remove your hoods first?" They obliged, one by one shedding the hoods. There was no stir in the crowd, no one moved; no one spoke, there was no fear or disgust, only disbelief. They saw one normal echidna, two with weird antenna and one with ears who looked as if he were mixed with weasel. There were occasional times on Mobius when unlikely species would mate, but there were no insect/mammel mixes such as the two with antennas or jaws. They had heard Kragok mention Genetic engineering was the cause for their existence. Genetic engineering on Mobius had a long history and had always been sort of a taboo subject. There were those who attempted it and those who succeeded. They worked and existed in a shroud of mystery, some believed that their work would benefit Mobius, others worked for their own purposes. The results of these testing experiments were certain undisclosed, unnatural 'freaks', most slipped away between the cracks or simply hid from the light. Some were locked away or killed, never mentioned again, swept away and forgotten like dust under a carpet. No one ever seemed to learn from the mistakes of others who came before because they were never mentioned. One of the primary beliefs of the Dark Legion since it began was that echidnas were the foremost species on Mobius, they believed that since they had once been the most technologically advanced of all species. When echidnas decided to renounce technology they formed a group that held these beliefs with a vengeance. Since they thought of as echidnas as the best species on mobius it was a shame for them to see their blood mixed with that of 'lesser' species. They believed that all species should keep to themselves to be kept pure. Up on the platform with Kragok Ayashi was listening to these thoughts. Celebra and Spade would never probe a mind for thoughts like this but Ayashi wanted to know the truth. So far, what he could tell was that all his memories of the past were wrong, or these people had not experienced the same past that he had. One thing he knew for sure was that everything Kragok said to tell him was a lie. Akuma brought Seraphim back to the Great Hall, with Seraphim nearly ripping her cloak the whole way with her baby talons as she cluched it. "I can't wait 'till you're grown again so I can pick on somebody my own size." she said holding the little mink in front of her. Chash, a muscular reptile-like feline with greenish yellow, lizard-like eyes was standing alongside a baby sized pod that looked about ready to open. "(What's the matter?)" he asked Akuma. He thought it rather than bothering to speak directly. It was a much more accurate way of communicating, as well as faster and easier. Mental pictures could be sent along with words so those who communicated in this way knew exactly what the other was saying quite easily. "(Sera. She's being difficult. It's so cold in here! when are we gonna thaw out?)" Chash gave a short laugh, "(There are only a few more pods left to open, I'd say, oh, seventy two. I guess those of you with the fire ant genes instead of snow crab genes aren't as resistant to cold as us, eh?)" "I'll be laughing at you and Sera here when the summer time roles around." Akuma noticed that the room was deserted except for Chash, "(Hey, where is everyone?)" "(I let them go to their personal quarters for the night. Some want a chance to sleep or just thaw out completely. Others want a chance to catch up with people they haven't seen since the freeze.)" "(Lucky them! I'd have loved a chance to thaw.)" "(Like I said, you fire ants...)" he smiled "Shut up." Akuma laughed "(Is the big computer thingie over there working?)" she pointed at a section of the massive, multi layered control system that towered above them in the center of the room. "(All systems are online, to my knowledge. If Code were here she could probably tell you, but I guess everything's working.)" "(Good. I want to use the age thing on Sera. You can help. I don't remember much.)" "(I've been using this thing all night. It's getting annoying. every time I do it with a different subject I have to start the program all over)" Inside all of the small pods was a creature that had been made into a baby again. This saved a lot of storage space but Chash had taken it upon himself to oversee the reprograming of all the young ones. Akuma lumbered over to the control center with Seraphim. Tye little mink was becoming quite heavy. Her hooves clicked on the steel as she traversed the metal floor. At the bottom of the tower was a large, glass tube tinted aqua on a stand.There were wires and tubes running in and out, just like in the birth pods. Akuma pressed a button on the control panel and the tube slid up. Akuma gently slid Sera in and pressed the button for the tube to close. Chash sighed pressed the button next to the one she had pushed. "*Voice identification, please*" said the computer in codes voice. "(I don't remember my password.)" Akuma said "*Identify yourself, please*" "Identify my my butt, Code." "(It's Ok, Aki. we can use mine.) User voice identification: Chash." "*User voice identification: Chash. Chash.*"Repeted the computer using Chash's voice. "*System Password, please.*" "Genesis egg: reinstatement. Subject: Seraphim. User password: " Chash paused and looked at Akuma. "Go ahead. I don't care what your password is." "User password: ...Xury." "(Xury? Oh, Chash. I forgot about her.)" Xury was a girl who had been a part of their tribe of genetically enhanced Mobians. She looked like a gray sable with snow crab eye markings and gray eyes. Chash and her had been very close, she died during the 'purification' along with many others. Her face had been badly beaten and her eyes gauged.... Akuma then realized that she was wearing the Black Squadron uniform. That must have hurt Chash. "It's all right." Chash said absently out loud. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "And what is the significance of the number?" Kragok asked Ayashi. The Dark Legion had listened to basically everything Ayashi, Spade, Celebra and Code had said about everything. They had talked about the Black Squadron and the wars (not knowing that in this dimension none of these events had taken place.) "At first I thought it was because you were genetically engineered and the number indicated the order in which you came to be. But the Fourth is older than the Third and the Second and the sixth one is older than the fifth. How can that be?" "You were right. The first four of us have numbers given according to the order in which we were created as a part of our name." "Well then, why do you very so much in age?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The program that Code had devised for operating the CAE mitosis device was undeniably simple. Like all her programs it worked with simple voice commands. The default age for all of Garoc's creations was set at twenty. Once they came to think and exist they would choose their own age. A program was devised as soon as a new life form was created. All the knowledge that they would need to survive was in a standard default program, such as how to walk, and speak Mobian english as well as things they would need to know about how to act and behave around others. This eliminated the need to teach the beings how to do this, and eliminated the need for a childhood. Any other knowledge that was not standard was given to the subject in an individual program that was different from every other individual program. An extremely large data bank in the control center housed all the knowledge that was to be programmed into a subject. Plus if the subject selected an age that was younger than the age he or she had been before,then all acquired memories were stored in their program. Seraphim's program included a knowledge of biology and Mobian French, Chash selected her new age to be fifteen. Seraphim had seen all the suffering adults had caused in the other dimension, she wanted to be an innocent baby, a baby could not feel remorse or responsibility. As a baby she could feel only simple emotions. It just wasn't practical to keep her like that. She was unable to do anything for herself and required constant attention. Akuma had made the decision rashly to change Seraphim's age without her consent but she did not care. With the mood she was in now she didn't care much about how Seraphim would feel when she suddenly matured fourteen years. Akuma watched green lightning course through the tube and a bright light emitted from the inside, making it impossible to see what was going on. The light slowly died and the tube slid up with a and a scared, disoriented creature was inside. It was unmistakably Seraphim but a much older one. The talons on her hands were more noticeable and her feathers which had been almost white were now a little more gray. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So," Kragok cocked his head "You have a machine that can increase or decrease your age? And your age is a choice that you make?" "That's right." Code said "She programed most of it." Spade added "She programmed almost everything." said Celebra. "Yes, something I've been meaning to ask, Code," Kragok turned to her "You are the Code, Sister Third who left the message?" "Message?" Ayashi jumped in "What message?" Code twitched and shuffled nervously and did not look up at him. "I left a message and a program to awaken you." she said in a small voice. "So that's how they figured out how to awaken me!" Kragok didn't notice how late it was, it was almost 3 AM and the Dark Legion appeared tired ...yet interested. The eight who had gone in originally started telling everyone about what they had seen, describing Ayashi and Celebra. The whispers and the rumors flew like so much litter in a strong wind, from person to person. The rest would have to wait until tomorrow. Kragok announced that the speech was finished for the night and gave the order to set up the tents. He told Ayashi to make room in the fortress for the Dark Legion for tomorrow night. "That won't be a problem." He replied and they went back underground. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the forest Julie-Su was asleep, an uneasy dreamless sleep which brought no real rest. Luckily she had her back pack which held her provisions such as food. She had taken her spare cloak and ripped it up, fastening the tears to poles to make a tent. It was a pretty lame tent but it would do. She was not very far at all from the fortress but the bush was thick and she was well hidden. She had had a hard time falling asleep. A great portion of the time she spent cleaning wounds before they became infected and spiting out blood. She tossed about in the cold. The falling snow bit into her when the wind blew it into the tent. Before drifting off to sleep she wondered just what she would do. She had no where to go now, there was no place for her. Echidna society was scared of her, they had every right to be, but if they only gave her a chance, instead of labeling her as bad news from the start... Maybe she DID once believe what the Dark Legion told her, but people change. If it weren't for her appearance she would be accepted, but it didn't seem that anyone could look beyond her chrome plating. When Kragok and the genetically enhanced Mobians had been explaining things to the Dark Legion they had no idea that there were ten uninvited spectators watching from the sidelines. "Yo, Mighty, Charm, Esp, d'you hear that?" "I think we all heard it, Vector." "Shhh! Guys, I don't think they're all asleep yet." Sally said with a whisper. "Hey is anybody as confused as I am?" Sonic said loudly "Sonic! I said be quiet!" Sally hissed "I'm with Sugah Hog. I don't know what the hoo-ha's goin' on 'round here!" whispered Bunnie "Didn't you hear them, Bunnie? The Legion either created or found a genetically enhanced race." "Found?" Antoine looked nervous "Strange. That would mean that they was just lying around somewhere." Mighty said "That's not so strange, Mighty. Weird new zones have been popping up ever since the Doc's Ultimate Annihilator blasted Knothole into the future." Rotor said "You mean this is one of those zones?" Charmy asked "Exactly" "(Cel, what are you doing?)" Seraphim asked as she walked into Celebra's room with Akuma following close behind. She had herd muffled sounds of pain coming from inside. Everyone had had time to dress, Akuma had pulled most of her dark hair back with a red pony tail holder and wore a headband the same color red just in front of her ears. She wore her special boots with the cloven toe that fit her hooves comfortably and made walking much less noisy. Sera had put on delicate, gold colored sandals, Greek style with straps cris crossing up her legs and stopping just below her knee. When they walked in they saw Celebra lying face down on her bed. She was wearing short light greenish blue boots like she usually wore, she looked normal, except for the way she was lying. In her hand she weakly grasped an odd looking, gnarled, sharp, cutting tool. It was like a very long, very thin knife with jagged stems growing from it's sharp, black metal blade in random directions. The handle was silver and delicatly ornate with intricte paterns of birds and old fashioned flowers, a sharp contrast to the long, rusty blade. Akuma recoginized what it was before Sera even noticed it. It was a torture device that had been used by the Black Squadron. Not a replica, a real one, there was dry blood still on it, or was it fresh? Akuma remembered seeimg this device used before. Once inserted in the flesh of an animal it could not be easily withdrawn like a smooth bladed knife, it had to be violently wrenched and rotated and finally yanked, drawing behind it heavy chunks of flesh and splatering the animal's blood everywhere as it screamed with agony. Yes, Akuma remembered seeing it used. Used on the eyes of one of her sisters. She saw the look of terror as two of her former comrads held her arms and someone with that THING cluched tightly in his cowardly hand loomed closer toward her. Akuma had strained to hear his words. "Hold her head," he said to the man behind her in his rasping voice "Tightly!" Xury screamed and tried to escape. The scream echoed in Akuma's ears but there was nothing she or any of her friends could do. The first time he used it to gauge her right eye. She squeezed it tightly shut, so tightly her cheeks swelled, he did not poke it in far, just far enough to burst the eye. Blood streamed down her face, a disgusting cocktail mixed with puss and tears. He seemed to enjoy moving it around inside her and left it in a while before finally pulling it out. The next time he would plunge it straight through the left eye, and on into the head, into the brain... They ran away before they could see that, Aki dreaded to tell her friend Chash. Many weaks later Later, Celebra had taken it from the dead body of a member of the Squadron who had tried to capture her. It was the same one who had used on Xury... Cel's whole room was filled with such instruments, some type of long, pointed metal pole used for impailing, a silver dagger with a single word inscription: 'Purger'. The one who owned it must have though this to be a word describing him. Akuma prefered 'Hypocrite'. Walking a little closer to the spot where she lay Sera noticed bright red stains on the sheets and on Celebra's violet fur. It took them a moment to make the connection, the same red color was also on the metal tool she was holding. "Celebra!" Akuma screamed running over to her friend. "I'm Ok." came a muffled voice through the pillow. "Who did this?" Sera squeaked "Duh, Sera." "I did." Celebra did not raise her head. Most of the cuts were superficial but some looked deep, deep enough to scratch the bone. "Why?!!" Akuma yelled angrily shaking her up to a siting position "That is the stupidest thing ever!" Celebra didn't look at them or anything else her face was splashed with her own blood. What she saw, she saw behind her eyes. The unusual distance frightened Sera and Akuma, she was their closest friend yet they had never seen her like this. Then Celebra told them with a single thought, there were no words, just feelings, and they understood. When Celebra was outside all she could see was icy death. The snow killing all the grass, flowers starving... She didn't remember life, or death, or pain. She just wanted to feel pain, maybe the physical pain would cancel out the other, the inside pain, the pain of having no one want them and the pain of responsibility. For every one of these genetically enhanced Mobians alive there were three, maybe four who were dead and tortured, and even more innocent Mobians with simple birth defects killed for the same reason. The thought struck Akuma and Seraphim, and now they realized, NOW, she wanted others to feel pain too, everyone should pay for the pain they all felt. Celebra laughed, but nothing was funny, Sera smiled as well as Akuma and Sera's deminer hardened somewhat. "Ayashi's planing something. I don't know what it is yet but I know how his mind works." "You're right, Cel" Ayashi walked in followed by Code and a few others, "WE saved this planet yet yet they shunned us! They don't deserve the gift we gave them so we will take it back! We will have OUR planet back!" "Those fools, The Dark Legion, or whatever. They sound as though the Black Squadron could chew them up and spit them out!" a Fox/fireant-like creature named Koha said, "They'll be pushovers! We can use them for whatever our own gains may be." "But can THEY be trusted?" Code pointed out. "It doesn't matter. We can always use our powers against them. We are ready this time, for whatever they throw at us." Spade stated with perfect confidence. "There are Chaos emeralds nearby, can you all feel that our powers are strong here?" Many nodded and gave signs of agreement. "What's your plan Aya?" Celebra asked "I'm not sure yet. Where are you going" Celebra had silently started towards the door. "I don't know yet." She said softly, again not looking at anything but what was in her own mind, appearing to be on a different plain of conciousness. "Cel!" "I have to go outside." She said and slipped out without before being required to give any further explanation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Julie-Su had two rude awakenings in a row so far. The first being that alarm yesterday, and this time she experienced the pleasant feeling of having a crappy tent with a ton of snow on it cave in on her. She opened her eyes in pure darkness. It was about five AM she guessed. She wriggled out from under the heavy layer of snow. While she had slept almost a foot of heavy, wet snow had come down. "Just great!" she thought kicking a nearby tree. "OUCH!" the tree had stubbed her toe. This added to her other injuries from the fight was just about enough to make her collapse, right there, sight on scene. She felt her back slammed up against the trunk of the tree that she just kicked and slid down, slowly, and lay motionless in the freezing snow, her fur becoming soaked not wanting to get up. For the first time since yesterday, her dizzy, sick feeling relented. Now she was battling a different kind of feeling, a deep depression. A new wave of nausea swept over her. Her confidence, bravado and attitude lay in scattered places within her. She felt sick and sad and tired, she ached. Suddenly she felt her eyes roll back in her head and there was blackness... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Follow her." Ayashi said to Akuma, "Take Sera too. I'm worried about Cel, I don't know what she's thinking right now." "I'm afraid for her." Sera held herself as if hit suddenly bu an icy chill. "Let's go then. I Can follow her scent." Akuma grasped Sera by the talon and pulled her along behind. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Julie-Su woke up dry, next to a warm and crackling fire in a clearing she had never seen before. She stood up and let the flickering flames warm her hands. She was still soaked straight through to the bone but now she was warm. There were small footprints around her in the snow coming in a straight line from a place in the woods stopping around where she was and then doubling back. Julie-Su still felt miserable. She felt her insides moving. Her legs weakened and she dropped to her knees and wretched. There was a miserable, wet, throaty, hacking sound but nothing came up. It was a sunnier day than the last had been. The reflection of light on snow was dulling to her eye. It was supposedly noon when she woke up here. Now there was a small figure hunched over her. Just a shadow in the bright sunlight. Julie-Su wasn't sure if she was real or simply reverie, induced by her weakened state. "Here, I brought you your back pack." The figure's voice was an echo. Simply an echo, coming from far away, but it was sincere and kind and genuinely caring ",You need to eat something. Is there food in here? Can I look for you?" Julie-Su tried to answer but instead of her voice she let out a low, dry squeak. Realizing that the person probably hadn't herd it she gave a weak nod in agreement. The girl propped her up against a rock and went through her bag, she retrieved one of Julie-Su's food rations. A package containing vegetable chili. She pulled a pan from Julie-Su's pack and poured the contents into it. Julie-Su watched but could only make out a faint outline of the things around her. She closed her eyes again and could not open them. Once more she fell asleep. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Celebra? What on Mobius is that?" "It's an echidna. A pink one." "I know that! What? A goldfish wasn't enough of a challenge for you so you got a pet birthie?" "It's not a pet. She's sick. I found her back there in the woods." "And just where did you aquire this newfound compassion?" "Geez, Aki. I just didn't want to leave her." Celebra had crept quietly past the tents of the sleeping Dark Legion and tiptoed into the woods. Everything around her was dead or dying in her eyes. She couldn't stand even to see a blade of grass die at first. Back in the old life she had killed and hurt so many times. Now she felt guilty for it. That had so seldom happened. She wanted those who had hurt her to suffer but she didn't want to hurt again... She was desensitizing herself to pain, death and remorse. She had to familiarize herself with them again. She was just getting used to seeing the cruelties all around her when, suddenly she caught sight of what appeared to be a dead animal lying on it's back in the snow. Quickly she ran up to it. Placing a tri-fingered hand on it's throat she let it slip between the thin bone to the side and the windpipe. Locating the main artery she felt a very slow, irregular heartbeat. The echidna girl was not frozen yet, but barley living. Celebra knew that she needed to get this creature warm, she hoisted it onto her back and dragged it off towards the east. It was bigger than her and so, heavier also but Celebra soon reached a clearing. This would be a safe place to make a fire. She cleared a patch of snow off the ground and placed Julie-Su there. Then quickly brought some wood to build a fire. She concentrated hard produced a small fire inside of her then opened her mouth, breathed and let it escape onto the loose mat of sticks. Eventually the creature had woken up but fell asleep again. Then Sera and Akuma had Come along... Again, Julie-Su woke up, but this time she felt much better. She was completely dry and wrapped in a warm blanket. She could smell a delicious, pungent aroma, like tomato sauce and beans, mixed also with the smell of fresh toast. She rubbed her eyes and looked up. Seeing Celebra for the first time, being so tired, she almost screamed. She looked like a purple echidna alien from outer space or something. There was also a rather average looking brown coyote with strange, red boots, and ...a punk angel with blue hair? This had to be a dream. "Cel, She's awake again." The punk angel whispered to the purple alien. "Hello." Smiled the coyote. Her voice sounded vaguely spanish. "Hey...how's it going?" Julie-Su stammered "You got separated from the Dark Legion. When Cel found you in the woods you were suffering from hypothermia," ",and the flu." Celebra added. "Wait a sec. Why do you think I'm in the Dark Legion?" "Does every Mobian these days have steel-plated hair?" Akuma laughed. "You have it written all over you." "If I can ask a question first, WHAT are you?" "Weren't you there when Kragok explained?" Cel asked "The Legion and I... have grown apart these past few days." Julie-Su lowered her head to her chest. "So you're not in the Legion?" Akuma asked "Not anymore." Julie-Su didn't look up at them. "I ran away. I think Kragok was about ready to kill me." "That explains al those bad scars!" Celebra exclaimed. Julie-Su's face was badly beaten by a metal fist. Her knee was swollen and there were large bruises all over her. "No, that was just me taking on five or six guys by myself. If you think I came out the looser you should see them. Kragok didn't lay a hand on me." She meant for that to sound impressive, although, in reality Kragok had actually laid a claw on her, but she wasn't lying. She touched her neck and felt the scar Kragok's claw had made remembering how much it hurt. "Can you tell me what you are now?" "My name is Celebra, this is Akuma and Seraphim." "Uh huh...?" "We are genetically engineered Mobians." Sera said quietly "We were awakened from ten years of cryogenic sleep." "I'm a hybrid echidna, fire ant," Celebra said, "...kola, chipmunk... well I'm a lot of things, not just a mix of species. The creator selected qualities for my personality and talents I should have. Then he programed me with them. My appearance is a side effect. I have the genes of over a thousand animals from twenty different species." Julie-Su looked very confused "Wha-?... I go away for a few HOURS and the Dark legion finds you guys?" 'So that's what was in the base!' she thought. 'It must be one of those new zones!' "I'm Julie-Su." "Julie-Su?" Celebra repeated "I like it." "I thought all of Mobius would know about us." Akuma thought out loud with a wistful tone of voice. "At least they've stopped blaming us for the genocide, It's amazing that you cleaned up Mobius so fast after the Fire ant and Snow Crab wars too..." 'What is she talking about?' Julie-Su wondered. She didn't remember any Fire ant Wars or genocide, she had never herd of a 'Snow crab'. "Here, eat this." Sera offered her the chili and the bread, which Julie-Su consumed hungrily. "One thing I want to know..." Julie-Su said around mouthfuls of food, "What's with the 'Genocide'?" "I cant believe you don't know. Half the living Mobians were killed!" "Nothing like that ever happened here on the floating island to my knowledge, but the Dark Legion was in another dimension for a long time." She said with her mouth full" "What's the floating island?" A confused Seraphim was drawing circles in the snow with a talon. "We're on it right now!" "Is it an island that floats?" "Well that's what the name suggests..." Akuma looks annoyed, "So we're floating around in some ocean right now?" "It floats in the air." Julie-Su said taking another bite "Don't you know?" "The air?! how is that possible?" "I can't believe you don't know this. The Chaos emeralds make it float." "Wow." Celebra sighed "How cool." she loved the idea of an island floating in the sky, soaring through clouds... "Now about the genocide...WHY were all those Mobians killed?" "WE cant believe YOU don't know that! The Black Squadron killed them. They killed us AND a whole bunch of Birthies." "Whaties?" "Birthies is what we call Mobians that were born, or hatched from an egg, it's not a very polite term, I guess, but they sure had some names for us..." Akuma Explained "So, like I asked, WHY were all those Mobians killed?" "Because of us." Sera said bitterly "No, Sera, don't make it sound like our fault." Akuma said. "It really wasn't our fault." She looked ar Julie-Su with pleading brown eyes, silently begging Julie-Su to believe her. "After WE stopped the war," Celebra tried to emulate the cocky tone that Julie-Su had used when subtly bragging about taking on the five guys at once. "Mobius still had it's prejudice against the fire ants and snow crabs. They didn't trust us because we had their genes. The Black Squadron; the society that created us, double-crossed us. Once we had fulfilled our purpose they planed to destroy us." "Probably because they knew that we could easily destroy them." observed Akuma "Their solution for dealing with us: extermination." Celebra flailed her short arms in a grand sweeping gesture to complement this sentence. "That was what they called 'purification'. Soon they decided that EVERY the genetically created or enhanced Mobian should be killed, except them, of course." Seraphim said, he voice cracking as she held back tears. "But you see, the criteria for deciding who was and wasn't genetically engineered wasn't all that clear," Akuma stated, "They started rounding up every Mobian with an above average talent, a strange birthmark, or anyone who's parents were two different species." She let out a dry laugh that wasn't really a 'laugh', mocking sound was more like it. "We spent THREE years of our lives just running," Sera's tears finally broke out ",Running and hiding...and fearing" "And fighting." Celebra laughed, a laugh lighter and more real a laugh than Akuma's. "There was nowhere to go," Akuma put a hand on her friend's shoulder as she heaved dry sobs of pain, "The Black Squadron was supposed to be our ally, our friends, and the Birthies, those who were born in a womb or an egg, I mean, instead of being created artificially like us, well, they hated us!" "It was like were were trapped between two worlds." Akuma sighed while still comforting Seraphim. "Not belonging in either, I know how you feel." Julie-Su said sadly. If they had only known how much of a nerve they had struck in her. They felt exactly what she was feeling. When she wasn't in the Dark Legion there was no way for her to simply blend in to Echidna society, everyone would see her as a steel-plated freak, one who had been a part of some group of technologically driven radicals. Every scrap of metal on her, every atom within it was a chain that forever binded her to the Dark Legion. She would have to bear these chains all her life and every day be reminded of her bad choice. At least there WAS a choice for her though, she realized that Sera, Akuma and Celebra had never asked to be made the way they were. Julie-Su finished the chili and soaked up the last drops with the remainder of the toast. She was still a little hungry, the aroma of it still hung in the air... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "No, seriously, guys. I smell chili dogs!" "Sonic, There's no way there are chili dogs out here." Sally sighed. The freedom fighters were exhausted and hungry. They had staked out the Dark Legion camp for hours without sleeping or eating. Sonic whined almost as much as Antoine about it too. He had come to the Floating Island looking for a good time at the Winter Carnival, he didn't think that they'd waste all their time patrolling the 'Dork Legion's' looser base camp out. The Chaotix had been looking forward to the winter games since they herd they existed. They were more than a little disappointed that they had only participated in one contest and, 'thanks to Sonic', they thought, suffered an embarrassing defeat. Sally was annoyed at the way Sonic had been acting. She thought that a trip to the carnival would be fun, she expected Sonic to pay a bit of attention to her, instead of running off first thing, and then acting like such a immature kid. "You're just hungry, that's all." Added Bunnie. "The nose knows, guys and I can smell a chile dog a mile away." Sonic gestured towards a path made by three sets of footprints. "Thataway!" "Sonic I've never seen footprints like those." Sally pointed to the small round tracks with an odd triangle shape in the front made by Akuma's boots for her cloven hooves. "Whatever, it doesn't matter." Sonic said preparing to speed up. "Hold it! You're waiting for us!" "Aww...Fine." He said pouting. The sky was clear and pale azure, the warm sun made was a welcome contrast to yesterday's gloomy overcast state but the sun made the snow wet and difficult to walk through. "This would have been the perfect type of snow for a snowball fight," Espio said with a slight sly smile picking up a glove full of the white slush. "You start a snowball fight now and I'll kick your purple butt back to the Carnival zone." Vector slapped the ball away from him. "That would be flying economy class for sure." Charmy laughed "It also would have been the perfect kind of snow for Carnival's sculpture contest," Espio sighed. "Please stop talking about how much fun we're not having." Mighty growled "Someone's coming." Akuma herd the crunch of the wet snow as someone was walking through it, the snap of twigs on branches as they were being pushed out of the way. Sonic emerged first, followed by the rest of the freedom fighters and the Chaotix. No sooner than he had stepped into the clearing than he felt a weird icy blast hit him. It wasn't like a snowball or anything so tangible, it was like a ball of pure energy that hit him and shivered with a strange electricity and and froze him from the inside. He fell backward to the ground, Stunned and freezing, tiny icicles clinging to every quill, he shuddered, the chill went straight to the bone. "SERA!" "I'm sorry!" She was scared when she saw them coming. It was an instinct. She did what a snow crab would have done. Summoned the ice within her and let it go, like letting some dangerous, ravenous animal out of a cage to wreak it's havoc. It was a natural defence. Vector and Julie-Su noticed each other right away. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Your sisters the wicked witches of the north, south and east come to join, y'all for an Eye 'o newt tea party or something? or is this just an old fashioned cauldron spell cast session?" "You know him, Julie-Su?" Celebra asked, rising and clenching her fists. "Unfortunately." "(Are they enemies of her's)" Akuma thought to Celebra. "(Are they enemies of OUR'S is more the question here.)" Seraphim answered in Celebra's place. "(Well they are now that you iced one of 'em)" Tails and Rotor pulled Sonic back to a standing position each bracing him on one side. "I'll get 'em for you Sonic." Tails said through clenched teeth. He left his hero's side and flew in a direct line towards Seraphim. She was unprepared when he hit her at such velocity. He pushed her to the ground and started hitting blindly. All her strength wasn't enough to lift him off. Sera grabbed one of his arms tightly with her left talon and would not let go. Tails felt a wave of cold rush into him, shuddering through his flesh. In the icy blue eyes of the girl who was holding him there was an evil look and a little smile crossing her lips. With a desperate pull Tails yanked his arm free and howled with pain. Her sharp talon had sliced into him, cutting three deep, oozing wounds. Sera drew back in terror at what she had done. This had been a small child, yet to see him lying there, so sore and bleeding. A small, wretched creature, it gave her a very odd, very strong sense of power. It had been with so little effort... She reached up to brush the hair from her eyes and his blood, still lingering on her talon smeared across her face. Disgusting. Yet, she there was a little on her mouth, and she felt compelled, to lick her lips...and taste it... "Is it Hallowe'en already" Vector scoffed looking at Celebra. She was so small compared to him and so weak looking. He could break her like a twig. "If there's one thing I hate--" Her golden yellow eyes suddenly began to glow a bright green. "(Cel, no!)" Akuma warned "(OH YES, AKI!)" Celebra laughed a wild, hearty laugh. Vector drew back. Cel's antennae caught a misty green glow, her dreadlock/jaws twitched. The next thing Vector knew he was flying through the air, his speed increased steadily for a few seconds, then he was abruptly slammed into the trunk of a large oak. Luckily for him, the impact was broken by his shell of coats. Espio cloaked himself, waiting for the right moment... With hungry eyes Sera scanned the group of of furies who had filed into the clearing, picking out her next target. She settled on Mighty, he looked robust and strong, a worthy match. Meeting her icy stare he stepped forward... "That was a cute little trick, but I aint all that impressed." Vector said, shaking himself off. Cel was surprised to see him get up but she was ready. Sally drew closer and motioned for Bunnie to follow. Bunnie nodded and together they inched closer to Celebra as she watched Vector get up. All three came at her at once, Sally hit first with a flying kick then Bunnie held her tightly, Vector threw a strong right punch at the side of her head. It was unsuccessful in knocking her out but she was extremely dazed and paining, all over now, from the hits and her own, self inflicted wounds. Akuma Stood off to the side with Julie-Su, She was deliberately trying to avoid fighting. Julie-Su was shaking her head wondering 'How could this happan?' Espio crept up slowly behind Akuma, trying to make very little noise. No matter how he tried, Akuma still herd him, but was unable to locate where the sound was coming from. She was suddenly thrown back by an enormous shove that seemed to come from nowhere. There was a punch in her stomach and than a kick. "Ai! Who...Ow keeps doing that?" Espio continued to batter her with random and damaging hits. Julie-Su saw that Espio, even though he was cloaked was leaving an obvious set tracks in the snow. Watching every step she quickly determined his next move... "So c-c-c-cold..." Sonic shuddered. The icy feeling was starting to leave his arms and legs but it hurt the most deep in his chest. It was like the frozen touch of frost on his heart, every beat sent a new wave of agony through his stiff veins. His head ached profusely, like the headache when you eat ice cream too fast, only a thousand times worse. He raised his head slowly, it felt heavy as a boulder to him, every inch was like lifting his own body weight with his neck. He hadn't noticed Rotor leaving his side, but there was the walrus, out on the field with Charmy and Antoine (like a coward) was cringing off to the side. Mighty was engaged in feverish combat with what looked to be, an angel? He seemed to be getting the upper hand, Rotor was his backup. He scanned the dead, icy meadow, close to the edge he could make out Julie-Su and an unfamiliar brown figure. The brown thing was struggling and every once in a while was thrown back as if hit by an invisible force. Julie-Su loomed closer, ready to strike at the unseen thing. With a quick sweep of the air she felt something solid in her hand, she had Espio by the horn in the center of his forehead. He decloaked quickly and turned around. Akuma was standing akimbo and looked very angry. She smiled this weird, scary half smile and placed an open hand just below his chin. Julie-Su watched in horror as Akuma's outstretched paw lit spontaionously. She was about to touch the flaming hand to Espio's face as he looked on with terror. Julie-Su quickly threw him out of the way. Sonic looked over to another part of the clearing, Bunnie was holding some, dead? alien looking thing, tightly with her robotic arm as Sally and Vector stood nearby. Just like the coyote's hand had spontaionously caught fire, the small, purple thing held by Bunnie did a similar thing. She appeared to be having a ceisure, those weird antennae on her head started to glow and then, like a dud firework, or something you left in the microwave too long, she was consumed in flames. Bunnie's arm became red hot, she felt it sizzling where fleash and metal met on her shoulder. She screamed in agony and Sally quickly pushed her into the snow. There was steam and a loud hissing sound as the steel cooled, Bunnie sighed with relief. "Thanks, Sally-girl. Ah don't know what I'd do without you." she sighed as her friend helped her up. Celebra was still a human fireball, searing into the snow-packed ground. She surveyed everything, it was distorted through the dancing flames. She carefully planed another move. One thing that was grating Sonic was the absence of Tails. Had Sal sent the little guy off to hide somewhere? If so he would probably be angry when this was all through. Another sweep of the landscape and Sonic noticed a little brown spot in the snow, it was far away from everyone and did not move. It took a second for him to realize... That was his little buddy lying there, his best friend! "Oh my god." Sonic meant to scream but all that escaped his frozen lips was a pathetic, dry whisper. He knew he had to get up. If the sight of seeing Tails, lying beaten in on the ground wasn't enough to melt his heart and enflame him with anger, He figured, that,combined with a Sonic spin to get his blood flowing, would just about do the trick. Celebra threw her flaming body at Vector, his outermost coat caught fire quickly and burned his scaly skin, he dropped to the ground and rolled, trying to kill the flames. She turned towards Sally. Unknown to anyone, Spade, Ayashi, and a few others were watching this fight. "Birthies..." Spade said with utter disdain. "Wait for the right moment,"Ayashi said "We'll teleport the whole lot of 'em out of here in just a second..." Sonic was charging up, he felt much better now, much less cold, but just as angry, saw a bright wall of flame heading for Sally. He sped off, like a loose buzz saw blade, slicing through the snow, kicking it up behind him as he went. Celebra saw a blue streak coming towards her, she started to run straight for it to intercept it. Rotor was holding Sera by the wings, it hurt desperately, she felt like they were being pulled from her back. Mighty took her from Rotor and spun her around, waiting for the right moment to let go. Akuma was swatting at Charmy as he buzzed crazy patterns around her head. While she was distracted Espio got up and prepared to do his fave spinning attack. "STOP!" JUlie-Su yelled, A long angry, attention grabbing yell. Sonic and Cel smashed into each other. Celebra was thrown back by the force of his speed, Sonic felt his soft quills smoldering. Mighty let go of Sera and she skidded along the ground. "(Aki, Celebra, Sera get a hold of them.)" "Ayashi?" "What's an ayashi" Sonic asked. "You'll find out, Hedgehog." She laughed grabbing his arm. "What the...?" A large, bearlike creature suddenly appeared and grabbed hold of Sally, Vector and Bunnie. Ayashi grabbed a screaming Antoine and Tails. On a single command all the chaotix and freedom fighters were rounded up, then, (an experience all the chaotix knew well,) were suddenly teleported to a different place. An unfamiliar place, chrome shone, bathed in green light. It was like a beautiful palace but sturdy and strong looking like a fortress. "Put them in there," Spade said pointing toward a metal door. "Them too." He pointed to Sera,Celebra, and Akuma. "What?" Ayashi looked a bit surprised. "Just do it." Spade said, then, looking at Akuma, "You are on your honor to stay there. Teleport out and you will ALL face me." "Aya?" Celebra's voice sounded very small and hurt as the door closed and locked. Ayashi shrugged. "AYASHI!" She yelled angrily slamming her fist against the door. "(Why did you insist on putting them in there too?)" Ayashi asked his brother as they walked down the long hallway. "(I don't trust those three. They each do what the other does. Celebra was talking with that birthie, I have a feeling she's what started this fight.)" "(Who? The birthie?)" "(We'll have to keep her separate from the rest of the legion, her enemies too. All of them have the potential to stop us, as for Sera, Akuma and Celebra, compassion for birthies should not be tolerated.)"