From Ashes to Ashes, Chapter 3 Meanwhile, back at the hideout, Marigold is sitting near the fireplace, filing her nails. The door starts to slides open slowly. Marigold pops her bubble. "Like, who's is it or some junk?" There's on answer. Marigold gets up and walked towards the door. The door stops moving. "Maybe it's the wind" she though, chewing her bubble gum. The door then blows open, knocking Marigold out, pinning her underneath it. Minutes later, Nack and Knock come to the hideout, finding the door blown off. "What the ....?" Nack says Nack and Knock carefully walk inside. "Mary. MARY!" Laura screamed. A groan is heard from under the door. Laura tries to lift the door off. "Nack, help me!" Nack runs over and help Laura lift the door. Marigold is found underneath. "What happened?" Marigold sakes. "Someone broke in here," said Nack, slowing looking around the room. His eyes fixed on the fireplace. "NO!" Nack gets on his knees, crying. "What's wrong sweety?" Asked Laura Nack points to the fireplace. The Chaos Emerald is missing. Back in Robotroplis "Robotnik, it's me, Wesley, I have a present for you." Ashes to Ashes, Chapter 4 "Sir, that weasel is here again, should I let him in?" "Yes, Snively, let him in." Snively leaves to let the weasel in. "Come with me," remarked Snively in his usual snobbish manner. "Sure thing, Snob-ly," replied Wesley. Snively and Wesley enter the Robotnik's throne room. "Wesley, how good it is to see you," Robotnik says as he motions for Snively to leave. Snively leaves. "I take it you have a Chaos Emerald for me?" "Sure, I got your Chaos Emerald," says Wesley as he pulls out a white Chaos Emerald from his bag, "but first, I need to know something." "That was not a part of are deal, Nicholas." "The name's Wesley, Nick is no more!" "Yes, Wesley, well, what is this information you desire?" "Why do you need this?" Wesley asks, tossing the Chaos Emerald up and down. "Be careful with that you fool!" "Tell me why you need the Emerald." "Very well," Robotnik says, "but realize that in exchange for this information, you will not be paid for your services" Wesley paused for a moment. The money did not matter to him. It was the trill of the theft he lived for. Quickly, he agreed. "Very well," said Robotnik, "Come with me" Robotnik presses a button on his throne. The throne detaches from it's base and begins to levitate. Both Robotnik and Wesley leave the throne room. They travel through a series of corridors until they came up to a large hangar door labeled with the number 15. Robotnik pushes a button and both him and Wesley proceed through the door. "What is all this?" Wesley asks, looking around what appears to be a large hanger of some sort. "Wesley, I run many several operations at Robotroplis. The maintenance of my robots and their manufacture, amongst other projects, places a great strain on our electrical generators." "So?" remarks Wesley "So, I require alternate means of power. I intend to use the Chaos Emeralds for this purpose." "I see, but how?" "With what stand before you. This is the Chaos Emerald Electrical Generator." Robotnik leaves his levitating throne and walks over to the generator. "Wesley, hand me the Emerald." Wesley hands the Chaos Emerald to Robotnik. Robotnik then places it in one of the seven cradles of the generator. After a few seconds the generator starts to hum. Robotnik looks at the generator carefully. "The generator is operational, but not to its fullest potential. Wesley," Wesley, interrupting Robotnik's sentence, "You need me to steal another Chaos Emerald. No sweat Doc, just next time, there will be no questions." Meanwhile, back at the Floating Island "It's getting dark Sal, shouldn't blue boy be back by now?" "You're right Ashe. I'm starting to worry." Ashe, getting up and grabbing his cannon, acting macho, "You want me to look for the twirp?" "Wait, Nicole, scan the area for life." "Activating Sally. Found, Miles Prower, Princess Sally Alicia Acorn. One unidentified life form at six inches north of your current location." "Still haven't fixed it, have you?" "No," Sally pauses. Sally then reaches into her bag and removes a pair of red tinted glasses. "Ashe, takes these." "Cool shades!" "They are heat vision glasses. They should help you find Sonic in the dark." Ashe puts on the glasses. "Cool," he replies. Suddenly, a ruffle is heard in the bushes nearby. Sally, Tails, and Ashe in unison, "Sonic?" It wasn't Sonic, it was Amy Rose, holding a bunch of flowers. "AMY!" Ashe screams, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Amy went up to Ashe and give him a hug and a kiss. "I missed you Ashe," she replied. Amy hands Ashe the flowers. "I picked them for you," she says. Ashe tosses the flowers into the campfire. Amy sees this and starts to cry. "Amy, I, I didn't mean it. It's just, Sonic's missing, and I'm a little edgy. It's not safe here." Ashe gives Amy a hug and, reluctantly, a kiss. Amy looks up at Ashe and then buries her head in his chest. "Amy, you better say here for the night." Ashe puts Amy down. "I have to go find Sonic" Meanwhile, at the hideout of Nack and Laura "Nick did this!" Nack said, getting up from the floor, clenching his fist. "How can you tell?" asked Laura. "I can feel it!" Nack grabs his bag and hat. "Where are you going?" asked Laura "To settle an old score." "You're not going after Nick alone! I'm coming with you." "NO! You stay here with Marigold," Nack's eyes grew narrower, "He's MY brother, I have to handle him." With that, Nack left the hideout. "So, like, now what?" asked Marigold, chewing her bubble gum To be continued Sonic, Tails, Sally, Robotnik, Snively and Nack are copyrighted Sega/DiC/Archie/Fleetway Ashe, Mary Gold/Marigold, Laura 'Knock' Lemon, and Wesley Nicholas 'Nick' Weasel are copyrighted by Thomas/Ashe sonic__@geocities.com sonic_@ix.netcom.com