Sally's Quest, part 3

A King, A Princess, and a Sword.
part 3 of Sally's Quest


This story is copyright 1998 by Will 'Chaos Omega' Wells. Do not sell or alter 
this story in any way. This means YOU!
The characters and concepts here in are the property of Sega, Archie Comics, DiC 
productions, and by the novelist Patricia C. Wrede. Concepts adapted by me, the 
author.
The characters Cmega, Nia, Zemetor, and Entoral are the property of me, Chaos 
Omega. The character Kazul and the spells are mostly the property of Patricia C. 
Wrede, used without permission. For more info (or the usual questions, comments, 
flames, and fan mail) e-mail me at: cmega@hotmail.com

Author Note- Well, here it is. The end of Sally's Quest. Confused yet? It gets 
better. Hope you liked my venture into the style of Wrede. This thing has been a 
long time coming. Now, I think I'll stop talking in fragments and let you read 
the story. Enjoy. 
Suggested Mood music is: "Carry On" and "New Day" from the Sailor Moon sound 
track (DiC version) and "This is your Night" by Amber. 
Dedicated to Amber Feland. Thanks. ^_^ 
Mature content advisory, Violence 7, Language 4, Sex 0.
Time line- 3241, Sally is 22. It is three years since DSW.






Chapter 8, In which Sally finds a Forest.


As day broke over the desert, Sally roused herself to find no odd forests had 
popped up during the night. "That's something, anyway..." she muttered, 
standing. The yellow gray of the Great Unknown stretched away in all directions, 
bordered by mountains to the north and west. Whatever it was that called her, 
Sally knew it lay in those mountains. 
"You up Dulc?" Sally asked, turning to the Dragoness's form. 
"Ya..." Dulcy murmured, yawning, "I had a terrible night's sleep..." 
"Same here..." Sally added, yawning herself. People dieing seemed to have that 
effect... 
Soon there after, the pair broke camp and began winging their way Northwest. The 
tug in her drew them onward, towards what ever final goal they required. *I've 
got the Sword,* she though, *so what do I do with it?* The odd wolf from her 
dreams didn't appear to answer. 
"Mrrow?" Kay meowed at her. Sally glanced at the black feline and sighed. 
"I'm sorry." she murmured to the cat. It was her fault that Lita and Archer had 
died. Her fault... 
*Find the Hall.* 
Sally jerked upright. *The words in my head... they were in the wolf's voice. 
Or...* Sally glanced at the black cat, which had curled up with Archer's calico 
again. With Ore. 
Sally smiled suddenly, then directed her gaze to the horizon. They were getting 
close... 
"What the heck..." Dulcy asked, "Green... The forest! Sally, look! There it is 
again!" 
"I see it." Sally said, gazing at the green smudge sticking up between some of 
the higher mountains. "Let's check it out." Dulcy nodded and flapped harder, 
winging her way towards it. Her necklace, and the tug it produced, agreed with 
their course. 
*The Hall awaits...* 
***
"My local boys tell me that you were one of their most respected professors, 
Omega." Zemetor said harshly, "You even obtained the title of "Chaos" for your 
service. Why betray the Society?" 
"To... Protect... my world... and serve... the god... Chaos!" C'mega managed. 
His face was slick with blood and discolored from several beatings, but he 
managed to speak with his full accent and arrogance. Zemetor frowned. 
"But, how can you serve your god by betraying his followers, the Society?" 
Zemetor asked reasonably. 
"You know nothing of Chaos!" C'mega yelled. He took a few moments to catch his 
breath, then looked up at Zemetor with hatred again. "You are invaders, using my 
people because your magic is alike, and because they want power. But... you... 
don't... fool... ME!" 
"Unfortunate for you, then." Zemetor said, extending his claws again. He swiped 
at C'mega's face, leaving three more bloody streaks, three more lacerations upon 
his face. C'mega didn't flinch. He knew pain quite well. This pathetic fool 
could do nothing to him. 
"Not nearly as unfortunate as it will be for you." C'mega hissed. Zemetor 
punched him squarely in the jaw, doing serious damage to one of C'mega's molars. 
The beaten feline merely grinned and spat his bloody defiance into Zemetor's 
face. Zemetor growled, wiped the blood from his face, and stalked out. C'mega 
took a few seconds to wonder where Zemetor was going. 
Then, he passed out. 
***
Dulcy swooped down, landing in a clearing next to the forest. Sally slid from 
the dragon's back and surveyed the forest's edge up close. She felt it buzzing 
quietly before her... its woven magic responding to her presents. 
"Its pretty." Dulcy observed. Sally nodded absently, studying the magic web that 
made up the forest. There was something oddly wrong with it... not the natural 
lines she had felt before. Something wrong... 
Sally stepped forward, towards the moss that lined the border between mountains 
and forest. The magic of the forest moved slightly, but couldn't shift. *Why 
should it shift?* Sally wondered, crossing the border. 
"Sally!" Dulcy screamed as Sally vanished. 
Chapter 9, In which Sally and Dulcy have several odd encounters.


Sally drifted slowly towards consciousness. As the dark pain began to subside, 
voices began to emerge from the blinding hum. Any attempt to try to think about 
how a humm could be blinding slid to the back burner as she listened to the 
voices. 
"... can she not be, Highness?" 
"She's not because I can feel it, Vizarian. Trust my instincts, as you have 
always instructed me to trust them." 
"Yes Highness..." 
"I know I ask you this EVERY day, but will you please stop with the silly 
titles, Viz?" the second voice asked, "Here in the Enchanted Forest, titles are 
meaningless." 
"Man.. after my own heart." Sally groaned, blinding her eyes at the bright light 
that greeted her. It took a moment for the glare to soften into mere candle 
light. 
"Who are you?" demanded a purple quilled Echidna with sharp blue eyes. He was 
garbed in simple outback clothing, as was the fire ant at his side. However, 
unlike those who lived on Floating Island, this one wore a golden circlet upon 
his head. AND... the white collar stripe of... 
"A guardian!" Sally proclaimed, pointing to the mark on his chest, "are you 
related to Knuckles?" 
The pair met her question with a look of utter bafflement. Finally, the Echidna 
seemed to register that she was indicating his mark. "This stripe is a mark of 
my family. We have ruled the Enchanted Forest for as long as can be determined." 

"Then... are you related to one named Edmund?" Sally asked. 
"Edmund, the first King of the Enchanted Forest?" Vizarian scoffed, "Of course 
he is! That was his Majesty's greatest ancestor!" 
"Tell me who you are." the Echidna asked more firmly. Sally nodded. 
"I am Sally Alicia, Princess Royal of the House Acorn, ruler of the planet 
Mobius." she recited. "And you are...?" 
"King Dasterkles of the Enchanted Forest." he replied. "Or Das for the someone 
who doesn't believe in titles." he added with a smile, helping her up. 
"Something about you... about your magic. It tells me you are no threat to us. 
Welcome, Princess Sally, to my Castle." 
Sally glanced around the room; apparently a prison cell. Seems they were taking 
no chances. "Charmed." Sally said, trying to keep any sarcasm out of her voice. 
Not the time to get upset... 
"HEY!" a voice from the next cell yelled, "is that you Sally?!?" 
"LITA!!!" Sally yelled, turning sharply. "You're alive!" 
"Yup. Someone yanked us out of the hotseat back there at the last second. I... I 
think it was poor Archer here. He's drained... out cold. And these ASSES haven't 
given him any medical attention!" 
"That fire-witch is a friend of yours?" Vizraian asked, not bothering to hide 
his sarcasm. 
"I'm a Salamander, not a witch!!" Lita yelled back. Sally rubbed her head, 
feeling a shouting match about to ensue. Then, with a sudden bit of inspiration, 
she decided to take charge of the conversation. 
"AHEM." Sally yelled, drawing her Sword and slamming it into the floor. It stuck 
there with a resounding CLANG. "I think you should start by getting my friends 
some medical attention. Then explain EXACTLY why you and your forest have been 
joy riding around MY kingdom. Thanks." 
There was a shocked pause, then people started moving. The Fire Ant quickly 
arranged for several Echidna medics to attend to Archer, as well as let Lita out 
under Sally's supervision. Finally, with Archer in good hands, they adjourned to 
the main hall. Sally noted that her pendant still pulled North West... this was 
not the place she was looking for. 
"Alright," Sally began when they were seated, and her sword was re-sheathed, 
"can you please tell me what is happening with your forest, King Das." 
"Its stuck." Das said, smiling slightly at her use of his name, "Upon a very 
interesting Castle. Its practically pulsing with magic. I've never seen anything 
like it before..." 
"Stuck?" Sally asked, "So that's why the web was tangled!" Das looked up in 
surprise, mouthing the words, -You too?- Sally nodded. "Yes, I can see the 
magic. Or feel it, or whatever." Das nodded agreement. It was a very odd feeling 
to describe. 
"How could a someone not of your line, --not to mention not an Echidna!-- be 
able to sense magic like you?" Viz asked Das, "Your Highness." 
There was a pause. It lengthened for a time, as if garnering the attention of 
all at the table. 
"I don't know." Das replied at last, "But I have a feeling its important." 
***
"SALLY!!!!" Dulcy called, circling the edge of the clearing. She had tried 
following Sally in, but entering forest hadn't made Sally appear or made Dulcy 
disappear too. Dulcy had found nothing at which to vent her panicked rage, so 
she had taken to an airal search. Atleast she was moving... 
"Mrrow?" one of the cats, probably Kay, meowed from her back. Dulcy glanced up 
from the forest to spot several shapes flapping across the horizon... several 
dragons. 
"Good call, cat." Dulcy murmured, vectoring towards the swarm of flying dragons. 
A few moments later, one of their number spotted her and signaled his comrades. 
A moment later, Dulcy slid into their flock. 
"Hey Ulga," Dulcy said to one of the dragons she recognized, "can you and some 
of your friends give me a hand? Princes Sally may be in trouble down in the 
Enchanted Forest." 
"Lots of people get in trouble there." Ulga assured her, "I'm sure she'll be 
fine, if she's all you told me she was. But, I can't help you now. See, we're 
escorting Kazul." 
"What?" Dulcy yipped, glancing over her shoulder. The cats peered with her as 
she spotted the gray/green dragon King winging her way steadily at the group's 
center. "Oh my! Where're you guys goin?" 
"To see the King of the Enchanted Forest." Ulga replied. 
"The forest has a king?" Dulcy asked. 
"Of course!" Ulga replied, "Haven't you caught up in your reading yet? The Caves 
of Fire? The ancient allies?" Dulcy shook her head. "Argelfraster! You are SO 
behind!" 
"I'm sorry!" Dulcy yipped, "I have all these duties with Sally and Sonic to do, 
ya see..." 
"Pfft! Excuses." Ulga said, "Anyway, the Enchanted Forest was one of those 
hidden/lost/forgotten Echidna colonies. A long time ago, the Dragons let them 
pass through our caves in exchange for their Princess. She was to stay and serve 
the Dragon King. Ever since, every decades, a new servant girl passes back 
through the vale to serve the King. They consider it some kind of big honor, and 
after ten years the woman gets to return to her people." 
"Oh!" Dulcy exclaimed, "So that's where Nia came from! I never knew exactly..." 
"You dope!" Ulga groaned. 
"But... what's this Vale thing?" Dulcy asked, "and why didn't anyone I met in 
the Enchanted Forest know about Mobius?" 
"The Vale is this weird waterfall in the Caves of Night." Ulga told her, "Its 
some kind of gateway. It leads to another world. There's a legend about what 
will happen when the last Princess passes thought the Vale." 
"What happens?" Dulcy asked. 
"The world ends." Ulga replied, frowning. "But, now, the forest is on the wrong 
side of the Vale." 
"Is that bad." Dulcy asked. 
"I don't know!" Ulga snapped, looking a bit perturbed, "Ask Nia." 
"She's here?" Dulcy asked, blinking in suprise. 
"She's riding on the King's back." Ulga told her, "Very improper, if you ask me. 
But the King liked her Chief Cook and Librarian close to her side." 
"Good idea." Dulcy said, dropping back before Ulga could protest. 
"I was being sarcastic..." Ulga muttered. 
"Um, excuse me." Dulcy said, winging her way towards Kazul, "Pardon me. Thanks. 
Coming through! Excuse me! Move it people! Comin' through! Outta the way! One 
side, please!" As the flock of dragons parted, Dulcy ambled up to fly next to 
the King of the Dragons. 
"Hello again, Dulcy." Kazul said, giving Dulcy one of her trademark toothy 
grins. "How was your quest with the Princess?" 
"Er... not too well." Dulcy said, "See, a little while ago, Sally went into that 
forest down there and vanished. I was wondering if we could form a search party 
and look for her." 
"No need for anything that elaborate." Nia assured Dulcy, "The King of the 
Enchanted Forest can find anyone within his domain." 
"That's great!" Dulcy said happily, "Thanks for helping!" 
A moment later, Dulcy spotted a rather ornate castle with magnificent towers and 
architecture in general. The dragons spiraled down and landed in the main 
courtyard, where several people greeted them. 
"Sally!" Dulcy cried, spotting the princess among the onlookers. "Archer! Lita! 
I don't believe it!" 
"My, that was easy." Nia said, smiling. She leapt off Kazul's back as soon as 
the Dragon King stopped moving, walked up to a purple Echidna in the crowd, and 
flung her arms around his neck. Dulcy watched a moment in surprise as they 
kissed passionately. 
"They are betrothed." Kazul explained as Sally walked up. "I never though it'd 
be so easy to marry this one off. She was never interested in marriage prospects 
until he came along." 
"Hello again, King of the Dragons." Sally said, bowing formally, "I may soon ask 
a great favor of you. For now, however, I would like to play a hunch." 
"What's going on Sally?" Dulcy asked, "How did Archer and Lita end up here?" 
"I think," Sally began, casting a gaze at the two cats perched on Dulcy's 
shoulder, "I may have the answer to that." Sally stepped back, turning to 
address everyone in the courtyard. "If I could have your attention," Sally 
stated loudly, "I'd like to introduce you all to some rather important people." 
As if on cue, the two cats leapt down from Dulcy's shoulder and walked up to 
Sally. She smiled, then gestured to the cats. "I'd like to introduce the Gods 
Chaos..." Sally pointed to Kay, "And Order." Sally pointed to Ore. Before anyone 
could make a comment about Sally's sanity, both cats dissolved, each replaced by 
an amorphous cloud of energy. 
"Well spotted, Chosen One." The God Chaos stated. 
Chapter 10, In which some things are explained, and a battle begins.
"How could I not recognize a pair of Gods?" Sally asked, smirking. The cloud 
that was Chaos coalesced into a huge serpent with no head, and facial features 
that floated before the neck stump. The cloud that was Order became a hologram 
of the Master Emerald, hovering about a foot off the ground. The headless dragon 
bobbed its neck in a kind of bow, its disembodied mouth grinning. 
"Indeed, Chosen One." Order stated in her symphony of voices. Each of the seven 
Great Emeralds contained one of her voices... they met together only in the 
Master Emerald. She was the single most powerful entity in the universe, holding 
even the lives of the other gods in her preverbal hand. Sally bowed slightly. 
"If I may, I'd like to introduce you to King Das of the Enchanted Forest and to 
King Kazul of the Dragons." Sally said, nodding to each in turn. Both kings 
bowed to the pair of Gods. The Gods bowed back, Order dipping in her hover 
slightly. 
"Always good to meet someone from a parallel universe." Chaos said, "I don't 
often get a chance to visit them. Welcome to My Universe, King Das." 
"And, of course, all good greetings to the Dragon King." Order said. 
"I'm sorry to rush things," Sally said, "But I'd really like to know what is 
going on. All this stuff with Wizards and Enchanted Forests... I've been rather 
side-tracked from my quest." 
"Not at all, Princess." Chaos said, grinning again, "You are closer to you goal 
than you can imagine. All that you have done and seen is related to a common 
problem... the vortex which you call the Void." 
"This Universe is being invaded." Order continued, picking up from her mate, "By 
Wizards from a parallel dimension. The dimension that King Das here comes from. 
His forest was accidentally transplanted when the Wizards opened their portal 
through the Void." 
"Well," Chaos interrupted, "Not QUITE accidentally. Randomly is more proper." 
The headless dragons regarded Sally, still grinning. "I like random." 
"In any case, you have an alley in your battle, Princess Sally." Order stated. 
"To properly control the Void, the Wizards want your Sword. The Sword of Acorn 
was a gift to your ancestor for services to Chaos and myself long ago." 
"The first of the Acorn line..." Chaos reminisced, "She was a strong one. A fox 
named Rei. She and her sister gave their lives to save Mobius during the first 
Apocalypse, when Order and I ended the God Wars. For their serves, I gave them 
back their lives and rewarded them with the Sword and the Pendant. Though the 
Pendant was lost a few generations later, it was the Sword of Acorn that enabled 
Malcolm Acorn to become King of Mobius." 
"But, the Sword doesn't work." Sally pointed out. "I can't open the Void." 
"That is because you are not in the right place." Order stated. "You must go to 
King Malcom's Castle. There you, and only you, can control the void. You, Sally, 
must seal it." 
"After removing your father and putting everyone back in their proper Universe." 
Chaos clarified, "We wouldn't want strays..." 
"If any other tries to use the sword," Order continued, "the Void will be ripped 
open and Mobius will be destroyed." 
"Which means all the Gods that are tied to this planet will die, and leave the 
Universe unprotected from nasty demons and stuff." Chaos admonished, picking his 
teeth with one of his crystal eyes. Sally had a sudden odd feeling... Chaos 
reminded her a bit of Sonic. Scary thought. 
"And, King Malcolm's castle is the one that the Enchanted Forest is stuck on?" 
Sally asked. Chaos nodded. 
"Your friends here will create a distraction while you break in and find the 
Great Hall." Chaos said, "That's where you need to do the spell." 
"A distraction?" Kazul asked, realizing that she was being indicated as one of 
Sally's friends. 
"A full scale attack on the Wizards should about do the trick." Chaos replied. 
His grin, Sally noted, even caused Kazul to shiver. 
"And that's why you arranged for us all to meet here?" Sally asked, indicating 
the castle as 'here'. 
"Of course." Chaos and Order replied, in unison. 
"Figures." Sally muttered. 
***
"Dulcy, are the dragons in position?" Sally asked softly. The dragon paused, 
listening, then nodded. "How about Lita and Archer?" 
"They're ready." Das said, appearing next to her. Sally kept from jumping by the 
barest of margins. "But the ground troops need a few more minutes." he 
continued. 
"In that case, can I ask you something?" Sally asked. "Something semi-personal, 
I mean." 
"Ask." Das said, smiling. 
"Okay, there's something I don't get. You told me you were descended from 
Edmund. That seems to imply a parallel universe like Chaos and Order said. But, 
Dulcy also mentioned something about a lost Echidna colony. So... which are 
you?" 
"A little of both, I suppose." Das replied, "There have always been Echidnas in 
the Enchanted Forest. The colony that made the pact with the Dragons showed up a 
number of centuries ago, and settled near the Castle. Most of my kind don't like 
living in the Enchanted Forest, but the Mobian Echidnas liked it fine. Over the 
years, the royal blood has become mixed with that of the colonists. Now, 
finally, one of their Princesses will marry one of my line, making the mergence 
official." 
"And that's where Nia comes in..." Sally stated softly. Das nodded, then 
vanished. A moment later, he reappeared. 
"The troops are ready." Das stated, "On your signal..." Sally nodded. 
"No time like the present, I suppose." she said with a sigh. 
"Vale of water, pale green lake
surround me with an image fake." 
Though Sally disappeared, Dulcy could still feel Sally's weight upon her back. 
The Princess Acorn was invisible. "When you see the flare, attack." she 
instructed, dropping from the saddle on Dulcy's back. "And, good luck." 
"Good luck Sally!" Dulcy hissed. Sally's footsteps paused a moment, then 
continued, fading out a moment later. "Oh, I hope the wizards don't sense her 
invisibility spell." Dulcy worried aloud. 
"The forest will have hidden her spell." Das assured her, "I guarantee it." 
What seemed like an eternity later, there was a flash near the front gates of 
the castle. "CHARGE!!!" Kazul roared, as nearly a hundred angry dragons burst 
from the foliage surrounding the castle. Das had earlier related that the 
Wizards couldn't set up outer defenses because such magic would have alerted him 
to their presents within the castle. 
"CHARGE!!!" Das echoed from the other side of the castle. An army of Echidnas 
sprang forward, swords and shields held at the ready. Archer and Lita kept back, 
ready to supply magical assistance and try to counteract some of the Wizard's 
attacks. 
The Wizards appeared a moment later, scrambling to defend themselves. At their 
head was... 
"Entoral!" Dulcy exclaimed, recognizing the feline from their earlier encounter. 
He seemed to be directing the defense. 
Dragon fire met Wizard staff in a rather violent first volley. Blue crackles 
seemed surround the castle as the Wizards flung up shields against the flame. 
Other wizards, meanwhile, conjured Nightshades, Ogres, Werewolves, and other 
monsters to combat the combined forces of Dragons and Echidnas. 
A ring of fire suddenly undercut the Wizard's shields. The fire was flowing from 
Lita's hands, burning a trench straight through the Wizard's defense. It opened 
an alley way to the head of the Wizards. 
"Now's my chance!" Dulcy cried, charging herself. She winged her way through the 
walls of fire and dropped in on the Wizard lines. Snarling in primal fury, Dulcy 
let her Dragon instincts take over... 
Chapter 11, In which there is much fighting.
Archer held Lita, giving her strength as she sent her fire tearing into the 
Wizards. Salamander fire was the only type of magical fire that Wizards could 
not defend against, mainly because it was so different from their own crystal 
based magic. She didn't know all the details; only that it was the reason 
Wizards hated Salamanders. 
"RRRAAARRGGG!!" a Nightshade roared, charging towards them. One of the Wizards 
must have spotted the source of Lita's fire. Still keeping a reassuring hand on 
her shoulder, Archer used the other to remove a small vial from his pocket. He 
whispered something over it, then threw the vial at the Nightshade. It landed 
squarely on the creature's face. The Nightshade shrieked, then dissolved into 
purple smoke. 
Lita managed a small smile at Archer, then went back to directing her flame. 
Every time the Dragons attacked, Lita used her fire to route the Wizards in that 
area, destroying their shields and leaving them vulnerable. Still, there were 
hundreds, if not thousands of wizards involved in the combat. She'd always heard 
talk of a war between the Wizards and Dragons, but never believed she would see 
its final battle. Atleast it seemed that her side was winning. 
A blue light shot from the castle, towards them. Archer barely had time to erect 
a shield spell. A second after he did so, both were buffeted by crushing winds 
as fireball met shield. Now Archer was straining too... they couldn't keep this 
up long. 
Twin blasts of ice hit the blue fire, sending a plume of hissing steam into the 
air. Lita looked up to see three dragons hovering above them, two of which were 
emitting the ice blast. "RUN! NOW!" the third yelled. Without further thought, 
Lita and Archer sprinted for the forest. Once they were safe, the ice blast 
ended, and the blue fire scorched bare earth. 
"I..." Archer panted, "thought we were done for." He collapsed to his knees, 
Lita doing the same beside him. They were both too exhausted from their magical 
efforts to fight further. The rest was up to the Dragons and Echidnas. 
"I only hope we gave them the advantage they needed." Lita whispered. Archer 
nodded. 
***
Never in his days as King of the Enchanted Forest has Dasterkles seen such 
combat. Sure, they'd fought Wizards before, but no more than scouting parties of 
twenty at a time. The sheer mass of Wizards that they were facing was 
staggering. What was even more staggering is he STILL could only detect the 
Wizards that actually used spells. Their staffs weren't drawing magic from the 
forest, thus revealing their location. Whatever it was that made this castle 
crackle with magic, it was powerful enough to allow a thousand Wizards to fight 
with their full magic. A rather unpleasant through. 
Suddenly, a Harpy appeared before him. The dirty vulture/woman slashed her claws 
at his face. Das, however, was faster than she. He leapt into the air, using the 
"Fury" technique, spinning so that his dreadlocked-quills whipped out and sliced 
anything they encountered. The Harpy landed dead at his feet. 
It was actually too bad the Wizards weren't using the magic of the Forest. If 
they had been, he could have used it directly against them, wiping them out 
almost instantly. Still, he could do something with his own special powers. 
With a mental twist of his hand, Dasterkles called all of the creatures of the 
forest to his aid. Even the trees themselves moved upon his command. Dead 
branches and pine cones rained down on the castle, causing atleast some degree 
of confusion. The Dragons dived in again, killing a few more Wizards in the 
fray. It was a slow going battle, but they outnumbered the Wizards. 
"Majesty!" Viz cried popping up next to him, "My spies within the castle have 
spotted something odd." 
"What?" Das prompted, chopping a Werewolf with his sword. The demon dissolved to 
dust as it died. None of the Wizard's monsters were real... but they were deadly 
enough that it didn't matter how fake they were. 
"They don't know." Viz stated, "But nothing good, I warrant. In any case, my 
troops will be in place soon. We'll give those Wizards a good hot-seat!" 
"Good work, Viz." Das said, flashing the Fire Ant a quick grin. That grin 
vanished as Das spotted an Ogre charging. Leaping over Viz, Dasterkles brought 
his sword to bare. 
"Me crush!" the Ogre bellowed, stamping forward. Das spun his sword in a set of 
double feints, then landed a blow on the Ogre's arm as it punched. The sword 
barely nicked the Ogre's thick hide. Angered, the Ogre bellowed again and 
grabbed the blade of the sword, cutting its hand in the process. Ogre's were 
very stupid, but very tough. It ripped the blade from Das's hands and flung it 
away. 
"Ah shit!" Das cursed, stepping back. The Ogre lunged forward again, crushing 
the moss where Das had been standing. The Ogre brought his other arm around, 
almost swatting Das out of the air. Das landed again, facing the Ogre bare 
handed. 
"Before swords and spells and armies, Echidnas used their fists!" Dasterkles 
cried, leaping into the air. The Ogre was startled for a moment, just long 
enough. Das's bare fist smashed the ogre in the face, his un-gloved hand spikes 
shredding the flesh of the Ogre's face. He punched again, driving his other fist 
into the Ogre's neck. The creature back-wheeled, then disintegrated to dust, 
leaving Dasterkles back on the ground. 
"Your Majesty!" Viz cried in shock. 
"Heh," Das said, recovering his calm, "I guess I did over do it a tad." 
"Not that! THAT!" Das turned to look at whatever Viz was pointing at. 
"Eternal Goddess Protect." he whispered. Rising from the castle was a fearsome 
demon, over thirty feet tall and growing. It resembled a grotesque combination 
of a Nightshade, an Ogre, a Dragon, and a Minotar. Three huge horns jutted from 
its fanged face, and the entire thing was covered in black fur. Its eyes, each 
of which was bigger than an Echidna's whole body, pulsated a malignant red. "Its 
a Demon King." 
***
Demon King (dé mon' kìng) n.
A Demon that can allow other Demons to pass into the real world from the Demon 
Plane (see page 12083) Most Demon Kings are Mana based, meaning that they reside 
in the real world but are sealed into some kind of natural orifice which they 
protect. Demon Kings are often associated with small shrines. Such shrines 
should never be tampered with, as this may awaken the Demon King. 
The second, more rare category are Deity-based Demon Kings. Such Demon Kings are 
confined to the Demon Plane until such time as they are conjured. In rare cases, 
Demon Kings can conjure themselves by the sheer breadth of their power. Such 
Demon Kings are extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. 
(exerp from All you Really Need to Know about Hyper-Space and Pan-Dimensional 
Travel, Fifth Edition, page 11902) 
***
Kazul and the other dragons watched the Demon King rise from the castle. Even as 
the creature grew, another shape appeared near the castle. Dulcy's form burst 
from the side wall, substantially widening one of the windows, and winged her 
way up to meet Kazul. The King of the Dragons regarded Dulcy for a moment. 
"You're hurt." the King said atlast. Indeed, Dulcy's face, neck, and arms were 
covered in blood. There were also burns on her right arm and the side of her 
neck. What's more, the young dragoness seemed to be favoring her right wing. 
"Its nothing." Dulcy assured her, attempting to hide the pain from her wing, 
"The blood isn't mine." Kazul noted the piece of brown cloth stuck between 
Dulcy's teeth, and nodded. "So, what are we going to do about that big Demon?" 
Dulcy asked. 
"I'm not sure what we can do." Kazul said sternly. "Very few things can combat a 
Demon King. An expert Demon Hunter, someone with Emeralds or Power Rings backing 
them, a minor god, or..." 
"Or a Magician." Archer said, flying up to meet them. Dulcy blinked. She hadn't 
realized that his Serpent form could grow wings. Lita sat astride his back, 
holding on to his scales. 
"I was going to say an army of Magicians." Kazul stated. "You alone don't stand 
a chance." 
"But I'm not alone." Archer stated, "Lita's with me." Before anyone could 
protest, he continued. "Her magic is innately controverse to the magic used to 
summon the Demon, which makes her the perfect defense against it. With her 
helping me, I can send the Demon back where it belongs. But, I need the Dragons 
and Echidnas to distract it, drawing off some of the fire." He didn't mention 
that he and Lita were both plenty drained from last time... 
"If you're sure..." Kazul began. Archer and Lita nodded. "Then we'll support 
you. Get ready. When I call the attack, move out." Archer nodded and headed back 
down to the ground. After all, it was much easier to cast spells when one had 
hands. 
"Dulcy, if you want to sit this one out-" Kazul began, but Dulcy was already 
shaking her head. After dispatching a sparrow (one of Das's alleys) to inform 
the other King of their plan, Kazul maneuvered all the Dragons to the edge of 
the forest. The Demon King was standing just in front of the castle now, using 
its nearly 100 foot frame to balk any actions by the Echidnas. Kazul quickly 
checked on Archer and Lita's position, then signaled to her troops. 
"For Mobius!" Kazul yelled, leading the flock of dragons from the forest. A 
shadow fell across the castle as the sky turned black with dragons. During the 
previous charge, Kazul had called forth maybe one half of her forces. Since 
then, more dragons had arrived. This time, it was one half of all the dragons on 
Mobius that flew together. More than a thousand dragons roared in unison at the 
Demon King. Then, they began to dive. 
Ice and fire blinded the Demon King for a moment, allowing a few brave souls to 
get in close and bit and claw the creature's black underbelly. The Demon King 
roared in pain, then closed its giant maw with a sickening crunch. The body of a 
green yellow dragon twitched one last time, then died between the jaws of the 
beast. Another was struck from the sky by the fearsome claws. They were like 
mere bees, their stings an annoyance. 
"But a swarm of bees can kill..." Kazul growled, shucking her body guard and 
diving herself. After all, if she wasn't willing to fight, why should her 
subjects? With Dulcy at her side, Kazul swooped under tooth and claw to attack 
the more vulnerable chest. The chest was were Demon Hunters struck with their 
swords, she recalled. How they got up that high, she didn't know. 
Kazul's tail spike gouged a track of bloody flesh from the Demon King's 
black/purple hide. She made to pull away, but her tail stuck. Her momentum lost, 
Kazul dropped, swinging like a pendulum from her own tail. She swore loudly, 
incidentally melting a nearby Wizard. 
Before she saw it, Kazul could feel the wind parting as the giant claw swept 
towards her. As time seemed to slow, Kazul closed her old eyes and thought of 
her grandchildren... 
"YOUR MAJESTY!" Dulcy shrieked, breaking off from her own attack. Ignoring the 
pain from her arm and wing, Dulcy cracked the whip, pulling King Kazul with her 
as she shot towards the ground. Kazul's tail ripped from the demon's flesh, 
incidentally breaking several bones in Kazul's tail. The claw, however, missed 
them both. 
As they fell, Dulcy turned to put herself between the King and the ground. 
Realizing the girl's folly, Kazul began to pump her own wings. Dulcy's tail 
skimmed the ground, then Kazul lifted them both again, back into the forest. 
Other wounded were also pulling back, while fresh dragons continued to drop into 
the fray. 
As several elderly dragon medics began to bandage Kazul's tail, Dulcy slipped 
away to get a glimpse at the battle from ground level. However, she wasn't 
looking at the dragons who continued to bravely attack the Demon King, nor at 
the Echidnas that had divided their forces between attacking the creatures feet 
and keeping the Wizards busy. Dulcy was looking for two single figures that 
stood at the edge of the castle wall, deftly avoiding flying debris as they 
worked on an incantation. Archer and Lita were fighting their own battle, one 
against the spells that held the Demon King in this reality. If not for the 
attacks, the Demon King would be able to feel their spell casting. And, if the 
attack were to end, it would be certain death for both figures. 
"Good luck." Dulcy whispered. 
*** 
Archer was immersed in magic. It flowed around him, over him, under him, and 
through him. And he flowed through it. Like a hacker fighting to break into a 
well guarded computer system, Archer fought to unravel the Wizard's spell. 
Lita's presents helped... he'd never been able to disrupt a Wizard spell so fast 
before. However, it was also the deepest, most complex demon incantation he'd 
ever encountered. 
"Power..." Archer murmured. Each layer took power to unravel. Each step left him 
a little weaker. Lita was helping him, but it wasn't enough. They were doomed. 
*No.* Lita said in his mind, *We can not give up. People are dieing for us. We 
have to win!* 
*We don't have the power.* His mind protested. *We can't win!* 
*That's because you're holding back!* Lita snarled in his mind, *You can't hold 
anything back. All your heart, all your soul, all you emotion has to be behind 
it. Don't think. ACT!* 
"I love you." Archer and Lita whispered to one another, in unison. At their 
feet, a pair of cats sat. One was black, the other calico. Archer and Lita 
didn't notice them. 
Archer and Lita attacked the barriers again, holding nothing back, not even the 
emotions that had grown in the last two days. All their hearts and souls smashed 
into the bindings that held the demon in the real world. Those bindings 
collapsed, and with a rather loud shriek, the Demon King dissolved. 
As cheers went up from the Dragons and Echidnas, and exclamations of terror and 
disbelief emanated from the Wizards, a pair of cats trotted unnoticed from the 
field of battle. 
"Wasn't that cheating?" the calico asked. 
"Not really," the black cat replied, "they knew the feelings were there. We 
merely prompted them to act upon those feelings. Each saw the other telling them 
what they needed to know. Simple." 
"You just didn't want to be bothered with banishing the Demon yourself." the 
calico accused playfully. 
"That too." black admitted, grinning. 
***
"You really have to be more careful!" Nia admonished, gazing at the nasty burn 
on Das's arm. "I can't always be here to save you butt." With a kick, she 
extracted the dead Wizard from the blade of her sword. "And what were you doing, 
trying to PUNCH out a Wizard?" 
"I lost my sword..." Das said, blushing slightly. She helped him stand, and for 
a moment they gazed at the battle field. 
"We're going to win." Nia observed, "The Wizards are out numbered now, and out 
gunned. And, for some reason, they seem to be locked out of the castle." 
"The Head of the Society is still in there," Das observed, "With Sally. She is 
the only one who can determine victory or defeat now. Its her battle." 
"Still, if we live to go home, won't have to worry about the Wizards again." Nia 
stated. 
"You're such an optimist." Das stated, smiling. Archer and Lita met them a 
moment later, leaving the battle to the Dragons for the moment. Attacking in 
shifts worked best... that way the dragons didn't have to worry about burning 
Echidnas, and Echidnas didn't worry about shooting down dragons. 
"Good work, you two." Das commended the new arrivals. "When we get back to our 
world, you are welcome to join me at the castle. I could use a good Magician or 
two at hand." 
"Why, thank you, King Das!" Archer exclaimed. Lita just blushed at being 
identified as a Magician. 
"Things seem to be quieting down..." Nia said, glancing around. 
A moment later, all of reality shifted... 
Chapter 12, In which Sally learns the power of her pendant.


As the last of the Wizards cleared the halls, Sally let her invisibility spell 
lax. She'd been hiding for a few minutes, letting the castle clear out a bit 
before attempting to find the Great Hall. Now, she could only feel one Wizard 
left in the castle... exactly where she didn't know. That would have to do. 
Sally crept slowly though the dark castle. She felt magic crackling all around 
her, being produced by the multitude of magical creatures outside, as well as by 
the giant vortex spinning invisibly above. For now, the giant maw was sealed... 
unable to enact the death foretold in her dream. But, if the Wizards got her 
sword, nothing would be able to stop it from consuming her world. 
Still another crackle of magic registered on Sally's internal senses. She seemed 
to have been mistaken... there were two Wizards left. One was very weak... while 
the other more powerful than the others... and more evil. Sally kept her sword 
at the ready. 
After a walk too-long walk, Sally found herself facing a pair of massive doors. 
Somewhere deep within her, Sally knew the doors. She had seen them before... 
"The Gates..." Sally whispered, touching the carved stone. Her... ancestor's 
likeness, spiked crown atop her noble head, stared expressionlessly at nothing 
as Sally stroked the coarse stone. They symbols of knowledge and strength lay 
below... the scroll and the sword. She held the sword... and she knew the 
knowledge. That was as armed as she could be. Sally pushed the doors open. 
"I am Sally Alicia, Princess Royal of the House of Acorn." Sally stated, 
stepping into the Great Hall. At the far side of the room, a feline wizard with 
a remarkably long beard faced her, staff held at the ready. 
"Thank you for the formal greeting, Miss Acorn," Zemetor sneered, "now let me 
return the favor!" With a wave of his staff, Zemetor fired a blast of 
incomposite magic at her. "I am Zemetor, the new Emperor of this magic soaked 
rock!" The magical stream never reached Sally... it formed itself into a 
Nightshade several meters in front of her. 
Sally's readied weapon intercepted the creature's first blow, using her sword to 
rip apart the magical threads that bound the creature together. Without a moment 
or movement wasted, Sally fired the ball of magic back at Zemetor, as well as a 
huffed "Argelfraster". Even her breath was a weapon in this battle. 
The Wizard intercepted both spells, his staff rerouting the power for another 
blast. Sally dodged as the magical bolt sailed overhead to splash against the 
far wall. Several small fragments of shattered rock fell around Sally as she 
spun and fired three bolts of lighting from her sword in rapid succession. 
Zemetor dodged the first two and blocked the third, then fired a spell towards 
her. The magic coalesced into a spinning blade in route. Sally cut the blade out 
of the air, then threw a magic shield in front of her, intercepting the blast of 
electrical fire that Zemetor had added as a chaser. 
Sally dived to the side as her shield buckled and broke up, then rolled into a 
crouch and fired a wall of flame towards the Wizard. She followed that with a 
shower of razor sharp, magically enhanced crystal fragments. 
Zemetor intercepted the fragments with a shock wave, throwing crystal shrapnel 
in all directions. Both combatant retreated a few steps, each taking a few minor 
hits from this attack. First blood had been drawn... a tie. 
Sally, trying to ignore the deep slash to her upper arm, fired a blast of 
electrical fire towards Zemetor. At the same moment, Zemetor was firing a blast 
of identical fire towards her. The twin blasts met in the center of the room, a 
plume of yellow destruction, each canceling the other out. All that was produced 
was a massive whooshing sound. Neither had the advantage... and breaking the 
stalemate meant retreat. 
Grunting in pain and frustration, Sally kept pushing magic through the sword, 
kept her blaze of fire hot. All she had to do was outlast him... All she had to 
do was go on a little longer... All she needed was... 
For her sword to have another five Nightshades worth of energy in it. As it was, 
her reserve was nearly spent. All the fighting... all the wasted energy thrown 
against walls. 
*Goddess, no! I can't let it end like this! I can't let it end like this. I 
won't. No matter the cost.* 
Sally closed her eyes and began drawing more power for her sword. No longer did 
she tap the magic of the sword; that was spent. Instead, she reached into her 
own body and drew forth the energy that enabled her to move, to breath, the 
energy that held her DNA together, and the energy that bonded the very atoms she 
was made of. Sally tapped it all, drawing every spark of energy from her being 
to power her attack. 
The magical fire blasting from her sword suddenly changed from yellow to 
blue-white, flaring like the hottest star as her life essence itself flowed out 
from it. Zemetor cried out in shock as his own blast collapsed in, crushed by 
the energy Sally was willing to put out. The flames fell back upon him. Zemetor 
shrieked for again as both he and his staff exploded in flame, a shriek that 
ended as quickly and sharply as it began. Both Wizard and Staff fell to dust on 
the floor. 
Sally fell to her knees, then crumpled to the stone floor. She knew already that 
she lacked the energy to survive more than a few more seconds. She had given 
everything for victory... to stop Zemetor from opening the Void again. 
Everything... "I'm sorry... Daddy." she whispered, "I tried." 
Suddenly, Sally's pendant flashed. The shard of obsidian glowed blue-white as 
energy flowed from it. A sigh escaped Sally as the energy pulsed through her, 
restoring her. The process also healed her wounds, leaving no slash under the 
tear in her vest. A look of amazement swept over Sally as she sat up and took 
hold of the glowing necklace. 
"So that's the secret..." she whispered. Within the stone, she could feel the 
Emeralds of Mobius. The Emeralds and more... the planet, the sun, the stars. The 
very life essence that flowed through the universe was somehow linked to the 
stone. It was one end of a cycle... a tap for the life force. Everything that 
lived and died was part of it. What she had received was what another had 
lost... Zemetor maybe, or Robotnik. All life was linked thusly though the 
crystal... the Crystal that Chaos had first given to Malcolm Acorn's 
grandmother, Rei, the First Chosen... the first to bleed in the Chamber of Chaos 
before Order. Given to the Alpha, so that the Omega might live. The cycle. Pure 
and perfect. 
Sally let the pendant fall back to her chest and stood. She had come here for a 
reason, and it was time the Universe returned what it had borrowed. 
"Power of water, wind, and earth,
Turn the spell back to its birth
Raise the fire to free our Lord
By the power of stone and sword." 
Her sword flashed and a purple and yellow vortex opened before her. King Acorn 
and Nagus stepped from the portal, both looking slightly suprised. Then, before 
they could begin turning to crystal, Sally pushed power from the Stone into 
them, restoring their life forces. Sally sighed as the vortex closed behind 
them. 
"Sally!" King Acorn exclaimed, stepping forward. Sally sheathed her sword and 
met his embrace, tears flowing unbidden from her eyes. 
"Daddy!" she called, hugging him tightly. "Have I got news for you!" she added 
as they parted from the embrace. 
"What is it, little Bean?" the King asked. 
"You're going to be a grandfather," she told him, "again." 
"Oh my..." King Acorn murmured slowly, looking a little unsteady. Sally put a 
reassuring arm around him, which seemed to help. 
"Ahem," Nagus rasped, "Maybe I should give you two a chance to catch up." 
"How did I ever let you convince me that the dimensional manifolds would negate 
the physiological drain, Nagus?" asked a British accented voice from the 
golden/stone doors. All eyes turned to Chaos Omega, who smiled wryly though a 
face marked with bruises and slashes. His left eye was swelled shut, and much of 
his face was bloody, but he somehow managed to grin even wider at their shocked 
expressions. 
"Dear lord, if it isn't my old prof!" Nagus rasped, "What are you doing here and 
what in the Society's name happened to you?" 
"I'm here to stop an invasion and remind a certain princess that we need to be 
rind of a certain forest..." he replied smugly. 
"Oh!" Sally said, turning, "Yes. Here we go." She raised her sword and 
concentrated on the woven magic of the Enchanted Forest. Carefully, she lifted 
the Forest and pushed it back through the Void. Then, she her minds eye swept 
across Mobius, seeking out every Wizard from the other dimension, sending them 
back through as well. Cheers of victory echoed from outside the castle as Sally 
began weaving space, time, and magic with her sword. Slowly, Sally closed the 
Void, sealing it away from Mobius forever. 
"Um, Bean," the King began, "Where ARE we, and what's been going on?" 
"This, Daddy, is the Castle of King Malcolm Acorn." Sally informed him jovially. 
She was on some kind of post-stress high, and she was feeling a bit silly. 
Suddenly, Sally paused, a wolfish grin spreading across her face as she glanced 
around the castle's Great Hall again. "And, incidentally, the new palace." 
However, before she could go on, a small crowd barged in though the main doors. 
Dulcy, the head of the pack, ambled up to Sally with an exceedingly smug grin 
plastered on her face, despite the efforts of a dragon medic to bandage a burn 
on her arm. Sally wondered if she herself looked that silly at the moment. 
"Well," Sally said with a small sigh, "I did it. Entoral and all his mean nastys 
are back in their own dimension." 
Dulcy coughed once and blushed slightly. "Not quite." she said, smirking wider 
yet. 
"Huh?" Sally inquired. 
"Entoral's dead." Dulcy reported, "I kinda ate him." 
"You ATE him???" chorused Sally and C'mega. The King and Nagus exchanged a 
glance, Nagus looking especially worried. 
Dulcy shot Nagus a nasty grin before stating "I'm a dragon, so sue me." Sally 
turned away, looking a tad green. C'mega chuckled. Sally shot him a dark glare 
and he muffled it. Sally noted a sudden change in the way he looked at her... a 
new respect. *Guess I got an "A" on the exam...* Sally thought, her humor 
returning. 
"What's this about a new palace?" King Acorn inquired before things could get 
any weirder. Sally blinked, then turned her wolfish grin back to the crowd of 
dragons at Dulcy's back. 
"Anybody not going to Mobotropolis had better leave the castle now." she told 
them. None of the dragons moved. "Okay, here we go." 
Sally pulled out her sword and though about Mobotropolis. She pictured the 
construction sight she had visited... three days ago?... in her minds eye. Then, 
as her magic began to act, she pictured the Castle there, over the almost 
complete basement. She pictured the two structures becoming one. Power flowed 
into the crystal, out of the crystal, through the planet. A cycle. Matter in one 
place becomes matter in another place. The energy to move it taken from the 
nuclear forces between the atoms of a few grains of sand. Matter becomes Energy 
becomes Matter. Her vision became reality. 
Sally resheathed her sword and led the rabble to the Castle gates. They traipsed 
into the dirt streets of Mobotropolis, to be greeted by a crowd of surprised 
spectators and workers... and one Prince. 
"SAL!" Sonic cried when he saw her, "what's goin on?" 
"Just a little redecorating." she told him, slightly giddy. "Oh, and I have 
someone to take over your job for a bit, while we take a little vacation." King 
Acorn stepped forward at her words, evoking a chorus of shocked gasps from the 
crowd. 
"Sal!" Sonic sputtered again, "You rescued your dad!" 
And got us a new palace," she said, ignoring the entire affair about planetary 
destruction. There was a pause, then her grin faded. Glancing unconsciencly down 
at herself, she pulled Sonic aside. "Can we go someplace and talk?" she asked 
quietly. 
"Sure Sal." Sonic said, noting the change in her tone. She grabbed on as he 
Juiced for a nearby hill, a grassy mound at the city's edge. When they reached 
the top, Sally removed her pendant and studied it for a moment. Despite himself, 
Sonic found himself becoming impatient as she studied the rock. 
"Sonic," Sally asked finally, "What would you do if you could do anything?" 
Sonic paused a moment, then smiled. "I'd stay with you, forever." he replied, 
kissing her. Sally turned into the kiss, meeting his lips for a belated hello 
kiss. After a moment, they parted. 
"Me too." Sally said. She held up the stone, letting the moonlight reflect off 
its surface. Then, with a quick wrist twist, she snapped the piece of obsidian 
in half. Sonic jumped, but Sally merely smiled sadly. Before Sonic could ask why 
she broke the rock, Sally stooped and drew an X in the dirt with the broken 
stone. 
"What are you doing?" Sonic asked as Sally laid the broken tip at the X's 
center. 
"Returning the power I took." she replied. She replaced the necklace half of her 
pendant back on, then closed her eyes. 
"Power of earth and rock atone.
Return this old gift to its home." 
The ground shook and split along the X. The shard fell away into the abyss, 
which closed up after. A few seconds later, the tremor stopped. Sally stepped 
away from the spot, dusted her hands, and gave the rather shocked Hedgehog a 
kiss on the cheek. 
"I'm pregnant again." she whispered into his ear. 

The words "SAY WHAT?!?" echoed across the Great Plane. 
***
Deep below, in the Chamber of Chaos, two cats gazed boredly at the broken piece 
of obsidian. 
"The balance is restored once again." the calico cat said. 
"For now," the black cat replied, "though the final test lays before us." 
"To be resolved by others, in another place, at another time." calico stated. 
"The Chosen have completed their purpose." 
"Too true," black acknowledged, "all too true." 
***
Dawn over Knothole Village came in its usual sleepy manner, the citizens 
rousting themselves with the sun to work in the gardens, the restaurants, and 
the clinic. Sally stood under the rustling trees of her hut, which she hadn't 
inhabited for the last several months. It felt good to be home... even if the 
rest of the Freedom Fighters were gone. Knothole seemed so quiet now... 
Sally walked away from her hut, leaving Sonic snoring in their bed, towards the 
meal hall. Many of the current citizens ate at the restaurants now, but old 
habits dies hard. Besides, Sally missed Gomez's cooking. 
The line was short and minutes later, Sally held a tray of grits and hash, and a 
glass of orange juice. She wandered into the hall, then spotted her father 
sitting at one of the tables. She viered over and took a seat next to him. "Good 
morning, Daddy." she said, smiling, "Are you enjoying your stay in Knothole?" 
"Morning, Bean." he replied, "Yes... I took a walk by the Grotto last night." 
There was a pause as Sally processed his words. 
"You saw Mother's grave, then?" Sally asked softly. The King her Father nodded, 
nibbling at his own grits. 
"I never knew..." he murmured after a moment, "Julian told me she was dead." 
There followed another long pause. "I'm glad you had a chance to meet her. And 
that your sister is alive out there, somewhere." 
Sally nodded. For a time, they ate in silence. Sally had waited so long for her 
Father's return... and now that he had, she didn't know what to tell him. The 
war was over, their world had been reclaimed, the people had been derobotized. 
Everything they had ever planed... done or being done. Sally had never been able 
to think beyond victory... victory itself was such an impossible thing. How 
could she ever let herself dream about afterwards? But, now, her private list 
had been completed. *Where do we go from here?* 
"Bean... Sally." the King began, "When are you... when... I think its time you 
and Sonic officially took the throne." Sally's head snapped to full attention, a 
look of shock plastered on her face. Her father merely shrugged. 
"Me and Sonic...?" Sally stammered uncertainly, "I mean, of course someday, but 
I thought when you returned..." 
"I'm ready to retire, Sally." her Father told her, "Besides, I'm more than a 
decade out of touch. You, with Sonic at your side, are the rightful Queen and 
King of Mobius. I'll try to help, especially with the reclamation, but you need 
to take over the position with full authority." 
Sally nodded mutely, her thoughts jumbled. Suddenly, concepts of states, 
nations, borders, territories, and a thousand other concerns of government hit 
her. Reclaiming the land was only the first step. They had an entire world, an 
entire society, and a collection of nations to rebuild as well. Robotnik had 
done more than just destroying the land. 
"The war is nothing compared to the duration." Sally thought aloud, quoting one 
of her ancestors. Her father raised a furry eyebrow and smiled. 
"Well spoken." he told her. There was a pause, then the King grinned. "Maybe you 
can put that in your coronation speech." 
Sally barked a laugh, pondering what lay before her. Two children and one planet 
to raise as her own. She didn't know which prospect scared her more. 
"Maybe I can indeed..." Sally replied, smiling. 
The End...
at last. 
Author's afterward:
Thanks for reading. You have come to the end of my last story of "Project 
Delta". 'But, what about all that stuff that went unexplained?' you ask? Sadly, 
it must remain so. During my hiatus, some things changed. The "Chaos Incarnate" 
saga, which is half written, will never be published for Copyright concerns. 
Who's? My own. Much of the story background, like Chaos and Order, is going to 
be revamped for use in a series of stories I plan to write... and Publish as 
original works. Sonic, Sally, Mobius, and all the other references to the shows, 
comics, and fellow fan fics have been removed, leaving only the universal frame 
work and two characters of my own creation, one that WOULD have seen light as 
Sonic and Sally's daughter. Her history has been rewritten and she has been 
revamped as a human, which is why the final series of stories in Project Delta 
(about Sonic and Sally's children) will never be written. Also, the history of 
Chaos and Order, that would have featured in Chaos Incarnate prevents the 
release of that story either. Though I regret not being able to finish this 
story, it has taken on greater depth and heart as its own story, leaning on no 
one else's work. I thank you all for helping me become more than I ever dreamed, 
to reach a higher goal. You have my thanks and my apologies. I will not forget 
my humble beginnings as a Sonic fan fic writer. You are my roots. Special thanks 
to Booker, Dan, Ratfink (and her friends), Jo, and all my fans who asked for 
more. You made the difference. 
As for the "Echos from the Past" series... I don't know. Story 5 has me well 
mired, and story 6 isn't going much better. Maybe I can take that series to its 
climax someday... though, at this point, the star has yet to be introduced! 
Time... heh... will have to tell. 
And, for those of you who can't wait for something new, I have a small series 
about Creig Platypus on standby... 
Go back to the Fan Fic section 
 

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