Cold Affections part 2 of Dead Squirrel Walking This story is Copyright 1997 by Will 'Chaos Omega' Wells. Sonic, Sally, Antoine, Knuckles, the Horseman, and the Chaos Emeralds are trademarks of Sega, Archie, DiC, etc., and are used without permission. The Headless Dragon is copyright by Dan Drazen, as seen in his story Mobius Apocalypse. All other copyright into is available in part one. Author note- This is part two. Read part one first. As I said before, this story is based off of End Game's cover, which I got off the net. The visions in this story get pretty intense, so be forewarned. If you like mood music, I suggest 'The Day the Music Died' by Don McClean. Anyway, since these are the middle chapters, I'll take the opportunity to tell you this isn't my first Fan Fic. I have several other more main stream works in the hole, so to speak, but I wanted to get this story finished and posted first, because of End Game. Any way, here's part two. Note, this one's less depressing, but weirder than part one. Mature Content Advisory. Violence- 7 Language- 2 Sex- 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5- Knuckles the Librarian. Some people believed that you went to heaven when you died. Others believed that you went to hell if you sinned...though the exact nature of sin tended to vary. Some believed in an oversole, and some believed in the great library of soles. Hades, Purgatory, the Dreaming, the astral plain, the Tree of Life, Wondvor, Kobel, the time of thoughts, Valhalla, the source, the force, and hundreds of other specific names for what was typically refered to as the Great Beyond. Every Mobian had a theory of what happened when a person died. Well, Sally had been dead nearly a week, and being dead really sucked. She had had to yell to be heard as a whisper and strain to be seen as a slight blur. Finally, Sonic and Antoine had gotten enough of her message to help her charge up. A power ring later, she had become a functional ghost. With some sort of internal mechanism that she couldn't even come close to understanding, she was able to keep up with Sonic, who had Antoine strapped to his back. Sonic had decided that her death was something he wasn't about to live with, thus he was going to consult Knuckles with his vast store of Emerald race-knowledge... which included a lot of the old legends. They Sonic and Antoine figured that it was as good a place to start as any. It wasn't like either of them knew how to bring the dead back to life. Her mental reflections went to the backburner as Sonic arrived at Knuckles' hut, which was also one of the Hidden Palace entrances. (They used the old biplane to fly to Floating Island) As Antoine shook himself off, Sonic knocked loudly on the door. There was a long pause, then the massive piece of hardwood slid aside. "What are you do- Oh My GOD! Sally!" Knuckles cried, seeing her image standing behind Sonic. The red Echidna rushed forward... and passed through her. Knuckles spun around to face her again. Sally sighed loudly and rubbed her forehead. <"Hi Knux." Sally said, "As you can see, I'm a ghost. Sonic needs to talk to you."> With that, Sally floated into Knuckles' hut and sat down slightly above the seat of a near by chair. Sonic and Antoine helped a decidedly frazzled Knuckles to one of the other chairs that were at a small card table. "M'sieu Echidna," Antoine began, "I most be tanking you again vor zie meditation technicals. It waz them that brought back moi Prinzess." "What?" Knuckles asked, shocked, "How could they do that?" "Ai am not knowings," Antoine replied, "But zomehow, they be doing zo." "What we need now," Sonic interjected, "is for you ta fire up the old brain cells and figure a way to bring Sal back for good." "That's what I call a challenge." Knuckles said, quietly standing and moving to the secret door that was a direct line into the Hidden Palace. Sonic, Antoine, and Sally followed him in. He led them past the Chaos Chamber, where the big Chaos Emerald that held the Island up was kept. That was where Sally paused. <"I'll hand here, guys."> she announced. Sonic and Knuckles nodded at the same time, neither noticing the other's nod. Sally smiled and floated over the to Emerald. After a slight pause, she sat down on it and began absorbing some of the extra energy that it always radiated, thus recharging herself. It was also pleasantly warm, a minor novelty in her relatively cold existence. Meanwhile, Sonic and Antoine followed Knuckles to a library hidden deep under the surface of Floating Island. Knuckles scanned one of the tall oak shelves for a moment, then selected a dusty tome and placed it on one of the intricately carved tables. Reddish brown lettering in some strange and ancient alphabet stood out in stark relief to the faded leather cover. For some reason, Sonic could tell that the letters were printed in blood. "Tell me," Knuckles said, flipping pages, "has anyone else seen Sally's ghost?" "No," Sonic and Antoine replied in unison. The pair glanced at each other, than Sonic continued, "We hauled haunch out of Knothole as soon as we charged her up on that ring." "Good," the Echidna stated, not looking up, "This is a quest that can only be handled by her Ko-Taki." (True Mourners) "Zo, you are knowings how to be reporing moi Prinzess." Antoine asked. "Well... not really." Knuckles replied, somehow understanding Antoine's question, which Sonic was still sorting out. "There are some legends about quests to restore a life. Of the three I know of, two failed. The badger, Gilgamesh, failed to get the flower of Mt. Alsais back to his friend. Erok bandicoot was unable to rescue his beloved from the halls of Kobel. The only successful restoration was accomplished by Rosiland the cat when she traded her life to the gods to restore her fallen king." "So that means we...?" Sonic prompted. "It means we find a better source of info." Knuckles replied. "Like where?" asked Sonic. "Well, first we should meditate before my Chaos Emerald." Knuckles said, "Hopefully the visions will guide us." "Oh Man," Sonic complained, "Not *more* visions. We had to interpret visions last quest!" (Chaos Incarnate part 5, coming soon) "What's the matter, blue," Knuckles asked, "can't take a few wild dreams?" "It's not the dreams," Sonic responded, ignoring Knuckles' sarcasm, "It's trying to figure them out. Talk about boggling the Hedgehog mind." "Ya," Knuckles said, half sympathetically, "Tryin to use the ol-nodle's tough sometimes. But, after ya deal with the walkers for a while, ya get used to weird stuff like that." "Don't even Mention the Walkers." Sonic said, "Talk about headaches!" "Vat are you talkings about, Sonique?" Antoine asked, confused. "Never mind, Ant," Sonic replied, "Let's check that Emerald out." Knuckles led back to the Chaos Chamber, keeping a discreet eye on his blue compatriot. They might both be Ko-Taki, but they were also Sonic and Knuckles. <"Hey guys," Sally said as they walked in, "What's up?"> "Weird vision time, Sal," Sonic said, "You might wana stand- ugh, float back while we do this." <"Check, Sonic."> Sally replied, coasting to the edge of the large chamber. Sonic nodded and sat down. Knuckles and Antoine moved to opposing sides, creating a triangle around the Emerald. With that, they closed their eyes and began the meditative rituals that Knuckles had taught them... only a week ago. It seemed longer... Flash *** Chapter 6- Visions of Chaos Knuckles stood in a desert pass between two massive cliff faces. It was somewhere in the great unknown... he knew because it didn't feel like Floating Island and defiantly wasn't the great forest, plain, the Mobocean, or Robotropolis. Nor did the land scape seem mountainous behind him. It seemed to be the boarder between the desert and some mountains, which climbed into the sky several miles away. He had no idea where he was to any more exact extent, nor how he had gotten there. One of the cliffs was blank. The other had a pair of huge stone carved doors. He stepped towards the doors, moving slowly. He was in unfamiliar territory and danger could spring from anywhere. As he moved closer to the huge doors, he heard a long moan come from behind them (the doors). He quickened his pace and the moaning grew louder. Much louder. Then, as he reached to touch the medieval carving, the doors were flung open by a tornado like wind. The same wind picked Knuckles up like a leaf and slammed him against the far wall. Suddenly, both the wind and the moaning stopped. What did emerge, however, was even more terrifying. It flew high into the air, then swooped down and landed. The creature stood before him. "You are NOT the One!" the headless dragon bellowed through a chesure cat like mouth, its disembodied eyes, which were actually twin Emeralds, burned with white fire. Then, similar white fire shot from the creature's neck stump, blasting at Knuckles, who was too shocked to move. For one terrible moment, he could feel his entire body burning. Then, suddenly, there was nothing. *fizt-* Cautiously, Knuckles opened one eye. And wished he hadn't. He was falling into blackness, rushing towards some dark and far off fate. He also appeared to be in deep space, millions of miles from any planet or star... and completely without air. These facts, however, were not the problem. The thing that truly terrified him was the fact that falling with him were several million rotted corpses... including all the Chaotix, Knothole residence, Wolfpack, Robotnik, Snively, Packbell, Enerjak, King Acorn, Queen Alicia, his parents, and what appeared to be the entire population of Mobius. As if that wasn't horrible enough, it seemed that he too was a rotting body. His hands were festering pieces of rotted meat and his torso was covered by plasma burns. Knuckles screamed mentally, trapped inside a rotting prison, as he fell into eternity. *** Antoine watched in mute horror as the ground convulsed and tore Robotropolis apart. Magma spewed high into the air as Mobius ate the blemish on its long untended skin. Then, as the planet's hunger was sated, the lava settled into a red dent over what had once been a city. Not so easily defeated, one of the dark clouds that had called the city home began to rain brown water onto the molten stone. Water also flowed in from what had been the inlet to the harbor. Steam hissed as water met hot rock, but eventually the water won, creating a murky lake. Antoine, against every instinct in his body, approached the water. How he and the forbidden zone, in which he stood, had been spared, he didn't know. The new formed lake lapped at the edge of the trash littered border, touching but never invading the area. The young fox stooped at the water's edge and peered in. Two glowing off white Emeralds stared back. A massive dragon burst from the water, knocking Antoine down. He shrieked as the neck stump reared high, then plunged towards him. "You are NOT the One!" the creature's mouth, which hovered several feet away, screamed at Antoine. White flame erupted from the neck stump, which swung at him like a blow torch. He screamed as the fire hit his body. Blink. Antoine was in Knothole... but that didn't make him feel any better. The sky and the forest burned. Huge red flames surrounded the tiny village like a fiery brick wall. The small piece of sky that was visible was a mass of red and brown clouds. The entire world seemed on fire, and the fire was spreading. As the flames crept ever closer, constricting their circle, the people of Knothole grew more desperate. Children ran and screamed, parents and guardians trying to protect them from the slowly encroaching death. A few tried to escape by going up the sides of buildings or trees, to no avail. The flames trapped them one at a time, evoking blood chilling screams as they were engulfed. A few crazed soles tried charging into the flames. Still, the fire approached. On the other side of Knothole, which was growing smaller by the second, Sonic and Sally held each other. Antoine stood still and watched as the fire slowly approached the couple. As they reached Sonic and Sally, the flames angled around them. For a moment, Antoine thought that they would, out of all of Mobius, be sparred. Then, the fire closed in the tiny circle. Sonic and Sally went up like a torch. As the other people of Knothole ran and screamed around him, Antoine didn't move. He stood still, eyes closed, waiting for the fire to find him. *** Sally stood in a hall of mirrors. To each side, another Sally stared back at her. The only place without a Sally was the door at the far end of the hall. Almost fearfully, though she knew not why, Sally started forward. As she continued forward, the mirror Sallys began to change. She passed a leather clad Sally with a far off, blank expression. She passed a partially robotic Sally, and a full Robo-Sally. She passed a prostrate Sally wearing an odd necklace and a Sally wearing combat fatigues. The hall seemed endless, an infant number of mirrors and Sallys between her and the door, an infinite number of variations and possibilities. Finally, she came to the last two mirrors and the door. To her right, a pregnant Sally and to her left, a wrapped body... her as she really was. Tears wetting her eyes, Sally pushed open the door. POP. Sally was somewhere else, on some kind of plain. Gray infinity lay all around her. Then, slowly, something phased into existence before her. Two off white Emeralds formed first, followed by a smiling mouth. Finally, the neck, body, wings, and feet of a dragon solidified. For a long moment, Sally gazed into the sparkling eyes. "So, you have returned," the dragon said, finally. "So it would seem." Sally said. "You have long been chosen," the dragon said, "We have tested you on many occasions, and you have always prevailed. You have given to us, now we give something back. No power in the universe can pull you from your charge, for there is no power that can face me." "But, this is not a true existence." Sally protested. "No. Not even I can break certain rules... the rules I put into place. Not even I am above the laws that govern this corner of the universe... my corner." the dragon said. "Then Sonic's quest is folly!" Sally said, hope draining from her face. "No." the dragon said, "I did not say that. After all, there are ways around rules, so long as the letter of the law isn't broken." "But how?" Sally asked. "It is not my place to say what is to come... and what has already passed." the dragon said, fading wings first. Then, Sally was alone on the plain again. *** King Sonic leaned over and kissed his Queen on the cheek. It was his royal birthday, and everyone was there. His parents and Uncle Chuck were talking with both of Sally's parents, King Acorn talking about how much fun his retirement was so far. Knuckles' father was there as dignitary from Floating Island, leaving Knux to guard the Emerald. Antoine, Bunnie, Roter, and their respective mates had all come in from their various city-states, and Tails had returned with Fonia from mapping the Great Unknown. Mutski was laying at his feet, looking almost regal in his own right. After a few moments, Sonic laid down his chili dog and stood up. The room fell quiet almost instantly, all eyes turning to him. "I'd like to announce that I'm removing Minister Julayla from her post as Secretary of Education." he announced. Sonic paused as shocked glances flooded across the crowd, then added, "To be the personal tutor of my first child!" Sally stood beside him, beaming, as the crowd broke into applause... "Soni-" *thud* Sonic was in Knothole. The wishful dream lingered in his mind, taunting him as he laid a dozen roses on Sally's grave. It was by the power ring pool, next to her mothers. The head stone that Knuckles had carved for her stood out in stark relief to the soft dirt. "Oh God, Sal," Sonic sobbed, "I just can't believe your gone." Suddenly, the water of the power ring pool rippled. The long, sinuous body of a dragon emerged. The dragon, however, lacked a head. "You are the one." the dragon's disembodied mouth said. It stared at Sonic with the two floating Emeralds it used for eyes, which grew bigger all the time. The eyes soon dwarfed the dragon, growing together and finally becoming one. Sonic blinked. He was in a dark chamber. The only light was a slight glow from the bone white Emerald, which wasn't truly white but all colors coexisting, ever changing. "Follow he who protected me." the Emerald said. "The one who balked my plans once before." said the dragon/haze that was floating next to the Emerald. "And keep the other by your side." the Emerald added. "Bring your request and your payment, or leave as you came." the haze put in. "We wait for you, chosen one." the Emerald said. "Don't fail your destiny." the haze finished. Flash. *** Chapter 7- Interpreting Chaos In the Chaos Chamber, on Floating Island, Sonic, Sally, Antoine, and Knuckles blinked in unison. "Mondo weird," Sonic said after a moment, "did anyone else see a headless dragon?" "Yup." said Knuckles, softly. "Ai tu," Antoine added in a timid voice. <"Same here,"> put in Sally. "You had a vision, Sal?" Sonic asked, suprised. "I think," interrupted Knuckles, "that we should go and compare notes." The others nodded and headed back to the anter room. *** <"So," Sally said, finally, "let's recap. Knuckles saw the doors to some sort of structure in what sounds like where the granite mountains meet the granite desert. Antoine saw Robotropolis' destruction and the Forbidden Zone being spared. I faced myself, literally, and Sonic faced reality, and denied it. And, of course, we all saw the Dragon. The Dragon, obviously a representation of Chaos, said that Knux and Ant were not the ones, but that Sonic and me were."> "The Emerald told me to follow the one who had protected it." Sonic observed. "Since your Emerald is one of the seven minds that makes up the Master Emerald's, I guess it ment you, Knux." <"Which means that our first stop is the Great Unknown."> Sally finished. "Vhat waz zie meanings of that dragon zaying you had return- ed?" Antoine asked Sally. The translucent spirit blinked in mild suprise. <"Ya," Sally began, "you weren't along for the last encounter. Remember last year when I made everybody hold that weird power ring before going to see Knux?" Antoine nodded, "Well, later on, we encountered the Master Emerald in a cave off of Dragon's nest."> "Zo, why are ve not goings dare?" Antoine asked. "Cause the cave was gone the next day," Sonic said, "We checked." "What was that bit about request and payment in Blue's vision?" Knuckles asked Sally. The spirit paused a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. <"I don't know," she said, "All Chaos told me was that there was a way... and that it had been done before." "But, how?" Antoine asked. <"We'll find out," Sally replied, "The answer's somewhere in the Great Unknown... and I suggest we check it out before Chaos gets impatient." "Ya," Sonic said to himself as they headed out, "I had enough creepy visions to last me a lifetime." To Be Continued... Author Note- References to the previous Quest are about Chaos Incarnate part 5, a fan fic I finished a while ago. However, since I'm still working on parts 2, 3, and 4, which involve different characters, I haven't posted them yet. Any way, see ya in part 3, Blood, Sweat, and Tears.