"A Difficult Choice" Authors:Francis Tolbert-Robert Brown Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Sega of America, Inc. and Archie Comics (except where noted, in which case they were created and copyrighted by us). The authors hereby give permission for this story to be downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no changes to the story are made without our express written(not e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be considered a violation of copyright law. Author's Note: HE TRICKED ME!! I came by just to check our new location on the sonic page, and next thing I know, I'm typing this author's note. Well, seeing that I'm here, I hope everyone is enjoying our stories, and I want to thank everyone who has written us. I also want to thank 'Bookshire' for posting our stories in the first place, and for giving us our own spot on the page. We will keep on doing our best to entertain you with our stories, and answer any questions we can about them. Peace, see ya later. Cast of Characters (in order of appearance) Bunnie Rabbot Antoine D'Coolette Donovan### Sonic Hedgehog Rotor Princess Sally Acorn Dulcy Miles "Tails" Prower Princess Sondra Acorn*** #7 Bunnie lit the candles and blew out the match softly. She smiled to herself and looked around her hut. The candlelight mixed with the approaching twilight to create a slightly dim, but romantic atmosphere. The food she had prepared filled her nostrils with pleasant smells as it simmered on her stove. The small table was set for two, seated directly across from each other. She had used her finest dishes, another family heirloom she had managed to salvage. "Yes," she thought, "everything is perfect. Now for the next step." "Nicole," she said, looking at the only corner of her hut completely engulfed in shadows, "can y'all search your database for any music that would be considered romantic?" "Searching now, Bunnie," Nicole answered, accompanied by a few beeps. "Search complete. I have four hundred thirty-two musical programs that fit your description." "That's a lot of help," Bunnie muttered. "Well, do you got anything that Antoine might like?" "I do not have sufficient data to comply with that request." Bunnie smirked. She had a feeling Nicole was being ornery on purpose. It all started when Sonic got a hold of her and loosened her attitude. "Well then I guess I'd better give you back to Sally," Bunnie said slyly. "I'm sure she has some long, boring calculations for you to do." Nicole's monitor flickered. "There is no need for that," she said quickly. "Further analysis has narrowed the field down to fifteen choices." Bunnie stifled a chuckle. "Will that last for about an hour?" "Each song is approximately three minutes in length. I can include other songs that might be more to your liking to fill the remaining time." "Make it about half and half," Bunnie said, walking toward her bathroom. "And start playing when sugarfox knocks at the door. I got some preparin' of my own to do." "As you wish, Bunnie," Nicole said as Bunnie closed the door, sounding relieved. She started the water running and undressed after she had adjusted it to the right temperature. She took a quick shower, but a thorough one, knowing that Antoine would be there soon. Bunnie thought back to when he had surprised her in the shower only a few months back. That had been so embarassing on both ends, and she had no desire to repeat the occurrence. Finishing in record time, for her anyway, she dried off as quickly, threw on a robe and walked to her bedroom. She opened her closet and started searching for a specific dress, one she had waited to use until a special night, and she couldn't think of a more special night than this. When she found it, though, it had quite a few holes in it. "My mama's dress!" she exclaimed. "Damn, I was sure I mothballed it. Now what am I gonna do?" She looked over the dress to assess the damage. While the lower part of it was relatively untouched, the upper had been pretty much eaten through. She stared at it, trying to decide what to do, then hit upon an idea. Grabbing a pair of scissors, she cut away the eaten part until only a long skirt remained. She threw her robe on her bed and put on her best jumpsuit. She then slipped the skirt on and made a couple of quick stitches at the waist to make it fit better. That done, she looked at herself in the mirror. The dark blue of the skirt matched well with the purple jumpsuit and together could be taken for a whole dress. Bunnie smiled, turning around. She stared at her profile and saw that from the right side, it was impossible to tell that she was anything but a beautiful, sensuous doe. Her smile turned sad as her robotic arm came back into view. "Maybe one day," she whispered to her reflection. Bunnie heard a soft knocking at the door as she put on the finishing touches. "Bunnie, are you home?" a muffled voice asked as Nicole started playing the first selection. Bunnie took in a deep breath and let it out slow. "Time's here, girl," she told her reflection. She opened the door to her room and called, "Come on in, Antoine." The door opened and Antoine walked in. In his hands were a large bouquet of flowers, cut and trimmed and placed in a crystal vase. "Oh, how beautiful!" Bunnie said gladly, walking up to him and taking the vase. "I know just where to put these." Antoine just watched silently as she placed the vase in the center of the table. Bunnie noticed him staring at her and smiled. "Is something wrong, Antoine?" she asked calmly, walking up to him and taking his hand in hers. Antoine shook his head slowly. "N-no," he stammered, clearing his throat. "I just am thinking that perhaps I am a bit underdressed," he explained, indicating his uniform. "You look fine to me, sugah," Bunnie whispered in his ear, lightly kissing it. "And you look completely ravishing, my lovely little doe," Antoine returned, kissing her back. "Now come here and sit down," she said, leading him to the table, "I got a whole meal prepared especially for you." Antoine looked flustered as he sat down. "Am I forgetting some special day?" he wondered aloud. "It seems like we are to be celebrating something." "We are," Bunnie said mysteriously, walking toward the kitchen. "Hmmm, I am not believing it is your birthday, or mine, or an anniversary of some sort," Antoine muttered, bewildered. Bunnie just kept smiling as she brought in the food. "I'll tell ya, eventually," she said. "But for now, just relax and enjoy. I went through a lot to make sure this was perfect, and I intend to follow through." A half-hour later, Antoine and Bunnie were leaning back in their chairs, contented. The remnants of a large meal were evident on their dishes. "That was one of the best meals I have ever to be tasting," Antoine commented, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I'm glad about that, sugah," Bunnie said, smiling. Antoine leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "So, are you now going to tell me what zis special reason is?" he asked. "Whatever it is, it has put you in a very good mood tonight." Bunnie leaned forward until her face was just inches away from his. "Oh, it's nothing really," she said quietly, her breath soft against his face. "I just wanted to show you how much I love you." "And I love you too," Antoine said, taking her hands in his. His ears perked up as he heard a new song begin. "May I have the honor of this dance?" he asked, rising from the table. "I'd be delighted," Bunnie answered, standing and moving into his arms. Antoine held her close and they started swaying in time to the music, cheek-to-cheek. "Can you answer me one question?" he whispered as they danced. "Anything, sugah." "Not that I am complaining, but I am just wondering why you decided to do this now. What brought this on?" Bunnie moved her head back until she could look Antoine in the eyes. "When we were in the Void, it offered us our deepest desires in order to stop us from destroying it. I was getting second thoughts, and so were all the others. But not you Antoine. You said that having me by your side was the most important thing to you; so much so that the Void couldn't even try to offer you nothing." "Oui, but..." "Let me finish," Bunnie interrupted. "At that point, I knew that no matter what the Void offered, it couldn't compare to being with you. For the first time in my life, I knew what it was like to be totally loved, and to totally be in love; and I just wanted to share that feeling with you." Tears formed in Antoine's eyes. "Ah, my little doe," he whispered. "You have made me the happiest fox in the forest tonight. No, in all of Mobius, there cannot be one as happy as I am tonight." Bunnie smiled, drawing his head to hers. "And the night's not over yet, sugarfox," she said softly, kissing him gently on the lips. Antoine embraced her more warmly and began kissing her as he had in the Void. Bunnie responded to his passion with her own, hugging him as close and as tight as she could. Bunnie felt as if the world was standing still, and the only things that could move were her and Antoine. Everything had gone as planned so far. Nothing could ruin this night. A sharp crack, followed by a groan from Antoine's mouth brought her back to reality. "Antoine?" she asked nervously, backing away from him a couple of steps. "What happened?" Antoine was holding his right side, groaning in pain. "It eez nothing," he forced out through clenched teeth. Bunnie took Antoine into her bedroom and made him lie down. "Nicole, end music and prepare for a medical scan," she called, running over and grabbing the computer. "Starting scan, now, Bunnie," Nicole said as Bunnie brought her into the room. Nicole bathed the squirming Antoine in light. "Scan complete." "Well, what's wrong with him?" Bunnie asked impatiently. "Antoine is suffering from some cracked right ribs due to an inordinate amount of direct crushing pressure applied to the area." "Mind repeating that in English, Nicole?" "You hugged him too tight, and cracked a couple of his ribs, Bunnie. He'll have to be taped up and rest in bed for at least a couple of weeks." Bunnie looked at Antoine in horror. "What have I done?" she moaned. "It eez not your fault, Bunnie," Antoine said, though talking caused him obvious pain. "You did not know it would happen." Bunnie just started backing up, shaking her head. "What have I done?" she repeated. She turned around and ran out of her bedroom and out of her hut. Antoine tried to get up and follow her, but he was just in too much pain. "Bunnie!" he yelled, grabbing at his side again. "Wait! Please! Do not be leaving me!" Wrapped up in her own grief and despair, Bunnie did not hear Antoine's pleas. She ran out of Knothole and into the Great Forest, trying to outrun the pain. "How could I have thought I could have a normal life looking like this?" she thought, tears streaming from her eyes. "I could've seriously hurt sugarfox tonight! I'm a monster!" She ran through the Forest, the trees and bushes catching her dress. She struggled out of her skirt and kept running in just her jumpsuit. She ran until she could run no more and collapsed on the forest floor, crying. She felt all her grief being wrung out of her as she cried, leaving behind an intense anger and hatred. She stared at her robotic parts, her anger growing. Yes, they were capable of so much good, but she was not in the mood to see that at the moment. All she saw were hideous things of destruction and evil, and she wanted to be rid of them. She pulled at her arm and legs, trying to detach them. But in her blind rage, she forgot about the latches that held them in place. Try as she might, she could not even loosen them, and that only increased her rage. The sounds of battle caught her attention. She ran toward the source and saw two SWATbots with their guns trained on Donovan. A third SWATbot lay fallen on the ground, its arm missing. Apparently the gun had somehow exploded, which was probably the only reason Donovan was as yet unroboticized. But Bunnie paid no attention to that. All she saw was an outlet for her anger. She rushed the SWATbots, yelling madly. The SWATbots turned to face her, but she was on them before they could register her as a threat. She buried a shoulder into the midsection of the first robot, driving them both backward into a tree. The SWATbots crunched together and fell to the ground, sparks flying from their damaged areas. But Bunnie wasn't nearly done. She rained down a flurry of punches, chops, kicks, and stomps on her fallen foes. She kept pounding them until nothing remained but a block of metal no bigger than a brick. And even then, she kept stomping until that block was firmly and completely buried in the ground. She fell to her knees, still pounding the ground, but crying now. As her anger drained away, her grief returned; it seemed she was incapable of feeling anything else at the moment. Donovan stared at her, not quite knowing what to make of this situation. "Do I really want to bother her in this state?" he asked himself, then suffered a feeling of deja vu. "Still," he continued, "she did just save my tail, so I should at least try to find out what's wrong." Donovan crept slowly up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. Bunnie pulled away at first, but because the pain was so great, she found herself relating all that had happened. "And it's all 'cause of these!" she finished, casting a bitter glance at her robotic parts. "If I had my way, I'd be rid of them in one way or the other!" Donovan had grown extremely thoughtful in the latter moments of Bunnie's tale. Seeing her trying to unlatch her robotic parts, he reached inside his vest and pulled out a small canister. "Be careful what you wish for, Bonnie," he said, shaking it, "you might just get it." He sprayed her in the face with the contents of the canister. Bunnie coughed and gagged, then passed out. Donovan picked her up on his shoulder. "Device one, activate." he said quietly, so as not to disturb Bunnie. His rocket boots fired up and he flew off, heading for Knothole. Meanwhile, back in Knothole, everyone had heard Antoine screaming for Bunnie to come back and had hurried to Bunnie's hut to see what was wrong. While Tails, Sondra, and Dulcy managed crowd control, Sonic, Sally, and Rotor assessed the situation. "Man," Sonic said after Antoine had been coaxed into talking, "that's rough." "Yeah," Rotor agreed. "I guess Bunnie got so wrapped up in the moment, she forgot how strong she was." "Quiet you two," Sally ordered, walking out of the bedroom. "Antoine's finally asleep, and I don't want him waking up any time soon." "Maybe I should fetch Tanis," Sonic suggested. "He's a pretty powerful magician, so he might be able to heal him up." "Good idea, Sonic," Sally said. "Just try not to call attention to this," she finished lamely, as Sonic had already taken off. "Hey, where's Sonic going?" Dulcy asked, poking her head through the open door. "Don't worry about it Dulcy," Sally said calmly. "Just keep everyone out." Dulcy whispered something to Tails and Sondra, then hunched her way into the hut. "Everyone's getting pretty restless out there, Sally," she said. "They're imagining some pretty wild things about Tony. You gotta tell them something!" "Oh, all right," Sally sighed. She walked outside and was immediately berated with questions about Antoine's well-being; animals were wondering if he was ill, had been attacked, and some other far-fetched things. Sally held her hands up for quiet. "Antoine is all right," she said when everyone had quieted down. "He just had a bit of an accident and cracked a couple of ribs. Sonic went to get Tanis to heal him up." "Are you sure it was an accident?" a voice asked. "And if it was, what happened?" Sally detected a look of anger on both Tails' and Sondra's faces. She recognized the voice as the same one who had questioned Sondra about her motives before entering the Void. But try as she might, she could not put the voice with a face, and that disturbed her. Sally cursed inwardly. There had recently been some disturbance among the citizens of Knothole. It seemed that someone had been trying to stir up some resentment against Sondra for being different and unnatural. Most of them had rejected the idea, but a few were taking it to heart, and she blamed the mysterious voice for it; especially seeing no one had stepped forward to take credit for what was happening. "Antoine said so himself," Sally answered, keeping her voice level. "We finally got him to get some rest, so I'd like it if everyone returned to what they were doing and kept this area as quiet as possible." "C'mon everyone, move along," Tails said, starting to usher them away. "Yeah, you heard my sis," Sondra added. "We'll tell you when we find out anything else." Most of them went willingly, but a few cast angry glances at Sondra, then at Sally. Sally waited until everyone had left, then motioned Tails and Sondra inside. "So, are you gonna tell us what really happened, Aunt Sally?" Tails asked, trying to act innocent. Sally smirked. "That don't work anymore, Tails," she said, chuckling. "You don't look the part anymore." "Awww....." "Don't worry, Miles," Sondra said, smiling. "You're still looking good to me!" Tails started blushing, and Sally and Sondra burst out laughing. Not too loud, because Antoine was still sleeping, but it did make Tails blush an even brighter red. Further comments were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Sonic must be back," Sally said, putting her hand on the knob. "But since when does he knock at the door?" She opened the door and found Bunnie lying on the ground, unconscious. "Bunnie!" she exclaimed, kneeling by her friend. "Are you all right? Wake up!" But Bunnie just lay there, asleep. Tails, Sondra, and Dulcy rushed out of the hut. "What happened to her?" Sondra asked, helping Sally get Bunnie up to a sitting position. Dulcy moved her head close to Bunnie's and sniffed. Her eyes glazed over for a second and she muttered, "I'm home, Ma." Then she shook her head. "Whoa, smells like someone used a sleep gas on her, pretty strong, too. She'll be out till morning." "How'd you know that, Dulcy?" Tails asked. Dulcy pointed her snout up and blew out a small, thin stream of a green smoke. "As I get older, I find more powers. I found this one the other day." "Well, whatever happened to her, we better get her inside before anyone else sees her like this," Sally said, dragging her inside. As they were dragging her inside, a note fell from her hand. Sondra saw it and picked up the note as she and Tails were coming inside. "This fell off Bunnie, Sally," Sondra said as she handed the note to Sally. Sally read the note. "When Bonnie is up to it tomorrow, have her meet me at Sanctuary. She can bring whoever she likes. Donovan." Sally's brows drew together in concern. "What is Donovan up to?" she wondered. "What business could he possibly have with Bunnie?" Then Sally noticed more handwriting scrawled at the bottom of the paper. "If you are the one reading this, Silly, please do not throw this note away like you did the last one." Sally smirked. She felt like throwing the note away just for spite, but something stopped her. "Maybe I should at least tell Bunnie," she thought. "After all, it is for her." "What's the note about, Aunt Sally?" Tails asked. "Oh, it's nothing, honey," she answered. "Just wait for Sonic to bring Tanis back; I got something to do right now." Tails and Sondra exchanged a glance, then stared at Sally. "Why don't we believe you?" they asked, almost simultaneously. Sally shrugged, trying to change the subject. But Tails and Sondra continued to stare at her. "All right, already," she said, throwing her hands up in surrender, "I'll tell you. Besides, I think I hear Sonic coming now." "I don't hear..." Sondra began. "Hey!" she exclaimed as Sally slipped out the door. "Forget it, Sondra," Tails said, grabbing her arm as she was about to go after her sister. "When Aunt Sally wants to be alone, no one can find her." "In the meantime," Dulcy said, hunching back into the hut, you two help me figure out where to put Bunnie. Antoine's using her bed and he can't be moved." "What really happened to him?" Sondra asked, concerned. "Rotor'll fill you in," Dulcy said, picking up Bunnie and moving toward the bedroom. Sally sat by the power ring pool, lost in thought. Donovan was a mystery to her; he seemed capable of helping her one minute and trying to capture her the next. "I just don't know what he's about anymore," she thought. "He's not the squirrel I knew back in Mobotropolis. He and Antoine used to be the best of friends, and he was my friend too. But now, I'm not so sure I can trust him." She looked at the waters of the pool, and the ripples leaves made as they fell off the nearby trees. "But he did help bring my father back to me," she admitted. "I suppose I owe him at least this much. Very well, then. When Bunnie's up to it, we'll meet him at Sanctuary." The next day, Bunnie and Sally walked to Sanctuary and sat down on the steps. "What do you think this meeting's about, Sally girl?" Bunnie asked. "I don't know, Bunnie, but it can't be a trick. If he wanted to capture us again, he wouldn't be doing it here." "I guess." Bunnie looked around impatiently. "I hope he shows up soon; I gotta get back and check on Antoine." "Bunnie, we talked about this," Sally scolded gently. "Antoine's not going to heal any faster with you hovering over him. Yes, Tanis healed his ribs, but he still needs a few days bedrest." "I still wish he'd show up," Bunnie grumbled, looking back toward Knothole. "But he is here," a voice said behind them. They turned to look and found Tanis standing at the top of the stairs, smiling gently. "He is waiting inside for you. Please, follow me." Sally and Bunnie walked up the stairs and into the church. "He is sitting down in front," Tanis whispered. They thanked him and made their way to the front of the church. Donovan was sitting on the front bench, legs crossed, hands on his knees, and his eyes closed. He seemed to be deep in meditation, and both Sally and Bunnie weren't sure they should interrupt. Just as they were about to tiptoe away, Donovan spoke. "Thank you for coming, Bonnie. I'll admit, I wasn't sure you would." "Well, you wanted me here, and now I am," Bunnie said. "Mind tellin' me why I'm here?" "All in good time," Donovan said, still not moving. "Did you bring anyone with you?" "I'm here." Sally said. "That's good, Silly, and I'm glad to see you didn't throw away the note." "Oh, come off it, Donovan," Sally said, a little angry. "I know you know my name, so stop calling me 'Silly'!" "I think we're getting off subject here," Donovan said. "Princess, if that will suit you better, please ask Nicole to access her file on the Gem of Enchanted Dreams." "Why should I..." Donovan smiled. "Humor me." Sally took Nicole from her boot and opened her up. "Nicole, access file on the Gem of Enchanted Dreams." "Accessing now, Sally." Nicole said, followed by a brief pause. "Unable to access file." "Why not?" Sally demanded. "File access requires an authorization code, Sally." "That's odd," Sally said. "I know Daddy time-locked some files so I couldn't access them till I came of age, but I never encountered one with an access code before." Donovan smirked. "Nicole, authorization code: omega-four-three-niner." "Code accepted, Donovan," Nicole said. "Loading recorded message now." "Bunnie, please remind me to remove all authoriztion codes once I come of age," Sally said, forcing a smile. "When you come of age, those codes may no longer be needed," Donovan remarked matter-of-factly. "Beginning playback now," Nicole said. "Greetings, Princess," a strange voice said. "I am installing a few programs on the computer your father had Sir Charles design for you, ones I think you will need at some point in the future. This file concerns a jewel known as the Gem of Enchanted Dreams. "This Gem, once thought to be one of the legendary Chaos Emeralds, is rumored to appear once every five years in different places. It is said that whoever can find this jewel will be granted one wish. But be warned; it will only grant the wish you ask for. If you leave any room open for it to distort the meaning of your wish, it will do so." "End of recorded message, Sally," Nicole said. "What the hoo-ha does that have to do with me, Donovan?" Bunnie asked, but then just stared. A tear was visible on Donovan's cheek. He quickly wiped it away. "Let's just say it is not a rumor," he said quickly. "I have found it, and I can take you there." Bunnie looked at him questioingly at first, then, as realization set in, her mouth dropped open in amazement. "You mean that I could wish these things away, forever?" she asked, indicating her robotic parts. "If that is truly what you desire, yes," Donovan answered. "Wait a minute," Sally interjected. "This seems a little too cut and dry for me. There has to be a catch." "Of course there is. The gem will set three challenges before you, and you must pass them all to get to it." "Great," Bunnie muttered. "If they're anything like what the Void threw at us, I'll need all the help I can get!" "Not so fast," Donovan said, holding up one hand. "Part of the challenge is that you must do everything to reach it on your own. If anyone helps you, you lose your chance at a wish." "Do you honestly think I'm gonna let her go by herself?" Sally demanded. "Oh, you can go, Princess. But be warned; you may find you are more of a hindrance than a help," Donovan cautioned. "How much time do we have?" Bunnie asked. "Maybe an hour or two. If you are going, meet me on the bridge within the next ten minutes. Until then," he said, then continued his meditation. "I don't trust this," Sally said, replacing Nicole on her boot. "There's got to be more--hey!" Bunnie grabbed Sally's arm and started dragging her away. "Sally girl, if there's any way I can be rid of these things, I'm gonna do it, no matter what it takes!" At the appointed time, Bunnie and Sally were waiting on the bridge; along with Sonic, Tails, Sondra, and Dulcy. "This sounds major bogus, Sal," Sonic said, peering into the forest just beyond the bridge. "Sonic, we've been through this already," Sally said. "Donovan may not be on our side, but he has shown he can be trusted." "Maybe," Tails said, "but he also has shown that he can keep things hidden if he wants." "Oh, Miles, I told you about that," Sondra pointed out. "I'm the one who asked Donovan not to say anything; if you have to find fault, find it with me." "Look, I don't care what problems y'all have with Donovan," Bunnie said loudly. "If he can help me get rid of these things, then I don't care why or how he does it." "The why is simple," Donovan said, emerging from the forest. "You saved me from the SWATbots, so I feel indebted. The how will become obvious soon enough." He scanned the group, then nodded to himself. "I see Boomer must be keeping Antony in bed, else they would both be here." "Whatever," Bunnie said, a little angrily. "Are we going or what?" "When you are ready." "Then let's go!" Sonic exclaimed. "Wait a minute, Sonic," Sally said, standing in front of him. "I thought we agreed that I was going." "Nuh-uh. You ain't going without me!" "A fine sister I'd be to let you go without me," Sondra added. "I'll make this simple," Donovan said, cutting off Tails before he could speak. "I only have three teleporter chips. One is for me, the second for Bonnie, and the third for her companion." Everyone started arguing amongst themselves, trying to convince Bunnie to let him or her go. Bunnie tried to call for quiet, but to no avail. Finally, she slammed her fist down on the rail of the bridge, causing the entire structure to shake wildly. It also had the effect of shutting everyone up at once. "Now look," Bunnie said, exasperated, "I've already decided that Sally's comin' with me. I don't wanna hear no guff about it, understand?" "Glad that's decided," Donovan muttered, placing a chip on both Sally and Bunnie. "Are we ready now?" "Wait a minute," Sonic said. "Fine, if I can't go with you, I want to at least make sure you get out safely." He handed Sally a whistle he produced from his backpack. "Here, Dulcy can hear this whistle from anywhere on Mobius and she'll come in charging. Right, Dulce?" "You got it, Sonic," Dulcy replied, giving him a thumbs up. "And I want you to take this," Sondra said, holding out a small crystal. "When we destroyed the Void, I lost most of my powers, but I'm getting them back slowly. I made this crystal during my practices; maybe it'll bring you some luck." "Can we leave now?" Donovan asked, getting a little impatient. Both Sally and Bunnie nodded. Donovan took out a remote control and pushed the button. A white light surrounded all three and they vanished. "I don't know about the rest of you," Sonic said as they disappeared, but I'm waiting right here until they get back." He sat down on the bridge and folded his legs. "I'm gonna go for a quick flight," Dulcy said, taking off. "We'll stay here, Sonic," Tails and Sondra said together, sitting down on either side of Sonic at the same time. Sonic looked form one to the other. "You two scare me when you do that," he said, trying to be serious. Tails and Sondra exchanged another glance. "Well you know, Sonic..." Sondra began. "...I guess we're just thinking..." Tails continued. "...on the same..." "...wavelength." "Knock it off!" Sonic yelled, standing up and running back to Knothole at full speed. Tails and Sondra looked at him go, then highfived each other without even turning their heads. When the dizziness wore off, Sally and Bunnie found themselves in a large cavern. "Where are we?" Bunnie asked, staring at the menacing stalactites that clung to the ceiling a few feet above their heads. "It looks like one of the underground caves that run under Robotropolis," Sally remarked, patting one of the stalagmites that grew up from the ground. "But yet, it doesn't look like anything I've seen on any map in Nicole's databases." Bunnie looked around, suddenly aware that one of their number was missing. "Hey, where's Donovan?" Sally shrugged. "I guess we'll see him if we get to the gem. Remember, if he helps you in any way, you don't get your wish. And the same goes for me." "Yeah, yeah, I know." Bunnie looked around, studying the many cave mouths that led away. "Which way do you think we should go?" "I have an idea..." Sally began, then clapped her hand over her mouth. "Remember, I can't help. This is all you." "Great," Bunnie grumbled. "I guess we'll just have to look for a cave that stands out from the others." "Lead the way, Bunnie." Bunnie walked off, with Sally close behind. Bunnie looked into each cave, but they all seemed to be duplicates of the one they were in. "This is hopeless," Bunnie sighed. Then she noticed a weird glow off to her right. Bunnie indicated the glow to Sally and crept over to the cave. Inside the cave was a wondrous sight. Even though the cave itself was similar to all the others, there was no living plant or animal life. Instead, everything that wasn't stone was metal. Metallic plants, metallic animals; almost as if.... Bunnie turned away from the cave, suddenly shivering uncontrollably. "Bunnie?" Sally asked, worried. "What's wrong?" Wordlessly, Bunnie indicated the cave, as well as a peculiar purple glow that suffused the cave walls every now and again. Sally saw, and understood. "Everything in that cave is robotic!" she exclaimed. "But how?" "It must be similar to the roboticizer," Bunnie said, when she had finally calmed down enough to talk. "Oh, Sally girl, what if it roboticizes me when I try to go through it? This has got to be one of my greatest fears!" "I know, Bunnie; I'd feel the same way if I were you." Bunnie turned around, and forced herself to study the cave. "It's not all that long," she observed, "ten...fifteen steps at the most. But I can't afford to get any more robotic than I already am!" Bunnie poked her normal hand just into the cave. Immediately, purple light sprang from the cave and onto her hand. Bunnie snatched her hand back, but not before the tips of her fingers had been roboticized. Tears of fright fell from Bunnie's eyes. But they turned to tears of relief as she saw her fingers return to normal. "Oh my stars; at least it's not permanent. Um, Sally, do y'all think you could run through the cave first; just so I could see how fast the cave acts?" "I don't know, Bunnie," Sally said doubtfully. "Wouldn't that be considered helping you?" "I don't think so. I mean, you gotta go through it eventually if you're gonna come with me; I'm just asking you to go first." "Sounds good to me," Sally said, revving up her legs. "See you on the other side!" She took off, leaving a mini-sonic boom behind. The purple light of the cave surrounded her, but she was through the cave in a second. She stopped just outside the cave, holding up her hands for Bunnie to see. They were the only things robotic on her body, but they soon returned to normal. Bunnie shook her head. "What I wouldn't give for her speed," she thought. Then, mustering all her courage, she shut her eyes and ran into the cave. She counted the steps as she felt her body changing. Three steps...five...seven... nine. Bunnie dove as she counted ten, feeling her head beginning to change after her body was finished. She hit the ground hard, sliding forward a few extra feet. "Bunnie!" Sally yelled, kneeling beside her friend and rolling her on her back. Bunnie opened her eyes carefully. "Did...did I make it?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper. "Barely," Sally said, helping her stand. "The only thing not robotic is your face!" Bunnie stared at her body, not breathing again until it had returned to its former state. She let out a sigh of relief. "Y'know, I almost thought my body would return to normal when I got through," she said. "No such luck, Bunnie," Sally said, smiling. "Well, that must've been the first challenge," Bunnie said. "C'mon, let's try and find the second one." Sally nodded and the two friends set off. After a few minutes of walking in silence, they came upon a dead end. "Guess we went the wrong way," Sally said. Bunnie stared at the rock formation at the end of the tunnel. "Y'know, if you look at the rocks the right way, it almost looks like a face." "I think you're right, Bunnie. Could this be your second challenge?" "Might be," Bunnie agreed, approaching the rocks. As she got close, the "eyes" of the rock face suddenly snapped open. A yellow beam shot out, heading straight for Sally. "Move it, Sally girl!" Bunnie yelled, putting herself between Sally and the beam. The beam passed right through Bunnie with no visible effect and continued on to Sally. Sally tried to dodge the beam, but it curved in mid-air. She screamed as the beam enveloped her, and then she disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. "Sally!" Bunnie yelled, running to where Sally had been standing. She searched for some clue of what had happened to her friend, but no trace of her remained. "Oh, no," she whispered, dropping to her knees. "Sally...." The sound of rock grinding against rock drew her attention. She looked back to where the face had been and saw a rock golem standing in front of a passage. It leered at her, daring her to get past it. Bunnie didn't need much provocation. She threw herself at the creature, only to be slapped into a wall by a stone fist. She lunged again, with similar results. "I gotta calm down," she thought, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip. "This thing's gonna have me for lunch otherwise." Bunnie approached the monster as before, but this time only faked a lunge. When the creature swiped its arm, she ducked underneath and tried to kick out one of the legs. The leg crumbled and the monster went down. "You ain't so tough," Bunnie said, punching with her normal fist. The creature laughed at the contact, which only netted Bunnie some bruised knuckles. She stared at her fist, not sure what to make of it. The golem grabbed her around her neck and started to squeeze. Bunnie grabbed its wrist with both hands and tried to pull it off. The rock crumbled benteath her robotic hand, but was untouched under her normal one. Bunnie then realized the key. She punched again, using her robotic fist. The creature's shoulder crumbled into dust, the arm falling off and cracking against the ground. She continued beating on the monster with her robotic parts until nothing but dust remained. Bunnie stood there, breathing heavily. "That was for you, Sally!" she cried, punching the wall. After a few moments of crying, she took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Well, I got this far, so I might as well keep going," she thought. "I just hope it's worth all this trouble." Bunnie walked down the passage, thinking about what had just happened. She really didn't believe Sally was dead. From what she knew about the gem, which wasn't much, it did not seem to be an evil thing; it was just particular about how you got your wish. "Donovan said that Sally might be used against me as a hindrance," she remembered. "That means I'll probably end up seeing her in the third challenge." And that brought her thoughts to another thing Donovan had said. "He also said that I might not want to wish these things away. I'll admit they do come in handy in a fight. I never really thought of the consequences if I do lose them. I mean, how will we fight the SWATbots or use heavy equipment." Just then, she came to a fork in the tunnel. One way was dark, but the other was filled with light. She peered down that tunnel and saw a greenish gem sitting on a pedestal off in the distance. "What, no third challenge?" she called jokingly. Almost as if in response, she heard a faint voice calling from the other tunnel. "Bunnie...help me!" "That sounds like Sally," she thought. All of a sudden, the ground started to shake. "What the hoo-ha?" Rocks started falling across the entrance to the tunnels. Bunnie saw her dilemma. She could either go to the gem and make her wish, or see what was wrong with her friend. "No contest here," she muttered, racing down the dark tunnel. When she reached the end, she saw Sally strapped to the floor, staring up at the ceiling in horror. Bunnie looked and saw that it was descending at a fairly rapid rate. "We gotta get you outta here, Sally girl," Bunnie said, pulling at the ropes that held Sally down. "No time!" Sally yelled. "You better get outta here!" "No way am I leaving you." Bunnie looked around and saw a small hole in the ceiling. "Be right back," she said, walking underneath it. She extended her legs and saw a switch through a small crack in the wall. "Hurry, Bunnie!" Sally called. She reached for the switch, but her robotic arm was too thick to fit through. She pressed herself against the wall and tried to reach it with her normal hand. She stretched her arm to its limit, and just managed to trip the switch. She retracted her legs and ran back to Sally. Sally was standing up, staring in wonder at the ceiling, which was retreating. "I don't know what you did, Bunnie," Sally said, rubbing her wrists, "but I'm glad you did it." "Me too, Sally," Bunnie agreed, hugging her friend. "C'mon, we'd best be getting back to Knothole." "Huh? Don't you still have to make your wish?" "I gave that up to rescue you," she said, explaining about the choice she had had to make. "Oh, Bunnie, I'm sorry," Sally apologized. "If there's any way I can make it up to you, just let me know, OK?" *There is no need for that,* a voice said, startling them. Before either one could react, they found themselves teleported in front of a ten-faced, green gem that was large enough to be held with both hands. It was flawless, and seemed to glow with its own light. *You have passed my three challenges,* the gem said, pulsating with light as each word was spoken. *To earn your wish, you must now answer my riddle.* "Riddle?" Bunnie asked disbelievingly. "Donovan didn't say nothin' about no riddle!" "That's because you didn't ask," Donovan said, stepping out of the shadows. "I only offer what information is asked of me." "Well, let's hear it then," Bunnie said, addressing the gem. *Listen to me, and listen well, and what I refer to, you must tell: Often talked of, never seen, Ever coming, never been, Daily looked for, never here, Still approaching, coming near, Thousands for its visit wait But alas for their fate, Tho' they expect me to appear, They will never find me here.* Bunnie stood dumbfounded by the riddle. She glanced at Sally and Donovan, and saw them equally mystified. "That's a good sign," she thought sarcastically. She concentrated on the riddle. "What could everyone be talking about and waiting for, but never gets here?" she asked herself. "I don't have a clue! Something that comes close, but never actually arrives?" She thought about it a few more moments. "What do I look forward to, but never see? Well, I look forward to a lot of things. But one day in the future, I hope to see them." The answer hit her like a bolt of lightning. "The answer is 'tomorrow'," Bunnie said confidently. "By definition, tomorrow is always the next day, so tomorrow never actually gets here. And everyone waits for tomorrow, waiting for it to become today!" A thunderclap sounded, shaking the ground they stood upon. *Correct. Now you can make your wish.* Bunnie picked up the stone and held it between her two hands. "It was hard gettin' here," she said, holding the stone close to her chest, "and now I don't know if I really want what I came here for." "What do you mean, Bunnie?" Sally asked. Bunnie smiled sadly. "The challenges I went through showed me that I really need these parts, no matter how much I don't like 'em. I've had 'em so long, they've become a part of me. Without 'em, I'd never have even gotten here. Besides, what chance would we have against the SWAT-butts without 'em?" "So what are you going to wish for, then?" "Right now, there's only one thing that I want with all my heart: to live a full and happy life with Antoine. So that's my wish." Bunnie closed her eyes, expecting some sign that her wish was granted, but nothing happened. "Another thing I forgot to mention," Donovan said as she opened her eyes. "The gem will not grant a wish that will come true of its own accord." Bunnie blushed slightly. "Oh my stars," she whispered. "Then I really don't know what to wish for." "Well you better wish for something," Donovan said, checking his watch, "you don't have much time." Bunnie thought back to the third challenge. "Y'know, when I saved Sally, I had to use both my robotic and my normal parts. Too bad I can't wish to be able to change these parts back and forth between robotic and normal whenever I wanted with no type of side effects." Another thunderclap sounded. *Wish granted,* the gem said, lifting from her hands and returning to the pedestal. Bunnie stared at the gem. "But wait...I didn't mean...?" "Finally!" Donovan exclaimed. "We struck gray matter!" Bunnie struggled to recall exactly what she had said. "You mean I could be normal when I want, and like this other times?" Donovan nodded. "I was hoping you'd hit upon it. Now, you two ladies might want to stand over here," he said, walking to circle he had drawn in the dirt. "Why would we..." Sally began, then was cut off as a tremor struck the cave. "Another thing you didn't mention?" she demanded. Donovan just shrugged. Sally and Bunnie hurried over to the circle, just as the cave ceiling started to collapse. Stalactites crashed all around them, but none actually entered the circle. Then the ground buckled, and all could feel a tremendous pressure build underneath them. The ground they were standing on shot up, through a hole in the ceiling, propelled by a geyser of steam. Bunnie and Sally looked around in fear and terror as the rock they stood on climbed higher and higher in the sky. But Donovan seemed unperturbed. "I suggest you use your whistle," he said, looking over the edge as the forest receded beneath them. Sally pulled the whistle from her pocket and blew it forcefully. The whistle pierced the chill air and was immediately followed by the sound of beating wings. "But what about you, Donovan?" Bunnie asked, as their rate of ascent turned into a rate of descent. "I'll be fine," he said, unworried. Dulcy swooped down before anything else could be said and grabbed Sally and Bunnie off the rock. Donovan waved goodbye and jumped off the edge. "Is he crazy?" Dulcy asked. "I don't think so, Dulcy," Sally said thoughtfully as she and Bunnie climbed onto Dulcy's back. "I think his confidence has something to do with the wish he made." "The one he made?" Bunnie asked. "Remember, he said he had found it before. That means he must have made a wish." "Maybe," Dulcy said. "So, did you get your wish, Bunnie?" "Not what I originally intended, Dulcy, but something even better," Bunnie answered. "You'll see when we get back to Knothole." "In the meantime, could you fly next to me, Sally?" Dulcy asked. "It's a long way back to Knothole, and I'll need all my strength to get there. I've been flying around since you left." "Sure, Dulcy," Sally said, jumping off and flying next to her. When they did get back to Knothole, everyone was waiting for them at the bridge. "We heard the whistle," Sonic said as they landed safely on the bridge. Bunnie slid off Dulcy. "You'll see soon enough, sugarhog," Bunnie said, exchanging a secret smile with Sally. "But first I wanna show sugarfox." "Show me what?" Antoine asked, walking slowly toward the group. "Antoine, I thought Tanis told you to stay in bed!" Bunnie scolded. Antoine shrugged. Behind him, Rotor was hopping after him, tied to a chair. "Sorry, Bunnie. I kept him down as long as I could." "It's OK, Rotor," Bunnie said, smiling. "I'll get him back in bed myself." She walked to him and reached for him with her robotic arm. Antoine flinched momentarily. Bunnie looked hurt for a second, but then nodded. "Oops, I forgot." She closed her eyes and concentrated, willing her parts to return to normal. She felt something happening to her arm and legs, but she couldn't tell what. When the feeling ended, she opened her eyes and saw Antoine staring open-mouthed at her. She looked down at her body. Everything was back to normal. "Yes!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "The Bunnie body is back! And this time, to stay!" "But what happens to us now?" someone asked from the crowd. "You were our best fighter!" "I still am," Bunnie answered, returning her legs to robotic for a second. She found that it was easier this time, and would probably get to the point where it would require only a thought to change. "Just now, I don't have to stay like that all the time." She turned to Antoine and picked him up in her arms. "Now you are going back to bed," she said carrying him off to her hut. "And I'm making sure you stay there; one way or another." Everyone just watched them go, a mixture of surprise and happiness on their faces. "Man, I bet you have one wild tale to tell, huh Sal?" Sonic asked, shaking his head as the crowd dispersed. "Sonic, you don't know the half of it," Sally said, smiling. As everyone headed back to Knothole proper, no one noticed a lone figure slinking off toward Robotropolis. No one, that is, except a certain grey squirrel watching from the trees.