"To Be Evergreen"
Authors: Robert Brown and Francis Tolbert

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 or by another and we have
            permission to use them).  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: Hi all, I'm back.  First thing that should be noticed is that 
the disclaimer has changed somewhat.  Now that we are using the Evergreens,
Kelly Moule's characters, we have to make an allowance for that.
               There's a song in this story called "All Things End".  The
reason I didn't include it in the disclaimer is because I don't know who wrote
it or sung it.  If anyone has this information, please let me know.  I learned
to sing this song in JHS 125 here in the Bronx.  It quickly became one of my
favorites, and I never forgot it.  I often sing it to my nephews to get them to
sleep, so that's how it's used here.  Hope you like it as much as I did.
               Well, the surgery's still on for the 14th of January.  Nothing
changed, so far.  We're still hopeful.  That's all for now.  Till next time,
Happy reading.

Cast of Characters(in order of appearance)
Princess Lydia Evergreen^^^
Isabela Evergreen^^^
Rosie
Patricia Hedgehog***
Maurice Hedgehog***
Princess Sally Acorn
Sonic Hedgehog
Bunnie Rabbot
Antoine D'Coolette
Rotor
Miles "Tails" Prower
Princess Sondra Acorn***
Uncle Chuck
Dr. Robotnik
Metal Sonic
Knuckles Echidna
Dorian Lexford***
Dulcy
Tanis Shi-rat***

#17
     Lydia sat in her new hut, listening to the sounds of Knothole as midday
drew close.  The sounds were diminishing as the hot sun reached its zenith,
beating unmercifully down on those unfortunate enough not to be inside or in
shade.  But Lydia would have preferred to be out there; she loved the heat of
summer as it tried to hang on before fall moved in.
     But she had more important things to take care of.  Lydia smiled at the
child she held in her arms.  Isabela was drifting off for her afternoon nap,
fighting it as usual.  She always fought going down for a nap; she loved to 
run around and drive her mother crazy.  But Lydia was singing a song she 
herself had been sung as a child.  It had the same effect on Isabela that it
had had on her: instant slumber.  It was called "All Things End", and went
something like this:

All things end, so my friend
We too shall be parting.
Moments shared slowly drift
Into memory.
But with time on our side
One day we'll be together.
Until then we must say goodbye.

Thank you for the happiness
We've shared along the way.
May it be a constant friend
Each hour ev'ry day.
May the songs we sang together
Live within our minds.
Sweet memories of joy and love
Untouched by age or time.

All things end, so my friend
We too shall be parting.
Moments shared slowly drift
Into memory.
But with time on our side
One day we'll be together.
Until then we must say...
Until then we must say goodbye...
We must say goodbye!

     Lydia smiled as she ended her song, feeling her daughter's breathing grow
soft and even.  She stood up slowly and carried her to the bed that Rotor had
built.  He had forseen the need of a bed with siderails that could be raised
and lowered.  It was really helpful as Isabela tended to toss and turn in her
sleep.
     As she lay her in the bed, she realized just how lucky she was to have 
found Knothole.  She was reunited with some of her family, and had discovered a
new cousin.  Sondra was a nice kid, kind of reminded Lydia of herself at that
age.  Of course, she didn't have the body Sondra did, but she thought she had
filled out quite well over the years.
     A soft knocking at the door interrupted her train of thought.  "Come in,"
she said quietly.
     The door opened and Rosie walked in.  "I see one tradition still lives 
on," she said, smiling.
     "What tradition is that?"  Lydia asked.
     "I sang that very same lullaby to your mother and uncle, as I did to 
Sally, as I hope to do to her children."
     Lydia smiled warmly.  "So that's where Mother got it from.  She never 
said."
     "I learned that song as a teenager," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
     "Is something wrong?"
     "Just some old memories resurfacing.  Tanis taught me that song, just
before he had to leave.  Every time I hear it, I remember how we used to be."
     "And are again, so I have heard," Lydia said knowingly.
     "Like I tell your cousin, we are too old for that nonsense."
     "And like I'm sure she tells you, you're never too old."
     Rosie chuckled softly.  "Well, before I forget, Sally wants you to come to
the War Room.  They're going over the holograph of Robotropolis to see where
Robotnik could have hidden his Emeralds."
     "I just got Isabela to sleep, though."
     "I'll mind her.  It'll give an old woman something to do."
     Lydia smiled at that.  "I'll try not to be long."  She tiptoed out of the
hut and into the hot sunlight.  
     Lydia took a deep breath, savoring the heady scent of the hot, humid air.
She walked slowly toward the War Room, feeling the sun warm her body.  She saw
a few animals along the way, and most greeted her cordially.  The rest, 
however, were looking at her in that all too familiar way.  
     Lydia had seen those looks just before she was booted out of her old 
group.  Though they were few and far between, they were beginning to annoy her.
What right did they have to judge her?  Who among them could say they knew what
she had been through, and what was still going through?  Sally would surely put
a stop to it, if she knew.  But Lydia knew the Race was too important to 
disrupt with such trivial matters.  She let it go for now, but did not forget 
it.
     As she reached the War Room, she saw Maurice and Patricia out for a walk.
Patricia was starting to get big, but she didn't seem to mind.  Maurice had
become severely overprotective of her, making sure every little thing was taken
care of.  If anything, Patricia was becoming more annoyed with Maurice than 
with the pregnancy.  "For the last time, I don't need a babysitter!"  she 
yelled at Maurice.
     "But dear, I just want to make sure everything goes OK," Maurice 
protested.  "There's no harm in that, is there?"
     "I'll harm you if you don't knock it off!"
     Lydia smiled as she watched them walk away.  A pang of jealousy hit her.
"If only I'd have had Jonathan with me for my pregnancy," she thought.  "Ah
well, no use thinking about what might've been."  She opened the door and 
walked into the War Room.
     If the heat outside was bad, the heat in the War Room was almost 
unbearable.  The air was still and unmoving; not even a fan could stir the 
humid mass.  It made fur and clothes cling to the body, until they all were
daydreaming about relaxing in the cold river.  
     When Lydia walked through the doorway, she was almost assualted by the
oppresive heat.  "I like the heat," she said, "but this is too much.  Why
doesn't someone open a window?"
     "They're all open," Sally said, wiping her brow.  "But without a wind to
blow the air around, it doesn't make a difference."
     "Ain't that the truth," Sonic said.  "Any other day, we'd be swimming in
the river.  But we gotta find those Emeralds."
     "Too bad sugardragon's not around," Bunnie said, fanning herself with her
hand.  "She could cool off this room in nothin' flat."
     "Indeed," Antoine agreed, "but she is reconning for more Emeralds.  It is
not even this hot in our...what was the word again, Bunnie?"
     "Dojo, Antoine."
     "Yes, dojo.  Which reminds me, we keep forgetting to thank everyone for 
helping build it.  You too, Lydia."
     "Well, you wouldn't let me help on my own hut, so I had to do something."
     "By the way, how's that bed I made for Isabela?"  Rotor asked.  
     "Works like a dream, Rotor," Lydia answered, smiling.
     "I don't mean to interrupt," Tails began, then stopped himself.  "Then 
again, I do.  The faster we do what we have to, the faster we can do what we
want."
     "Good point, Miles," Sondra said.  "Let's get to work."
     Sally sighed and flipped on the holograph of Robotropolis.  Unfortunately,
all that served to do was make the room hotter.  "Uncle Chuck has sent us these
as possible locations of the Emeralds," she said, pluggin in Nicole to the side
of the projector and indicating the red dots that appeared.  "We need to figure
out a way to get some animals in there to scope it out."
     "Why don't we just walk in?"  Sonic said.  "After all, 'Butt-nik can't
attack us unless it's over an Emerald."
     "Maybe so, Sonic, but if we're there looking for one, and we get into a
fight, he could claim he was defending an Emerald and claim ownership of it."
     "Didn't think of that," Sonic admitted.  "OK, we'll figure out something."
     Meanwhile, in Robotropolis, Uncle Chuck was in his base, listening in on
Robotnik's plans.  "Metal Sonic, have the SWATbots in Deep Canyon found 
anything?"  he heard Robotnik ask.
     "No, sir," Metal Sonic answered.  "I'll tell you when they report in."
     "Very well, but you better keep me informed."
     Metal Sonic mumbled something Uncle Chuck couldn't hear, but he wouldn't
have heard him even if he had spoken normally.  At that very moment, a loud
explosion shook Robotropolis and drowned out all other sounds.
     "What the devil...?"  Uncle Chuck said
     "Sir, one of the SWATbot factories has been destroyed," Metal Sonic
reported.
     "Impossible!"  Robotnik thundered.  "The Freedom Fighters would never risk
losing their Emerald just to attack me like that.  I want Knuckles here, and I
want him here now!"
     "I gotta check this out," Uncle Chuck thought, placing his headset down on
the table.  He stood up and headed down the maze of passageways that connected
his base with Robotnik's command chamber.
     "That settles it, then," Sally said switching off the holograph.  "Sonic,
Tails, and Rotor will lead the first party; Bunnie, Antoine, and Dulcy'll lead
the second; and we three princesses will lead the third."
     That last remark got a chuckle out of everyone.  "OK, calm down," Sondra
said.  "I say we go do this tonight.  For right now, I'm going to take a swim.
Anybody want to join me?"
     Everyone there raised his or her hand.  Tails even raised his tails.  "OK
then," Sally said, "meet by the river in ten minutes."
     "I been waiting all summer to try these out," Bunnie said to Antoine as 
they all filed out of the hut.  "About time I get to use them!  I just hope I
remember how to swim."
     "If you do not," Antoine said, "I cannot help you.  Remember, I am never
knowing how to swim."
     "I'll fix that," Bunnie said, smiling.  "If I can teach you martial arts,
teaching you how to swim should be a piece of cake."
     "Let me see if Isabela's up yet," Lydia told her cousins.  "She loves to
swim."
     "See ya later," they called, heading for their hut.
     Robotnik paced impatiently in his command room.  "Where is he?"  he asked
irritably.  "And did the hover units find anything at the factory?"
     "In order of asking, on his way, and no," Metal Sonic said.
     "Not quite true, robot," Knuckles said stepping from the shadows.  "You
wished to speak with me, Doctor?"
     "The Freedom Fighters are attacking me!"  he exclaimed, indicating the
screens with a sweeping motion of his arm.  "I demand they lose their Emerald
at once!"
     Knuckles closed his eyes and concentrated.  "No, the Race is still in
tact," he said.  "There are others, not bound by the Race, who seek to do you
harm."
     "It can't be Donovan, he knows what I'd do.  But then it must be...."
Robotnik's eyes flashed a glaring red as the knowledge hit him.  "Curse that
sniveling little...."
     "Watch it," Knuckles warned.  "I don't like hearing that language, and I
can do something about it."
     Robotnik glared at Knuckles, who responded with a cool gaze.  "Metal 
Sonic, order the SWATbots to priority alpha, immediately."
     "But that means..."
     "Do it!"
     "The team'll want to know about this," Uncle Chuck thought from his hiding
spot.  He moved slowly, careful not to make any noise, and headed back to his
base.
     Dorian ran the streets of Robotropolis, evading SWATbots as best he could.
But it seemed there were SWATbots around every corner, and more came with every
corner he turned.  The safety of the forest was just a few meters ahead, and
Dorian counted himself very lucky to have gotten out in one piece.
     Laser fire erupted behind him.  Dorian turned his head to look and saw a
few hover ships chasing him down.  There were no side streets he could turn 
down, so he ran as fast as he could for the forest.  Unfortunately, the hover
ships were faster, and one of the laser shots caught him in his shoulder before
he could reach the trees.
     Biting his lip against the pain, he swung himself up into a tree and 
waited.  The hover ships passed by him seemingly without noticing him.  He 
waited until they were out of sight before trying to climb back down.  
     Pain exploded in his shoulder.  Unprepared for it, Dorian fell from the
tree into the underbrush below.  He dragged himself out of it, pulling free of
the branches that caught at his fur and clothes.  When he finally emerged, it 
was not without further injury.
     Dorian shook his head, trying to clear the haze from his sight.  Seeing a
familiar trail, he took off down it, heading solely on instinct.  If he had
been more aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed that he was heading
in the opposite direction he should have.  As was, he could only continue down
it, toward a place that had become all too unfriendly toward him.
     Lydia walked through the forest behind her hut with Isabela skipping along
beside her.  Since the first night they had spent at Knothole, they had made a
point of taking a walk in the forest just before they went to bed.  It was a 
time when they could have peace and quiet from the citizens of Knothole.  They
continued their walk, unaware that someone else was close by.
     Dorian realized with a start where his feet had taken him.  "Blast," he
thought.  "We never should have separated.  Now I'll have to find a way around
Robotropolis to get back."
     He took a step back along the path he had just come down, but fell to his
knees.  "I've lost a lot of blood," he thought, pressing a hand over the wound
in his shoulder.  "I don't know if I'll be able to make it back to the base."
Just then he heard a rustling in the bushes near him.  He tried to hide 
himself, but he was far too weak to move.
     "Mommy," Isabela said suddenly, "I think someone's out there."
     "It's just your imagination, Isabela," Lydia said, smiling.
     "It is not!"  Isabela said, stamping her little foot.  "I heard someone
in those bushes."
     "OK, let's check to see."  Lydia and Isabela crept over to the bushes.  
Lydia thought it was all some game her daughter was playing.  Imagine her 
surprise when she found a male dog face down, blood seeping from his shoulder.
"By the Almighty," she whispered.
     "See?  Told ya," Isabela said with what was supposed to be a smug grin,
but it didn't come out that way.
     "No time for that now," Lydia said.  She tried to pick him up, but he was
too heavy for her to carry.  She looked around for something she could use as 
a stretcher when she heard the sound of dragon wings.  She looked up and saw
Dulcy coming in for a landing.  
     "Good timing, Dulcy,"  she said.  "You can help me get this guy back to 
Knothole.  He's been hurt pretty bad."
     "What happened to him?"  Dulcy asked, picking him up.  But when she saw
his face, she dropped him.
     "Dulcy!"  Lydia exclaimed as a groan sounded from the dog.  "What did you
do that for?"
     "Nuh-uh, no way.  I am not helping him."
     "What?  What are you talking about?"
     "Lydia, that's Dorian.  You know, the one who was responsible for Sally
getting roboticized."
     "It is?"  Lydia looked down at Dorian's face.  Somehow, she had expected
Dorian to be a monster.  But when she looked at him, all she saw was pain.  
"Even so, I can't just leave him here; he'll die if we don't help him."
     "Oh, why'd you have to put it like that?"  Dulcy asked as she picked him
up.  "I'll get him to your hut, but you're on your own from there."
     "Thanks, Dulcy," Lydia said.  "I'll meet you there."
     Dulcy frowned, an unusual expression for her.  "I'm such a pushover," she
thought, carrying him toward Knothole.  "I gotta work on that."
     Dorian awoke a few minutes later.  He was in a dark, hot hut.  The 
darkness was so complete the he had to blink his eyes a few times to make sure
they were open.  Someone had brought him here and put him on this strange and
unfamiliar bed.  A quick examination showed that whoever had done this had 
also bandaged his shoulder and bound it to his body.  
     "You are awake," a voice said near him.  "I did not expect you to until 
the morning."
     Dorian sat up suddenly and immediately yelped in pain, grabbing his 
injured shoulder.  "Who's there?"  he asked.
     A torch flared to life, showing the form of a white female fox.  "A 
friend," she said simply.  "My name is Lydia."
     Dorian lay back down.  "I have only one friend," he muttered.  "But I 
thank you for the help, Miss Lydia.  I am Dorian, Dorian Lexford."
     "I know who you are, and I know what you have done."
     "And yet you still helped me?"  Dorian asked incredulously.  "Why?"
     Lydia took a rag from a bowl of cold water and wrung it out.  "I am not
the kind who can stand by while another animal dies, no matter his crimes," she
said softly, placing the rag on his forehead.
     Dorian smiled, looking into her garnet eyes.  "Again, I thank you."
     Lydia returned the smile easily.  Her eyes glowed with a light that could
not be dismissed merely as the torchlight reflecting in her eyes.
     "Mommy?"  a small voice called sleepily.
     Lydia walked over to a nearby bed and picked up a young cat with the same
color fur.  As she did, Dorian noticed Lydia's black t-shirt and shorts and 
couldn't help admire her beauty.  
     "I'm sorry, Isabela," she said, hugging her daughter close.  "Did I wake 
you?"
     "It's OK, Mommy," Isabela said, smiling.  
     "Your daughter?"  Dorian asked.
     Lydia nodded.  "Dorian, meet my daughter, Isabela.  Isabela, this is the
dog you helped me find before.  His name is Dorian."
     "Hello, Mr. Dorian," Isabela said shyly.
     "Just Dorian," he said.  "I can see she got her mother's looks."
     Lydia blushed suddenly, her cheeks turning rose pink.  "I didn't mean to
embarass you," Dorian said quickly.
     "I'm just not used to being complimented," Lydia explained, rocking 
Isabela in her arms.  
     "Oh.  I'm sure you and your husband are very happy."
     Lydia looked down.  "I'm afraid her father is no longer with us," she said
sadly.
     "My condolences," Dorian said gravely.  
     Lydia was about to say something when she was interrupted by a hard 
knocking at her door.  She opened it up and saw Sally standing there, arms 
folded.  "Where is he, Lydia?"  she asked, her voice cold.
     Lydia stepped outside and closed the door behind her.  "Sally, before you
say anything, let me explain," she began, eyeing the crowd of animals behind 
Sally.
     "Dulcy told me how you found him, and I can't fault you for wanting to 
help him.  But I told you what he did to me and Sondra; he has been banned from
Knothole permanently."
     "I know, but where else was I going to bring him?"  
     "Give him to us!"  someone yelled from the crowd.  "We'll take care of 
him."
     Sally turned a cold stare on the crowd, which immediately quieted down.  
"There will be no vigilante justice here," she said.  "He has already been
sentenced, and I will make sure he fulfills it."
     "By royal right," Lydia began, drawing herself up to her full height, "I
can claim responsibility for anything a guest of mine does during his stay with
me.  I hereby claim this right in reference to one Dorian Lexford."
     Sally looked back at her cousin.  "You know what that means," she stated.
"Whatever he does in the time he's here you will be held accountable for.  
Whatever sentence he would have gotten, you will get.  I cannot protect you
from that."
     "I understand completely, and I accept."  
     "So be it."  Sally turned back to the crowd.  "No harm is to come to 
Dorian for as long as he is a guest of my cousin.  If he breaks any of our 
laws, you will report it to me or Sondra.  Do not take matters into your own
hands."
     A low grumbling went up from the crowd, but it was quickly silenced by
Sonic.  "She helped us find an Emerald," he pointed out.  "Let's give her the
benefit of the doubt."
     No one could deny that, and they eventually dispersed.  Sally waited until
everyone but Sonic had gone then turned to look at Lydia.  No words passed 
between the cousins, but the look of admiration in Sally's eyes was enough.
She turned and walked to Sonic, and they walked off together.
     Lydia smiled and walked back into her hut.  When she did, she saw Dorian
out of bed and trying to get to a window.  "Where are you going?"  she 
demanded, placing a sleeping Isabela back in her bed.
     "I did not realize you were a princess," he said, his breathing labored.  
"I do not wish to cause any trouble for you.  I will leave."
     Lydia looked into his eyes and saw a soul that was bound by a strict code
of honor and loyalty.  "You will stay, provided you give me your word that you
will cause no trouble while you are here."
     Dorian sighed.  "Very well, you have my word."  He then slumped to the
floor, unconscious.
     Lydia dragged him to her bed and somehow managed to get him back on it.
After making sure she was comfortable, she grabbed an extra blanket and pillow,
spread them out near Isabela's bed, and tried to get some sleep.
     Lydia did not sleep well at all that night.  So when someone knocked at 
her door just before sunrise, she had to drag herself to her feet.  "Who is 
it?"  she muttered tiredly.
     "Lydia, it's me, Rosie," a soft voice answered.
     "Rosie?"  Lydia blinked the sleep from her eyes and opened the door.  
     Rosie had a smile on her face as she entered, but it turned to a look of
concern when she saw Lydia's condition.  "Didn't you sleep last night?"  she
asked.
     Lydia shrugged, indicating the blanket on the floor.  "He needed the bed
more than I did," she said.
     "Well, I'm here to fix that."  Rosie walked over to Dorian and started
unwrapping the bandages that covered his shoulder.
     "What are you doing?"  Lydia asked in a fierce whisper because Isabela was
starting to stir.
     "I know some healing ways," Rosie answered.  "I'm just here to help."
     "Yeah, and I'll bet Sally sent you so she can get rid of Dorian quicker."
     Rosie shrugged and placed her hands on the wound.  A soft glow emanated
from her hands and Dorian's sleep seemed to grow deeper and easier.  After a 
moment, Rosie lifted her hands.  "I've healed the wound, but he'll still be
weak from loss of blood.  He'd better spend a few days resting to regain his
strength."
     Lydia nodded.  "Thanks, Rosie."
     "Don't mention it.  Now I'd better be going.  I promised Tails and Sondra
that I'd make breakfast for them."
     Lydia smiled and opened the door.  Rosie walked by her, stopping only at 
the blanket on the floor for a second.  Lydia closed the door behind her and 
practically fell on the blanket.  It was only then that she noticed a slight
glow coming from the blanket.  But then she was too sound asleep to care.
     Lydia awoke sometime that afternoon, feeling fully refreshed and 
ravenously hungry.  A delicious smell wafted in from the small area she used as
a kitchen, making her mouth water.  She sat up, stretched, and looked around.
     Dorian stood by the stove, cooking something up in a large pan.  Isabela 
was sitting on the counter nearby, talking to Dorian incessantly.  But instead
of being bothered by it, Dorian seemed happy to have someone to talk to.  By 
the way he moved his arm, Lydia could tell that Rosie had done her job well.
But by the slow speed he was moving, she could tell he was still weak.
     Isabela turned her head and saw Lydia awake.  "Mommy's awake!"  she cried,
jumping off the counter and running to her mother.  Lydia just had enough time 
to brace herself before Isabela barreled into her arms.  "Sleep well, Mommy?"
     "Actually, yeah," she said, trying to disentangle herself from Isabela's
embrace.  "What time is it?"
     "About half past two," Dorian said over his shoulder.  "You looked like
you had a rough night, so we decided to let you sleep.  I hope my cooking 
didn't wake you up."
     Lydia's stomach growled loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the hut.
"Actually, I'm glad it did," she said, giving up on Isabela.  She stood up with
Isabela's arms still latched around her neck.  "I'm so hungry, I could even eat
a SWATbot."
     Dorian chuckled good-naturedly as Lydia sat down at the table.  "My 
cooking may not be as high in iron as a SWATbot, but I think you'll like it."
     Right around sunset, Lydia emerged from the hut.  "I'll only be gone an 
hour or so," she called inside.  "You sure you don't mind?"
     "Positive," Dorian called back.  "Go do what you have to."
     Lydia smiled and closed the door.  She walked toward Sally's hut with a 
smile on her face.  For some reason, she felt better than she had in years.  A
weight that had been on her soul was lifting, and she had a bit of a spring in
her step.
     Unfortunately, it did not last long.  Almost every animal she passed had
a dirty look or unkind word for her.  Lydia was shocked by how open they were
being about it.  At least before they had tried to some extent to hide their
feelings.  Now, it was as if each face was an open book in a library that
condemned her.  She held her peace, but knew she could no longer keep this 
from Sally.
     Sally and Sondra were sitting at a table as Lydia walked in, heads bowed 
in discussion.  Sonic and Tails were in the back, looking glum.  "I'm telling 
you, it's happening all over again," Sondra said.
     "Calm down, Sondra," Sally said.  "You have no proof."
     "Proof of what?"  Lydia asked.
     All of them looked up at her.  The words that Sondra had been about to say
were suddenly trapped behind her clamped lips.  "If you have something to say
Sondra, you can say it in front of me," Lydia said.
     Sondra sighed.  "Remember what I told you Dorian was doing to me?  Well,
rumors are popping up again, this time that you are in league with him."
     "You gotta be joking!  Why would I turn against my own family?"
     "Easy Lydia," Sonic said.  "We never said we believed them."
     "I hope not."
     "Lydia, I know you're only trying to do what's best," Sally said in a calm
voice.  "But we can't afford to have Knothole divided over anything.  The Race
is far too important."
     "So what do you want me to do?  Throw him out?"
     "That's got my vote," Tails said.
     "Tails!"  Sally said, angry.  "I thought I'd never hear something like 
that from you."
     "What do you want Aunt Sally?  He was the one that got you roboticized, 
and caused Sondra to run away!  How do you expect me to feel about him?"
     "I feel the same way you do, Miles," Sondra said.  "But think of it like
this: are we any better than him if we resort to his tactics?"
     Tails grumbled something under his breath and turned to face out the
window.  Meanwhile, Lydia was steadily growing angrier.  "All my life," she
began in an icy voice, "I was looked upon to lead the people.  Then, just 
because I followed my heart and made what they termed a mistake, I got booted
out.  So I can sympathize with Dorian.  He did what he did because he owed
Snively a debt of honor--"
     "Owes a debt," Tails interrupted.  "That's the problem."
     "Even so, he gave me his word of honor that he wouldn't cause any problems
here.  From all I've heard, he'll keep it."
     Tails said nothing more, but continued to stare out the window.  "After we
caught him, he did act honorably," Sondra pointed out.  "If he has given his
word, that's enough for me."
     Tails got up suddenly and stormed out of the hut.  "Yo Tails, wait up!"  
Sonic called, speeding out after him.
     "I'd better go talk to him," Sondra said, walking out.  "If he doesn't
listen to Sonic, he'll listen to me."
     Lydia and Sally stared at each other in the suddenly quiet hut.  "I'm 
sorry for all the trouble I'm causing," Lydia whispered.
     Sally sighed.  "I know Lydia, and I understand.  Just do me a favor.  Make
sure you're doing all this for the right reasons."
     "What do you mean, Sally?"  Lydia asked.  But Sally had already opened up
Nicole and was engrossed with something on her screen.  Lydia threw up her 
hands in disgust and walked out.
     Sally sighed as she watched her cousin go.  "Keep an eye on him, Lydia,"
she said.  "Nicole, bring up everything you have on the Lexford family."
     Lydia walked back to her hut, her mind full.  She needed some time to sort
out her emotions and was looking forward to a quiet evening tonight.  She 
stopped a few feet from her hut, suspicion suddenly flaring in her heart.
     Though it was getting dark out, no torches lit the inside of her hut.
Isabela was not one to spend much time inside in the dark.  She approached the
hut cautiously.  "Isabela?  Dorian?"  she called softly.
     No answer.  Lydia opened the door and peered inside.  No one was there,
and there were no signs of any struggle.  Lydia stood for a moment, wondering
what could have happened, when fear took hold.  She grabbed Samantha from her
boot.  "Samantha, locate Isabela Evergreen," she ordered as she opened her up.
     "Locating now, Lydia."  Samantha returned.  "She is on a path fifteen 
meters east of here with an unknown male canine."
     "Are they walking toward or away from Knothole?"
     "Away."
     Lydia ran to the path, calling Isabela's name.  Just ahead of them, Dorian
and Isabela were walking down the path.  When they heard Lydia's frantic calls,
they stopped and turned.  "Here we are, Mommy," Isabela called, waving.
     Lydia ran up to her daughter and swept her into her arms.  "Don't you ever
do that again!"  she cried, hugging her daughter close.
     "Do what, Mommy?"  Isabela asked with the innocence of childhood.  "I was
just showing Dorian our path."
     Lydia looked around, recognizing the area now.  "Oh my," she said softly.
     Dorian gazed levelly at Lydia.  "I am sorry if we upset you.  Isabela was
very insistent and I thought you would be gone longer.  I saw no harm in it.
Forgive me."
     Lydia blushed uncomfortably.  "I should be the one asking you for 
forgiveness," she said.
     "Whatever for?"
     "Because of what I thought had happened," she said, looking away.
     Dorian walked to her and turned her face toward him.  "You were concerned
for your child.  That is more than understandable.  Especially considering my
reputation around here.  I should have been more thoughtful."
     Lydia's blush deepened.  "We should get back," she said, walking back 
toward Knothole.
     That night, Lydia lay awake on the floor, looking at Dorian.  She still
felt the gentle firmness of his grasp on her chin, and she smiled.  Old 
feelings were stirring in her heart, feelings she had thought long dead.  Four
years dead, to be exact.  In a way, it frightened her.  But in another way, she
accepted it and encouraged it.
     Sally's words came back to her mind.  "Make sure you're doing this for the
right reasons," she had said.  Lydia had no idea what she was talking about 
then, but now she knew.  But to be perfectly honest, she no longer cared.  She
had made up her mind to see this through no matter the consequences.
     The next few days went by fairly normally.  Dorian was good to his word, 
and some of the animals in Knothole were wavering in their hatred of him.  The
Race for the Emeralds seemed to have stalled as no new information had come to
light.  Tails had apparently been talked around by Sonic and Sondra, but he
still refused to come anywhere near Lydia's hut until Dorian left.
     One night, after Lydia had been to yet another exhausting meeting, she 
came home to find Isabela curled up in Dorian's arms, sound asleep.  An open 
book lay on a nearby table, and Dorian had a very thoughtful look on his face.
     Lydia took Isabela from his arms, snapping Dorian from his train of 
thought.  "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I didn't even see you come in."
     "That's OK," Lydia replied as she put Isabela down in her bed.  "Do you
mind if I ask you what you were thinking about?"
     "Not at all.  If you must know, I was thinking of you."
     "Oh?"  Lydia stood with her face turned away from him so he could not see
her blush.  
     Dorian nodded.  "I was thinking how lucky you are.  You have a beautiful
daughter, a loving family, and many friends who care deeply about you.  Though
I once had family and friends, I have never found the one who I could give my
heart to as you did to Jonathan.  And now, I don't even have that."
     Lydia turned to Dorian, quickly stepped into his arms, and hugged him.  
Dorian stood unmoving for a moment, but then his arms encircled her.  They
stayed there for a moment, holding each other, but then Dorian pulled away.
"What is it?"  she asked, looking at him.  
     "I cannot do this," he said, turning away.  "It is not right."
     "What do you mean?"
     "I'm taking advantage of your kindness.  You have taken me in to give me
time to heal.  Now I am healed, and I should leave."
     "But you don't want to, do you?"
     Dorian shook his head slowly.  "But no matter what I want, I have to.  I
made a promise to the others, and I have to keep it."
     Lydia felt tears welling up in her eyes.  "Just like that?  You have 
nothing else to say?"
     Dorian shook his head again.  "Well, I do," Lydia said.  But before she
could, Dorian laid a finger on her lips.
     "Please, don't.  Anything you say right now you might regret later, and 
would make it harder for me to leave.  I still have my debts of honor to repay,
and they must come first.  After that, things may be different.  But for now,
it just cannot be."
     Lydia looked down.  She knew he was right, and was only trying to do what
was right, but it didn't make it any easier.  "If you're going to go," she 
said, "go now.  I don't think I can control myself another night."
     Dorian nodded and walked to the door.  "You'll see me again," he said as
he opened the door.  "Say goodbye to Isabela for me."  He closed the door 
softly after he left.
     Lydia threw herself on her bed, crying.  She should have known better than
to let herself become attached to him in that way.  She knew that he would have
to leave, but a part of her had been hoping he wouldn't.  This was the second
worst moment of her life.  The worst had been losing Jonathan.
     Soft footsteps approached her hut.  "Dorian?"  she called, hope flaring
wildly in her heart.
     "Die traitors!"  a gruff voice yelled.  Two objects flew in the window and
burst into flames as they hit the ground.
     Lydia screamed in terror.  She grabbed Isabela and ran for the door, but
it was bolted from the outside.  "Help!"  she screamed as Isabela woke up.
     "What's going on, Mommy?"  she asked in a frightened voice.
     Lydia took one of the blankets and wrapped it around her daughter's mouth
and nose.  "It's OK, honey," she said, trying to stay calm.  "Everything's 
going to be OK."
     All the huts emptied as flames erupted from the roof of Lydia's hut.  
"Lydia!"  Sally screamed, heading for the door.  A large metal pole was 
blocking the door.  Sally and some others tried to move it out of the way, but
it was too hot to touch.  "Sondra, get Dulcy.  Sonic, can you get in there?"
     "Stand back!"  Sonic yelled, revving up his legs as Sondra and Tails went
in search of Dulcy.  He tried to spin dash through the door, but flames poured
out of it as soon as he broke through.  He ran back out, rolling in the dirt 
to extinguish the flames on him.
     "Sonic!"  Sally ran to his side, helping to smother the flames.  "Are you
all right?"
     Sonic tried to get to his feet.  "I'll go in through the wall this time,"
he said, in obvious pain.  
     "I'll go," Sally said, revving up her legs and adjusting her engagement
ring.  But before she could, a figure emerged from the forest, making for the 
hut at full speed.
     "Lydia!  Isabela!"  Dorian screamed, plowing through the wall with his
arms covering his head.  He looked around, but the acrid smoke stung his eyes.
     "Dorian!  Over here!"  Lydia called, coughing.  
     Dorian focused on her voice and made his way to her.  He grabbed both her
and Isabela in his arms and made for the opening he had made in the wall.  Just
as he was escaping, flames shot across the opening, searing him.  He yelled in
pain, but kept going until they were clear.  
     Bunnie and Antoine jumped on him, patting him down with a blanket.  
Dulcy flew in and blasted the hut with her icy breath, extinguishing the flames
in seconds.
     But the damage had already been done.  The hut was a frozen mass of 
charred wood; it would have to be torn down and rebuilt.  Sonic and Dorian were
both badly burned, Dorian more severely.  Lydia and Rosie tended to the injured
while Sally tried to calm her rage.  "Who did this?"  Sally demanded, eyeing 
the crowd.  
     "I think we can answer that," Tails said.  Sally looked and saw him and
Sondra dragging in an animal encased in crystal.  With a touch, Sondra broke
the crystal.
     A young pig stood up and tried to run, but Tails grabbed him and pulled
him down.  "We found him hiding in the woods with this sack," Sondra said,
throwing a canvas sack to Sally.
     Sally opened it up.  Inside were some strips of cloth and three hollowed 
out gourds filled with a dark liquid.  "That looks like oil," she said, closing
the sack and tossing it to Rotor.  "Where did you get it?"
     "Where do you think?"  the pig said.  "I stole it from Rotor's workshop."
     "What's happening to us?"  Sally asked in despair.  "We're supposed to be
fighting Robotnik, not each other!  We've been fighting this war for over 
twelve years now.  But this is the first time anyone here has ever tried to 
kill another of us.  Dorian got me roboticized and almost got Sondra to run
away, but he never wanted to hurt anyone."  She tried to go on but collapsed in
tears of frustration and sorrow.
     A gloved hand rested on her shoulder.  Hurt as he was, Sonic had still 
found the strength to try to comfort her.  As she looked into his blackened
face and saw the love in his eyes, she just hugged him.  Sonic winced as she
did, but did not cry out.  
     Sondra picked up the pig roughly and pushed him toward Bunnie and Antoine.
"Take him to his hut and keep him under twenty-four-hour guard," she said.
"We'll deal with him after we fix everything."
     Sonic picked Sally up, though in obvious pain.  He carried her slowly to
her hut with Rosie following along behind.  Lydia kneeled by Dorian and tried
to make him comfortable.  "You came back," she whispered, holding his hand.
     "I had too," he said.  "As soon as I saw the flames, I knew I had to save
you and Isabela."
     Isabela hugged Dorian around his neck.  "Thank you," she said, kissing his
charred cheek.
     A few days passed as Knothole recovered from the fire.  The pig, insisting
that he could not work with Lydia, was sent to another Freedom Fighter group to
the north.  Sally told everyone who felt as he did to join him, but that they
could expect to remain there forever.  Needless to say, the pig made a very
lonely journey.
     Sonic and Dorian soon recovered from their wounds.  Rosie had done what 
she could, and then gotten Tanis to do the rest.  Tanis said he wasn't 
violating the covenant by healing the wounded, and told Sally to remember that
in the future.
     After Dorian was fully recovered, he was summoned to appear before the 
three princesses.  Each one sat at the table in Sally's hut.  Lydia sat at
Dorian's left, Sally in the center, and Sondra on the right.  Each one had
their respective computers on the table in front of them.  "I am here as you
requested," Dorian said, bowing.
     Sally stood up.  "You know what you have done in the past," she began.  
"What you have done recently has not changed those facts.  Yet it does give
much more belief to your claim as to your actions.  I have checked your 
family history and there are many instances of a Lexford's honor showing up."
     "More importantly," Lydia said, standing, "you saved my life and the life
of my daughter at great risk to your own.  I have asked my cousins to repeal
the sentence of banishment that is currently on you."
     "However," Sondra said, standing, "we cannot forget that you still owe a
debt of honor to one of our enemies, so a total repealment is out of the
question.  But we have struck upon a compromise of sorts.
     "As long as you are honorbound to serve Snively, we cannot allow you to
stay in Knothole.  However, at such time as your debts are repaid, you can 
return here, if you choose."
     "Thank you, princesses," Dorian said, bowing again.  "This is more than I
had hoped for."
     "They're not done yet," Nadia said testily.  Her bad moods were getting
worse, but no one could figure out why.
     "You are to leave Knothole at once," Sally said, a hint of a smile on her
face.  "But you are also to remain on the path outside its borders for five
minutes that one who wishes to speak to you may do so."
     "As you wish."  Dorian walked out of the hut and along the path that led
out of Knothole.  When he reached the border, he waited, as he had been told to
do.  
     Two minutes later, a hand tapped softly on his shoulder.  He turned and
was immediately hugged by Lydia.  He tried to pull away, but Lydia kissed him
soundly on his lips.  Dorian struggled a moment longer, than hugged and kissed
her back.
     After a few moments, Lydia pulled away.  "I know what you said," she 
began, "and I won't say it.  But I think that kiss made it very obvious."
     Dorian nodded.  "It should also be obvious that I feel the same, but know 
that circumstances being as they are, we'll have to wait to act on it at all."
     Lydia nodded, smiling.  "Of course.  Just promise me one thing: you'll
come back to me when all this is over."
     "I promise."  He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.  "I will be
back."  He turned and walked away, waving.
     Lydia waved, walking back toward Knothole.  Isabela was standing a few
feet away.  "Will we ever see him again?"  Isabela asked.
     "I hope so.  I hope so."  Lydia picked up her daughter and headed to 
their newly rebuilt hut, a smile on both their faces.