"A Violet in the Snow"

A work of Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction by Glazius Falconar

You want legalese, I'll give you legalese.

This story and all new characters and situations are copyright 1998 by the 
author, Glazius Falconar (aka Paul Arezina), except for the character of 
Lyria the lynx, who is copyright 1998 by her creator, known simply as Maegan 
to those of us on EFNet's #sonic. So, don't change the text in this story 
without contacting one or both of us. The situations and characters relating 
to the Sonic the Hedgehog Saturday morning cartoon and/or US comic book are 
copyright SEGA, Archie, and/or DiC, and are used without permission. So, 
don't start charging for this story or else you'll find yourself in a mass of 
red tape with them. The title? That's also the title of a nouveau Christmas 
song, but I figure there's little chance of the two works being confused. And 
the concept of the Internet is copyright H. G. Wells, in a short story he 
wrote entitled "Men Like Gods". Read it, if you can find it. And if you'd 
care to comment on this story, (though flames will be received and forwarded 
to their author 1000 times before being deleted) both our e-mails are at the 
end.

**********

Freedom.

That was the only thing on the lynx's mind as she sprinted through the 
streets of Robotropolis. Leaping over trash barrels and heaps of refuse, 
ducking under and around laser fire, turning corners faster than they had a 
right to be turned, she sought to evade the SWATbots closing behind her. 
Finally, she reached a junkyard and, putting cleanliness well behind life 
itself, dove into a pile of trash and waited, barely moving, as the squad of 
robots fanned out, searching. As the robots combed the rubbish, one would 
pass by her every so often, and she would freeze totally, hoping it would go 
away. And it did... for now...

"How did I get myself into this?" she thought, not even daring to whisper. 
And her mind responded with memories, flooding back in full color... for this 
might be the last time she could remember anything.

**********

For as long as she could remember, she had been alone.

**********

She remembered... an avalanche... in the Spire Mountains, in far northern 
Mobius... when she was very young. Had her family died then? Did she even 
have a family? "That's silly," she told herself, "Everyone has a family..."

**********

She remembered... having to fend for herself, even as a cub. She had learned 
to hunt and track and pounce and sprint from sheer necessity, not from her 
mother. "Why my mother?" she wondered... and couldn't answer her own 
question.

**********

She remembered... an old tiger, in a wooden cabin in the far northern 
mountains. He had given her the sword and the robes which, even now, she 
still carried with her. And he had taught her to fight, not with claws and 
teeth, but with blades and blunted paws. He had taught her about honor, and 
loyalty, and respect through his own example... and had taught her about 
death in a similar fashion. He had also taught her how to read and write... 
useless skills, she thought, since the things he called "books" and "paper" 
didn't seem to exist outside of his own cabin.

**********

She remembered... burying the dear old sensei (as he liked her to call him) 
in a quiet copse of trees not far from where he had lived. "Perhaps I should 
return there," she thought, "if I can get out of this somehow."

**********

And she remembered... Lexington.

**********

He had come to the cabin one day, saying little or nothing of where he had 
come from, and she had felt something strange in her heart when she first 
looked at him. It had been... like nothing else. It was happiness, 
somewhat... and sadness, somewhat... and joy, somewhat... and fear as well. 
But it was wonderful. And he had told her of other lynxes, like himself, who 
lived in a huge city made out of metal and stone rather than wood and leaves. 
And of the food and water, which came from an opening in the wall rather than 
from the forest. And...of how much he wished she were there with him.

She cursed herself for trusting him. She cursed herself for following him... 
to a city covered in a strange and unpleasant gas, which he laughed off as 
normal. As though black air were normal! She cursed herself for following him 
to a room full of plastic tubes, which he said were transports to the living 
quarters, which he said were much nicer than the city above ground. And she 
cursed herself for stepping inside.

**********

For, once she was inside, a huge creature stepped from the shadows. A 
creature with a metal arm and glowing red eyes, who was approaching Lexington 
from behind. She tried to call to him, but he couldn't hear her.... So she 
decided to slay the demon - for no earthly creature has glowing red eyes. She 
drew the sword the tiger had given her and cut cleanly through the plastic, 
leaping out as some strange beam fired from the ceiling. She ran toward the 
demon, shrieking a battle cry and lifting her sword for a lethal blow.

**********

And Lexington got in the way.

She tried to stop herself, to halt the sword.... But it was no use. The blade 
was moving too fast... and she grimaced as Lexington's head split in two. And 
she saw...

**********

His blood... it wasn't blood at all. It was a ghastly black color. And his 
skull... it was not flesh and bone as hers was, but the same metal that the 
city was built of. And his heart... when her blade got that far... was a 
whirring mass of springs and gears. 

She screamed... in terror, and in defiance.

And the demon screamed back.

"You... little... whelp! You destroyed one of my finest replicants! SWATbots, 
come to Roboticizer Chamber 4 immediately!"

**********

She did not know what to make of the strange words. But she did sense a great 
anger in them, and, once a demon is angered, there can be only one course of 
action. She turned on her heels and began running, as fast as she possibly 
could... to find a metal wall blocking her way where there had been none 
before.

It was no match for the tiger's sword. For that matter, neither were the 
metal men which surrounded her once she was free. But they had started 
shooting light at her...

**********

And the light was not the warm light of the sun, nor the cool light of the 
moon, nor the twinkling light of the stars. It was light that hurt, and she 
rubbed her left arm as she remembered the pain...

**********

And the pile of trash shifted and collapsed to the ground.

She leapt free of it as one of the metal men was crushed underneath the 
weight. But the others... were still looking for her, and they now knew where 
to look. They began shooting the light again, and she dodged behind more 
piles of trash which provided cover... and which could be toppled over onto 
the things that were chasing her. 

There were five left now, still shooting light, still coming after her... 
when she decided it was time to stop running. She leaped from pile of trash 
to pile of trash, much too quickly for the metal men to follow.... But they 
tried to follow. And tried to shoot her with the light... but they only shot 
each other. And, when there was only one left... the tiger's sword left it in 
two pieces on the ground.

"Such stupid metal men," she thought.

**********

"You got some mondo cool moves, whoever you are."

She whirled to face the voice, and saw... another demon? It had to be; no 
hedgehog has blue quills. She let out another cry and charged the unearthly 
creature... and it darted aside as though it were the wind.

"Whoa! Take it easy, lady, I'm on your side."

"No one is on Lyria's side but Lyria."

It was a name the tiger had given her... along with a music-maker he called a 
"lyre". He had told her that it was important to balance art and fighting... 
advice which she took to heart. She had become rather proficient at playing 
it, and he likened her skill to that of some ancient bard, called Orpheus. 
But that mattered little now... what mattered was slaying this demon... but 
he moved so quickly!

"Look, lady, could you put away that oversized knife for a second?"

"No! You work for the demon with the red eyes, do you not?"

"Demon with the..."

The blue demon collapsed into laughter. But demons only laugh at their 
victims... and she cast about, trying to find the source of her impending 
doom. When she found none, she turned to the blue demon.

"Why do you laugh?"

"Oh man... hahahaha... me and Robuttnik working together... hahahaha... as 
if! Hahahaha...."

She was more than a bit puzzled by this demon's strange behavior, but had 
little time to reflect on it. Another group of the metal men was coming into 
the junkyard, and they stopped briefly to survey the scene. She quickly leapt 
behind one of the still-intact piles of trash, and awaited the onslaught.

**********

It never came.

Instead, the metal men took one look at the blue demon and went berserk. 
"Hedgehog! Priority one! Detain by order of Robotnik!" And they began 
shooting the light... not at her, but at the blue demon. But demons don't 
fight each other... or was the demon really a demon? The metal men had called 
him a hedgehog, and even they couldn't possibly be stupid enough not to 
recognize a demon.

But the blue hedgehog certainly fought like a demon. His quills sliced 
through the metal men as easily as the tiger's sword, and that strange speed 
of his made it possible for him to dodge the light. And then he stepped in 
something green... and was held fast.

"MegaMuck. Great. Just what I needed."

And the metal men slowly made their way toward him...

**********

She leaped from behind the pile of trash, whirling her sword like a metal 
tornado. The metal men stood very little chance against her blade, and her 
speed. There were a few that the blue hedgehog had not destroyed, but she 
quickly rectified the oversight. She then turned to the hedgehog, and swung 
her sword in a vicious arc.

"Whoa! I told you I'm... free?"

She had managed to slice through the ooze surrounding the hedgehog's feet.

"One skilled with the sword can do many things, hedgehog or demon or whatever 
you are."

The hedgehog pulled himself out of the ooze. "I'm a hedgehog. And I have a 
name. Sonic."

"All right... Sonic... why did you come to this place?"

"I could ask you the same question."

She thought... and realized that perhaps the hedgehog did not trust her, much 
as she did not trust him. "Fair enough. I am here because of the honeyed 
words of a... thing... which looked to be one of my kind."

Sonic shook his head. "A replicant."

"How did you know that? That is what the red-eyed demon called him!"

"Because Robotnik... well, first, he's no demon. But he sure acts like one, 
most of the time. And second... he pulled that replicant trick on us too."

"Us? I see but one of you."

The hedgehog thought. "Well then... care to meet the rest of us? We could use 
someone like you."

"You still haven't told me what brought you to this place."

"True. Well... Rote needed some parts for this gizmo he's building, and he 
thought I might be able to snag some from Robuttnik's junkyard. But, with the 
mess you made of this place..."

The lynx looked over the junkyard. Most of the trash, which looked to be 
sorted somehow, was now hopelessly intermixed with other trash because she 
had pushed over so many piles. To her, it was all trash. To this strange 
hedgehog, however...

"I am sorry if I have offended you with my actions."

"Offended? Moi?" He laughed. "This is not exactly my idea of fun. Now, we'll 
have to steal the part direct from one of Buttnik's factories. Maybe blow it 
up on the way out. That's way better than digging through some junk pile." He 
extended a hand. "So... care to meet the rest of us?"

She thought for a moment. She had no one else to turn to, and nowhere to live 
but the cabin. And, while it was good to be alone occasionally... she needed 
others. The old sensei had also taught her the value of friendship. "Yes. I 
believe I... whooooooa!"

**********

She was flying. At least, that's what it felt like. The blue hedgehog was 
moving faster, much faster than anything she'd ever seen. And she was along 
for the ride. She watched the trees of the forest as they passed by, 
occasionally twisting her body to avoid a trunk or a low-hanging limb. When 
the world finally slowed to a halt, they were in front of a tree stump. The 
hedgehog tapped on it, and... it opened?

"Ladies first."

She pointed to herself, and to the stump, and Sonic nodded. Steeling herself, 
she leaped inside...

**********

And embarked on another wild ride. No tree curved this much... and she saw 
daylight, and was soaring through the air again... over a pile of hay which 
was intended to break her fall. She hit the ground rolling, bouncing up on 
her lower paws with little effort. The hedgehog came sailing out of the tree 
and landed in the pile of hay.

"I guess you're not used to those of my size." She was easily twice as big as 
the hedgehog, if not more.

"Huh? Why's that?" came a muffled voice from within the hay.

"I missed the hay."

The hedgehog pulled himself out. "Well, you sure don't look it."

"It is simple, for one who has control of her body." She did a few rapid 
backflips and a forward somersault to demonstrate.

Sonic just stared. "Wow... you're better than Sal at that gymnast stuff."

"Gym-nast?" The word was strange to her. "I am no gymnast. I have been 
trained in the martial arts. And who is this 'Sal'?"

"'Sal' is Princess Sally Alicia, of the House of Acorn. And you would be?"

**********

She turned, to see a young squirrel, wearing a plain blue vest. The squirrel 
certainly didn't look to be royalty... but her sensei's teachings had 
included proper respect. Lyria dropped to one knee. "I am Lyria, a lynx and a 
student of the martial arts. I come from the far north, in the forest by the 
Spire Mountains. And I am at your service, Your Majesty."

The Princess... laughed? "No need for that. I'm not Princess of much... ever 
since Robotnik took over."

"So he is a demon and a usurper. My blade is at your command, Majesty."

The squirrel shook her head. "Please, just call me Sally. And you're no slave 
or mercenary of mine... but if you'd care to join the Freedom Fighters, we'd 
be more than happy to have you."

"Freedom Fighters?" Lyria was a bit puzzled as she rose to her feet.

Sonic had managed to clean the last of the hay out of his quills, and he 
turned to the lynx. "Yeah, the Freedom Fighters. That's who I was takin' you 
to meet."

Lyria looked around, trying to see where the others might be, and caught a 
glimpse of some lights flickering through a nearby bush. "The others... are 
that way?"

Sally nodded to the lynx. "Yes. That's Knothole. It was supposed to be a 
summer retreat for me... and my father..." She trailed off.

"The King? Where is he?"

"Robotnik sent him into the Void." The Princess's voice was soft and low... 
as though she were saying something she would rather not bring to the 
surface.

"I am sorry if my question caused you grief, Maj... Sally."

Sally smiled, briefly. "No... I have to face that every day... but what are 
we standing around here for?" Sally walked toward the bush, pushing her way 
through it. Sonic did the same. Lyria hesitantly followed... and emerged on 
the other side to see...

**********

A city. Built, as a city should be, of wood and thatch. Free from that 
repulsive black air. With a clean stream running through it, rather than a 
dirty trickle of water. And lit, not by weirdly glowing glass tubes, but by 
torches. And - perhaps most importantly - free of those strange metal men. 
Lyria smiled as she looked around. This was a place she could call home.

Sally turned to what she hoped would be a new recruit. "You like it?"

"Yes. It is... much better than that awful city."

Sonic laughed. "A hut in the middle of the Great Swamp would be better than 
Buttnikville."

Sally glared at the hedgehog, and turned to Lyria. "Have a look around. When 
you've made a decision, you'll find me at the hut in the center of town. 
Sonic, would you give our guest a tour?" Sally didn't even give Sonic a 
chance to answer before she walked to her hut and shut the door.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you. Well, c'mon... Lyria, was it?"

The lynx nodded and silently padded behind the hedgehog as he led her to one 
of the huts.

**********

Lyria sniffed at the air. "It smells like... the blood of that 'replicant'."

Sonic laughed. "That's just Rotor's workshop. He's always messing around with 
something or other." He went over and knocked on the door. "Rote? Open up!"

The door opened a bit, and a young walrus poked his head out. "Did you get 
it?"

Sonic shook his head, and the door opened more fully. Rotor stepped outside. 
"Well, why not?"

"Hey, by the time I got there, the place was more of a mess than it usually 
is. Blame her, if you want to."

Rotor looked over Sonic's shoulder, and up into the eyes of a five-foot lynx. 
He paled a bit. "Umm... no... that's okay..." He quickly retreated into his 
hut and slammed the door.

Sonic shook his head. "Poor Rote. He's a whiz with gadgets and stuff, but 
he's more than a little shy."

"I doubt that was shyness," Lyria responded. "I think... he might have been 
afraid of me. I am taller, after all... and a hunter by nature. Perhaps it 
would not be such a good idea to live here, if my presence will only 
frighten."

Sonic laughed. "Nah. You're not nearly as scary as ol' Buttnik. Rote's gonna 
get used to you."

Lyria thought this over for a minute, but was hardly convinced by the 
hedgehog's reassurances. As they approached another hut, Lyria's ears pricked 
up. She could hear metal feet stepping around inside the structure they were 
approaching, and she slowly slid her hand down to the tiger's sword.

**********

"Umm... what are you doing?" Sonic had seen the lynx curve her mouth into a 
snarl and slowly draw her sword, and he was more than a little concerned.

"There is a metal man in that hut. But it won't be there for much longer." 
Lyria raised the blade, tensing for a sudden charge and slash... to find 
Sonic taking hold of her arm.

"You got good ears... but there ain't no SWATbot in that hut. That's Bunnie."

"Sugar-hog? Did y'all call m'name?" The door opened, and Lyria was struck 
dumb by the sight. A rabbit, wearing a metal arm and metal legs... and by the 
closeness of the fit and the ease with which they moved told the lynx that 
they weren't armor.

"Oh ma stars..." Bunnie had seen Lyria as well, and was a bit astounded 
herself by the sight of such a large creature. Lyria recovered her wits 
first.

"More of the demon's work?"

Bunnie stood puzzled by the question, until Sonic cleared things up. "She 
means Robuttnik..."

Bunnie slowly nodded. "It sure is. One moment I'm mahself, the next... I'm 
wearin' these things. But Ah got used to 'em... somehow..."

Lyria shook her head. "You must have a strong spirit to bear such a loss."

"It ain't no loss... say, you never tole me yo' name..."

The lynx extended a paw. "I am Lyria."

Bunnie stuck her robotic hand out, and the two clasped together in a gesture 
of friendship which both could understand. "And I'm Bunnie. Bunnie Rabbot."

Lyria began rubbing the paw she'd extended. "I see that you have been given 
great strength..."

"You bet! That's why Ah don't think it's no loss. Ah can do a lot more 
fightin' Robuttnik with metal limbs than Ah could with mah old bod. Just hope 
ol' Rotor figures out a way t' undo this once the war's over." The rabbit 
looked a bit sad as she said this... and Lyria could sense that she wanted to 
be back in her old form.

As the hedgehog led her to the next hut, Lyria couldn't help but admire the 
sense of duty that Bunnie had. To stay in such a form... simply because it 
could help her friends.

**********

As they approached one of the last huts, the hedgehog turned to Lyria. "Well, 
that's about it. Wish I could introduce you to Dulcy and Tails... but they're 
both out doing recon in Buttnikville. I guess you're ready to make up your 
mind?"

Lyria nodded and headed for Sally's hut when she heard a voice from behind. 
"Sonique? Who is zis personage you are leadering around?"

Sonic sighed. "I almost forgot. This is Antoine." Sonic indicated a fox, 
dressed in a somewhat gaudy uniform, who was slowly approaching. "Lyria, 
Antoine. Antoine, Lyria." He grabbed the lynx's paw and began trying to drag 
her to the center hut.

"Sonique, if you could please to be waiting a moment, I would like to speak 
ze words with zis lynx."

Sonic sighed and released Lyria's paw. "Make it quick, Ant."

"Of course... I zimply wish to see her sword."

Lyria looked at Sonic, who shrugged. She drew the tiger's sword and presented 
it to the fox, who studied it with a look of awe on his face. "Incroyable... 
absolutement incroyable... could you to be following me please, mademoiselle 
Lyria?"

Antoine walked to his hut and Lyria stepped inside, but Antoine stepped in 
front of the door as Sonic made to enter. "If you please, Sonique, zis is 
a... how you say... personal matter."

Sonic shook his head. "Whatever, Ant. And I gotta go check on the recon 
anyway. Later!" He sped off in a blue blur as Antoine went inside.

**********

"Why did you ask to see my sword?"

"Ze reasoning will to be becoming clear tout suite." Antoine stepped into a 
closet full of uniforms and emerged a few seconds later bearing a leather-
wrapped scabbard. From it he drew a sword, which he tossed to Lyria. She 
caught it by the hilt. "Please to be looking for yourself."

Lyria drew her own sword and compared it with the saber the fox had tossed 
her... and gasped in surprise. "Other than the size... you'd think these were 
identical!" She tossed Antoine's saber back to him.

"Zat is what I first remarked on seeing yours. My papa... he gave zis sword 
to me and told me to keep it zafe, always. He said zat it was of exceeding 
rare craftsmanship... and zat zere were only a few which were like it. And... 
zat only ze best of ze swordspersons could use zem. Would you care for a 
duel, mademoiselle?"

Lyria nodded.

"En guard, zen!" The fox brought his saber up and made a swift lunge for 
Lyria.

**********

The duel lasted for what seemed like hours, Lyria being hard-pressed to use 
what the tiger had taught her against the unfamiliar style the fox was using. 
Every swing she made was parried, almost effortlessly, but the fox... he 
could somehow turn a simple block into an offensive maneuver she had to push 
her body to its limit to avoid. And finally, one of the fox's counterswings 
wrenched the blade from her hand and flung it across the room, where it lay 
quivering in the tabletop.

Antoine turned to inspect the damage. "Hmm... it iz not zerious... a 
tablecloth in ze right place should cover ze break." He went back to Lyria, 
to find the lynx kneeling, hands clasped behind her back, and head stretched 
forward.

"Umm... what iz ze meaning of zis zhesture?"

Lyria said, in a low, hard voice, "Finish it."

"Finish..." Antoine suddenly grasped what was happening. "You sought... zat 
zis was a duel to ze death?"

Lyria laughed. "What other kind is there?"

Antoine stammered, his knees growing weak. "Z...zo you were attempting to... 
to be k... killing me?"

Lyria nodded... and the fox's eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed to 
the floor in a faint. The lynx shook her head, and slowly got to her feet. If 
the fox wouldn't finish it... she would. She retrieved the sword from the 
table, pulling it out easily, and stuck the hilt into a crack in the hut's 
floor. It would be the work of a moment.

**********

"Arret! Stop! Cease and desisting!"

Lyria turned to see Antoine slowly getting up off the floor. "You've decided 
to finish the duel, then?"

The fox shook his head quickly. "No, no... what were you to be making 
thoughts of when I said 'duel'?"

Lyria sighed, and began explaining. "A duel is a contest between two great 
warriors, to decide who is the stronger of the two. It ends in death, either 
by a blow outright or by a killing stroke after one warrior is disarmed. To 
fail to do so indicates contempt for the other warrior. When you refused my 
offer... you brought great dishonor to my name and the name of my sensei. And 
so...." She indicated the blade in the floor.

Antoine sighed as well. "It appears zat we were not... how you say... being 
on ze same page. My papa taught me zat a duel was ze contest between two 
swordspersons who had ze deepest respect for one anozair. It was ze test of 
ze speed and ze skill of ze combatants, and zere was no dishonor in losing ze 
duel... unless ze loser had been making ze boastings about a forthcoming 
victory. Zat is ze thing of which I had in mind when I was to be shallenging 
you. Certainement not ze duel to ze death. Your... zenzei... he is zounding 
like a wise personage, and a tres bon teacher. And you are having my word zat 
I would do not one thing to bring dishonor upon him... or upon you, 
mademoiselle. Please to be taking your sword back... it looks most 
unattractiveness sticking in my floor."

Lyria smiled as she wrenched her sword from the floor of the hut and put it 
back in its sheath. She extended a paw to the fox. "And your teacher... he 
must have been a great man."

"Oui... my Papa was a great man. It was nice to be dueling with you, 
mademoiselle. Perhaps we can do zis again... and please do not be trying to 
kill me next time."

Lyria laughed. "Now that I know how you mean it to be done, I'll do it that 
way. It seems a much better way than what I was used to." And she left the 
hut, to head to Sally's. She would definitely become a part of this group of 
Freedom Fighters...

**********

"A lynx, I tell you! And she cut me outta this pool of MegaMuck..." Sonic 
came around one of the huts, telling Dulcy and Tails about how he'd managed 
to run across the Freedom Fighters' newest recruit. He caught sight of Lyria, 
walking toward Sally's hut, and called to her. "Lyria! Dulce and Tails are 
back!"

Lyria turned around, took one look at the hedgehog and the creatures behind 
him, and prostrated herself on the ground.

The flying fox and the dragon were more than a little confused by Lyria's 
actions, and they looked quizzically at each other as Sonic went over to her 
prone form. "Umm... whadja do that for?"

Lyria raised her head briefly. "A dragon and a kitsune! The gods are among 
us!"

At this, Sonic, Tails, and Dulcy all broke into fits of laughter. Dulcy was 
the first to regain her composure enough to talk. "Get up off the ground. 
We're not gods, and Tails sure isn't a kitsu-thingy, whatever that is."

Tails flew over to the lynx and helped her to her feet as she absently 
explained her statement. "A kitsune. A fox with more than one tail... he 
certainly looks to fit that description. And how can he fly if he is no god?"

Tails laughed. "I don't know. It's just something I can do, like Sonic can 
run fast and Dulcy can shoot ice out her nose. We're not gods or anything... 
this is just how we are."

Lyria slowly shook her head, bewildered at what she was seeing... and 
hearing. "This is certainly a strange place... but I think I'll like it 
here."

Dulcy smiled. "You're joining us?" She extended a claw, which Lyria grasped. 
"Welcome aboard," Dulcy said, grinning.

Lyria released the dragon from her grip. "I was just going to see her M... 
Sally now." She turned, and padded off toward Sally's hut, as Dulcy and Tails 
started asking Sonic a lot of questions about the new arrival. Sonic threw up 
his arms in desperation and dashed for the horizon, followed closely by two 
very inquisitive airborne forms.

**********

Lyria entered Sally's hut to find the squirrel bent over... a book! So those 
strange things did exist. Peering over Sally's shoulder, she read its title 
aloud. "A Manual of Exercises to Hone the Mind and Body and Strengthen the 
Inner Spirit... it looks to be very interesting reading. May I?"

Sally nodded a bit absently, and Lyria picked up the book and began paging 
through it. She recognized some of the simpler moves as ones her sensei had 
taught her, and she could only guess at the potential of the later ones. She 
was so engrossed that it took Sally's not-so-subtle "Ahem" to bring her back 
to Mobius, and she looked up a bit sheepishly from the book.

"As I was trying to say... you can read that?" Sally sounded a bit 
incredulous.

"You can't?" Lyria echoed with equal surprise in her voice.

Sally slowly shook her head, and Lyria looked even more surprised. "But I 
thought royalty was always taught to read."

Sally nodded. "Yes, and I can read, but not Ancient Mobian!"

Lyria closed the book and set it aside. "My sensei taught me how to read and 
write... and this is the first time I've seen a book outside of his cabin."

Sally seemed quite pleased. "Well then, could you write something? Something 
fairly simple."

The lynx nodded. "Well, first I'll need paper... and a pen..."

**********

Sally passed Lyria a sheet of paper and... what looked to be a stick of 
graphite. Shrugging, the lynx made a few marks on the paper and passed it 
back to Sally... who drew something from her belt and opened it. "Nicole, 
translation."

"Scanning, Sally..."

Lyria's eyes widened. "A spirit... in a box?"

Sally smiled. "Close enough. Don't worry, she's on our side."

Nicole spoke. "I am Lyria, from the Northern Forests."

Lyria looked at Sally and smiled. "So your spirit friend can read... the 
ancient language."

Sally responded, "I wish it were that easy. What Nicole's doing is 
translating it, and... she doesn't know very many words. Anything more 
complex would probably have stumped her, like these did." Sally walked over 
to a table, picked up a rolled set of scrolls, and handed them to the lynx.

Lyria could see that the scrolls were very old, so she carefully unrolled the 
cracked parchment and began reading. "These scrolls are your guide to the 
Seven Wonders of Mobius. Use them well, for in the wrong hands they may spell 
doom for the world." She looked up. "Where did you find these?"

Sally sighed. "It's a long story. We've managed to find 'The Breath of 
Mobius', a natural wind tunnel, but Nicole hasn't had any luck deciphering 
anything below that."

Lyria slowly unrolled and rerolled the scrolls. "The second Wonder of Mobius 
is the Pulse of Life, a fountain of water which erupts from the ground as 
regular as the beating of a heart. To find this, seeker of knowledge, you 
must go..." She looked up at Sally again. "And the rest are just directions."

Sally looked at the lynx who stood before her with something akin to awe in 
her eyes. "I know this is a lot to ask, but... would you find the places that 
the scrolls describe? I think they may hold the key to defeating Robotnik."

Lyria seemed a bit shocked. "Well..."

**********

And she considered.

**********

She considered that she had fought alone for all her life.

**********

She considered how she had reacted when she first met the other Freedom 
Fighters, and they met her.

**********

And she considered... that this was something that she could do, something 
she was suited for, and something that - with the book's help - she could do 
well.

**********

"Of course I will... on one condition."

Sally seemed pleased. "What's the condition?"

Lyria picked up the book Sally was reading when she first came in. "Let me 
make copies of the scrolls... and let me take this book with me on my quest."

Sally nodded. "Of course. I can see how you wouldn't want to damage the 
scrolls... and that book really isn't much use to any of us."

Lyria smiled. At last, she had found what she had lacked all these years: a 
sense of purpose. A quest to follow. And a group of friends who were counting 
on her. "I shall return to my sensei's hut, to train from the book and to 
copy the scrolls. But... I will be back, within one cycle of the moon. You 
have my word."

**********

And with that, she was gone. Lyria bounded out Sally's door, through 
Knothole, and into the Great Forest. She was running hard again... but this 
time, she was running for sheer joy, not for her life. Lyria leaped bushes 
and creeks and ducked limbs as she made her way... home? No. The sensei's 
cabin was a house, useful as a shelter from the outdoors, but Knothole... and 
her new-found friends... THAT was home now.

**********

The end? Sadly, yes. But the saga goes on...

Glazius Falconar, the author can be reached at arezina@acad1.stvincent.edu.

Lyria's creator can be reached at AmyRose12@aol.com.