Epilogue to Sonic Satam Episode One: "Sonic Boom."

[Lynchenberg]

On a cliff overlooking Knothole, Sally Acorn stood hidden in a row of trees. A deflated expression played across her face, and Sally's posture was equally weak. It looked as though she would sink into the ground, never to be heard from again. Perhaps she would have done exactly that, had the voice not appeared from behind her. "What're you doing up?" Sally whirled around."Sonic?" She ventured. As he appeared in Sally's field of vision, the hedgehog shifted his weight to his left foot. "None other," he declared, and tapped his right sneaker upon the grass. "It's late," Sally asserted, and turned away from him. As she crossed her arms, her entire posture changed. Sally stood upright, resembling a drill sergeant. "You should be in bed."

"That makes two've us," Sonic retorted.

Sally shot him a glare. "Oh really?" She snapped. "Did you want to be alone?"

"Chill Sal," Sonic replied. "I have too much energy t'sleep. So I went out dawdling and..."

"You, 'dawdling?'" Sally chuckled a bit. "HAH! A likely tale." With that, Sally returned her gaze to the huts.

"I'd run, 'cept I don't wanna wake everyone."

Sally turned slightly, and observed Sonic through the corner of her eye. "That's surprisingly thoughtful."

"Hey, thoughtful is my middle name!" The hedgehog declared, and puffed out his chest confidently.

Sally stifled a giggle, and looked away. "Right." She muttered, sarcastically.

"So what's your excuse?" Sonic asked. "You're never up at this time. Early to bed, early to rise, an' all that."

"I don't make a habit of it," Sally replied as Sonic met her at the edge of the cliff. "I'd rather be sleeping, but it just didn't happen."

"Why come here though? I would've guessed you'd mess around on Nicole until ya dozed off."

"She's back in my hut."

"She's what...?" Sonic exclaimed. He was confused; Sally never went anywhere without Nicole. But he shook it off in moments."Well, with a sweet view like this, who needs a computer?"

"It's very nice," Sally agreed. "And the trees make it...," She cracked her neck, and scratched behind her ear. "...private, y'know what I mean?"

"Hah, yeah!" Sonic chuckled. "We useta play in places like this alla time. I think your dad liked it 'cuz no one would see ya 'n go, 'Whoa, there's the Princess and King A--!" Sonic's tongue froze in his mouth. "Geez Sal, I'm sorry."

"Mm?" Sally murmured. She looked to Sonic with a puzzled expression.

"That was not cool. With all that happened today, I shouldna brought 'im up."

"Sonic, barely a minute goes by where I don't think about him. If anything, barring it from conversation is worse."

"Long as you're cool with it." Sonic grinned weakly, and brushed back his quills. "That why you're up here? Wanted t'mull things over?"

Sally turned from Sonic, and entered the shade beneath a tree. "Not exactly."

A perplexed expression crossed Sonic's face. "We can catch up tomorrow if you don't wanna..."

"No, It's okay. I'd rather have some company." Sally faced Sonic. Her face was mostly neutral, but her eyes betrayed her pain. "Something's been nagging at me. I tried talking it over with Nicole. Most nights, that's enough."

"So why aren't you in bed?"

Sally crossed her arms haughtily. "Well, I did say most nights, didn't I?" She scowled.

"I can listen if ya want." Sonic put a hand on her shoulder.

Sally rolled her eyes, and brushed it off. "Thanks Sonic. But I think it's best I keep that to myself."

"Oh yeah? Then why're you here, insteada snoozing?"

Sally let out a heavy sigh. "Well, do you remember what happened to Cat today?"

"Course, how could I forget?"

"He's been roboticized," Sally stated bluntly. Sonic was clearly surprised, but said nothing. At that, Sally was visibly shaken. "W-We weren't planning to say anything until the meeting tomorrow," she stammered. "But this evening, Rotor picked him up on that security camera he bugged. I happened to be there, helping him go over some final touches in Knothole. The plan was to get it to trace back to a decoy, just in case it was found. We were making progress. If Rotor hadn't lifted his head at that precise moment, I'm sure we would've finished within the hour. But suddenly, I heard his voice. 'Sally,' he yelped. 'That bot... it looked like Cat.' Rotor immediately rewound the tape, and captured the shot. We zoomed in and it was Cat alright, covered head-to-toe in steel." Sally bowed her head shamefully, then limped toward a log and seated herself. Timidly, Sonic joined her. She curled into a ball and hugged her legs silently. When she finally spoke, it was a relief. "Rotor just... he broke down into my arms, crying," Sally resumed. She craned her neck toward Sonic, quiet panic etched in her face. "He doesn't have many people he socializes with, y'know? I'm tech-savvy, but not nearly as into it as Cat. That was the one person Rotor could talk to." Sally bit her lower lip, and stared into the moon. "Aside from Cat, Rotor is the oldest. He has a barrier with people our age. When we returned without Cat, it took me hours to calm him. I said that he'd likely been moved to another cell. You'd seen him, so the Swat-Bots obviously reported it. I also pointed out that we'd cut power to the Roboticizer earlier. There's no way Robotnik could've fixed it so soon." Sally buried her hands in her face, ashamed. "That comforted Rotor. You know the drill: 'If Sally says Cat'll be okay, he will be. She's always right.'" Sally's teeth clenched, as she filled with self-loathing. "The worst part is, I thought so too." Her hands lowered, and she made eye-contact with Sonic. "I was certain he'd be okay. Just like I was certain Daddy would be in the Dark Swamp. It didn't occur to me it could've been a trap. I should've finished sabotaging the Stealth-Bots, made sure Cat and Antoine returned home safely, then returned to conduct proper recon. But I know even if I had realized that, it wouldn't have made a lick of difference. The message read 'Bean,' my old pet name. Those four letters painted a picture of Daddy saying it. They placed a vice grip on my heart, and I wouldn't back down for anyone. You told me it was a bad idea; so did Antoine. By the time we arrived at Iron-Lock, he was shaking like a leaf. But I just had to press on, no matter what he said. When Cat was captured, I told myself he'd be okay." Her hand curled into a fist, and her forehead creased with frustration. She thumped it against her thigh. "I clung to that piece of Daddy's cloak, as though finding it was an accomplishment." Sally's eyes burnt into Sonic, verging on tears. "It's hard to describe what Cat looked like on the monitor," Sally whispered through trembling lips. "There was nothing there. No trace of the jokes he'd crack at dinner. None've the kindness he showed while playing dirt hockey with Tails. He was a husk wearing a metal mask. It may as well've been a paint-by-numbers of Cat.

Sonic nodded sympathetically, and placed his hand over Sally's shoulder. She leaned into it, fighting back tears. "So, yeah. I... I tried talking to Nicole about it."

"You said."

"Nicole is very... pragmatic. She told me to plan my missions more thoroughly, and never to deviate from them. Nicole's very advanced, but she's still a computer. She doesn't understand seizing upon impulse. To her, what I did would be like a program deviating from its intended purpose. 'Of course that'll result in glitches,' she thinks. 'Just don't do it again.' That's Nicole's logic."

"Pfft. Nikki should lighten up."

Sally stared at him blankly for a moment. "Sonic, she's a computer. How can you expect that?"

"Cuz it doesn't take a super-computer to see you're hurting!" Sonic cried. He bounded off the log, and crossed his arms angrily. "I mean, first you lost your Dad, and now..." Abruptly, Sonic's arms fell to his sides. "Sorry, I mean 'His Majesty.'"

"Sonic, I doubt Daddy would care. Honestly, I'm far more comfortable when people speak to me informally."

"I hear ya Sal," Sonic smiled, and helped her off the log. He led her to the edge of the cliff, and they observed the huts below. "I just don't wanna upset you tonight. Sometimes I get kinda...I come off sort've..." Sonic scratched his head, searching for the correct word.

"Remote?" Sally suggested.

"Yeah!" Sonic beamed as he snapped his fingers. "That's it." He turned Sally by her shoulders, so she faced him. "Listen, I'm broken up over Cat too. Dude was aces. But we're freedom fighters. He knew what he was getting inta."

"Of course he did. But it doesn't make this easier."

"We're just kids; we make mistakes."

"It's not only that." Sally looked away, and grumbled. "I shouldn't even be saying this. It's not fair to you."

"What're friends for if you can't tell 'em stuff?"

She shrugged Sonic's arms away. "If you insist. But don't say I didn't warn you." Sally gazed toward the moon. "You're right, I am a child. So I'm still learning these things. And yes, this is war. There will be causalities. But as much as I loathe to admit it, I am a princess. With that, comes responsibility. The king is gone, mom is dead. So everyone looks to me for guidance. The Acorn line has served its people well for as long as we've recorded history. As princess, I represent all of that." Sally considered her words, and grumbled again. "I know that must come off as arrogant but..."

"Nah, it doesn't." Sonic replied. "Fact is, that's what's expected'a ya."

"At least you understand," Sally sighed with relief. "I'm meant to keep it to together. To make the right choices. So if things go wrong, it's on me. And Cat especially... he served in the Great War, right alongside Daddy. He learned that when a monarch gives an order, it's in everyone's best interests. And today, all that monarch could think about was herself." She searched Sonic's face for answers. All he could offer was a sympathetic smile. Sally got up. She placed her hands behind her head, and stared at the ground as she dallied down the hill. "Rotor knew my father pretty well. He's old enough to remember the Great War. So while seeing Cat like that was bad enough, the thing that kills me is that look in Rotor's eyes. It said, 'You failed.'" Sally learned wordlessly against a tree.

It was Sonic who broke the silence. "You're smart Sally, but you ain't no mind-reader."

"That doesn't matter. I know I failed him." Sally sunk deeper into the ground. "I failed us all."

Sonic zipped up beside Sally. "Y'know Sal, maybe Nicole had a point. But mistakes are gonna happen. You think the king never screwed up?" He placed his hands at her sides, and turned her away from the tree. "C'mon Sal," he grinned. "You represent everything I'm fighting for."

"That's precisely the--"

"No it ain't. This isn't about who your parents were. I mean that you, Sally Acorn, represent what I'm fighting for."

The guilt vanished from Sally's eyes, and was replaced by bewilderment. "Excuse me...?" She asked.

Sonic wrapped his arm around Sally's shoulder, and he led her down the hill. "Let's you'n me go for a walk," he said. Sally's snout wrinkled, but she complied. "Look, I'm not a political guy," Sonic continued. "But I don't like Butt'nik."

"I never would've guessed," Sally snorted sarcastically.

"Forget th' what." Sonic proclaimed, as he shook a finger in Sally's face. "Think about th' why."

"Why we don't like Robotnik?"

"Yeah!"

Sally was aghast, and choked on her own half-formed laughter. "Isn't it obvious? Because he wants to turn us all into robots!"

"Yeah, but why?"

Sally paused. She hadn't expected the conversation to take this turn. "That's a good question." She mused as her right hand clasped her chin. "He's remarked that he finds nature unwieldy. Perhaps the idea that he can't control it is threatening."

"So whaddid he do?"

"Well, when he seized power he replaced it all with machines."

"That all?"

"No," Sally admitted. "There's only one thing that threatens him more than nature. That's the creatures who inhabit it."

Sonic placed his hand over his heart. "I don't hafta explain why, do I?"

"No, but..." Sally's faced tensed. "Thinking about it, maybe he's right. I let my feelings get the better of me. Take Nicole for instance. She's a machine, and would've done the sensible thing. Me? I was selfish."

Sonic burst out laughing.

Sally scowled. "Don't make me regret telling you this..."

Sonic stepped in front of Sally, causing her to stop abruptly in her boots. "No Sal, you don't get it!" He beamed, pointing directly between her eyes. "What you did was th' opposite'a selfish. You saw just th' slightest chance you could save your Dad. So you dropped everything, an' risked your life. Why? 'Cuz ya LOVE HIM, Sal!"

Sally stood there blinking for a moment, completely taken aback. "I...I hadn't thought of it that way...," she hesitated. "Do you really it's that's why I--?"

"I know it's why," Sonic interrupted. "People lovin' each other. That's why I do this."

Sally's felt her heart melt. She blushed a little, and smiled weakly. "Sonic, I... I don't what to say..."

Gently, Sonic pulled her into a hug. "That's cake. Just say you'll go easier on yourself."

The hug lasted for a long time, until Sally drew back. "I'll try," she said softly.

"S'all I ask," Sonic grinned.

Sally looked at her watch. "It's really late... we should go bed. We have to get up at 0500 hours."

"Think you'll be ready for that?"

"I hope so," Sally smiled. It was small, but sincere. "I appreciate all this Sonic. Really, I do." She lifted her hand for Sonic to shake it, and he obliged. "No sweat." Sally turned, and began to walk away. "Feel free to stay up longer," she said. "If you're late to P.T., I'll think up an excuse." With that, Sally resumed the trek back to her hut. Then she paused, and turned around. "Almost forgot something," she said while she approached Sonic. "What's that?" He asked. "Thanks, blue." She pecked Sonic on the cheek. Then she crept away, smiling smugly. Sonic lifted his hand to where she kissed him. He rubbed it as his face turned bright red. "You're cool Sal," he whispered to himself. "Way past."

"The message in my music is to learn to really bloody love each other properly. Because you only get one go at it."
--John Lydon

The End.