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Post by Lans on Apr 1, 2011 1:14:38 GMT -5
Pulling Sally into the other room, Sonic shut the door behind them. He briefly thought he should have grabbed Tails and Antoine as well, just to make sure they were safe, but he really wanted to keep this private. Besides, if he knew what was good for him, his counterpart would make sure nothing happened to them til he got back. "Sal, what the heck's going on with you? You're starting to...well, act more like a robot than a robian does!"
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 2, 2011 22:46:55 GMT -5
Sally didn't immediately respond. At least a minute passed with the two in silence, the princess gazing up and to the left at nothing in particular. When the impulse to speak at last came, it was soft, fleeting, and sounded just as defeated as its orator. " We're wasting our time."
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Post by Lans on Apr 2, 2011 22:53:16 GMT -5
Sonic just looked at her funny. "Well yeah, maybe a little, what with Buttnik lite gearing up to be as big a windbag as his opposite number. But you're the one that's always telling ME to pay attention when you're going over a plan..."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 2, 2011 22:56:20 GMT -5
" We're not going to win. We never were."
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Post by Lans on Apr 2, 2011 23:04:47 GMT -5
"Wh-wh-what!?" Sonic stared at her incredulously. "Where's THAT talk comming from? Sal, I'm not sure this Buttnik's on the level either, but if he IS, we're about to kick our Buttnik so hard in the rear it'll give Snively his hair back!" He grinned for a moment at the mental image. "And anyways, no matter how this plays out, two Buttniks fighting each other can only be a good thing for us, so sounds plenty like we're winning to me!"
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 2, 2011 23:06:25 GMT -5
The squirrelmunk's eyes weren't nearly as jovial. " And what about the next one?" she asked almost inaudibly, the fur just below her eyes becoming moist. " And the one after that?"
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Post by Lans on Apr 2, 2011 23:13:56 GMT -5
And now Sonic...just looked confused. "Um...not following you there, Sal..."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 2, 2011 23:17:48 GMT -5
"Our situation... isn't unique."
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Post by Lans on Apr 2, 2011 23:24:23 GMT -5
"...Uh..." He tried for a long moment to think of something. "...Nope, still getting zip. Come on Sal, I can understand Nicole's techish better than I'm getting you right now."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 2, 2011 23:40:10 GMT -5
"...." A chill seemed to pass through her fur, and Sally hugged herself for warmth. She drew a long breath to maintain her composure, then turned to face the nearby window. The orange, piercing light had receded quite a bit since they'd come inside. "What do you see out there?"
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Post by Lans on Apr 2, 2011 23:43:23 GMT -5
"An amusment park designed by a guy who was on...something. Dunno what, but man did he have too much of it."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 3, 2011 0:02:04 GMT -5
"Don't you find it... notable... that this world's Robotnik... has a Robotropolis as well?"
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Post by Lans on Apr 3, 2011 0:07:53 GMT -5
"If you really wanna call it a Robotropolis... So, what?"
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 3, 2011 0:41:15 GMT -5
Sally's gaze remained locked on the horizon. She was aware Sonic had just asked her a question, and she knew the answer to it, but somehow the words never produced themselves. The dark pit in her body continued to sink deeper with each labored breath. As yet another wave of grief washed over her, the princess's composure began to crumble, and she pressed a clammy palm to her muzzle with a sharp inhale.
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Post by Lans on Apr 3, 2011 0:48:02 GMT -5
All humor gone now, Sonic stepped over to her and gently pulled her hand away from her face. "Sally...come on, talk to me. I really don't know what's going on here."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 3, 2011 1:28:25 GMT -5
Sally's comparatively smaller hand trembled in his own. " Sonic..." Her expression scrunching, the squirrelmunk stepped closer and pressed her face into her companion's shoulder.
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Post by Lans on Apr 3, 2011 1:35:10 GMT -5
Not sure what else to do or say, Sonic simply wrapped his arms around her and held her. "..."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 3, 2011 1:43:33 GMT -5
Despite her reputation of strength and composure under pressure, Sally became very vulnerable in that moment, and held the hedgehog as though he were the only thing preventing her from a long, dangerous fall. The princess was silent (mostly) for several moments before partially picking her head up and leaning her temple into Sonic's cheek. " We can't get around it," she finally choked. " Robotnik always wins..."
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Post by Lans on Apr 3, 2011 1:46:22 GMT -5
Sonic actually chuckled a little at that. "Since when?"
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 3, 2011 1:55:19 GMT -5
"Look around," the squirrelmunk grunted. "What happened to us wasn't just bad luck... Robotnik overthrew a government to dictate his own territory here, too." Standing upright, Sally looked Sonic in the face, her pained features stained with tears. "And if we went to another world, there'd be another Robotnik, and another Robotropolis, waiting for us there, too. He's always going to be there. He's always going to have crushed people's lives... Our lives..." Unable to hold back a strangled sob, she added, " Why even bother?"
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Post by Lans on Apr 3, 2011 2:06:45 GMT -5
"Is...is that what this is about?" he asked. He gently cupped her chin to bring her eyes up to his. "Sal...you're so focused about all these other possible Robotniks, that you're overlooking something obvious." He pointed towards the door. "Out there is another me, another you, another Tails, Bunnie, Knuckles... And I bet you its the same no matter which world we're on." He grinned at her. "Yeah there's always a Buttnik there to cause trouble, but the Freedom Fighters are always there too, ready to put his blubbery behind back in his place. And I guarantee you that if any of those other Sonics are like moi, they won't give up until that place is some deep dark hole in the back of a prison cell."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 6, 2011 22:25:55 GMT -5
"But Sonic... We're not turning to our counterparts for help. We're turning to Robotnik's. He's so powerful that doubling our manpower still isn't good enough..." Sally turned to the window and pressed her forehead to the chilly glass. "What difference does it make if 'Eggman' helps us defeat Robotnik? That'll just mean we have an even stronger, smarter, more efficient version of him to worry about. What exactly do you propose we do if this one decides to turn on us once our common enemy is out of the way?"
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Post by Lans on Apr 6, 2011 22:36:09 GMT -5
"Well, for starters, when we finally fix all this crazy world hopping mess, you really think Buttnik Lite will wanna stick around?" He asked, leaning with his back against the window. "Also..." he lowered his voice a bit, unsure of who or what might be listening. "Been hearing a lot about this Guns group or whatever, supposed to be an army or something, and I think the other you was part of 'em. ...What do you think would happen if we could find you number 2 and tell them where the Buttnik brawl's gonna be going down?"
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 6, 2011 22:51:36 GMT -5
Her eyes flickered to the hedgehog fleetingly. "...Honestly, Sonic, I don't know. I met the other me briefly. We... aren't totally alike." The squirrelmunk frowned and huffed, coating the glass with fog for just a moment. " And this is all assuming we even win at all... What are we supposed to do if Robotnik roboticizes 'Eggman'? Suppose Robotnik learns to control the dimensional instability before we do, and he enlists an army of his counterparts. What then?"
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Post by Lans on Apr 6, 2011 23:07:57 GMT -5
"We could always drop that flying island on him," he suggested half seriously. "But seriously Sal, Buttnik can barely handle US. No way he handles us, mirror him, mirror me, plus mirror you and her gun club."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 6, 2011 23:17:26 GMT -5
"Assuming that 'Eggman' isn't already working with him, and leading us into a trap..."
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Post by Lans on Apr 6, 2011 23:31:59 GMT -5
Never having been one for patience, Sonic began to feel the strain of his reserves rapidly depleting. With an exasperated huff, he pushed off back to his feet. "Ok, yeah, fine! Let's just call our Buttnik and have him warm up the roboticizer. Maybe if he's in a good mood, we'll get to work in the same SWATbot factory..." He sighed, letting his fustration bleed out a bit with it. "Seriously Sal...you keep thinking up ways for everything to go wrong, and it's probably gonna! I don't exactly trust Eggman either, ya know, but that's why I thought we should try and get the other you involved. So she can MAKE him play straight in this, cause just think if things DO work out...we'll WIN, Sal. It'll be over."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 7, 2011 0:00:27 GMT -5
" It won't matter," Sally whispered, fogging up the window once again. " She can't restrain this Robotnik any more than I can restrain mine... Or else she'd have done it by now." The princess's vision became blurry for a moment, then cleared again as the excess fluids drained from her eyes. " The fact that this city exists at all proves that."
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Post by Lans on Apr 7, 2011 0:31:06 GMT -5
Sonic grit his teeth. He didn't want to do this, REALLY didn't, but it was his only card left before he totally lost it. "Fine, whatever," he said, throwing his arms up in defeat. He started pacing. "Hope your dad's getting to like crystal furniture by now... Uncle Chuck's not gonna take watching everyone else get robo'd too well either. Guess it'll be a sorta happy ending since Bunnie, her sis, and little Cream will be one big happy robot family...only without the happy part..." He stopped and his expression softened a little. "Do you really want that to happen Sally? Cause it will if you just give up!" He stepped up to her again, turning her around by the shoulders to look at him. "Sal...we need you. Not just for this, though Lite's plan does need work, but however this turns out, we're going to need you! We..." He stopped, releasing her as he stepped away uncomfortably. "...I can't do this without ya. And I know I like to brag...but everything woulda already fallen apart years ago without you Sal. So please...don't give up..." "...Or I'll have to."
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Post by Leedzie on Apr 26, 2011 22:41:36 GMT -5
A heavy, emotional silence fell between the pair. Sally gazed into the hedgehog's eyes, and noted that they seemed glossier than usual. The sound of the breath in her lungs became deafening. In fact, all of her senses seemed to fade away in comparison to the glassy state of Sonic's eyes. Sally's grim features dimmed. The image of Sonic teetering at the precipice of despair gave her a peculiar sort of insight into her own loss of hope. To see a person that, up until that moment, had projected an endless supply of determination and confidence take such an abrupt change of character gave her a sickening jolt to the stomach. It had never occurred to her that others may have experienced the same reaction to her own deteriorating mental state. But what difference does it really make? the princess thought to herself as she closed her eyes, the cold tickle of tears streaking along her cheeks. I don't want him to give up, but even if he keeps going, we're probably still going to lose... Yet Sonic's words began to resonate in her mind, and Sally visibly grimaced at the thought of her loved ones in the roboticizer and the king forever confined to his crystal prison. Those people were worth fighting for, to be sure. But it was certainly a losing fight, wasn't it? There was almost no chance of success. ...But it IS still a chance... Sally silently reminded herself, drawing a long breath. It was something she'd frequently told herself for most of her life, especially during tough times: A small chance was still better than no chance at all. There could be millions, even billions, of ways for them to lose, but they only needed one way to win. The squirrelmunk sniffed forcefully and opened her eyes, dragging a palm across her cheeks. The odds are stacked in Robotnik's favor... but we've found ways around the odds other times...Sally pulled another deep breath. It felt cleansing, in a way. Any chance is still better than no chance." Well," she finally replied, her voice smaller than she'd meant it to be, " I guess I'd better come up with a plan..."
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