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	The crunching of footsteps on the trail outside announced the 
arrival of the architect of the Floating Island. The group stood up to 
meet him.
	Richard Echidna and Brian were dusty, hot and tired from the hike. 
At first all they could do was sit down on the bench, say a weary "hi" 
and ask for water. Sonic had already met Brian and decided he didn't 
like him, so he focused his attention on Richard.
	He was shorter and slightly stockier than Michal. His hair was 
thick, though short. He wore no gloves, so Sonic could see his hands 
were tough and strong, as Chester's were. He wore a light green sweat-
stained T-shirt and worn, dirty jeans. Jay was right; Richard was a 
worker. His eyes were closed as he leaned back against the cool wall.
	It took a little time for them to get their strength back. Then 
Mr. Echidna introduced Sonic. Richard shook his hand politely and fired 
questions at his brother with his eyes. In response, Michal had his sons 
and nephews go outside for a few minutes. Sonic was left inside with the 
two echidnas.
	In as few words as possible, the Time Ripper informed his brother 
about the approaching 'asteroid' and of Sonic really being from the 
future. Richard listened quietly, his fingertips pressed together, eyes 
fixed vacantly on the ground. When Michal finished, he looked up and 
said, "What do I need to do?"
	Mr. Echidna leaned forward. "We need the chaos emeralds. It's the 
only way I know that will work."
	The stocky echidna rose to his feet and clasped his hands behind 
his back. Clearly he didn't like the sound of that. He stared out the 
entrance for a time, then turned back. "Mike, I know you think you've 
got this covered. But I need the emeralds desperately right now. They're 
the only thing keeping the island afloat, and until I can get the 
transfer crystals working--" "That must be the super emeralds," Sonic 
thought. "--I can't spare them." He looked at Sonic. "Sorry, kid. I just 
can't do it."
	Sonic stood up, too. "But mister, if Little Planet hits Mobius 
we're gonna be blown to kingdom come. I've GOT to have those emeralds!"
	Michal and Richard both looked at him oddly. "Little Planet?"
	Sonic realized he'd slipped. "Oh ... uh ... I meant the asteroid."
	Michal put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "You 
know more than you'll tell us, don't you?"
	Sonic nodded.
	"Is the asteroid called 'Little Planet' in your time?"
	He nodded again.
	"You want to save it, don't you?"
	Another nod. Michal looked at his brother. "This kid would make 
an excellent 'Ripper. He's trying to do what he knows history says."
	That nagging feeling always popped up at strange times. Do what 
history says? That book--the other night at home. Knuckles studying. 
The Floating Island was constructed in the year 800, along with the 
power emeralds. Oh, but what else had the book said? Those earthquakes! 
What ...?
	A faint memory. Watching an old documentary a long time ago on 
earthquakes and their causes ... so close ... it was ... it was ... The 
word wouldn't come. He couldn't remember. But he was sure of one thing--
the chaos emeralds had nothing to do with saving Mobius.
	Mr. Echidna had watched the concentration on his face, then the 
frustration. Sonic looked up at him, then at Richard Echidna. "I don't 
need the emeralds," he told him. "Keep 'em. There's another way."
	"What is it?"
	He wilted. "I--I donno. I can't remember, exactly. But I've almost 
got it."
	Richard looked out the entry. "Maybe it'll come to you if you walk 
around a bit. Would you like a tour? I've got rest stops all over the 
island, so it won't be too bad." Sonic agreed, and they all set out.
	The hike WAS fun, but Sonic could think of little other than what 
he couldn't remember. He was so close! Even so, he was interested to 
learn a few things about the Floating Island.
	Each mini-climate was specifically designed. Sandopolis, for 
example, was meant to be a desert. Richard had shipped in several 
thousand cubic tons of sand and filled on-sixth of the island with it. 
It was on the south side of the island, to be sure it would be hot. On 
the other side of that was miles and miles of what would eventually be 
grasslands. The east side of the island would be coniferous and 
mountainous. The north side had a lot of rock, and would be a mix of 
many different plants. The west side would be lush tropical jungle. 
River channels had been specifically dug so no water would leave the 
island; instead it would flow into bogs that could be drained 
mechanically.
	They grouped into another shelter for a break. Everyone looked 
tired but Richard and Robin. Richard was showing off his project and 
enjoying it; he wasn't tired. As for Robin, he was taken with the idea 
of a floating, self-sufficient island, and was starry eyed. He could 
easily imagine all the vegetation and water, and acted like he'd been 
given a glimpse of heaven. His uncle was thrilled. Brian and Chester 
had never liked the island.
	They sat and talked over lunch. "The idea is," Richard said, 
"someone has to live here and take care of the island--be a ... a ... 
a guardian, I guess. I'd sort of like to keep the island in the family." 
He looked at Robin. "Why don't you be the first, Rob?" Robin looked 
surprised. He touched his chest. "Me? I--uh--" he glanced at his dad 
and brother. "I--I can't. I'm a Time Ripper." The way he said it made 
it sound as if he wished exactly the opposite. Sonic's eyes fell on 
the white crescent on his chest. Knuckles bore that mark. Brian and 
Chester did not, although their father did. He felt a smile playing at 
his lips. "Ten to one," he thought, "him or Jay'll be the first 
guardian."
	Conversation drifted, but Robin sat where he was, staring into 
space. It was plain to see he was seriously considering the offer. 
Sonic watched him until Richard asked Jay, "So, you still doing that 
artwork of yours?" 
	Instantly all eyes were on Jay. He smiled sheepishly and stared 
at his hands in his lap. "Well, yeah," he muttered. He looked up as his 
uncle continued, "I'm going to build a settlement west of Sandopolis, 
near the water inlet. It will be all smooth, grey stone; how about 
painting me a mural or two?" 
	Jay looked up at him thoughtfully. "What kind of mural?/"
	"Oh, anything you like. Why not paint it like hyrogliphics--you 
know those Egyptian pictures?"
	Jay looked down again. "I'll have to think of something," he 
murmured, but his eyes were dancing almost as much as his brother's. 
Clearly he would love to.
	Suddenly Sonic thought of something. His adventure on the Floating 
Island with Tails; they had come across the remains of an ancient mural, 
which prophesied how he and Tails would join Knuckles and save the 
island from Robotnik. It had been destroyed, but he had a flake of 
stone from it he treasured above purest gold; in an ancient language 
it said "Sonic." Had it really been not so much of a prophecy than an 
eyewitness account ...? Sonic shivered. HIS eyewitness account, retold 
in drawings by Jay. "Cool," he thought. "I'll have to make sure I tell 
Jay all about that."
	
				* * *
	
	The sun began to sink toward the west. Sonic, Jay, Robin and Mr. 
Echidna said goodbye and teleported back to the mainland. They picked 
up their hoverboards from their places in the woods, and began the long 
flight back into the valley.
	The group was quiet. Each member had something on his mind and 
didn't say much. They neared the pass in the mountains without incident.
	High up in the rocks, a sentry let out a low whistle. Instantly 
five pistols appeared in the trees, their owners crouching behind bushes 
and tree trunks. A pair of nostrils flared, yellow eyes narrowed. There 
was the faint sound of teeth against a metal bit, then silence.
	Unsuspecting, the four hummed into the narrow, tree-filled canyon. 
As they entered Sonic noticed the total silence, but thought nothing of 
it. He wasn't very experienced in guerrilla warfare.
	Suddenly there came the same terrifying roar\scream that had 
frightened them only hours before. It echoed off the rock walls, then 
died away in yells and gunfire.
	Only his position at the rear saved him. Sonic leaped off his 
hoverboard and fled for the woods, nearly senseless with terror. He 
made it halfway up the side of the ravine, then slowed and looked back. 
No! Michal, Jay and Robin were surrounded, their hands in the air. A 
huge dinosaur (at least, it looked huge in the evening light) stood on 
the outskirts, watching like a hawk, a figure on it's back shouting 
orders.
	Rage replaced Sonic's fear. That was the wolf who had intercepted 
him and Jay! Well, he wasn't going to win THIS time, either.
	Sonic charged back down the slope with all the speed he could 
muster; teeth clenched, arms pumping, eyes like fire. Like a blue 
lightning bolt he dashed out of the trees and charged head-first into 
the group of thugs. They went flying like so many SWAT-bots. The little 
tyrannosaur danced back, startled, and the Time Rippers were momentarily 
free. "Run!" he shouted at them. "I'll hold 'em off ya! Get outta here!" 
The echidnas broke into a run, and Sonic faced the Time Terrorists 
alone.
	Hunter, seeing the prisoners escaping, started after them, but 
Sonic stood in his path. Not caring the eight-foot high dinosaur could 
tear him limb from limb, he stuck his thumbs in his ears and jeered. 
"Nah nah, stupid dinosaur! Betcha can't catch me!" Hunter charged, 
fangs bared. Sonic darted into the woods then out again, keeping an 
eye on the four thugs.
	"Get him!" Roofern was screaming from Hunter's saddle. "I want 
him alive, but get him!" Sonic tore across the trail, leaping over the 
fallen henchmen. To his surprise, so did the nanotyrannus. He could hear 
it clipping its teeth together, sounding like a steel trap. He glanced 
over his shoulder as he entered the trees again. The dinosaur was 
furious; flecks of foam and saliva dripped from its mouth and covered 
its lower jaw.
	Sonic returned his gaze to the front, but not soon enough. He 
never saw the tree branch, but it caught him right between the eyes. 
There was a white explosion in his head. He hit the ground flat on his 
back, out cold.

				* * *
	
	   Darkness. Pain in my head. Laying on my side--hands bound 
behind me, can feel the ropes on my wrists. Something hard against my 
back--a tree? Headache. Voices a short distance away. Fire crackling?
	He opened his eyes, then wished he hadn't. He was laying where 
he'd been dropped. Ten feet away was a big, blazing campfire. The 
Enemy were seated around it, drinking from bottles and laughing 
drunkenly. The woods were dark all around--it must be night, now. Oh, 
how his head hurt. He was thirsty, too, but not about to beg anything 
from THEM. "Drinking," he thought in disgust. "What low-lifers."
	Sonic lifted his head a little. Only his hands were bound. Maybe 
if he wiggled enough he could sit up. It took a while to get his feet 
under him, but at last he was sitting up with his back to the tree. 
The movement made his head throb even more, but it subsided after a 
few minutes.
	"S--Son--"
	The voice came from a few feet away. He looked around, then 
gasped in surprise. It was Jay. He was standing against another tree, 
roped to it cruelly in such a way he could neither sit down or stand 
properly. He was slumped against the trunk, eyes fixed dully on Sonic. 
He had a big cut on the side of his head that had bled down the side of 
his face and stained his hair. One eye was blackened, and his lower lip 
was swollen and bloodstained.
	Sonic tugged at his bonds helplessly. He couldn't pull free. His 
heart ached for his friend. Those jerks--beating up a little kid! How 
did they catch him, and where were the others? Had they been gunned 
down? Had Hunter attacked them?
	Motion in the trees to this left. He looked around. It sounded 
like an animal moving around. Hunter? No, too light. More like--  The 
creature stepped between him and the fire. He recognized the long, 
graceful legs. Sydney. The struthiomimus wore hobbles around his ankles 
and still carried the saddle, but seemed to be in good shape. He stooped 
and brought his small head down to eye level with Sonic. After a moment 
of calm eye contact, the dinosaur whispered, "Give ropes. You ride, we 
run."
	Surprised, Sonic turned and let the dinosaur see his bonds. Sydney 
could talk? Cool! He felt it's warm hands on his, then heard a soft 
tearing sound. The ropes went limp. Sonic pulled his hands free and 
rubbed his numb wrists. Sydney turned sideways and hissed, "Get on."
	"No," Sonic replied softly. "Must get Jay. He's hurt."
	Sonic stumbled over to his friend, half afraid of some sound that 
would alert the Enemy. There were a lot of them; probably the band that 
had come down the ridge that morning. They were making a lot of noise, 
celebrating the success of their raid.
	Jay's eyes were closed, his breathing faint. Sonic touched the 
tightly drawn ropes and looked at Sydney. The dinosaur lowered his small 
head and sniffed. "He not good," it said. "I cut ropes. "It grabbed the 
first rope and clawed at it. After a moment of doing this it snapped, 
worn through. The ropes went loose, and Jay fell forward into Sonic's 
arms.
	The hedgehog laid him down him down on the ground and rubbed his 
chafed shoulders and legs. "I'm so sorry," Sonic whispered. "I thought 
I gave you guys enough of a head start ..." He looked up at Sydney. 
"Are there any more prisoners?"
	"No," the dinosaur replied quietly. "You and him only ones."
	"Any talk of killing?"
	"Yes, much talk. They kill you, keep him. Hunter want eat you."
	Sonic thought of the nanotyrannus's sharp teeth and shivered. "But 
no talk of killing anyone else? They kill any more Time Rippers?"
	The dinosaur put his head to one side. "They want kill all Time 
Rip-pers."
	"No, I meant Mr. Echidna and Robin. What about them?"
	"Oh. They escape."
	Sonic felt relieved. "Good. That's good."
	Jay opened his eyes and stared glassily at Sonic. "So thirsty," he 
murmured. Sonic nodded. "I know. I am too."
	Jay closed his eyes again. "I feel terrible. They'll be mad if 
they find out we've been untied."
	"Where do you hurt at?"
	"Everywhere. They punched me out. Can--can we get out of here?"
	Sonic looked up at Sydney, who was listening. "Where's Hunter?"
	"He on other side of fire. They tie him up; he want eat me. They 
let him go at sunup. If we want leave, we go now." 
	He extended one hobbled foot. Sonic reached out and undid the 
buckles, and the struthiomimus stepped out of them. He lowered his head 
and licked at one ankle as Sonic pulled Jay to a sitting position.
	Jay looked up at the dinosaur. "Syd talks?" he said dully. "They 
must have hurt my head worse than I thought." Sonic grabbed his hand. 
"Jay, are you strong enough to sit in the saddle?"
	The echidna shrugged. "I guess." He looked down at his belt and 
time gun. "Wonder why they they didn't take my stuff."
	Punch drunk, Sonic thought. He looked up at Sydney. "Can you 
crouch down? I can't lift him into the saddle." 
	The dinosaur promptly crouched, his long legs folding beneath him. 
Sonic pulled Jay onto Sydney's back, the exertion making his head pound.  
He finally got him sitting up, though slumped forward. Sonic climbed on 
behind him and grabbed the reins. "Okay Syd," he said. The struthiomimus 
stood up, head turned, watching his riders. "Where we go?" he asked.
	"Do you know where some water is?"
	"Yes. We cross many stream. I go to one."
	The dinosaur began to move slowly, as if he were simply stretching 
his legs. The partying riff-raff never noticed as their prisoners simply 
rode out. Only Hunter, bedded down under a pine tree with plenty of food 
and water, heard the struthiomimus leaving. He lifted his heavy head and 
growled to himself, "They no go far. Come morning I run them down. I 
kill." He licked his chops in anticipation and lay down again.
	The noise and firelight died out behind them to be replaced by the 
quiet of the night woods. Sydney wanted to run, but Sonic begged him not 
to--it hurt his head. So they moved slowly through the indigo and black 
woods. After a while Sydney said, "I sorry I bite you, Sonic. I think 
you be like Bri-an." Sonic patted his neck. "That's okay. It was just 
a nip."
	They walked along in silence. Then Jay murmured, "Sonic, I'm--I'm 
awful sore. I think I'm dying." Sonic leaned around him and looked into 
his face, concerned. "Are you hurt inside?"
	"No. Just my face--and my head--and my arms, and my legs--"
	"I don't think you'll die." Sonic wrapped his arms around him and 
felt him relax. "You're just beat up."
	A bit later they reached a stream. Sydney stopped at the edge, 
ducked his head and long neck and lapped at the water. Sonic slid off 
with Jay, and they lay down side by side and drank to their heart's 
content. It was quite a picture they made together in the starlight--the 
long-legged struthiomimus with his head down, and the two small figures 
beside him, drinking and ducking their heads.
	Jay washed the dried blood from his face and hair, resting himself. 
Sonic pushed his face under the water and let it cool the bruise on his 
forehead.
	At last they remounted Sydney and rode on. All three were 
refreshed, and Jay and Sonic felt 100% better. Sydney began to trot as 
they talked. "How'd you get caught?" Sonic asked Jay.
	Jay turned his head. "We all ran like you said, but it would've 
been suicide to try to run through the entire canyon. So Dad had us 
climb up the side and out, where we could hide. I looked back in time to 
see you brain yourself on a branch. Hunter was right behind you, and I 
just knew he'd chew you up and spit you out. So I went back. The thugs 
grabbed me, but I got to see when they dragged you out of the woods. 
Hunter hadn't touched you, but he sure wanted to. He was snarling and 
snapping, and Roofern was having a hard time with him. They put me on 
somebody's speeder and you on somebody elses, and headed into the 
valley. They joined the others, made camp, uh, beat me up, then started 
drinking. I--I think that's when you woke up."
	"Are we in the valley now?"
	"Yeah."
	"Do you know how to get home?"
	"I'm not sure. I think our village is further north."
	They fell silent. Only the chirping of crickets and a myriad other 
insects disturbed the stillness. Sonic thought of home. Life in the 
Freedom Fighters would be mild after this. He thought of his failed 
mission for the first time in a long time. It was trivial compared to 
the one he was faced with now.
	He thought of Slasher. She was more civilized than these 
dinosaurs--educated--but still so much like them. He wondered if they 
had velociraptors here. Wild ones? Scary thought. 
	He thought of early days in Mobitropolis with his uncle, back 
before the robotizer. Before Robotnik. Of reading fascinating books of 
other lands and times, some true and some not. 
	He thought of the period of time he had thought geology was the 
ultimate in coolness. He thought of all the fancy terms he had 
memorized--continental plates, subduction zones, continental drift.
	It struck him. The shifting of the plates caused earthquakes, 
right? But there was something else that did, too. Subduction zones, 
where one continental plate was forced below the other. The melted 
rock working its way up to the surface again, floating like in a lava 
lamp, causing--
	Volcano! That was it! The missing puzzle piece! The history book 
appeared in his head, so close he could read every word, clear as 
crystal. "The volcano erupted, burying the valley in six feet of hot 
ash. Everything was destroyed ..." Uh oh.
	Sonic poked Jay in the back. "Where's Mount Titan?"
	The echidna pointed northward. "It's up in the Snow Cap range. 
Why?"
	From Snow Cap to Ice Cap. Interesting.
	Sonic grabbed his arm. "It's a volcano. It's gonna erupt and blow 
away the whole valley!"
	Jay twisted around and looked at him in disbelief. "You're 
kidding. How do you know?"
	"I'm from the future, remember? Man, it all makes sense now!" 
Everything was falling into place. "Our forest is smaller because this 
one got wiped out, and still hadn't recovered completely. The 
earthquakes are being made by the mountain! A volcano always makes 
tons of quakes before it erupts. And the Floating Island--"
	It hit him. Suddenly he had a plan for saving Little Planet. He 
looked up at the sky and picked out the super-bright star. "And now I 
know what to do," he finished.

				* * *

	"THEY'RE GONE!!"
	Roofern stood aghast, staring at the place he had left Jay and 
Sonic. Sydney's hobbles lay on the ground, bearing witness to how they 
had escaped. He stared around through misty, early-morning woods, 
hoping faintly to see them but knowing he wouldn't. He spun around. The 
others were sprawled on the ground in various positions, hung over. 
	"Get up!" he screamed. "They escaped!" 
	Nobody moved. Roofern threatened, pled and swore, but to no avail. 
At last, with one last expletive, the wolf in black ran to his dinosaur, 
untied him and swung up onto his back. Hunter rose to his feet and 
yawned cavernously. "Bareback?" he asked.
	"Yes," Roofern snarled. "No time to saddle up. Get moving!" He 
clapped his heels into the tyrannosaur's sides and they were off, 
heading into the dawn twilight.
  
				* * *

	Sonic and Jay were both dozing in the saddle, more than a little 
tired. Sydney had dropped to a slow walk. He too was weary.
	As morning approached, a mist filled the forest, rising from the 
ground. Sonic roused himself, stretched and looked around. Morning. On 
impulse he twisted in the saddle and looked toward the Ice Cap--or Snow 
Cap--mountains. A thin plume of white steam was rising into the morning 
air from one of the peaks. He felt his heart catch in his throat with 
fear. "What day was it, Knux?" he muttered. He didn't remember a date.
	Jay groaned and sat up. "Whadja say, Sonic?" he yawned.
	"Look," Sonic replied. "Steam from the volcano."
	Jay jerked around, eyes wide. "What? Where?" he spotted it, and 
his mouth fell open. "Oh my gosh," he muttered. "I thought I was 
dreaming." He groped for his communicator. It was hung neatly at his 
belt. He flicked it on. 
	"Dad, are you there?" he said. He released the talk button, eyes 
fixed on that plume of steam. "Please be on this frequency," he 
muttered. "After a moment of nothing but static, he tried again. "If 
anyone is on this frequency, please respond." More static. Jay looked 
at Sonic. "We've got to evacuate. Do you know what day?"
	"No. But it's soon."
	A voice squawked through the communicator. "Jay? Is that you?"
	"Robin! Are you all right?"
	"I'm fine! What about you? Where are you'n Sonic?"
	"We escaped from the Enemy on Sydney. Listen to me, Rob. Mount 
Titan is a volcano, and it's gonna erupt."
	"What did you say?"
	"Get Dad. Look toward the Snow Cap range. There's a bunch of 
steam or something."
	Apparently Robin did. "Oh my gosh. Dad!" The radio went staticy.
	After a few minutes Mr. Echidna's voice came on the radio. "Jay, 
are you there?"
	"Yeah. See the volcano?"
	"Yes, I do. Listen to me, son." His voice was deadly serious. "We 
are at home. We are going to evacuate the village. We're going to 
location blue. Can you get there from where you are?"
	"Yeah."
	"How do you know it's a volcano?"
	"It's what Sonic couldn't remember. He read it in a history book--
Mount Titan is gonna erupt and wipe out the whole valley!"
	Staticy silence. "I see. Does he know what day?"
	"No, but he says soon."
	"Soon." A heavy sigh. "Son, I want you and Sonic at location blue 
by the time we get there. Are you and Sonic in good condition?"
	"Well ..." Jay looked at Sonic. "I think so," he lied.
	"Good. When it erupts we'll only have ten minute's warning at the 
most. I want you both clear when that happens. You read me?"
	"Yeah, Dad. We'll be there."
	"Good. Over and out."
	Jay clicked off the comm and returned it to his belt. "What's 
location blue?" Sonic asked. Jay pointed to the coastal mountains 
rising above them. "It's our bomb shelter near the beach," he explained. 
"It's built back underground in a cliff. We only use it in emergencies."
	Sydney, who had been standing quiet this whole time, suddenly gave 
a start and stared to the left. "Hunter," he said shortly. "Hold on. I 
need run."
	"Hunter? Where?" But the struthiomimus was already in motion. The 
two grabbed ahold of the saddlehorn and leaned forward as he began to 
run. His gate was choppy at first, then became smooth and steady, like 
flying.
	The nanotyrannus's roar announced he had seen them. Sonic and Jay 
looked back. Hunter was there, invisible in the mist-filled woods, but 
coming. They could hear his snorting over the thud of Sydney's feet. 
Sonic touched Sydney's reins. "Can we make it to the pass?" he called, 
hoping Hunter wouldn't hear and make for it ahead of them. "Perhaps," 
the dinosaur said shortly. "He rested. I not. If he lose trail, we make 
it. If not ..."
	"How long can you run?"
	"Maybe five minute."
	Sonic looked back. Hunter was not in sight yet, but could be heard 
plainly. "I'll decoy again," Sonic thought. "That'll give them a chance 
to get over the pass. And this time I'll keep my eyes open for phantom 
tree branches."
	The chase continued. Sydney ran easily, dodging trees and jumping 
logs and rocks. The morning fog obscured their pursuer from sight, but 
their mount knew how far away he was. Hunter had great stamina, like a 
hound dog. He would keep going until he had tasted the blood of his 
quarry.
	The struthiomimus began to snort and pant, his head coming up a 
bit. Sonic knew it was time for him to act. "I'm gonna decoy again," he 
said in Jay's ear. Jay looked back at him. "You're crazy! Remember what 
happened last time?"
	"Yes, and this time I'll be more careful. Hunter wants me. You'll 
make it easier without me. Keep straight on--I'll meet you at location 
blue."
	Sonic tossed his leg over the side of the saddle and faced left. 
After a second's hesitation he jumped. He landed on the balls of his 
feet, rolled forward a few feet to break his momentum, then leaped up, 
ready to go.
	Hunter was running with his head down, eyes alight with the thrill 
of the hunt. He didn't notice Sonic and swept past him, intent on 
Sydney. Sonic stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled. The 
tyrannosaur's head came up and he slowed, bewildered. Roofern kicked 
him to keep him moving, but the whistle came again, along with a shout. 
"Hey slowpoke! I hear you got a minus-minus one hundred on your I\Q 
test!" The voice was recognized and answered with a horrible snarl. 
Despite his rider's protests, the nanotyrannus wheeled and charged 
after Sonic.
	Sonic broke into the slow run he used to taunt SWAT-bots. Hunter 
followed close on his heels, snapping his slavering jaws. Sonic let 
him get close, then jumped to one side and stopped dead. The tyrannosaur 
shot past him, slowed, turned and came back. Again Sonic ran. Without 
warning he again stopped, letting his pursuer overshoot. It was a 
dangerous game, and he only dared do it a few times. Then he leveled 
out and left Hunter in the dust. As soon as he was sure he had lost 
him, he slowed and doubled back.
	The tyrannosaur was following his trail, head down, nose near the 
ground. Roofern could rage, scream and kick all he wanted--his mount 
payed no attention. The tyrannosaur had the bit in his teeth and would 
do as he wished. "Fox hunt," Sonic muttered to himself. "Which of us is 
smarter? We'll have to see." Deliberately he ran ahead and crossed his 
old trail, then circled around again to see what the dinosaur would do. 
Hunter, upon reaching the cross trail, snorted and began to follow it 
instead. "Cool," Sonic thought. "I'll lead HIM a merry chase!"
	The sun rose into the sky, lighting the valley and burning away 
the mists. Sonic left hours of trail in a few minutes, then jumped into 
a stream, ran up it a couple miles, then left it for the pass.
	Roofern and Hunter reached the end of the line at the stream, 
where the running water blotted out all further scent. There they 
found a message scratched in the dirt:
	"You don't mess with a guy who jogs at the speed of sound. 
WARNING: Mount Titan is a volcano. Take it from me--get out of the 
valley, or you'll be killed. Sonic."
	Roofern turned and gazed into the northwestern sky. His eyes 
found the plume of steam--now dark, tainted with ash. "Hunter," he 
muttered. "That's not what it looks like. It's a hoax of some kind. 
Let's get back to camp."
	
				* * *

	Panting, soaking wet and glowing with success, Sonic made it 
through the mountain canyon. To his surprise, Jay and Sydney were 
waiting for him at the bottom. He saw relief in their eyes and he 
jogged up. "You made it," Jay said.
	"'Course I made it. I gave Hunter a run for his money."
	"Did they follow you?"
	"Nah. I ran in the middle of a stream most of the way up here."
	"I wondered why you're all wet. Don't be so sure about Hunter. 
He can track a bird through the sky on a cloudy day."
	"I left 'em a note about the volcano. I think Roofern will break 
off the search."
	"Hope so. Hey, get on. We need to get to the caves."
	'Location blue' was located in a series of stone cliffs, facing 
southwest--directly away from the volcano. Each doorway or window was 
carefully screened with brush, giving the impression of an impregnable 
rock fortress. The ground sloped up to meet the foot of the cliffs, 
making it an excellent defence position, as well. As they rode along 
the thin trail up to the entrance, Jay said, "In case of a siege was 
have a water channel leading out to the ocean. The great part is, the 
only way to get to it is by teleporter. We control all access."
	"Halt! Who goes?" A sentry. Sonic looked all around, but couldn't 
see him. Jay held up his right hand. "It's Jay Echidna and Sonic 
Hedgehog. We request admittance."
	"Jay! So glad to see you." There was a rattling of brush, and a 
wolf stepped out of the bushes before the stone wall. At first Sonic 
thought of Roofern, but this wolf was different. His fur was grey and 
brown with white markings around his eyes. He wore khaki shorts and 
shirt and a pair of hiking boots. He carried an imposing-looking gun 
and ammunition belt. He seemed friendly. "Your dad sent word about 
what happened. Come on in. Their caravan teleporter is due in another 
ten minutes."
	They dismounted from Sydney. The wolf, who introduced himself as 
Brutus, parted the brush for them. They stepped through, and into the 
cool darkness of the entry cave. Sonic stared around at the rough 
walls, breathing in the damp fragrance of the hideout. Jay paused behind
 him and called, "Can you take care of Syd for us? We wouldn't be here 
if not for him."
	"Sure, kid," came the reply from outside. Jay touched Sonic's 
arm. "Follow me. Let's go to the supply room and get something to eat." 
At the mention of food Sonic's stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since 
... sometime yesterday.
	They walked through the dim hallways together. Everything was 
slightly damp and cold, but the air was relatively fresh. Obviously 
it was properly ventilated. "This place was a sort of family project," 
Jay said, touching the wall briefly. "When I was little all of us 
Echidnas got together and decided we needed a place to go in case the 
Enemy attacked or something. This place was suggested, 'cause it 
already had a few tunnels. Everybody who could dig pitched in. It took 
five years, I think, to get it finished. But once we did, it made the 
best hideout of all. There's enough room for our entire colony, and 
more besides."
	"How big is it, really?"
	"It goes all through these cliffs and down into the mountain." 
They turned a corner and stepped into a dark room. A stream flowed along 
the floor and disappeared into a hole in the wall. Jay stooped down and 
pulled a sort of box out of the water. Sonic could see several more, 
all completely submerged.
	Jay lugged it into the middle of the room, un-did the catches on 
the front and sides, then unscrewed the top. Inside were about fifty 
ready-made sandwiches. He pulled one out for himself and one for Sonic, 
then closed the box. They both sat down and dug in.
	They were both hungry, and ate two sandwiches apiece. By the time 
they finished, they had both remembered they had been up most of the 
night. "Let's go to my room," Jay said wearily. "Me'n Robin share it, 
but you can have his bed. C'mon."
	They slid the icebox back into the water and walked out. This time 
they had a little further to walk, as the sleeping quarters were located 
halfway up the cliff. So, after climbing what seemed like a million 
steps and walking for miles, Jay pushed open a door and they stepped 
into a room. The walls were rough and so was the floor, but there was a 
tiny window that let in brilliant daylight. There were two beds, neatly 
made. Jay flopped down on one, Sonic on the other, not even bothering 
to remove their shoes. In a moment they were both dead to the world.

				* * *
	Hours later, Sonic was awakened by a sudden thunderclap. He sat 
up, bleary-eyed, looking around and wondering where he was. Slowly it 
came back to him--he was with Jay in the hollowed-out cliffs. Jay was 
curled up on his bed, still asleep. Sonic stood up on the bed and looked 
out the window. Strange--it was clouded over and raining. No, it was too 
thick to be rain--snow? No, because the air wasn't cold. He thrust his 
hand out the window and caught some of it. Dirt--fine, grey, gritty dirt. 
A bolt of lightning struck across the sky, followed by a roll of thunder. 
This was no normal storm, he realized. That stuff coming down was 
volcanic ash. The volcano had erupted.
	Sonic slid off the bed and quietly slipped out of the room. He 
didn't know where he was going, but he had to find somebody. As luck 
would have it, he bumped into Robin on his way down the stairs. "Sonic!" 
Robin said. "Glad you're up! I was just coming to get you. C'mon."
	The echidna led him through the rock fortress. "Hey Robin," Sonic 
said. "Did the volcano erupt?"
	Robin glanced at him. "You could say that. It hasn't really gotten 
big, though. It kind of poofed, and let off this big cloud of ash. The 
valley's still there."
	"Kind of poofed," Sonic repeated. He walked in silence the rest 
of the way, thinking hard.
	Robin finally stopped and opened a thick wooden door off the main 
hallway. Inside the large conference room was Mr. Echidna, several other 
Time Rippers, and Richard Echidna, architect of the Floating Island. 
They all fell silent as Sonic and Robin stepped in. No one spoke until 
they had both been seated. Then Mr. Echidna began.
	"Sonic, we are caught between a rock and a hard place. The 
volcano's eruption has made it dangerous to even go outside. The 
asteroid, at this moment, is only a couple thousand miles away--closer 
than the moon. It is only a matter of hours before it hits Mobius." 
Michal pressed his fingertips together and looked keenly at Sonic. "We 
are open to any suggestions."
	Sonic sat there, staring at the floor. He had only one idea, one 
plan for saving Little Planet. It was terribly dangerous, but there 
didn't seem to be any other choice. He looked up at the Time Rippers. 
"The volcano will erupt before the asteroid hits," he said quietly. 
"When it does, I have to be there." The group murmured, but Sonic held 
up one hand. They quieted, and he continued.
	"If I can take the Floating Island and position it between the 
volcano and Little Planet, the force of the blast, uh--" his voice 
faltered "--will allow me to catch Little Planet and force it into a 
stable orbit." He dropped his eyes. It sounded impossible, even as he 
spoke it. 
	Everyone stared at him. "Sonic," Michal said softly, "that would 
destroy the island, AND YOU. If the volcano has enough force to destroy 
the valley, it will vaporize anything near it. Not to mention the 
asteroid is traveling at nearly eight thousand miles per hour, probably 
more."
	Sonic looked up at him. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'it 
couldn't be done, but the darn fool didn't know it and did it anyway'? 
I can do it. I HAVE to do it. It's the only way."
	Richard Echidna jumped to his feet. "If you think I'm gonna let 
you blow up my island, you're crazy! No absolute way!" Gruffly he dug 
into his pockets and pulled out a small glowing gem. He handed it to 
Sonic. "Here," he grumbled. "You'll need it to steer properly."
	Sonic looked up at him questioningly. "Huh? You mean you WILL let 
me take the island?" The echidna looked away and didn't answer.
	Sonic climbed to his feet. The gem in his hand was a miniature 
super emerald--the exact same one contained in his belt. Did this mean 
the belt would function now?

				* * *

	All outdoors was wild, raining dirt and rock from the black clouds 
overhead. The air was hot and smelled dusty. Lightning sparked and 
rippled through the sky, accompanied by constant thunder. Sonic stood on 
the center peak of the island, alone. He wore a battered helmet against 
the falling ash and cinders, and the red super emerald clenched in one 
hand. He had gotten there via teleporter. He felt grim, hard. He didn't 
want to think about saying goodbye to the band, or of how Michal had 
shaken his hand. Most likely he would hill himself with this fool stunt,
 but it was the only way.
	He had never actually flown the Floating Island, but he had watched 
Knuckles do it. Carefully he placed the emerald on the surface of the 
rock, letting its energy flow into the island. Then he picked it up 
again and held it out in the direction he wanted to go. The island began 
to move. Carefully he moved the island up into the ash-filled sky, 
hoping he wouldn't get struck by lightning. He felt vulnerable, exposed 
on this rock and dirt island, with no trees to deflect the elements. How 
close was Little Planet, and--uh oh, he hadn't thought about this one--
what if it collided with Mobius at a different point? No, it had to come 
down here. History was already written. He would do it.
	As he set his course for the distant Ice Cap range, another 
thought entered his head, curling his stomach into a cold knot. What 
about the future from his time? Did his own life go on, or did it vanish 
from history the instant he entered the rip with Jay? Would he succeed, 
but kill himself at the same time? It was possible.
	A bolt of bright lightning struck the island a mile from the point 
where he stood. The crack of accompanying thunder was so loud Sonic saw 
stars. He winced. A little too close, that one. "I'm a lightening rod 
up here," he muttered.
	It was nearly pitch black now, like midnight. Only the white, blue 
and pink flashes of lightning lit his way, allowing his see the ground 
and surroundings. Volcanic ash rained down in a grey curtain, coating 
the island with it. Sonic kept brushing it from his arms and face 
shield. The air smelled of sulfur. There were probably other gases, 
too, but he couldn't smell them. "If I don't die of lightning strike 
or vaporization, lung damage'll get me," he thought with grim humor.
	He flew steadily through the dark clouds. The lightning continued, 
but the island was not struck again.
	It wasn't until he entered Ice Cap that he began to notice the 
heat. It was in the clouds, the air. The ash began to feel like 
brimstone. His thoughts turned to his belt. No, he couldn't become 
Hyper until the island was in position--the uses of the emeralds 
canceled each other out. This meant he would take personal damage 
before than. Sonic swallowed and forced his thoughts away from THAT 
subject. Thinking about pain would only make it worse.
	A series of flashes showed the volcano ahead. It had a small (or 
small from that distance) crack snaking down its side, facing the valley 
directly. White steam rose from it in clouds. Sonic gulped. In his 
time, there was hardly a shell left of Mount Titan. A hole had been 
blasted in the ridge. He had never thought about how it had been 
formed, before ... oh gosh, what an eruption!
	Sonic turned and looked up at the sky. There. Now, if only Little 
Planet would come and the volcano would erupt at the same time! A lot 
to ask for. But hey, the impossible had happened before, right?
	He pocketed the super emerald, then touched his belt. The jewels 
were warm and electric-feeling. Carefully, hesitantly, he crossed his 
wrists against the emeralds, then snapped them back.
	Nothing happened.
	Sonic stood there on the barren island, the grey, smothering ash 
pouring down all around, alone. An icy spike of fear wedged through his 
heart. His only hope of survival was not operational. If he couldn't 
become hyper--sandwiched between the volcano and Little Planet-- Well, 
his ironic, humorless mind said, at the very worst, the first five 
minutes might hurt.
	"No!" he screamed into the storm. "I don't wanna die!" Sonic sank 
to his knees, his legs unable to support him any longer. He felt the 
soft, warm ash under him. "I've come this far ... to die!" he moaned. 
Suddenly angry, he unclipped the belt and held it out, intending to 
throw it as hard as he could. Let it burn with the rest of the 
island ...
	Something caught his eye. He took the belt in his other hand and 
examined the stones. To his surprise, the red super emerald was missing. 
The one he had been using to fly the island with. How ...?
	Relief washing over him, he pulled out the loose emerald and 
worked it into place beside the others. No wonder it didn't work--all 
seven had to be present!
	Sonic whipped the belt around his waist again and leaped to his 
feet. Confidently he crossed his wrists against its front, then snapped 
them back. The power of the emeralds flooded into his body, changing 
his color to a living, pulsing rainbow. He pulled of the helmet and 
tossed it aside. Great! Now all he had to do was watch.
	And wait. It was the waiting that drove people insane. The ash 
went on raining, the lightning kept flashing, the volcano kept smoking. 
Sonic cruised around the island twice at high speed, giving himself 
something to do. The ash had piled up to three feet thick in some 
places. "Now I know why there's so much jungle growth here," Sonic 
thought to himself, his glow like a floodlight in the darkness. 
"Volcanic ash is really fertile. And the island's buried in it!"
	At long last there came a change.
	The air began to quiver and tremble. The rumble was too low a 
frequency for Sonic's ears to register, but he could feel the vibration 
in his innards. Slowly it grew stronger, and he felt as if he would 
choke on the pressure. His enhanced vision swept the clouded sky. 
Little Planet was coming--it was there, but he couldn't see it. He 
considered going for a short flight--just to get clear of the ash, but 
decided against it. There was no guarantee he would be able to find the 
island again.
	He swept over the soft, ashy ground to the volcano side of the 
island and looked down. Would the approaching body effect the volcano's 
eruption? He hoped it would. The smoke rising from the fissure was 
turning black, spurting up in hot clouds of grainy ash and cinders. 
Sonic backed away from the edge. It was going to be close--
	He flew back up to the center peak of the island and looked up. 
It was coming--
	He thought of something. From far, far away, nearly forgotten, a 
strange event forced its way into his head. Last winter--tracking down 
all the time stones--something odd happening--
	Suddenly there was a great roar, as if the earth were splitting 
apart. Sonic whirled. The volcano! He saw an eerily illuminescent cloud 
billowing up above the edge of the island, followed by others, and the 
most horrible sounds he had ever heard. Rock groaning and bursting 
under pressure, a roaring shriek as volcanic content was spewed out 
of the ground, and the general rumbling of an 8.3 earthquake.
	Superheated wind and debris struck the island's side and 
underpart, tearing off sections, blowing it into the sky like a leaf. 
Sonic dropped to the ground as the horrible blast swept over him. If 
not for his invincibility, he would have been liquefied in an instant. 
He he was not, and witnessed what no other living soul ever had.
	He watched as rocks exploded, or turned red and melted like 
butter. He saw as falling cinders ripped holes in the ground and in 
the disintegrating rocks. He watched a bizarre sulfur rain pelt down, 
sending up yellow smoke with each drop. He saw boulders big as houses 
roll along in the wind like tumbleweeds.
	But the best was yet to come.
	Sonic lifted his glowing head. He was half buried in the hot, 
furiously raining ash. He leaped to his feet, shook himself off and 
looked around. The island was floating upward, driven by the force of 
the volcano's blast. He looked up into the darkened sky. The clouds 
were changing, shifting, billowing. Lightning raged constantly, the 
light almost solid.
	Then, its presence celebrated by a fanfare of thunder, Little 
Planet showed its face through the clouds. Sonic stared up at it. It 
was HUGE! He had always thought that because of it's name, it was a 
tiny planet. And oh, it was--moon-sized. It looked nothing like it 
did in his time. The blue ocean was small and probably dead. The 
ground was bare and pock-marked. Things that had once been trees lay 
flat, killed by years of flying through sterile space.
	It was pressing downward, but its speed was nowhere near eight 
thousand MPH. It fact, it was _slowing down still_. Its speed 
decreased as it neared the Floating Island. Why? It hit him like a 
ton of bricks--the power emeralds and the time stones repulsed each 
other, like opposing magnets. His invincibility and the super emeralds's 
power was conflicting with the time stones on Little Planet, above.
	That wasn't all that was conflicting. Little Planet's gravity 
was like a force field, grinding down on Floating Island and Sonic. He 
saw the ground around him begin to crack and crumble under the strain. 
The island wouldn't last long against this.
	Thinking quickly, HyperSonic hurled himself into the air and 
flew upward, daring the gravity field. "Stop," he growled up at the 
approaching object, "or I'll make you!" The wind, ash and forcefield 
tore at his invincible body, but he didn't care. He pressed onward, 
upward. He felt as if he were being crushed, tons of pressure exerted 
on every inch of his body. It _hurt_! He was supposed to be 
invulnerable! He slowed, uncertain. Little Planet continued to approach. 
He needed to keep going until Little Planet had stopped ... but could 
he?
	Think nobly of his friends and squelching the question of his 
future, he resumed his struggle upward.

				* * *

	 Mount Titan would continue to erupt for forty-eight hours, and 
periodically for months afterward. The valley and forest were indeed 
destroyed, along with many villages. The Time Rippers clocked the exact 
instant of the eruption, then skipped back to several hours before and 
offered escape to many. About one fourth refused and were killed.
	Jay returned to the present, exhausted and worried. The volcano 
was still erupting, hiding Little Planet and the Floating Island from 
view in the clouds of ash and smoke. He stood on a sheltered hill near 
the beach, eyes on the volcano. A wind had sprang up and lifted the 
first raining cloud of ash, and the devastation was enormous. The 
valley looked like a black and white photograph. Trees covered the 
ground like combed fur, all the bark and leaves stripped from them. 
Lakes had been filled, trees buried. The river was clogged with debris 
and filled with a mudslide's remnants.
	But Jay had eyes only for the volcano--or, rather, the cloud above 
it. Sonic was somewhere up there; dead or alive, nobody knew. Little 
Planet had not collided with Mobius--that much was certain, so that 
part had worked. But an unspoken condition of the mission had not been 
accomplished. Sonic had not yet come back alive.
	He touched his time gun. He could go time travelling and see if he 
returned--no, doing that was off-limits, taboo. Too bad he hadn't 
learned how to make a teleporter yet, but maybe it was just as well. 
It would kill him to go to the island. If it would kill _him_, though, 
what about _Sonic_? Was his new-found friend dead?
	A strange shape caught his eye. A rough, oblong shape was emerging 
from the ash cloud. Jay grabbed at the binoculars on his belt and lifted 
them to his eyes. Yes, it was the Floating Island, but it looked like it 
had been used as a missile target. A huge chunk had been blown out of one 
side and underside, and it looked scorched. Jay watched as it drifted 
away from the volcano and toward the ocean. Sonic must be driving it!
	He whirled around and pelted down the beach, bursting with the 
news: Sonic was alive!
				
					. . .

	Or was he?
	The island was simply drifting with the wind, moving along the 
coast. The cool breeze fanned the heated rock and ash, carrying away 
some of the volcanic energy. It seemed empty, wounded in one side, 
limping through the sky. In spite of this, the spectators on the ground 
assumed Sonic was in control. It was only when the wind changed and it 
began to move into the valley that they realized something was wrong.
	The green teleporter opened and Mr. Echidna jumped out and looked 
around. He was instantly struck by the heat and general volcanic 
atmosphere of the place, but it wasn't so bad he couldn't stand it. He 
walked around a few minutes, speaking into the communicator on his 
wrist.
	"It looks like the moon. Everything is in shades of grey. Rocks 
are splintered like firewood, and melted, too. What? No, I don't see 
Sonic anywhere. It's really hot, but not too bad, actually. Yeah, it's 
still floating level. Robin, you can come up, but Jay can't. I don't 
want him up here--it's too dangerous."
	Michal clicked off the communicator, cupped his hands to his mouth 
and called, "Son-ic! Sonic, where are you?"
	There was no answer but the howl of the wind.
	A moment later Robin's teleporter appeared. He joined his father, 
and together they began to look for Sonic.
	Their feet sank through the soft outer layer of ash, digging 
through to the hot layer beneath. Their footprints steamed. Their voices 
rang out in the emptiness, calling Sonic's name. Each time echoes mocked 
them. At one point Robin stopped wearily, looked back at the raging 
volcano and said, "Dad, where did the asteroid go?" Michal turned and 
looked. Little Planet had vanished. "I suppose it went back out into 
space," he said, his voice as tired as his son's.
	They trudged all over Floating Island, but turned up nothing. 
Sonic was either dead or not there. They both stood and looked across 
the valley, feeling the intense heat on their faces and arms. Robin 
leaned against his father. "Dad, what'll happen if we never find him? 
Will we have to go to his time and tell them we killed him on accident?"
	Michal put an arm around him. "I hope not, but we may have to. 
Poor kid ..." They stood still, each grieving inwardly for the blue 
hedgehog who had become like a brother and son.
	Thirty feet away from where they stood, a pile of ash stirred, 
bulging upward. A hand emerged, pressing down, then brushing at the 
grey dirt. After a moment another appeared, clawing slowly	at the 
ground. Then Sonic thrust his head into the open, spat the grit from 
his mouth and drew a deep breath. He was still glowing, hyper Sonic, 
but most of his strength was gone. He couldn't even drag himself out 
of the ash. He lay back and closed his eyes, resting.
	Robin turned his head, a motion catching the corner of his eye. 
"Dad! There he is!"
	"What?"
	They both broke into a run. Sonic heard them and opened his eyes. 
"Oh, hi," he said as they ran up. The complete exhaustion showed in his 
eyes. "I can't get out ..." They grabbed his arms and pulled him out of 
the hot ash. They were ready with a million questions, but all Sonic 
said was, "It was awesome. Get me outta here ... I'll sleep for a 
week ..." Then he went off in a dead faint.
					
				* * *

	Sonic slept the sleep of a wary soldier for a day and a half, 
hardly stirring. It took him some time to resurface, as his sleep was 
so deep. He opened his eyes and stared blankly up at the ceiling for a 
while. He lay there for what seemed like a long time, faintly wondering 
why none of the Freedom Fighters had not wakened him. Slowly he 
remembered--the Time Rippers, the Floating Island, Little Planet. He 
must be in the shelter of the cliffs.
	Luxuriously he stretched out. His entire body ached, every muscle 
strained. It was good just to lie still in the warm bed and listen to 
the wind outside the small window. He had done it; everything was safe, 
and he had survived.
	After a bit he sat up and looked around. The room was similar to 
Jay's room, but smaller and with only one bed. It was probably in the 
same row, same cliff face. It was quiet. They must be letting him rest.
	Slowly he swung his feet over the side of the bed. His body 
complained at the movement, and he winced and sat still. But he 
couldn't stay there very long. He was hungry. "You know," he said 
aloud to the four walls, "a hot shower would feel really good." 
Carefully he stood up, wishing he could move without using any muscles. 
Maybe slither along the floor or something.
	A few minutes of snooping around turned up a bathroom adjoining 
his room. He turned on the shower and soaked himself, letting the water 
wash away the grit and grime the volcano had given him. After twenty 
minutes, warm as a steamed clam and feeling better, he turned off the 
water, dried, donned his shoes and was ready to go.
	On his way out he checked Jay's room. It was empty, but there 
was a box of colored pencils and an open sketchpad on Jay's bed. 
Curious, Sonic stepped in and looked closer.
	The pages were filled with sketches and drawings of animals, 
trees and people. There were a few pages where Jay had tried out ideas 
for the mural his uncle had requested, but each one had scribbled Xs 
or 'this stinks' across them. Sonic was surprised. He never would have 
guessed the kid was such an artist.
	Still thinking of those drawings, Sonic started down the stairs. 
Funny, last time he had descended them, it was feeling uncertain and 
afraid. Now, it was over, and he was quietly victorious. 
	He was almost familiar with the fortress's layout, and made his 
way to the big meeting room where he had told the T.Rs of his plan.
	He paused just outside the heavy oak door. It was open a crack, 
and he could hear someone speaking inside. He heard his name spoken and 
pricked up his ears. It sounded like a press conference.
	"... and we would not be here today if not for him. While on an 
unrelated mission, he recalled the history of his own time and was able 
to warn us of the volcano's imminent eruption. At the present, we still 
have agents in the time stream, aiding those who would be rescued. The 
death toll is only a fraction of what it would have been without his 
warning."
	It must be one of the Time Rippers--a spokesman. He made Sonic's 
action sound very heroic, but he didn't have all his fact straight. It 
hadn't been an 'unrelated mission' at all. Oh well, such is publicity. 
Sonic pushed open the door and stepped in.
	Folding chairs were arranged in rows all the way across the room. 
Apparently every seat was taken, as there was a crowd of people standing 
around at the back of the room, listening. Sonic mingled with them, 
listening and trying to see who was speaking. At last he got a glimpse 
of him--he was a big grey squirrel, and wore the customary gear around 
his waist and arms. His voice was loud and clear, and carried all 
through the big room.
	"Contrary to popular vote, we also extended aid to the enemy. 
They took out agent hostage in return, but he was rescued minutes 
before the eruption. Only very few accepted our assistance, or heeded 
our warnings. The war leader of our valley, Roofern, scorned our offers 
and is presumed dead. Hunter, the feared nanotyrannus, abandoned his 
master and fled to the Dark Mountains. His whereabouts are unknown, but 
we assume he will not be back in our parts for some time. The total 
casualties of the volcano so far are twenty-four ..."
	Sonic felt a touch on his arm and turned. It was Jay. He wore his 
belt, but no gear. "Hi Sonic," he whispered. "Got a minute?"
	"Sure," Sonic whispered back. "I've heard enough."
	They stepped out into the dim hall, pulling the door to behind 
them. "How do you feel?" Jay asked.
	"Oh, I'm all right, I guess. I'm kinda sore."
	"Man, you looked awful when they brought you back. Had anything 
to eat yet?"
	"No. Man, I'm starved!"
	"Come on, then. We want to hear what happened up there."
	Sonic smiled, remembering.
	They dropped by a sort of kitchen. Sonic whipped himself up some 
chili dogs and wolfed them down while Jay waited. Then, feeling as if 
all were right with the world, he walked with Jay to the Echidna's 
private living quarters.
	Robin greeted them as they entered. He was curled up in an 
armchair with a book in his lap. "Hey there, Sonic, feel better? Mom'n 
Dad are in there." He nodded toward a door. Jay opened it, and he and 
Sonic stepped inside.
	The room was small, but comfortable. A bed was shoved into one 
corner, and several chairs took up the available space. Mr. and Mrs. 
Echidna were seated on a couch facing a television. Sonic recognized 
the voice coming out of it--they were watching the conference 
downstairs. They both looked up as Sonic and Jay entered. "Sonic!" 
Michal said, rising to his feet. "Glad you're up! Feeling okay? Sit 
down--we want to hear all about it."
	Sonic sat down in one of the chairs. Robin came in and sat by 
Jay, and they waited.
	Sonic began at the volcano and went on from there, reliving all 
he had seen. He began to sweat as he recalled fixing the belt, and 
how close he had come to throwing it away. He recounted the big 
eruption and how it had blown a chunk or two out of the island and 
knocked it into the sky. Then he told of Little Planet's titanic 
approach and flying at it.
	"I broke through it's magnetic field. All the pressure stopped, 
but then something happened. It was like a bubble formed around it, 
locking in it's gravity and time and everything. It blasted me out of 
it's atmosphere like a cork from a bottle. I was going so fast I 
couldn't regain control of myself, and splatted back onto the Floating 
Island. I remember, just barely, laying there and watching Little Planet 
turn a bright blue color, then vanish. I think it time warped--it does 
it all the time in my time. Funny, now that I think about it--I was 
right above where a place called Never Lake is in my time. Little Planet 
shows up right above it every year, in the present. Now I know why." He 
looked at Robin and Mr. Echidna. "Thanks for pulling me out of the ash. 
I couldn't have got out on my own."
	"Your welcome," they replied.

					* * *

	Another day passed. Sonic told Jay all about the mural in his 
time, the strange language and script, and of what it depicted. Jay 
listened intently, then sketched out the entire thing in his drawing 
pad. Sonic stared at it. It was the exact same as the one he and Tails 
had seen on the Floating Island.
	"What about the weird language?" Jay asked. "Did you ever find 
out what it was?"
	"Yeah. Slasher said it was Old Mobian."
	"Aw heck, that's easy. We can ALL speak THAT. What did the mural 
say?"
	"I don't know. It got destroyed before we could read it."
	Jay snapped his fingers. "Rats. Well, maybe I'll just paint it 
somewhere else, too."
	"How about the pyramid?"
	"What pyramid?"
	"There's one in Sandopolis in my time."
	"Cool. Maybe I'll put it there--when it gets built. And maybe I'll 
sort of subtitle the pictures."
	"That would be good."
	Robin decided he wanted to stay in the Time Rippers a while longer. 
"Uncle Richard can keep the island for a while," he said with a gleam in 
his eye, "but when I get older, I'd like to be the first official 
guardian."
	Ownership of Sydney, the struthiomimus, was transferred to Jay. 
He had always secretly admired the dinosaur, and, now that the creature 
had saved his life, had an extra-special attachment for him. Sydney was 
pleased at the transfer, and so were most other people.  
	The Floating Island was not critically damaged, it was discovered. 
And the thick blanket of volcanic ash promised to be useful in growing 
the lush vegetation the island was known for. The only place it was not 
wanted was Sandopolis, the desert. Sonic took care of that. He became 
hyper, poured on the speed and raced in big circles, creating big 
whirlwinds that moved tons of ash anywhere he wanted them to. This 
took a while, but by the time he finished, Sandopolis was bare yellow 
sand again.  
	
				* * *
	
	As Sonic came in from his work at Sandopolis, Robin met him with a 
piece of paper and a cassette tape in one hand. 
	"Hey Sonic," he said, almost shyly. "I--I wrote a poem for you. 
Well, not really a poem. More like a song. It's for you. A thanks for 
what you've done for us." 
	Sonic motioned to the tape. "It that it?"
	"Yeah. I warped into the future and got a band we're friends with 
to play and record it." He held up the paper. "These are the words. 
C'mon and listen to it."
	They did. Sonic was impressed with the rockin' tune, and then 
with the mellower, longer version. He listened to it several times, 
reading the words along with the music.
	The title? Sonic Boom.

				* * *

	The setting sun shown through the haze surrounding Robotropolis, 
gleaming dully on the Ultra SWAT-bot's metal body. It was cradling its 
blaster rifle in its arms, red eyes scanning the street. The area was 
deserted and silent. The lone sentry looked imposing enough, though, 
for an entire squadron of regular SWAT-bots.
	Sonic and Jay crouched on a flat rooftop in the red twilight, 
watching. "This is the mission I blew," Sonic explained, his voice 
barely above a whisper. "Watch."
	They watched as Sonic's past self smashed the robot, then advanced 
to the fence and leaped over. "Man, I looked as nervous as I felt," 
Sonic whispered to Jay. "See Metal Sonic anywhere?"
	"No."
	"I want to see where he came from when he grabbed me."
	Sonic carefully slid off the building and circled around to 
another. Jay followed him, staring around at the city in disgust. "I 
can't believe this was Mobitropolis," he whispered when they were 
concealed again."
	"I know," Sonic replied. "Shh."
	The other Sonic was hardly visible, standing among the maze of 
pipes that fed into the fuel station. Future-Sonic strained his eyes, 
looking for any movement. Where had Mecha come from?
	Suddenly the half-light just behind past-Sonic rippled like water, 
and Metal Sonic appeared out of nowhere. He had a cloaking device! Why, 
that creep-- 
	"Man, he's ugly," Jay whispered to Sonic. "Look at the way his 
eyes glow."
	"I know. No body's as smart as Mecha, or more evil."
	They watched in silence as past-Sonic was dragged into the open, 
the lights turned on and the reinforcements called. "How'd you escape?" 
Jay asked.
	"Watch," Sonic replied.
	Past-Sonic looked terrified for a moment, then was nearly knocked 
over. His expression instantly changed to one of cool confidence. 
Future-Sonic and Jay watched as past-Sonic became Hyper, dove through 
the robots (almost invisible in the floodlights,) then ducked into one 
of the streets.
	Sonic looked at Jay. "When was the exact minute I entered the rip? 
When do I become present again?"
	Jay looked at his wrist-computer and tapped a few buttons. "Nine-
forty-six PM. We got almost an hour."
	"We'll wait."
	The hour crept by. Sonic left Jay several times and prowled around 
the area, enjoying being in his element again. It was all so familiar! 
He couldn't wait to get home and see his friends, but he had one loose 
end that needed tying up.
	The SWAT-bots were driven from the area by an enraged Metal Sonic. 
By the time the hour was up, he was alone in the fenced construction 
area. "I'm present now," Sonic muttered to Jay. "Stay here until I get 
to that generator, then run for your life. It'll be the prettiest 
explosion you ever saw--take out this whole section. Maybe you should 
run now."
	"Naw. I'll just make a time rip and go home when you get that 
far."
	"In that case, bye, and thanks for the great time. Make sure you 
come around again."
	"Oh," said Jay, "we'll meet again. I don't know when or where, 
but I'll be around." He grinned and gave Sonic a thumbs-up. "Go to it, 
my man."
	Sonic slapped him on the back and grinned himself. "See ya in 
time."
	Metal Sonic's hearing sensors caught the sound of footsteps 
running toward him. He spun around in time to see Sonic's whirling 
spikes hit him in the face. The robot hit the ground flat on his back 
and stared angrily up at his foe. Sonic stood over him, his eyes 
blazing. "We meet again, Mecha," he said cooly. "And this time I'm not 
afraid of you." Afraid? He had learned what fear was when he had 
discovered his belt didn't work. Even Metal Sonic's threat paled in 
comparison.
	Deliberately Sonic struck his wrists across his belt to become 
hyper. "Give me the charges, Mecha," he said quietly. Metal Sonic's 
eyes lit up several watts, but he didn't move. Sonic bent down and 
touched the robot's chest. The energy in his body flooded into Mecha's 
hull. The robot began to struggle, his motions jerking with the shock. 
"Never!" he snarled. "You will die first, Sssonic!" He grabbed Sonic's 
shoulders, despite the pain, and flung him to the ground. A catfight 
broke out, both of them rolling over and over, snarling and hitting. 
Mecha was taking incredible damage, but he didn't care. Twice his 
internal computer signaled shut down, and each time he overrode it.
	This resulted, naturally, in the robot shorting out and going 
dead. Sonic climbed to his feet, frisked Metal Sonic and discovered 
the charges and detonator.
	Hyper Sonic flew to the generator. Before setting the charges, 
however, he watched as Jay ripped time, waved, then vanished as if he 
had never been.

				* * *

	The skyline was still lit by the explosion and resulting fire when 
Hyper Sonic tore into Knothole. He was tempted to shout his success to 
all, but knew the sleeping village would not take kindly to being 
awakened. He quietly decharged himself and walked to Sally's hut.
	The lights were on inside. He remembered (how long ago it seemed!) 
that Slasher was in there, talking with Sal. He walked around it to 
reach the door, but stopped short at the sight of someone crouched in 
the shadows.
	The figure was sitting under one of the windows, listening to 
what was being said inside and snickering to himself. Spike. "Hey," 
Sonic said, resentment rising. Spike stood up and stepped into the 
open. "Well well, if it ain't Sonic. Where you been? Bandaging your 
ego?" His words were like cold water in Sonic's face. He had been 
treated like a hero until he returned home--they all still thought 
him a failure.
	What Sonic did next came as a surprise to himself and Spike, both. 
His hand doubled into a fist and his arm lashed out, catching the 
smirking porcupine right in the nose. Spike stumbled back and clutched 
at his face, shocked. 
	"That's what you get for eavesdropping," Sonic said coolly. 
	Spike looked at his hands. "You made my nose bleed, you jerk! 
Just wait--I'll tell everybody you messed up--" He whirled and charged 
into the darkness. Sonic smirked after him--he had set things right, 
and Spike would be seen as the liar he was, for once.
	Sonic stepped up to the door of Sally's hut, drew a deep breath, 
then knocked. The talking inside ceased. A moment later Sally opened 
the door and looked out at him. "What do you want, Sonic?" she asked, 
her tone betraying how she still felt toward him. 
	He stepped forward. "Sal, I did it."
	"Did what?"
	"Blew up the power plants."
	She only looked at him. "It's a little late for jokes."
	"I'm serious. Look toward the city--you can still see the light."
	Reluctantly she stepped outside and looked. Her mouth fell open in 
amazement. "It is! Why did you--I mean, how--"
	He smiled at her. "It's a long story, Sal. But I sure am glad to 
be home." He hugged her, then turned to find Slasher standing there. He 
threw his arms around her neck. "Oh Slash, you won't believe what 
happened to me! I've been gone for days--"
	Briefly he told them of the Time Rippers, and of what had 
happened. Slasher listened, interested, but Sally looked skeptical. 
"You sure you didn't dream it?" she asked doubtfully.
	"I'm sure," Sonic replied. He dug into his pocket and pulled out 
a cassette and two folded slips of paper. "I got these from their time," 
he explained. "Let's go in and I'll show 'em to ya. No, wait a minute." 
He paused, looking toward Slasher's hut, where he knew Knux was still 
reading. "Here, you guys look at this stuff. I want to talk to Knux. Be 
back in a Sonic second." And he was gone.
	Knuckles was in the same position Sonic had last seen him in, 
still reading from the same huge dusty volume. Sonic moved up to him. 
"Still studying the Time Rippers?"
	Knuckles jumped and looked up at him. "Don't do that! I didn't 
hear you come in. Yeah. What did you think I'd be doing?"
	Sonic sat down across from him. "I just spent three days with 
them. I met your ancestors and put Little Planet into orbit."
	Knuckles stared at him. "Yeah, right."
	"I'm not kidding! Jay Echidna ripped time and took me back with 
him ..."
	By the time he finished outlining his adventures he had Knuckles's 
full and undivided attention. "You're not kidding," Knux said when he 
finished. "How cool! And you just got back?"
	"Yeah! Let's go down to Sally's. I left some stuff there I got 
from Jay and Robin."
	
				. . .

	As the door opened, Sonic and Knuckles were greeted by the opening 
strains of 'Sonic Boom.' Sally was listening to it, and Slasher was 
looking at the papers on the table. They both looked up as they 
walked in. "Where did you get these? Slasher asked Sonic. "Knuckles, 
look. This is the original plan for the mural Robotnik destroyed in 
Marble Gardens!"
	Knuckles grabbed the paper. "It is! Every bit of it! Hey, this 
means we can repaint it! Gosh--"
	The four stayed up long into the night, Sonic telling and re-
telling his adventures and answering the questions. He was happy to 
do it. His missions, both past and present, had been completed 
successfully.
	And as time grows short and morning nears, is this not a good 
place to end?

				The End