It was a lovely day in the Hidden City, otherwise Station Square. The sun glimmered, and shone off of the metallic roadways and streets in Speed Highway. And one more good thing was also in effect; Robotnik was not there anymore. 

Sash looked out the window in peace. She remembered how it looked when she was a child, growing up in a place that she only remembered as Mobotropolis. Then it all went blank. 

She could remember all she wanted of the past, but it would be of no use because she could not remember all that much. It was as if she had been asleep for 10 years and awoke to forests. 

She had only found her way into this city 2 months ago, and already she met people in the city who cared for her. The government provided her with money, because that was the structure of the government in the city, and thus, she found a place in the city. 

But she often found herself sleepless, one to often fall into an insomniac-like state, and try to remember what she had lost so long ago… but it was of no use. So she decided to go on a quest for her true heritage, finding this "Mobotropolis" for certain and finding out who she really was. Thus came her peace. 

She got up from her place near the window and decided it was time to go. She turned to go out of the room and did so, and walked down the stairs. 

"Sash, are you ready to go?" 

Sash turned toward her friend at the foot of the stairs. "Yeah, Hector, I am." 

Hector merely nodded, and went off to tell the others, Sash's friends. Sash knew 2 others like herself; these the people of the city called "Furries". They were unlike the humans in some ways; one of them color, another was that most humans did not have any fur, but the 3 Furries in Station Square did. 

The first of the 2 friends was Mura, who could call the planet's healing power. She had this power ever since she could remember. Then Hector, whose strength was only surpassed by his scientific knowledge from studying with the best, namely Aki. And Sash could wield a different kind of power: a mastery of flame. This mystery was the same as Mura's, and both could not get any instructions because no one except them could even use any types of magic. 

Sash followed Mura to the kitchen of the apartment and both of her friends were there. 

"Sash, are you sure about this? I mean, I know we don't know where we came from, but…" 

Mura was cut short by Sash. "Come on, Mura. This's no time to be backing out! I remember like 2 days ago you saying that you wanted to go." 

Mura then responded by saying, "Do we even know where we're going?" 

Hector stepped forth. "Yeah, we do. Aki told me that a bunch of Mobians like us came here and saved them from Chaos." 

"Chaos? You mean, like the emerald I have?" Sash asked. 

"You HAVE a chaos emerald? You know how much power…" Hector started, but was cut off by Sash. 

"Hector, the government let us HAVE this emerald because they just like, found another one outside the city a few days ago," She explained. 

"Hard to believe," Hector retorted. 

"Better believe it," Mura responded. "They gave it to us because they said we'll need it for something up ahead." 

"And," Sash picked up, "We have to travel to the end of the Mystic Ruins to get to this place. And no one knows what's in the Mystic Ruins. We're facing some serious dangers here. And, Hector, what's Chaos?" 

Hector shook his head. "Well, I'm not going to bore you guys with the details, but Chaos is a water monster that can transform when Chaos Emeralds are absorbed by it. Some guy named Sonic, who was real fast, used the Chaos Emeralds to transform into Super Sonic and defeated it." 

"You said that you weren't gonna bore us," Mura said. "Let's get going." 

2 

There was a rustle. Gray. Pure gray. And white. Orange, and glinting black. Then, a click. It was almost as if it was in stereo... echoing through the trees like that. The rustling subsided quickly. There was a chilling silence as 5 creatures' fates were sealed... 

"The Mystic Ruins... this jungle is annoying. It's so much hard work," Sash complained. 
Hector looked back at her and sighed. Mura rolled her eyes and hit Sash lightly with her rod. 

"What was that for?" Sash complained once more. 

Rustling was going unheard. 

"Being annoying," Mura said. Hector continued on up ahead, unable to concentrate because of the bickering. 

"Use your magic on me! You seriously hurt me!" Sash mused, realizing she was being annoying, and continuing. 

"Oh, shut up," Mura said with a sigh. 

"You shut up!" Sash continued. 

Click. 

"What the-" Hector stopped and swirled around. Sash and Mura were still arguing, so he couldn't concentrate. 

"Why not?" Sash grinned. 

"Because I'm not being--" 

"Both of you, shut up--" Hector started, spotting the source of the click. 

A glinting black gun. That was ready to shoot. But he couldn't finish. 

The gun shot, creating a smokescreen effect as it hit the ground. Hector couldn't see, but he had a general idea of where the shot came from. Jumping up into the trees, he used his naturally swift skills in scaling trees to swiftly jump into the trees. He flew about in the trees with ease until he came to the place where the gun was that he had seen. However, the figure holding it was absent. 

 I'd better stay in the trees so as he doesn't shoot at me from where he is. 

Hector stayed in the tree, unmoving so he would not make any incriminating sounds. Looking from the tree, he wished that the smoke would clear. As if it was being answered, a breeze flowed through the area carrying the much-hated smoke from the premises. What Hector saw was the glinting black gun first. Then there was a hand, connected to a gray arm that went into a shoulder. The smoke cleared so much as to reveal the culprit then. 
It was a gray echidna. He silently held his gun in his right hand. Hector saw him as he looked at Sash and Mura, laying on the ground, looking as if they were out cold. Then there was another figure... orange... a fox, he thought. He was carrying a gun not unlike the echidna. But the gun was suspended out in front of him, being held out by his hands, its aim true, and pointed straight at the echidna. 

"Drop yer gun…" The fox said. "…NOW!" 

The echidna did so, dropping his gun on the ground silently. He looked down at his gun, maybe wanting it to be held again by himself. 

"Put yer hands up behind your head, or you just might find yourself on the ground next to your gun." The gray one did so. But Hector saw that he wasn't just putting his arms behind his head. 

His hand clutched a gun. A silver gun , almost unnoticeable against the skin. He held it tightly as the fox talked. "Now go off into the jungle. Now." 

Hector could not see the look on the echidna's face, but he saw what look it generated on the fox's. "No." The echidna said, moving his right hand, holding the gun, forward. 
The fox looked surprised, but not off guard. He shot the gun, but in a flash of gray, the echidna had the gun out and shooting. No one seemed to hit each other as they battled, though their aiming was precise. 

 Now's my chance! Hector thought as the gray echidna jumped below his tree. Hector put himself into a position of strength and shot forward. He hit the echidna on the head, knocking him off-guard, and Hector threw him about 50 feet to his right. The fox was completely off guard, and, seeing this raised his gun to shoot. Hector was preoccupied with throwing the echidna, so he did not see this. 

The fox shot. The stun beam hit Hector in his side. Cursing in his mind, Hector dove at the orange fox. He punched, but the fox regained his composure enough to dodge. The fox shot again, but Hector was ready this time. He dove at the fox again, jumping right over the beam. He silently grabbed the fox and threw him. Threw him into a nearby tree with the power to take the fox a couple of hundred feet. He was laying down, not to move for a while. 

As was Hector, who was laying on the ground from where he had thrown the fox. He had fainted from the stun beam. 

3 

It was dark. Sash could not see anything as she woke. She tried to move, but she felt too heavy to move her limbs. She tried to roll over, but she couldn't do that either. Her voice was weak and she couldn't speak. Soon she tried her hardest to move. She succeeded in rolling over. Feeling as if she could move, she pushed herself up using her arms. She then used her legs for leverage and got herself up. 

It was only then that she took a look around and noticed her surroundings. Where was she? She couldn't remember... oh, yeah. She was in the Ruins. She had been walking along the path for a while, then... she couldn't remember. She also saw no one around her. Where were Mura and Hector? Where had they gone? What had happened? 

"Ugh...." A voice groaned from a far way away. Sash looked, and saw a gray echidna laying on the ground. He got up groggily and noticed her. "Who the hell are you? Where's Rico Underwood?!" 

"No, who are you?" Sash asked. 

"I didn't come here to answer questions. Get the hell out of my way." 

Sash planted her feet firmly where they were. "Not an option." 

The echidna held his gun at her. "Do you want me to get you out of my way?" 

Sash's look hardened. "Not an option either." She threw a small ball of fire at his hand. The echidna had not anticipated anything of the sort, so he had no time to dodge. The gun caught on fire, dropping to the floor. The gray echidna's glove was singed, so he blew on his hand to try to make it feel better. 

"Dammit! What the hell?!" He cursed, smothering the remaining fire on his hand. 

"Do you still want me to move?" 

"..." The echidna didn't answer. 

"What's your name?" 

"Wouldn't you want to know?" 

"Yes, I would. What's your name?" 

"...Jucx. Jucx Exx." 

Sash looked at him as he subsided in his efforts to smother the flames, for he was done with it. "So, Jucx, who is Rico Underwood?" 

"He's the one that shot you. I tried to shoot that big squirrel-" 

"Hector," Sash interrupted. 

"...because I thought Underwood was with you. I missed and hit that cat." 

"Mura," Sash corrected again. 

"Whatever," Jucx retorted. 

"Why do you hate him?" Sash asked. 

"He's a sharpshooter," Jucx explained. "Like me." 

"Hmm... did you get knocked out by Rico?" 

Jucx looked at the ground. "No. It must have been that 'Hector'". 

"Then... Hector probably trailed Rico, so..." 

"So they'd be together." 

"Look, I know I don't like you and you don't like me. But we're competing for a common goal." 

Jucx sighed. "Fine. I don't need you, but let's go." 

4 

Going through the jungle was tough. Sash could remember when she was back in Station Square, in her apartment with her two friends. They were the two closest friends that she'd ever had... where could they be...? They wouldn't have left without her. She knew that. That only left one option... 

"Jucx," Sash said suddenly. Jucx looked over his shoulder from the path. 

"What the hell do you want?" He said wearily. 

"Do you think Rico Underwood kidnapped Hector and Mura?" 

"..." Jucx didn't answer. Sash was confused. She'd never seen him thinking so hard in the 3 days that they'd been trekking through the forest. "No." 

Sash looked confused. "Why not?" 

Jucx looked back at her. That glare he always had on his face was gone. "Rico is not evil. He..." Jucx stopped talking. Suddenly the glare came back to his face, him looking completely different. "Let's go." 

Now Sash was fully confused.     Jucx hates Rico, but Rico isn't evil. And why didn't he look so mean when he was talking...? Sash shook her head, walking along the path.     This isn't the time. I have to find Hector and Mura so we can get to Mobotropolis. 

-------- 

"Let's set up camp here." Sash suggested, pointing to a clearing nearby. 

"No. We need to camp farther to the East." Jucx responded. 

Sash was curious to his logic. "Why?" She asked. 

"Shut the hell up and go to the east," Jucx said in his voice, which masked all emotions that his voice may convey. 

Sash had learned by now not to mess with Jucx. That one time she had him in the beginning was when he wasn't ready. If she messed with him, she wouldn't know what would happen to her. 

"Right here. Get your damn stuff out and leave me alone," Jucx said. Sash sighed, and obeyed. Sash opened her pack and pulled out her sleeping bag. She looked and saw Jucx sitting on a nearby log, thinking. 

"I wonder what he'd thinking about," she said. She herself dozed off into thinking. Thinking about Mobotropolis... and where she was from. Who could she be related to? Could she be related to anybody? 

Scratch, scratch. 

"Hmm?" Sash said, looking up. She saw a chao in the tree. She looked up and recognized the mark on its left foot. "Umbra?" She said. The chao obviously recognized this name and jumped from the tree to Sash. "Umbra! What're you doing here? I thought you were back in Station Square with Aki!" 

"What in hell is that thing?" Jucx asked, getting up from his log. 

"It's a chao. You haven't ever seen one before?" 

"Chao? I've heard of them, but they're not wild, so I've never seen one before. Where the hell did it come from?" 

"It's my chao from Station Square, Umbra." 

"Oh, great. Another damn mouth to feed." 

"They eat the coconuts from the trees," Sash explained. "But I can't climb trees." 

"Get the hell away from the tree. I'll get it," Jucx said, sighing. He jumped onto the tree from his place next to the tree. He caught a coconut, and, with lightning-fast speed, caught onto the tree while throwing the coconut. He let go of the tree and landed right on his feet. 

Sash caught it. "Where did you learn to do that?" 

"You learn stuff like that in the wild. Now get the damn thing to eat up." 

Sash gave the coconut to Umbra, who ate it hastily. It got up and a heart appeared over its head, signifying that it liked the coconut. Sash pet Umbra. But then Umbra went over to Jucx , obviously wanting to thank him for the coconut. Jucx looked at it, confused. What the hell does it want now?" 

"She wants to thank you for the coconut." 

Jucx turned away. "Tell it to get the hell away. I hate cute things." Umbra looked crushed. It sat down and started crying. Jucx turned around, the glare off of his face. He sighed, and pet Umbra. Umbra perked up when he did this. She jumped up and latched onto his vest. 

"GAAHHH!" Jucx yelled, surprised at this. He fell backwards, and lay on his back, surprised. A little heart appeared over Umbra's head. 

"I think she likes you," Sash said, stating the obvious. 

"No s***," Jucx answered. 
----- 

Sash was sitting near the campfire that she and Jucx had made, eating Berkeleaves, one of the delicacies of the Ruins. Jucx was sitting on a log, scanning for danger, be it a leaf or an under evolved Mobian Squirrel. Sash was trying to do the same, but it wasn't going so well with her. 

Jucx looked up and saw a bird. His eyes narrowed dangerously. He raised his gun in line with the bird. Sash saw this, and, before Jucx could shoot, she grabbed his shoulder. He cringed at the touch, obviously because he had not been touched in this way many times before. "Never take the life of a living creature." 

"Why not?" Jucx asked. "It's only for a sport." 

"Imagine yourself as the bird." Jucx's grip on the gun loosened at this. "Imagine you were trying to make your nest, and someone shot you. Would you like that?" 

"...no." Jucx dropped his shoulders and dropped his gun. It clattered on the floor. 

"Your life is sacred to you. If you were that bird, that bird's life would be sacred to you. All life is sacred. Never take it for granted." Without another word, Sash got up and went over to her sleeping bag, leaving Jucx sitting near the fire, thinking and listening to the bird as it made its nest. 

"...all life is sacred..." He repeated. "...what am I doing? But... I have to. For my family..." 
------- 

The jungle was dense. The rain stung at Sash as she continued. The rain made her weak as water always did. Adding that to the dense jungle, it was a hard trek. Jucx pulled at vines wearily, whipping them out of his way. 

"Ergh... can we set up camp...?" Sash asked weakly. 

"Fine. I'll give you my damn tent and you can rest." 

Sash was bewildered. In the week that she'd known him, Jucx had never helped her out willingly. "Th-thank you." 

He swung his pack expertly off his back and opened it as it fell. The tent bag popped out almost on command; Jucx grabbed it with the drawstring. The contents fell out, leaving him to set it up. "Get that end and stick it in the ground..." He commanded. Soon the tent was pitched, and Sash got inside. Even without her sleeping bag, she instantly fell asleep. 

Jucx sighed. "Why did I do that...? Why did I care...?" He sat on a stone, shielded by a nearby leaf, and wrestled with his demons. Soon, he, himself, fell asleep. A few hours later he groggily awoke. A beep had done so. "What is it...?" He looked down at the wrist communicator. He saw the words "SHADOW-bot attack now" on it. 

"This is what I did this for... I can do it." Jucx said firmly. He got up from his resting spot as he saw the troupe approach. "Delta troupe," Jucx commanded. "Capture the girl and bring her to Robotnik. The rest of you, go to Rico Underwood's town, capture them all, and raze the villiage." 

The SHADOW-bots did as they were told. A group of 10 'bots came over to the tent. Sash, having been wakened by all the commotion, yelled, "Jucx! What are you doing!!" Jucx, however, paid no heed, and walked calmly towards Rico Underwood's town with the rest of the town as the SHADOW-bots carried Sash off, her trying feebly to burn them. 

5 

Umbra looked upon Jucx as he strode away. But she didn't hate him for his betrayl. It could only be a chao that senses feelings, and she sensed that he didn't want to do this. He didn't want Sash to be carried off to a prison. The thing that stumped Umbra was... why? 

Umbra was a clever chao. She knew not to run out to go with Sash, or she would be killed by the 'bots. She knew to go warn the inhabitants of Rico Underwood's town about the incoming troupe of SHADOW-bots and Jucx. 

Umbra flew through the trees, dodging the vines and outgrowths of moss hanging from trees. She dove under a tree so as not to hit it, then hung onto a vine as she ran out of breath. It was a hard journey, granted, but she had to get there. For Sash and her friends. 
---------- 

A week's time before... 

Hector, Mura, and Rico had barely escaped the SHADOW-bot attack when they were unconscious after the fight between Rico and Jucx. The SHADOW-bots had awakened Mura. She accidentally kicked Hector, who needed to recover as Sash did from the beam. Rico heard this from far away and shot the 'bot, destroying it. By this time, Hector and Mura were both recovered. They got up and ran away from the group of incoming SHADOW-bots that were trailing them. They didn't have enough time to look for Sash. 

"Just where are we now?" Mura asked disdainfully when they were far enough away to stop running. 

"I don't know; we ran off the path a long time ago," Hector said. 

"I know these Ruins like the back of my hand," Rico said. "Where do ya wanna go?" 

"Wait a sec... I thought you were evil..." Hector said. 

Rico shook his head. "Jucx was the one that shot you. I was trailing him because he's a traitor for Robotnik. Now, where the hell do you want to go?" 

"We just want to get out of this damn jungle..." Hector explained. 

"No can do," Rico said sadly. 

"Why?" Mura asked. 

"Robotnik's troops are all around this forest. They want to take my town while those Knothole Freedom Fighters are caught up on some Overlanders and a sword," Rico explained. 

"So what   can we do?" 

"We can go back to my town and train to try to get through the thousands of troops there. We can kick some serious ass!" 

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