Facing the past Hershey entered the throne room. She was a little nervous about approaching the King. Hershey had grown up fearing the throne. She had heard horror stories about facing the king and being put to death. Then the day Lupe brought her here to knothole, where the King remained. The very thought scared her. It was even more terrifying for her when she had to face the King about almost putting his daughter to death. But over some time, the king had become a father to her, scents she never really meet her father.

"Your highness?" She nervously asked yet confident.

"Aww Hershey, what can I do for you?" He asked

"Well sire. The commander and I are just about ready to head off to lower Mobius." She reported.

"Have you chosen the freedom fighters that are to accompanying you." He asked.

"Um yes we have. WE thought carefully about this all night and came to the conclusion that sonic the hedgehog would be our best bet, along with Princess Sally." She said the last part of the sentence while eyeing the ground. She feared that his highness would explode at her.

"Yes, Sir Sonic is an exhalent choice. But I'm afraid that I can not allowed the princess to company you on your mission." He explained rashly calm.

"But sire, I. I understand that you don't want your daughter to be hurt out in battle. But the princess has leading and fighting skills that are unbelievable. If you only let her back out into the war, I know without a shadow of a doubt that this war will end." She said in a dual voice. She was scared to death. She could be put to death for arguing with the king. But in her heart she knew that he would never do that. He was a loyal, kind and caring, justice King.

"Hershey I understand..." He was unable to finish. When the princess came busting through the doors.

"I am going." she stated.

"Sally, try to understand you are a princess, if there is trouble then you're a prime target. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"Dad I can take care of myself. After all I have been doing it all my life. Remember you weren't there to care or raise me. I was not raised to be a full fledge princess. I was raised to defend the house of Acorn" Sally shouted before thinking. She covered her mouth with her hands. She didn't mean to say that out loud. She thought to herself. The side effects of hanging out with sonic all these years are finally starting to take there wave..

"Dad I, I'm sorry I didn't mean.." She was cut off.

"NO Sally! I deserve that. Your right you are capable of taking care of yourself you've been doing for many years. And hear I am trying to hold you back." He said. He walked up to his daughter and gave her a hug.

"You'll just have to bare with me. I'm not quite use to this parenting thing. I was just getting the hang of it before,. well you know." He said referring to Julian throwing him into the zone of silence.

"I know dad." Sally smiled. King Acorn looked to Hershey.

"You'll make sure to keep her out of harms way?"

"I'll protect her with everything I have sire." she kneeled.

Minuets later there were on there way up to the princess room to gather equipment for there mission. Sally gathered up equipment as Hershey explained the mission to her.

"Princess need a hand." Hershey asked walking up to her. Sally looked at Hershey a minuet and finally agreed. She handed her a backpack to hold while she filled it up. Soon they were on there way to meet the boys.

"You guys ready?" Asked the ground squeal.

"Hey I'm always ready, Sal" Smirked Sonic. Sally just rolled her eyes. Will sonic ever grow up, she thought to herself.

"Yeah sure sonic, come on." Sally walked off dragging Sonic behind her. Leaving Geoffrey and Hershey to bring up the rear.

"Oh boy here we go." Geoffrey stated. He hated the thought of being on a mission with the agony hedgehog.

"Oh don't worry Geoff I'm sure it's not going to be as bad as you think. After all Sonic won't act up on you. Trust me, I know these things." She whispered in a soft tone in Geoffrey's ear.

"Oh, and what makes you say that?" He asked not believing her.

"Think about it, he wouldn't want to embarrass himself in front of his princess. Now would he." she stated.

"You are a genius, let no one tell you other wise." All of sudden the commander noticed that Sonic had stopped.

"Something wrong hedgehog?" He asked.

"Just one little problem. Where is lower Mobius?'

"Sonic did you forget already. I mean it hasn't been all that long scents we were last there?' Sally couldn't believe how forgetful sonic could be. It hadn't' been less than 7 months scents there encounter with Griff the Goat, the leader of the lower Mobius rebellion. Hershey put a comforting hand on the stressed princess's shoulder.

"Relax princess, Geoffrey maybe you should lead, you know exactly where were going." Hershey said having the commander take charge. Even though she knew very well were there were headed. As there walk through the woods was almost to an end the wind picked up speed.

"You know as much as I love tacking chances and all." Sally said sarcastically. "Maybe we should take shelter until this storm passes. The wind speed is quite strong. Which would indicate that the velocity times the mass of the physical structure of the." She was cut off.

"In English please Sal." Sonic had to yell to be heard.

"Right sorry, point is if we don't take shelter, at the rate that it's going we could be sucked right up bye the wind."

"Here I've got an idea!" Sonic yelled grabbing a power ring from his back pack.

"It juice time, everyone grape on. Sal hope on." Sally jumped into sonic arms. He liked it when she was there. Not for some teenage hormone imbalance. But he knew she was safe there. Geoffrey gapped on to Sonics waist an Hershey latched herself around Geoffrey. She hated traveling with sonic, with his power ring, they made her sick. But that was just because she was new at it. It had made Sally sick at first to.

"You okay back there Hersh?" Geoffrey asked.

"Oh yeah, everything's super." She said tightening her grip. 'Soon it will be over, soon it will be done' she keep telling herself.

Else where

"I can't believe this I was so close to having my revenge. And then that skunk had to come and ruin everything. Can you believe it? How can she replace me so easily. Wll I'll show her." Drago complained to his fellow escapees. They had all escaped together. Snively, had planned out the whole thing. Along with Snively and Drago were a few exiled members of the wolf pack that went sent to the devils Gaul but had spent time in jail and even prison. There was Sniper a black fox. His real name was known to him and him alone. It was one of those names that were to embarrassing to let anyone know. So he became known as sniper because he would take anyone down he wasn't picky. And he had a extern fascination with seizers, a very unhealthy fascinations with seizers. Then there was Eden a warlock, he came from a dark cult and knew Hershey very well. He was a gray cat with patches of black that scattered his fur. He knew Hershey well because he was her cousin. Although she didn't know him, he had keep an eye on her. Eden and sniper were once apart of the wolf pack until there secret desires were unleashed.

'You know it's obviously why she moved on Drago man. Look at yourself, your pathetic. You got caught bye the hedgehog for crying out load." Sniper explained in a hateful tone. He was always the one to get to the bad point of everything.

"Hey leave the dude alone, I mean it could be worse." Eden said. Eden was the true mastermind at work here. The real villain. His heart was as big as Robutnick, maybe smaller.

"Thanks man.' Drago said beginning to fell better.

"No problem, besides at least he wasn't captured by that skunk...what was his name..St. John. Like someone here was." He eyed Snively.

"Hey you little twerp leave me out of this. He was caught by one man, I was attracted by the whole force of freedom fighters." he made his point. The four villains just sat there in their cave right above lower Mobius sipping tea.

Sonic and co finally arrived in the cart tunnel, that would soon lead them to the entrance to lower Mobius. Sonic came to a halt. Which in fault sent Geoffrey and Hershey flying through the air. Screams were heard before the thumbs.

"Oww, as if I didn't hurt enough from my last encounter." she said to her self. Sally and Sonic looked at each other clueless. Hershey collected herself off of Geoffrey.

"You okay commander?" she asked as she extended her hand.

"Oh yeah, everything excepts my pride." He commented. Sonic braced himself for a bashing from the wounded commanded. But nothing happened, they just keep moving.

"Hershey did you ever have Dr. quake take a look at the wound?" He asked, knowing very well that she hadn't.

"I really didn't have all that much time this morning." She answered. Sally noticed the concern in Geoffrey's voice. And she knew Hershey well enough, she knew that she liked to act tough. To pretend nothing was wrong.

"Hershey we'll have Griff look at that shoulder when we arrive." The princess ordered. Sonic growled. Just the thought of the goats name brought back unpleasant memories. He made such an idiot out of himself in front of Sal and ant. The goat was no friend of him.

Sally looked up the road and noted the entrance. "Were here." She pointed towards the entrance.

"Wow , it's amazing isn't it?" Hershey stared in aw.

"What ya mean?" sonic asked clueless. 'looks no different then knothole."

"Think of it this way sonic, down here they have to supply there own light. While we just rely on the sun rays. But down here I don't know, I've always love how they handles it here." She explained.

"Oh.. wait a minuet. Hershey it just crossed my mind, didn't you grow up here?" Sally asked recalling Hershey's personal file.

"She sure did." Hollered a familiar voice.

"Griff!" yelled Hershey, sonic and Sally. Geoffrey remained silent not know this character.

"Hello there princess, what a pleasure it is to see you again." Griff kissed her hand. Sally blushed.

"He he he nice to see you again. Oh you remember Sonic, and you seem to know Hershey. This on the other hand is Geoffrey St. John, he's the head commanded of my fathers secret serves and Hershey is one of his agents." Sally filled him in.

"Wow Hersh you sure have moved up. The last time I saw you, you were but a .." Hershey covered his mouth with her hand.

"That was a long time ago, people change and move on, time change." She said trying to Q him in that she didn't want her history reviled. She was to embarrass, not that she had done anything to horrible but her family history wasn't so great.

"Well, all I can say is it's great to see ya babe." He said and kissed her on the check. Which got Geoffrey's rage going. 'What dose he think he's doing' he thought. That had better just be a welcome back kiss, he thought.

"Sorry to brake up your reunion but were here on official business." he said pulling out his map. "The King said that the energy source was coming from this way." He pointed to a small area on the map. "Some place called Silver hedge. Not to far from here." Geoffrey started to take control.

"You know as our guest, I could have you stay at one of the motels on us. In honor of our princess and out returning Hershey." He bowed down to the two girls, they both giggled. Griff always was the charmer.

"That would be wonderful Griff ." Sally thanked him.

" That would be wonderful G-R-I-F-F" sonic mocked in a high pitch voice.

"Are you mocking me?" She asked rhetorically.

"It would seem that way. If you two are going to flirt would you mind tacking it some place else. I would like to keep my chilly dogs down." Sonic Crossed his arms.

"Come on you two, we've got a big day ahead of us, and it's early." Hershey said pushing the two 'love birds' ahead.

Stay tuned to find out what happens. Why has Hershey never mentioned her childhood from lower mobious. What are Drago and his friends up to? Stay tuned and find out.

Please R/R, I am not joking when I say e-mail me and tell me what you would like to happen. The choice is up to you. I will grant you credit for your ideas.

E-Mail [email protected]

Ria Cola August 2003