Skye Prower

"Told you," said Melody's copy in a sing song voice. Skye glanced at the newcomers while cradling his sister. "Crowley, who are they?" ------------- "Then let's go." (Occ: I've an idea for what Mina's nightmare might be, but can put that aside if you have plans for Glen.) ------------- Ziona screamed and and tried to moved further under the desk. (ooc: maybe, but it wouldn't be much use against a were-hog)

(ooc: Umm, why am I the only one summoning evil dreams? Anyone else wanna get in on the fun?) Skye looked started for a second when he saw two of his sisters, but he quickly worked out who was the real one and rushed to her side. Melody was curled up and shaking when Skye reached her. "Its okay Melody. Melody?" Skye's eyes flashed with anger and his faced the copy. "What did you do to her?" he demanded The copy smirked in reply. "Nothing she hasn't gone through before, baby brother. And Crowley, that may be my best effort, but I'Mnot the one YOU need to worry about." --------------- "Yeah, it makes you harder to throw off if I need to move fast. Darn it, where did everyone go? They were just ahead of us." --------------- Ziona hung on tighter. her eyes were shut, but she opened one a crack and glanced at the shaking ceiling. -------------- "Order all Egg Pawn's on deck 5 to search for the intruder," Eggman shouted as he approached the grapple controls. "And if they don't find anything, seal off every deck!"

Melody lashed her arm out and caught Crowley's, but in her panicked state she couldn't do much more than repeat "Please don't let me fall," over and over again. Her copy leapt out of reach as Crowley tried to knock her off balance. She drew her knife and smirked slightly, as the fog swirled around her, obscuring her from view. "You've left yourself and Hope vulnerable there. All to save little Melody? Do you actually care that much about her? Perhaps you should reconsider not getting together with their mother now. Looking into their heads I think both Skye and Melody would prefer you as their father than their real one," the copy spoke, trying to distract Crowley as she weaved through the fog. The thick mist distorted her voice making it difficult to tell her position, when she suddenly rush at Crowley, blade aimed at his back. Skye rushed through the fog to where he could hear his sister's voice. Only to see his sister attacking Crowley. ---------------- "I was planning to drop you if I needed my hands," Mina replied. -------------- "I know, I feel really sorry for..." Ziona words were cut off and the bunker began to shake as something battered into from above. She screamed and clasped onto Tikal. -------------- "Doctor, we've located a hacking attempt and a further deactivated Egg Pawn on deck 5." reported Orbot "Seal off that deck and flood it with the knockout gas. I'm too close to fail now!" Eggman ordered

(ooc: Well, Glen has a sociopathic songoose with him...) "I think... I think I can hear her ahead..." Skye said, almost exhausted from the speed he was traveling at. -------------- Crowley slowing his pace was all the copy Melody needed. The real Melody looked up pleadingly. "Don't.. please.. don't.." "That's the best you could come up with?" sneered the copy. She kicked Melody square in the face, causing her to loose her grip on the cliff edge. --------------- "Oof," Mina buckled slightly as Glen jumped on. "I wasn't meaning like that, but it'll do." She picked up the pace and started running. -------------- "I know but, it's like being scared by a nightmare. I know this is not real, and so far it hasn't done anything really scary, but..."

"I wouldn't do that Crowley," came Melody's voice through the fog. "You've your own nightmares out there, ready to take advantage of your distraction"

"Right," Skye followed the directions, running as fast as he could, tails spinning for each momentum. ----------- Melody tried to pull herself up, but made the mistake of looking down. Her whole body seemed to become lethargic and heavy. "Any final words before you get an action repeat of your first death?" mocked the double as it aimed a kick at Melody's face.

"Which way did Dylan say? I hope she hasn't go far from there," Skye said to himself as he hurried on. -------------- "If you want I could give you a lift," Mina offered Glen with what might be described as a smile as she caught up with him -------------- Melody shook slightly and drew her knife. "No. I'm not a copy. I'm real. I'm alive. I'm my own person. And I'm better than you!" She rushed at her copy. "Really?" her copy gave a mocking laugh. "I'm faster," she said steeping aside, "stronger," the copy grabbed Melody's wrist, "and more skilled." The copy flipped Melody over. Suddenly, there was a cliff underneath Melody. Panicking, she grabbed onto the ledge. Shock flooded her, she'd never been beaten so easily before. "The is only one thing you have that I don't," her copy continued to mock as she loomed over her. "A fear of heights." --------------- "I'm just... I'm just scared Tikal. That... probably sounds a little childish..." She giggled slightly

"WHAT?" Skye shout in response to Dylan and he sprinted towards the door, ignoring the others. Mina placed Red gently on the ground, and prepared to run after him "Be careful Glen," shouted Ziona, curling up under the table. --------------------- Melody found herself grabbed by something and struggled to get free. The sounds were still audible in the fog, but muffled. Around her, the fog lifted briefly, and she found herself face to face with... herself. Pausing with surprised she found herself being kicked to the ground. "So the dream is so unimaginative it just got me to fight myself?" Melody mocked. "I'm not you," her copy replied. Melody could now see that her opponent actually seemed a few years older, and was wearing far more advanced equipment, yet elegant clothing. "Or rather, you are not me. You're just a copy. A cheap knock off of the original. Me."

"I wasn't planning on staying out longer than I had to. Thanks for the directions Dylan, keep an eye on them and us." Skye turned back to Tikal and hugged her. "I'll be back safe and sound. I promise." Mina sat on the floor, looking almost as if she wanted to help rescue her 'daughter'. "Locke, can you manage to keep Red safe?" she asked. ------------- "I have no idea, but..." Melody didn't manage to say anything else before something barred into her and knocked both her and itself into the fog away from Crowley and Hope.

"It's not the world Glen, just my sister. I failed her before. I'll die before I let her down again. But I'd rather not go alone, if you want to come Shadow I'll be grateful for the help" ------------ "Nor can I. Time's like this I wish I had my brother's sensitive ears... wait..." Melody paused and stared into the fog. "There's something out there."

"Don't count on that Glen, it was messing with our minds when we came in. Nor can we be certain the dream has kept them on the island. Besides, I wasn't gonna run out blind. Dylan, can you find them on your monitors?" Skye felt Tikal pulling on his arm, and rest one of his hands on hers. "I know Tikal," he replied, despite her not saying anything. "But I can't let anything happen to Melody. I... just... can't."

"I know you're right Tikal but," Skye turned to face Shadow and Glen, "I am NOT GONNA SIT BY WHILE MY SISTER IS IN DANGER!" ---------------- "I know, but I think I am gonna worry as we should have reached them by now." Melody's head whipped around as fog suddenly surrounded them. She came to an abrupt halt, not wanting to run in fog. ----------- Aboard the Egg Carrier, the mood on the bridge was getting worse. "Uh, C'ptn? Some o' the Egg Pawn's on desk 9 and 10 not be responding," spoke Cubot in his broken voice. "Then get me a visual. Find out who's taking down my robots. It better not be that blasted Hedgehog." Eggman's voice smoldered with rage.

"I'm here Glen," piped up Ziona, hiding under one of the desks. "I don't think Crowley made it either," put in Mina. "Wha... Melody's still out there?" Skye began running towards the exit.

"If you were anyone else I'd accuse you of being melodramatic. But it's you, so now I'm just scared."

"Yeah. Hold on, I think they went that way." Melody scooped up Hope and started running. (ooc: as this dreamscape has now gone evil, I think Hope and melody might find it difficult to rejoin the others...)

"Good call. Everyone, back to the bunker!" Skye shouted.

(ooc: dreams often go faster than real life. Hence the difficultly.) "You have a gift for understatement Dylan," Skye replied back. "It looks like the dream has had enough of playing nice," he said to both Tikal and Dylan. Skye gave Tikal's hand a little squeeze, hoping to reassure her. ------------------ "Just hang on Hope. We're gonna find a way outta this," Melody said to Hope. ----------- "Uh, I think you might be right Glen," replied Ziona and she started heading towards the entrance of Dylan's bunker. (ooc: So what manner of nasties will Eggman unleash on us? Suggestions?)

"I dunno... The last time I felt like this, it was just after Melody had... had..." ----------- Melody took ahold of Hope. "Just look at me and concentrate. This place isn't real, which means the pain isn't real. You can just will it away." ----------- Ziona just giggled ----------- And then, inside the dream, the skies began to darken. (ooc: and here's an awkward bit, technically dream time is faster than real time, which makes posting for Red a little tricky!)

"I, uh, really don't know which..." muttered Mina ------------------- "Heh, and I like that too" ------------------- The Egg carrier hovered above the Master Emerald, a clawed arm beginning to descend. Aboard the control room, a red light started flashing on the Dreamcatcher's control board. "Errr. Doctor, it appears one of the targets has escaped from the Dreamcatcher," said Orbot, bracing his chassis for the Doctors response. "WHAT? Who?" bellowed Robotnik. "Unclear. Visual monitors show all subjects still present inside the dreamscape." "Bah. If one got out the rest could follow. Ungrateful furballs. Some people are never happy. Activate the Dreamcatcher defenses, stop any more escapees until we're done."

"I, um, actually I was talking to Shadow but... I, uh... only met the Locke for Moebius very, very briefly. I didn't really find out what he was like." -------------- Ziona gave a sweet little laugh. "Thanks Glen. I like compliments." (ooc: And I'm calling it a night now. I'll be back to do the robotnick sections later)

"Something i'd never though i'd hear you say," replied Mina, with something approaching a smile. ------------ "Are you ok?" asked Melody, worried about her friend. "I would say it was because of that monster summing, but that wouldn't explain the delay. I hope Eggman isn't watching in and decided to take a personal interest." ----------- "Aww, was that meant as a compliment or an insult?" Ziona joked back.

"I dunno about that..." "I... You... Did you just... Thank, thank you Shadow," replied Mina, comforted but surprised by Shadows words. --------------- "Lets leave that stuff till we're awake," said Ziona, turning back to the sand.

"It only adds to what Mother was saying," Skye whispered back. -------------- "You know the answer to that one Glen," replied Ziona a little huffily. "I was pining after someone I couldn't have."

Skye said nothing, but pulled Tikal a little tighter to him. "She's come back from worse. I'm sure a little dream distortion won't keep her down," said Mina, with rising confidence. ----------------- "Heh, i'll take that compliment Glen."

"How can you feel pain in a dream? How can you feel anything at all?" Mina asked. "I don't think this is a 'dream' in the proper sense."