Realm Sagas: Story 14: Green Hill Zone Act 1 By: Chandra Rooney ----------------------------------------------------------------- Legal junk {for all the legal junkies!}: Sonic & Knuckles, and all related characters are copy-right of Sega and Archie comics. KTE, Jack, and Masked Echidna are copy-right of KTE. Vampire Sephiroth is copy-right of Vampire Sephiroth. The Green Gibbon! is copy-right of GG! All other Green Hill Zone characters are copy-righted to their respective owners. Moon the Echidna, Gabriel Shadows, k.a. Echidna, Sailor Evil, Lirsage and all other original realm sagas characters are copy-right of Chandra Rooney. All the characters and ideas presented are my own, unless otherwise noted. A lot of the info on the GHZ came from the HPF (Hidden Place Forum) and the Sky Sanctuary Poll. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter One: Local: Green Hill Zone "Green Gibbon! Report!" the video monitor switched on, and the image Snively the Great looked none-too-happy. The green creature that answered the video phone resembled a green version of Tails more than any gibbon. "Great Lord Snively!" He saluted the monitor, and tried to swallow the last of the Drano cookie he was eating. "At ease, Gibbon." Snively frowned. "I've been looking at your progress reports. You seem to have assimilated into Earth culture easily enough, but I'm concerned about the progress of your world-domination." "Well, sir," GG! paused, trying to come up with an excuse, which was pretty hard because it was basically against his moral principals to think. "I felt I should learn as much as I can about this planet and it's people first. Then I can best determine how to conquer it for you." "Hmm. Yes. Have you met any resistance?" "Resistance? Well, sir, there was that whole Grandia business. They almost had me licked for a while. But I just kept on trying, and by gosh I taught them a lesson they'll never forget!" Snively frowned. "I've never heard of the country of Grandia." "It's not a country, it's a video game." "Are you telling me you're wasting all your time playing video games?! How do you expect to conquer the world that way?! Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you really are the best Gibbonia has to offer." Snively shuffled some papers. "In fact, that's what I wanted to speak to you about..." "Hey! Video games help me plenty! You'd be amazed at all the stuff you can learn from them," GG! protested. "You do realize that those 'people' in the games are not real," Snively said. "And, another thing. Many of your reports focus on a woman named 'Honey'. Tell me, is she one of the Earth people's deities?" "Oh, she's a goddess all right, sir," GG! replied. "You're drooling, Gibbon." Snively paused. "I've decided to send in some people to help you." "That's very kind of you, sir. Good help is hard to find. I can't tell you how annoying it is when Possessed Spam eats my last Drano cookie when I'm not looking." "Green Gibbon! Focus! That is not important. The important thing is I am sending two people to help you. I'm tired of waiting for you to conquer Earth. Maybe they can help you speed up the process." Snively paused. "They'll be arriving in your Zone tomorrow. Snively out." GG! saluted the image before it crackled and faded. Then he frowned and walked back outside. "Great. Two new people who'll try to steal my Drano cookies. Can't a gibbon get a break?" Chapter Two: "So, you're sure Leslie and Tonia can find their way here?" the silver echidna with the red streaks in his dreads asked. "Yeah, Lir, I'm sure." The silver haired human girl replied. She looked behind them, shielding dark blue eyes. "C'mon, k.a., k.t.e.!" The two small, red echidnas were dawdling behind. The orange and white kittens followed them closely, mewing if they left the path that Lir and Selene were walking on. "When we gonna be there?" the one with the brown hat asked. "We been walkin for forever!" added the other one, his twilight blue eyes wide. "So, what's this place's name again?" Lir asked, chuckling at the two little ones. "The Green Hill Zone," Selene replied. "I can see why. *Very* green." He gestured to the lush trees and grass. "So who runs this place?" "Runs it...? Well, I don't honestly know. But if I had to name someone in charge...I guess the Green Gibbon! ." "A gibbon, eh? Now, that's something different." "Oh, yeah, if I had to describe GG! in one word, 'different' would be one of the first ones to come to mind." He stopped. "What about me?" "What about you?" she asked. "Describe me in one word." "Hmm...that's a toughie." "Moon..." "Gimme a while to think about it, Lir." They walked a few more steps in silence. "I'd say you were a dreamer," Lir spoke up again. "At least that's how I remember." "Hrmph. A polite way of saying you thinking I'm spacey." "Honestly? At times you can be." A paused, he screwed up his face, thinking. "You know what else I'd say? Original. Of all the realms I've been to, I've never met anyone like you." Selene didn't answer. She was oddly quiet for a moment. Then, finally, she replied softly: "I'm sure there's another me somewhere." "I don't think so, Moonbabe. Not you." Lir grinned. "When do I get to meet your 'different' friend?" "I'd call him an acquaintance right now, Lir. I'm not sure he'd classify me as a 'friend'. We barely know each other." "Anybody who can make you smile is your friend," he told her. "Make you laugh and you gain instant best buddy status. That's how I got my 'in'." "That and the fact that it was impossible not to get to know you when you practically lived in Mom's Study." "True. But I still say you're one of a kind." Chapter Three: Local: Unknown The green echidna with the silver streaks in her dreads, adjusted her purple and blue horizontally striped mini-dress. She flicked a piece of lint off of her high purple platform boots. "Must you do that now?" The pretty human girl with the brown eyes, and long, curly black hair asked. She was dressed elegantly in a traditional costume of East Indian origin. It was a lovely ivory-colored garment, trimmed with gold. "Dang it, yes." The green echidna snapped at her. "I bend over, the dress goes up, so I have to pull it back down. Then it goes too far down, and I have to pull it back up..." "Here's an idea. Toss that pathetic scrap of fabric and get a *real* dress." "What?! Do you have any idea how much I paid for this?! It's Donna Karen!! Besides, it shows off my legs." "I hadn't noticed." "What?!" "I don't make a point of looking at you." "See?" the echidna protested. "That's the problem. I need a guy partner. Someone who can appreciate my flawless perfection." "Really, you are *soooo* vain, dearie." "Vain?! I'm just stating the obvious!" "Sure." The human girl rolled her eyes. The echidna played with one of her bangs. "I am totally soooooo *not* vain." The human girl sighed. She gestured to the yellow, plastic thing attached to the zipper of the echidna's blue mini back-pack. "Your communicator's beeping." "Ooooooo! A call!" The green echidna hastily unhooked the yellow object and fluffed her hair. "Princess Stephanie! Beauty check! Nothing in my teeth? Good hair? Am I not, like, just sooooo totally perfect?" "Yeah. Sure. Whatever. Answer the damn thing." The echidna pushed a few buttons. "Dang! It's not the communicator. The stupid tamagotchi just wants to be fed." "Why you would convert a tamagotchi into a communicator/super computer in the first place..." "It's so totally portable! And no one would ever suspect a tamagotchi. Besides, they're *soooo* cute, and all the rage, and all the cosmic people have em." "Or just all the space cases like yourself," Princess Stephanie sighed. She watched the green echidna check herself out in a compact mirror. "Ohmigoddess!" the echidna wailed suddenly. "Stephanie! It's showing again!" "What's showing? Your bra?" "Nooooooo!" she wailed, and then pointed to a spot under her right dark blue eye. The small, crescent moon-shaped mark was clearly visible. Its tips pointed downward. "Make it go away! Make it go away! Please?!" "It's a birthmark, Spice. You can't make it go away, you idiot." "But it's ruining my look!" Spice bounced around, wailing/whining. "I really hate it when you get like this," Princess Stephanie told her. "So, you've got a little crescent moon-shaped birthmark. Big deal. It must be to match the moon rocks you've got rolling around in your head." She paused. "Oh, grow-up, Spice. It's not the end of the world." "Yes it is!" Spice protested. "We're meeting *him* tomorrow! And I've got this...this... *thing* on my face! What if he's cute? It's not fair!" She sat on the ground and started to bawl. "Stop it. You'll smear your mascara." Spice sniffled. "It's water-proof." Princess Stephanie sighed. "Well, thank someone you've got enough brains to at least think of that." Local: Sailor Vega H's Home Realm The black echidna, with the vibrant green eyes, pushed the buzzer on the gate. His black pants and sweatshirt were not the most formal, but it was all he could pull together considering what had taken place in the past few days. The speaker crackled with static. "State your name and business please." The echidna cleared his throat. "Gabriel Shadows to see Princess Tonia." "One moment please, Mr. Shadows." The gate emitted a loud beep, and swung open. He walked through. The blue hedgehog with the black pony-tale and large, brown eyes was waiting for him. Standing behind her was a tall, blondy-brown fox with light green eyes. "Your Majesty, Miss Prower." He bowed slightly. "You must forgive me for my disappearance a few days ago. It's a long story, but needless to say, I'm back with excellent news. Moon is back amongst the living, and nearly at full power again. She's meeting us in another realm along with k.a., k.t.e., and Lirsage." "That's all fine and dandy," Tonia began. "But who are you?" "Tonia, Leslie, it's me, Gabe." he replied. "Gabe? As in Gabriel Shadows?" Leslie's eyebrow rose. "Highly improbable." "You're an *echidna*. He's a *vampire*," Tonia added. Gabe sighed. "Oh, but, I am still a vampire." With some effort he forced his fangs to descend, then to retract. "Well, I am in the sense that I still require a small amount of blood to live. But I can eat normal food now, too." "Does this have something to do with your disappearance?" Leslie asked. "Correct," he nodded. "As annoyingly usual," Tonia muttered. "Why don't you come in, Gabe, and tell us what happened?" "Exactly what I was planning to do," he smiled. "After you, ladies." Chapter Four: Local: Vampire Home Realm Sailor Evil stumbled into the room. She moaned, and some how made it to a chair. "What do you mean 'she's dead' ?" She demanded of the tall, green-eyed, silver-haired vampire braced against the doorwell. "Just what I said, my love," Vampire Sephiroth replied. "Queen Hecate-Chaos is dead. Staked." "But by who?" Sailor Evil wailed. "It pains me to tell you this, I know how fond you are of him, but it was ETK." "What?!" Vampire Sephiroth came and knelt beside her. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of such news, but you need to know. I've discovered news about ETK." "Tell me already." "ETK was genetically designed to look like KTE; he wasn't a true clone. The genetic changes reversed themselves for some reason, and he's regained his true identity and form." "So what? He'll come back. He knows that he's needed here." "My love, you're not hearing me. ETK is really a silver echidna name Lirsage. Who happens to be a close, personal friend of the Realm Protector Moon." "She's dead." "If you desire your sister dead, m'love, I'm sure it could be arranged." "No, you *idiot*. Not Moon. Hecate-Chaos. She's really dead." "Yes, I believe I mentioned that." Sailor Evil threw back her head and laughed. "Are you feeling all right, my love?" "I feel wonderful!" She cried. "This is the best news I've ever heard!" She drew her sword, and pricked her finger on the blade. Then she stick the wounded digit into her mouth. "My love? Are you certain you're all right?" He asked, concerned. "Yes! It tastes like blood! Disgusting, coppery blood!" She laughed, and threw her arms around him. "I don't follow you," he stopped. His advanced sense of smell was answering the question for her. "You're not a vampire anymore." "No, I'm not!" She hugged tighter. "Not anymore!" "My dear, you're making it hard for me to breath." "Sorry, Sephy. I'm just-" she passed out. He frowned. This was a detail he hadn't taken into consideration. He'd been aware that Hecate-Chaos had some sort of spell on her, one to make her a vampire, but he hadn't thought it would end at Hecate-Chaos' death. Chapter Five: Local: Hidden Place Forum, Green Hill Zone "Hey Bo!" Selene called, waving to the 12-year-old human boy with brown hair. The dolphin by the computer typed something with his fins. "And you too, Ecco." Bo Bayles read the monitor. "I don't know who it is either, Ecco. But she seems to know us." Ecco typed something else. "Yeah, okay. I'll ask." Bo told him, "Who are you guys?" "Forget about something, Moonbabe?" Lir asked. "Oh, damn, yeah," Selene cursed. "Sorry. I'm, um...Moon's friend, Selene. This is Lirsage." "Fishy!" k.a. pointed to Ecco. "Lookat the big fishy, k.t.e.!" Ecco typed something. "Ecco says he's a dolphin, and dolphins are mammals, not fish, kid," Bo told them. "A dolly-fin?" k.t.e. asked "You're funny mista Ecco Dolly-fin!" k.a. added. "Jeez, are they twins or something?" Bo asked. "No, just friends. They're not related," Selene replied. "Say, Bo, have you seen GG! around? Moon said I should meet up with him." Bo shrugged. "Not today, but I'm sure he'll show up. Did you try the Honey Shrine?" "I refuse to go into the Honey Shrine. I don't think it's meant to have female visitors," Selene replied. "And besides, I wouldn't dream of bothering GG! while he's worshipping." "That's a good point" He paused. "But, Selene? Just a warning but don't ever, um..." Bo leaned in close. "Think in the GHZ." "I heard that!" The strange being appeared from no where, and wacked Bo on the head with a wooden mallet. "Jeez, Spam! Ow! That really hurt!" Bo exclaimed. Selene looked at the creature. He was tall, taller than Lir. His head resembled a wolf's, but his arms and legs were more ape-like. The strangest of all his features had to be the can he had for a torso. "Possessed Spam," she tried to sound stern. "One of these days you are really going to hurt someone." "Rules are rules, ma'am," Possessed Spam replied. "Howdy KTE. Where's your hat?" "I'm not KTE," Lir replied. "Oh? You look like him." Lir rolled his eyes. "I suppose if you ignore the fact that he's red and I'm silver. Not to mention, I believe I am taller and clearly the elder." "Uh...yeah," Possessed Spam nodded. "That's what I said. You look like him." Lir was about to reply, not doubt something about how Spam probably thought that all echidnas looked alike, when there was a splash, and k.a. cried: "k.t.e.!!" They all turned, but Ecco was the first to act. He dove down into the water, and resurfaced with a soggy, red echidna on his back, k.t.e. coughed, spat up water, and started to cry. "Shhh, it's okay, kid," Lir bent down and pulled him up. "k.t.e. made a big splash!" k.a. announced. "And Mista Ecco da Dolly-fin saved him!" "Yep, he sure did," Possessed Spam started to chuckle. "He made a *big* splash, get it?" "What's wrong with you?" Lir demanded, still trying to quiet k.t.e. "He nearly drown!" "Just trying to relieve the emotional tension," Possessed Spam grinned. "But the kid's fine. Wanna Drano cookie, little guy?" k.t.e. stopped crying. "A cookie? Yes, pwease." k.a. tugged on Spam's arm. "Can I have a cookie too, Mista Funny Spam?" "Heh, look a clone," Possessed Spam chuckled. Lir went pale. "What did you say?" "I said: 'heh, look a clone'. What, the kid's aren't clones?" "They're just friends, Spam," Bo said. He paused, reading something Ecco was typing. "No relation to each other." "Are you sure it's wise to give Drano cookies to five-year-olds?" Selene asked. "What are these Drano cookie-things?" Lir asked. "GG!'s secret recipe," Bo replied. "They make you act all crazy." "Oh, of course. How stupid of me not to have known." Lir fished k.t.e.'s hat out of Ecco's pool and placed it on him. Ecco typed something else. "Heh, that's a good point, Ecco." Bo chuckled. "Another thing about Drano cookies, you want to keep them away from open flames." "You are not giving anything flammable to k.t.e.," Lir snapped. "Especially not to put in his mouth." "Suit yourself. More for me." Possessed Spam shrugged. "But you don't know what you're missin'." "Can I have his cookie, Spam?" Bo asked. "No, this cookie is for the five-year-old drowning victim," Possessed Spam snapped, and then ate the cookie. "Where is GG!, Spam?" Selene asked. "Oh, he's around." Possessed Spam replied, through mouthfuls of Drano cookie. "I s'pose you wanna see him or somethin." "No, it not extremely urgent. I just can't recall coming here without running across GG! within the first few minutes." She paused. "Anyway, I'm meeting some friends here later. A black echidna, blue hedgehog, and blondish-brown fox." "Anyone I know?" Possessed Spam asked. "I doubt it." "Gimme the names, and I'll tell ya if I know any of them." "Gabe, Tonia, and Leslie." "Nope, don't know them." Selene ignored him. "If you would be so kind as to refrain from hitting them with your mallet-" "Rules are rules," Possessed Spam replied. "Don't look at me like that. Rules are-" "Don't hit them with your mallet," she repeated. "Tonia finds no humor in such things." "How dare you bring someone with no sense of humor to the GHZ?" Bo demanded, then looked down at Ecco's screen. "Oh, Spam, Ecco says if you can't use your mallet, hit 'em with the veal cane." "She *has* a sense of humor. She just doesn't find people being hit over the head with a wooden mallet funny. Nor when they're hit with a veal cane, I should imagine." Selene paused. "Understand, Spam?" Possessed Spam shrugged. "Fine. I have lots of things I can use other than the mallet and the veal cane." Ecco typed something. "Ecco says it's time for him to be going now," Bo reported. "Bye Ecco," Possessed Spam said. "Thanks for saving k.t.e.," Selene added. k.t.e. waved weakly, he looked pretty much asleep on Lir's shoulder. "Buh-bye Mista Ecco da Dolly-fin!" k.a. added. "k.t.e.?" Possessed Spam looked confused. "Don't ask," Selene replied. "It involves too much thought." "Don't ask, don't tell, that's my motto," he joked. "And you just watch yerself. I got dirt on everyone in this zone. And I'm sure I could find something on you." "And you blackmail people before or after you hit them over the head with a mallet?" Lir asked. "I know everything that goes on in here," Possessed Spam replied. "Don't I, Bo?" "Sure, why not?" Bo shrugged. "It's nice to thin-, uh, it's nice that someone does." "Spam," Selene smiled a little. "If that were true, wouldn't you know where GG! was?" "Hey, I know exactly where GG! is. You wanna see him? Just ask." He ate another Drano cookie. Lir nodded to k.t.e. "It looks like someone's brush with death tired him out. Now would be a good time to go see this 'Green Gibbon'." "Okay, Spam. Will you take us to GG!?" Selene asked. "Yep. Sure. Follow me," Possessed Spam paused. "One at a time, single file, no pushing. You coming, Bo?" Bo shook his head. "Naw, I'll stick around here and see if anyone shows up." "Suit yerself," Possessed Spam shrugged. "This way, Lady and Echidnas." "Mista Funny Spam?" k.a. asked as they were leaving. "Yeah?" "When do I get my cookie?" Chapter Six: Local: Somewhere in the Green Hill Zone "Why did we do that?" Sailor Evil asked. "Despite the obvious chance to beat up the Green Gibbon. I still have to get him back for that softie comment...How dare *he* of all creatures insult the methods I choose to execute my prisoners by?" "The Realm Protectors are meeting here." Vampire Sephiroth replied. "And you do want to punish Lirsage for killing Queen Hecate-Chaos, don't you?" "Not really." She shrugged. "It's a good thing that she's dead." "Look, we need to get at the Realm Protectors." He paused. "Let's not lose sight of our goal. To kill them and obtain the Master Tools. We can use the Green Gibbon as a pawn in the game." He paused. "You can convince him to join our side?" "Let me have a little chat with him, I'm sure I can make him willingly see our side of things, and if not...well, I know how to handle him then too." She frowned. "But why the Green Gibbon of all people?" Vampire Sephiroth sighed. "He's very important in the scheme of things. It will become clear later. As for now, we need a replacement to distract the Realm Protectors and all the Green Hill Zone visitors while you recruit him." "I know!" Sailor Evil cried. She rushed off, and returned dragging a green, floating, life-size Tails Doll. "A doll? Are you sure, my love?" "This isn't *just* any old Tails Doll, Sephy. It's the GG! Doll. And it's very life-like. They'll never guess the difference until it's too late." She paused. "And even if they guess it soon enough, they'll never find the Green Gibbon until it's too late!" "If you're certain, my love." Vampire Sephiroth replied smoothly. "I'll see to it that no one finds the Green Gibbon!. I know the perfect mechs to guard him; Metal Sonic and Metal Knuckles. They can keep him detained in the Sky Sanctuary Poll." "Great idea!" Sailor Evil put fresh duracels into the GG! Doll's tummy, and zipped it up. "All set. It can go into the Hidden Place Forum, and draw people there; where we can trap them." The GG! Doll stood up and floated in the air for a moment. "I'm-the-cutest." It said in a flat monotone that vaguely resembled GG!'s voice. "Nothing can stop us this time," Sailor Evil smiled. "As stupid as this plan is...it'll work perfectly." "It'll work perfectly because it's so stupid," Vampire Sephiroth corrected. Chapter Seven: Local: Unknown Princess Stephanie looked over at Spice. The green echidna was re-touching her make-up. "You're here to replace the Green Gibbon!," she told her. "Not go on a date with him." "My Father says you should always look your best," Spice put her lip-stick away. "Especially when you're going to take over the world." "This from a guy who wears some weird Aztec outfit," Princess Stephanie muttered. "Would you just hurry it up? We're already behind schedule." "What? You afraid that, like, someone else will get there before us, and, like, kidnap the Green Gibbon, and, like, send a duplicate in to replace him or some junk?" Spice asked. Princess Stephanie paused. "You are so stupid. That would never happen. I'm more concerned we'll miss our ride to the Green Hill Zone." She shook her head. "Kidnap the Green Gibbon! and send in a duplicate to replace him. Honestly, Where do you come up with this stuff, Spice?" "I don't know, it just comes to me." Spice stepped back from the mirror. "Okay, I'm done, for now. We can go." "Finally," Princess Stephanie muttered. "Next stop, the Green Hill Zone. Unless you have to fix your hair, that is." to be continued.... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cast: Selene: How does she know GG! and Possessed Spam? Lirsage: He doesn't seem to "fit in" here in the GHZ. Will he start to get along with the other GHZ players? k.t.e: he nearly drown. Will he return to normal soon? k.a.: he wants his cookie. Gabe: He's returned to echidna form. Tonia: um...she'll be in the next one. Leslie: uh...more from her next time. Bo Bayles: He seems to know a lot about the GHZ. Spam shoulda given him that Drano cookie? Ecco the Dolphin: He can't talk, but he can type. And he saved k.t.e. Possessed Spam: An-all-around fun and confusing character. Does GG! know he's eating all those Drano cookies? Green Gibbon!: he's a gibbon yet he looks like a green version of Tails. Don't ask. Why does Sephiroth want him on the Realm Destroyers' side? Spice Da Green Echidna: Who is she? And why is she such a ditz? Princess Stephanie: Who is she? What plans do she and Spice have? Sailor Evil: She really thinks a floating stuffy can replace GG!? Vampire Sephiroth: Why is he so interested in GG!? GG! Doll: Is anyone honestly gonna think he's the real GG!?