Great Forest: Great Expectations

A cooling breeze decided to kiss their faces at that moment, and Sally took a deep whiff of it. "I'm glad that there are still places like this in the world. It's almost amazing that there are, considering there've been two wars in a row..."

Did she mean it? Of course. Laying the groundwork for a pointed segue? Probably that, too.

Rats, the princess silently lamented. She'd been hoping the good doctor would've had more to say on the subject than a simple agreement. This would make transitioning a little more challenging. "I was just a baby during the Great War," Sally eventually commented in passing, "and I was only five at the time of the coup. I feel lucky to have ever known nature at all."

Apparently finding now to be a good opportunity to give a subtle push, the ground squirrel quickly added, "What about you? What's your story?"

Sally's enthusiasm dampened at that. It certainly wasn't the response she'd been expecting or hoping for. She'd never personally supported the idea of drafting soldiers; it just didn't seem fair. With a more sober tone than before, the princess asked, "Is that what you were referring to when you said you'd served my father?"

It was disappointing to find another dead end, but, it was worth a try. Doing her best to walk it off, Sally sighed and smiled wryly at the echidna. "I'm sure you did a better job than you give yourself credit for, discharged or not."

Sally cringed and pressed a fist to her mouth uncertainly. This conversation was rapidly going sour. Hopefully she could perform a bit of damage control. "I... Sorry," she eventually fumbled. "I didn't mean to touch on old wounds. I may be smart, but there's still a lot I'm ignorant about."

In hopes of raising spirits and putting this awkward situation behind them, the princess offered, "Is there anything I could do for you, doctor?"

"......Well, I'll admit that was the main reason I wanted to talk to you," Sally reluctantly confessed. "I jump at any opportunity I can find to track down information about my father. When you had said you'd served him, I thought it could've been a new lead." Folding her arms behind her back, the princess drew closer to Zachary's side by a couple of steps. "Although, if there's anything else I could learn from you, I'd still love to do so. I'm not one to turn down wisdom just because I wasn't looking for it."

All of a sudden the princess's somber composure perked up significantly, and the enthusiasm returned to her eyes. "I LOVE lore and archaeology!! If it wouldn't take too much of your time, doctor, would you mind having a talk with me about it? I have a lot of information in my computer, but her records are far from complete." Sally couldn't suppress the wide, excited smile creeping across her face.

SPARKLY ANIME EYES "I... Well, anything, really!" Sally gushed get your head out of the gutter Jamie to the white echidna. "There's not much that DOESN'T interest me... The Mundaras, The Seven Wonders of Mobius... Even Little Planet, even though I was just there!"

Sally made no reply other than to arch a quizzical eyebrow.

The ground squirrel blinked at the unexpected response. "Well, that's where he was when we met him," the princess answered with an inquisitive tone. "I can't make any promises he was born there. Why, are you two aquainted?"

And for the second time Sally's excitement seemed to drain away. Why did everything she wanted to ask him about always put him in such a bad mood?! Dr. Zachary was proving to be a fascinating, but frustrating man.

The princess forced a cough and meandered among the nearby trees. Her better judgement told her to let the subject drop and move on for the sake of her guest's comfort.... Aurgh, but she wanted to know!! Sally gritted her teeth and ran a hand back through her auburn hair, searching for a statement in the middleground.

...

...

..........

"I used to think Little Planet was a myth," she finally said after a long silence.

To press, or not to press. His tone and body language communicated his displeasure with the conversation... and she could probably find some of this out from Knuckles... ... ...

Sally forced another cough and eyed the treetops. "Why is that?"

Despite her calm exterior, the fact that Zachary finally seemed willing to talk candidly pleased the princess greatly, and Sally took a seat on the same log. "All he's mentioned is that he's supposed to protect Little Planet. Being away from his duty has been killing him."

Ooooooh boy, Sally silently lamented. Talking about religion was always an awkward thing for her; she could never see the stories as much more than exactly that: stories. Probably based on actual events, of course, but greatly exaggerated over the centuries.

The princess idly scratched at her furry cheek; the fact that she didn't personally follow any given religion didn't make her any less curious about them. More than anything, Sally worried about accidentally offending those that did believe, and this instance was no exception.

In lieu of any further comment, the ground squirrel instead retrieved her computer from the side of her boot. "Nicole, do you have any information on this Astal person?"


"Data on the subject is extremely limited, as it tends not to travel far outside of echidna tribes. However, it seems to be generally accepted that Astal and Lidah were the first echidnas of Mobius." A holographic image of an echidna with chains on his wrist appeared above Nicole's screen. "It is also believed that upon her death, Lidah's soul was sealed away into a power stone, and it has become Astal's eternal duty to watch over her.

"This belief system is also credited with the origin of 'Antowas', the alternative name of Aurora."


After a moment to study to wavering image, Sally turned to Zachary. "Sound about right?"