One-shot occurs during Chapter 28 between the three weeks of Sonic's training within Sonic RESURGENCE. For more context, check out the story on my account!
Characters: Sarah Alicia "Sally" Acorn, Gwendolyn "Wendy the White" Gaunsun
Setting: Cobalt-Hedgehog Cabin, Christmas Island
Plot: Sally deliberates what to do with her powers and finds it harder to decide, so much so that it causes her to stay up all night, reminding her that she is motherless. This causes Wendy to intervene and teach her about magic.
Cobalt-Hedgehog Cabin, Never Woods, Christmas Island
It was one-thirty o'clock in the morning and the clock still ticked away. Sally Acorn couldn't sleep. There were bags under her eyes while beads of sweat cascaded from her forehead. She was familiar with this sensation that bubbled in her chest recently. It rarely poked its ugly head during stressful situations; such as the days before making an important military maneuver or meetings with political figures with more experience than her. Right now was one of those times.
Sally was suffering from the affliction of anxiety and an existential crisis.
Of course, this has nothing to do with her identity. Sally knew who she was; princess to the Acornia Kingdom, heir to the throne of King Maximillian N. Acorn, and tactician/field leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. But when it came to her newly fledged mystical powers, well... she was a novice.
Her father had also spoken about the importance of the Source of All, its power, and the wisdom the substance held, but it never truly interested the girl at a young age. And the thought of bonding with a living ancient pool of primordial matter was less than appealing to the princess. In retrospect, she came to regret not obtaining such important knowledge, given the Source of All's connection to the Deep Power Stones.
The stone's raw power had now been absorbed into Sally, yet she couldn't even consciously wield it. Meanwhile, Amy not only knew how to use her magic without the need for her hammer but improved drastically in such a short period through practicing simple incantations.
The fiery-natured hedgehog looked sure of herself when tapping into that power and was assertive when casting spells. These qualities were things that Sally envied.
Seeing the dynamic of Wendy and Amy made Sally long for her late mentor, Julayla, and her mother, Queen Alicia Acorn neé Fay. While Rosie and Dulcy were prominent in her upbringing, they did not bear the same weight as the person who taught her battle strategy/tactics, diplomacy, and espionage, and the woman who brought her into the world and instilled into her etiquette, compassion, and morals. Those two were the foundations of her past alongside her father, King Max.
This reminder of major losses and her inability to keep up with Amy made the princess begin to question her ability to use magic like Wendy and Amy.
In her light pink nightgown, Sally sat up and looked at her hands. Ever since she placed the two Deep Power Stones together, she could still feel the influx of magical energy that coursed through her hands. The feeling of overwhelming power made her body tremble like nothing had ever done before. All of that potential, yet next to nothing was done to bring it out at will. It was just another failure to add to her list of them. Just thinking about it caused the chipmunk to clench her pawed hands while biting her bottom lip.
'...Damn it!'
Yearning for some fresh air, Sally went inside the washroom, rinsed her face off, and then put on her black crop top, matching leggings, her blue Ring-Blades, and boots before Sally took a step outside. Her room was getting too stuffy for her at the moment. Of course, she took NICOLE before she left.
She'd never leave her best friend alone unless it were necessary.
A dozen feet away from the cabin, Sally cut some firewood and started a campfire to keep herself warm from the nightly cold. She moved a log nearby to have a place to sit. To her, doing so filled the girl with a bit of comfort and nostalgia. Since she had already eaten dinner hours before, the Mobian chipmunk did not need to feed on anything.
Not that the princess felt like it right now.
With lingering thoughts of Julayla and Alicia came, saddening the leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters as the sensation of longing grew stronger and stronger. She sighed and stared at the starry night sky.
"...I wish you were here to help me, Lay, Mom,"
"Sally? Is that you out here?" A familiar and elderly voice spoke from behind her.
Princess Sally gasped and turned to see Gwendolyn the White, standing five feet behind where the teenager was sitting.
"Wendy?" Sally replied. "I didn't think that you'd still be awake..."
"When a certain threshold is reached, sorceresses like myself can function well with very little sleep," Wendy explained. "Of course, I was born human, so I still need basic subsistence and sleep now and then."
Sally blinked as she cognitively questioned, '...How old is she?'
"Never mind me, what are you doing out this late, dear?" The Overlander sorceress questioned, approaching the log and sitting next to her. "Having trouble sleeping?"
Sally flashed a solemn smile at the woman, saying, "You can say that."
Wendy saw this and frowned at the matter. From what she saw, Princess Sally Acorn was usually confident and sure of herself. It was here where it was assigned to Wendy. This wasn't the militia leader that came to the island.
She was meeting Sally Acorn, the young lady, for the first time. And right now, she was feeling down on herself.
From there, Wendy began to recall the small slivers of moments when Sally let her true feelings slip past her composed front. Specifically during the moments when she watched Amy train under the sorceress' supervision. The glint of envy was faint, but it was present. She was also less talkative than Amy and Cream at dinner. Of course, one could chalk it up to many things running through her mind such as the war, her royal duties, and managing the Freedom Fighters, but in retrospect, she should have known better.
After all, she was Sally's new teacher in all things magic.
"You've been acting rather aloof today, Sally," Wendy spoke softly. "Would you like to talk about it?"
"I'm sorry," Sally apologized, bowing her head. "I know that was unbecoming of me, and I have no excuse for my behavior..."
"Dear, I'm not here to chastise you. I want to know what's wrong and I wish to help you if I can." Wendy reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"...To be honest, I feel like I haven't been making any progress since I got here," Sally confessed. "No matter how much I try, I can't use the Deep Power Stone's energy willingly. And with each passing day, I can see how far I'd have to play catchup with Amy if I somehow managed to do so."
Sally sighed and concluded, "Even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do with the power. I'm no magician. I can't help but feel like I've been wasting your time."
Wendy began to think, 'Hmm... This is true, in a sense. I've been teaching Sally how I taught Amelia. And my practices were how myself and Walter were taught. Ixis Magick and Aether Magick are similar in how they function but are fundamentally opposites. But this is another matter entirely...'
'Even if I passed some work ethics down to her, Pathos Magick seems much easier to operate for someone like Amelia because of her temperament, thus making it different from other mystic arts. But Sally is not Amy. Perhaps, a kind of practice is in order. A new kind of magic has to be made.'
Upon a short span of careful deliberation, Wendy smiled and spoke to her newest decision.
"Forgive me, dear. The fault of your stagnation lies with me." Wendy said, shocking Sally. "My teaching methods may have helped Amelia, but it is not best suited for you."
"But you're my only chance to summon and control my hidden power! How am I supposed to be of better use to my friends and comrades if I'm not compatible with your methodology?" Sally questioned, growing distressed by the second.
"Tell me something, Sally. Why do you feel the need to be in control?" Wendy inquired back.
For a moment, Sally was at a loss for words. What did she mean to be in control?
"W-What?"
"I've noticed a pattern in your bloodline. Your grandfather, Frederick, your father, Max, and yourself all share a common trait. Each one of you sought the power to control situations that were beyond your control, whether it was Fredrick's desperation to preserve the peace that lasted for decades, leading to the Great War, Max's need to preserve peace which spiraled into Naugus' coup, or your need to be in control out of fear of losing your loved ones under your supervision as a leader." Wendy analyzed, picking apart Sally like a neurologist using a scalpel.
"I-I...y-you..." Sally stuttered before finally uttering, "...How did you-?"
Wendy cut her, stating, "-I do not need much time to figure you out. I was much like you at your age, actually,"
"Really?" Sally questioned.
"Indeed. I was quite the spunky lass as I was studious," Wendy reminisced as she winked. "And I like yourself, I was also popular with the gents in my day."
Sally and Wendy giggled at each other like they were schoolgirls.
"...What I'm trying to say, Sally, is that like the forces of life and death, there are situations beyond our control. While I've dabbled in enough magic to prolong my time in this world, there will come a time when I will die whether it be from natural causes or in battle. And I've accepted that. True control is merely an illusion."
"If that's the case, then how do you have the ability to use magic at all?" Sally questioned.
"What do you think magic is, Sally?"
"What do I think it is?" Sally replied. "I'm not sure I understand your broad question."
"Let me phrase it this way. How would you describe a definition of what magic is in your own words?" Wendy clarified. "What is magic to you?"
"What is magic to me..." Sally echoed as she fell silent for a moment.
The chipmunk eventually came up with an answer after thirty seconds.
"Magic, to me, is a well of power that varies. Magic allows the user to tap into mystical arts and these arts can differ depending on the source of magic." Sally answered truthfully.
"That is certainly a way to view magic, but I wouldn't exactly say that it's a completely accurate take on the concept," Wendy answered, serving as a teacher to her student.
"It isn't?" Sally inquired in surprise and curiosity. "What did I get wrong?"
"Magic is not the source of power itself, but merely the medium in which that power is channeled," Wendy explained. "For ages, magicians and sorcerers weren't merely pulling from anywhere. They were harnessing different sources of energy throughout the multiverse, allowing it to envelope their body to get themselves familiar with their properties. Based on their observations and the limitation of the energy along with their bodies, these wielders of power use their imagination to cast magical spells."
"We're the medium? Does that mean magicians have to be open to these sources of power?" Sally asked while contemplating.
"Correct," Wendy nodded as she continued her lecture. "For example, my magic is referred to as Gaia Magick. By opening my body up to allow the life force of nature, or Gaia Energy in my body, I channel the energy in a specific way to use its power to the best of my ability. Crafting spells is one of the easier ways to do so for people willing to learn, but I see that since the Deep Power Stone's energy works differently than most, just as you're different from me and Amelia."
Sally nodded as she glanced at her pawed hands again, "...I am different."
"You should understand that the method of magic is a practice and not a miraculous solution that could fix every problem." Wendy corrected as she stared into Sally's eyes. "Over the centuries I've lived, I understand that there are rules of nature which shouldn't be trifled with. In doing so yields dire consequences."
Sally flinched, recalling the Flood of Station Square that aired internationally a few years ago.
'...Sonic always said that Robotnik had a knack for control...' Sally thought to herself. 'Would I have turned out the same if I let the need for control out of fear take over?'
"You may have grown up in a harsh environment, and it may have hardened you in certain areas, but just as you shouldn't force that power out for a mere illusion of control, you shouldn't go against your true nature to try and manipulate forces that will never be in your control."
On the verge of tears, Sally asked, "T-Then what am I supposed to do!? I don't want to watch any more of my friends die on me!"
"Dear, everyone has a role to play. You may have gained combative skills over the years in war, but something tells me that is not your greatest strength." Wendy properly deduced. "Tell me. What is your role amongst your comrades?"
Sniffling, Sally wiped her eyes and hoarsely answered, "I-I'm a t-tactician, a field l-leader."
"Yes. That would be two things. Your strength lies in bringing out the best in your subordinates; utilizing your comrades in a way that does not waste their potential and doesn't jeopardize the tasks you give them." Wendy answered with a smile. "In other words, what significant role do you truly play?"
"...I'm support," Sally answered in a low tone.
"Very good, dear," Wendy stated.
"...But I shouldn't be sitting on the sidelines while everybody else is fighting!" Sally argued.
"Do you need to be reminded that soldiers are not the most important factors in war?" Wendy challenged. "Every role is crucial, from the commander-in-chief and tacticians coordinating a strategy, the soldiers that take arms, the medics that give the soldiers their aid, the vehicles crafted for soldiers to drive/pilot, the military logistics that handles the transport of goods, to the civilians that fund the government to fund the war. Everybody pulls their weight equally. Your role shouldn't be seen as anything less."
Sally bowed her head in shame before taking a breath and calming herself.
"...Y-You're right. I'm sorry for blowing up like that." The chipmunk apologized again.
"All is forgiven." Wendy easily accepted. "I see that loss is something that you struggle with.
Sally looked at her hands one more time'
'...While I can fight just fine, at the same time, I cannot go against my better nature.' Sally thought to herself. '
Sally asked, "...You said that the Deep Power Stones resonate with the person it chooses, right?"
"That is correct." The sorceress confirmed.
"Is there a way for me to use my magic to empower others?" Sally inquired, given her limited knowledge of magic. "You know, like a Power Ring?"
Tilting her head and giving the Mobian teenager an inquisitive expression, the white-clad sorceress questioned, "You wish for me to teach you how to cast enchantments?"
"WOULD YOU?" Sally blurted out in excitement before catching herself and blushing out of embarrassment. "P-Please..."
Wendy laughed at the girl's enthusiasm and then gently grabbed a hold of Sally's hands with her own.
"As I already told you, I will teach you to the best of my ability." Wendy reminded the princess. "And I have a feeling that we will be teaching each other, for with your latent power, we will be creating a new kind of magic."
"You're kidding me!" Sally said with excitement shining in her sapphire-colored eyes. "A new mystical art?"
"Yes, and it'll be one of a kind. Just like you." Wendy said softly.
"Oh, thank you, Wendy! I swear, you won't regret this!" Sally said, embracing the older woman.
Wendy held the girl and rubbed her back, having a clear understanding that, unlike Amy Rose, Sally was a damaged girl, longing for a woman to guide her.
...Much like how Wendy did centuries ago. She smiled at the Mobian girl and thought to herself.
'...I'll do my best with her, Alicia. When I am done with Sally, your child will be an even stronger woman. One that you'll be proud of.' Wendy vowed.
The two sat a little longer, enjoying each other's company for fifteen more minutes before Sally fell asleep. Wendy then picked the girl up, brought her back to the cabin and tucked her into bed as if she was five years of age once again.
The End
Author's Notes: Hey guys, DSG451 is back with another one-shot!
This story sets in stone my direction for RESURGENCE Sally Acorn. In my opinion, Sally, at the core of her character, is a support type. As a leader and future queen, she's meant to bring out the best qualities in her subjects, and this carries over to her work as a Freedom Fighter.
This is Sally's best quality and I've hinted towards this in the second chapter, being her dynamic with Sonic. Therefore, I decided to take a concept from Sonic SatAM (the Deep Power Stones) and expand upon it. Hence, this story serves as the origin of Sally's new magic.
What kind is it? Well, as Wendy states, her magic will be that of an enchanter in a similar vein to that of the Fairy Tail characters such as Wendy Marvell and Irene Belserion. And, to me, it makes sense because the Deep Power Stone's power is the same as the Power Rings, therefore, it would be fitting for Sally to be the one to create a magic that empowers her allies and herself.
This story also delves into the psychology and flaws of RESURGENCE Sally. Much like in the Archie Comics, she has regrets as a leader. In this continuity, her decisions as a leader of an army had cost her subordinates who were also her friends. In the story proper, it is heavily implied that Mina Mongoose was a Knothole Freedom Fighter and she had died during one of the early missions. Mistakes like this weigh heavily on the girl's consciousness and are one of the reasons why she has an issue being in control. That's not to say that Sally is a control freak.
Sally's feeling like a failure derives from her past mistakes and being the one to try and pick up the pieces of a broken kingdom. And with the fate of her people resting on her shoulders, the pressure and the fear of not being enough for people would result in Sally's calm and professional exterior slipping up once in a while, showing a much more vulnerable side.
All of her insecurities as a young woman stem from not having a mother (or a mother figure) to look up to or seek guidance from. This is why Sally acts almost maternally towards people younger than herself.
Please leave your comments, questions, concerns, and criticisms in the Reviews. Tell me what you like, dislike, what could be better, and what you enjoy about the saga and/or story so far by writing a detailed review for me. What are your favorite moments? Who would you like to see more of? Let me know these things, guys! It helps me grow as a writer, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on my work.
Anyway, I'll see you guys later! Happy New Year!
-DarkShadowGames451