𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑: 𝔽𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕤

      Shadina's blueberry pie and hot tea were very tasty because she prepared and brewed them with love. Even Shadow and Tails themselves devoured pieces of pie with such pleasant appetite, and then washed it down with tea. — Listen, have you heard that our world may not be alone? — Tails asked. — What? — Luzeta did not understand. — There are also other worlds. Some are completely different from ours, while others, on the contrary, are even similar to ours, but at the same time have small differences. For example, in our world, some event went one way, but in another world, not so, but differently. — How’s that? — asked Shadina. — Let me show you some leftover blueberries, if you don’t mind? — Miles stood on the table, going to the basket with the remaining berries. — Yes please! Tails turned the basket over and poured a few blueberries onto the table. — And so, imagine that all this is a bunch of blueberries, parallel worlds. — What worlds? — Mikhail Robotnik did not understand. — Parallel. — Tailsko herself answered and jumped onto the table herself, joining Tails. — They are so named because they are very far from each other and never intersect with each other. Just like two parallel lines. No matter how many meters you draw or stretch them, parallel lines will never intersect. — Right! And for example, this small and slightly rotten blueberry, let’s say... Let, for example, it be another world, that is, not ours? — the little fox suggested and everyone agreed with him. Then he approached another berry, which was larger than the others and more whole. — But this biggest and fresh berry will be our world. Our world is very kind and beautiful, because everything went very well in it, even despite some bad or scary little events in history. But that other world, small and rotten, is a world that seems to be similar to ours, but there everything went much worse and not as good as here. — But fortunately this is not always the case! — Tailsko added. — After all, there are a lot of parallel worlds and each one can differ from ours, both noticeably and unnoticeably. Or it may even be that there may be a world that is one hundred percent similar to ours, that it cannot be distinguished from ours. — she added, taking the third berry, which was also just as big. — And how to distinguish them in this case in order to understand. Which of these two worlds is ours and which is alien? — Shadina didn’t understand. — Everything is very simple. Each world also has its own laws and concepts of science or magic. For example, the laws of chemistry, physics and other things. In one world, for example, absolutely all such laws may work, while in another, sometimes not all such laws may work. For example one or two of them will not work. Or they will, but not at all like ours. — Miles explained. — For example, you inflate a balloon and it expands in all directions. — added the fox. — Yes, this is also possible. — Well my head. Do parallel worlds really exist? — Luzata couldn’t believe her ears. — No, this is just a theory for now. No one has yet confirmed it, but no one has denied it either. Therefore, this theory still has the right to exist so that many continue to discuss, improve or even supplement it. — said the fox and sat back down at the huge chair. — Isn’t there even a way to check whether this theory is true or false? — Mikhail thought. — Well, there is actually one way. — Shadow said scratching the back of his head and everyone except Tails looked at him questioningly. — Well, at least I hope so. I'm just not entirely sure myself yet. — So what is this method? — asked Shadina. — Well, probably somewhere there is, for example, some kind of magical artifact, say, created by some evil ancient sorcerer and which is hidden somewhere in a secret room. And it is this very artifact that can move you, for example, or even you from this world to another or back. — Shadow explained a little mysteriously, so as not to burn himself. — Nonsense! — Luzata waved her tail with a sharp dagger at the end, almost hitting Tailsco. — HEY!!! — she shouted at her and she apologized: — I guilty! Sorry! — Luzata, how many times have I told you not to play around with your tail when visiting me? — Shadina asked her angrily. — Sorry, Shadina, I just wanted to wave to prove that what Terios told us was nonsense. Um... No offense! — Everything is fine! — Shadow answered smiling. — “And she’s at least more adequate, unlike my Luz, who never even once asked me for forgiveness.” And suddenly the commander and his four loyal soldiers came to the cave, two of whom were Sonic and Knuckles. — Good afternoon, Miss Shadina. — the soldier commander bowed affably. — Those two are your guests. — Who? — That naga hedgehog that looks a little like you and the orange fox with two tails that looks like your friend. Excuse me, but we came to steal them from you. Queen Marlinetta has several questions for these two and we, on her orders, have come to apprehend them and deliver them to the queen. If they don't mind either, of course. — Have we done something wrong? — asked the fox. — No, strangers, the queen just wants to see you. He says that this is urgent and refusals with transfers will not be accepted. There was nothing to do, I would have to agree and go with them. Before that, they managed to say goodbye to Shadina, Tailsko, Luzeta and Mikhail for their hospitality and followed those soldiers towards the castle.

***

      About thirty minutes later they arrived at the palace and in general the castle also looks almost exactly the same as in their world. And on the throne sat Queen Marlinetta. Which, as it was not difficult to guess, is the female version of King Merlin. — Your Majesty! — Shadow said and together with Tails bowed to her. — Please, Shadow and Tails, no need to bow! — Stop! How do you know our names? — asked Tails. — Uh... Let's just say that I have eyes and ears everywhere from various but loyal spies and intelligence officers. I was informed that you fell from the sky, appearing there suddenly. And there was a third one with you. — Naga scorpion? — asked the fox. — He is. He kept on his finger a magic ring for interleaving into parallel worlds, which is kept in our secret room. Although they reported to me that our ring is still hidden there. We have a suspicion that you and your Scorpio came from another world, which is opposite to ours. This is true? — Yes. We confirm this. We are from another world. — Tails admitted honestly. — But don’t tell those who you took us from! We don’t want to traumatize them with the truth. — Do not worry! Everything you honestly admit to me will remain only a secret in our palace. No one will dare to spread them even as rumors. At this time, one of the soldiers approached one peasant unnoticed and began to whisper in his ear: — When you take a vacation, you will tell the blacksmith that you are here... Before he could finish speaking, the queen threw a dagger at his throat, killing him. — I’d better be silent! — the peasant himself whispered in his own ear. Shadow and Tails told the queen about who they were, what world they were from, what events happened there, and even that this same scorpion was a villain who wanted to ruin both their world and this one, too, possibly by forcing them to go against humans and Mobians in order to exterminate them all and leave only the Naga race on Earth. — Horrible! It's outrageous. My father just recently announced a peace treaty between the nagas, humans and Mobians so that all three races could live peacefully and in harmony, and this villain is trying to ruin everything? — the queen was indignant. — We understand how very angry you are. But only we can stop him and prevent him. Please tell us where he is hiding now? — the fox begged on his knees. At that moment, a butterfly itself with seven colors of the rainbow on its wings flew into the hall through the open window and sat on the fox’s head. Queen Marlinetta, of course, knew about all the talk about the sacred butterfly that the nagas talk about. Apparently they tell the truth and can be trusted. When the queen stood up from the throne and walked towards the fox, the butterfly flew to the side so as not to further interfere with their conversation. She sat on Shadow's left shoulder, which made him glad that the nature of this world at least believed them and tried to help them. — This all sounds more like the ravings of a madman. But the sacred butterfly says that I must believe them. — she thought to herself and walked up to the two-tailed man. — Stand up, warrior. — Marlinetta asked politely and the fox stood up. — Unfortunately, he is no longer in this world. My scouts saw that he had reopened the portal and had possibly gone to yet another world. — Oh no. We are late! — But perhaps all is not lost yet! — the queen reassured him and led the fox and the nag to her porter. Taking out a remote control with a red button, she moved the portrait to the side and opened a secret passage to a secret room. Walking along a long corridor, she took them to a similar room with exactly the same food. Only the ring itself was different. Instead of a golden shard, it had a heart made of red ruby. — This ring was created many years ago by an evil witch who used to be a faithful courtier of my distant great-grandfather. She wanted to open portals to other worlds and call upon her doubles, so that with their help she could first take over our world, and then all the others. Fortunately, the great-grandfather eventually found out about her insidious plans and stopped her. All developments were destroyed, and the traitor herself was executed. Only the ring could not be destroyed and it was decided to hide it in secret from everyone so that it would not fall into evil hands. But now, I believe it's time to give it to you. — Us? Why? — You honestly admitted everything and explained that you were trying to stop Luz Bucket and his criminal atrocities. Therefore, we believe you and entrust this artifact to you. Promise to use it for good to catch your nemesis and stop him. When everything is over, you will either return the ring back to us, or you yourself will find a way to destroy it later. Take it! — the queen hands the ring into Shadow’s palm. He looks at him for a long time, then at the queen. — We promise you! Even if we forget to return it to you, we will keep it ourselves and will not give it to anyone without complete trust. — he declares and puts the ring on the claw of his right little finger. — What world did Luz go to? — According to my intelligence officers, he is now hiding in a world that more closely resembles London. Probably a world where Great Britain took over the whole world and rebuilt it in its own way. — the queen suggested. — Thank you. — Tails thanked her with a bow. Shadow extended his hand forward and tried to imagine his native forest, but with houses from London. A portal to London immediately opened for him, or more precisely to another world where London was. There he saw, among a couple of houses, the silhouette of the scorpion-naga himself. — Here he is! — Shadow said, pointing at him. — So what are we waiting for? Forward! — the fox said confidently, clenching his right hand into a fist. The fox and the naga ran into the portal and jumped into it, after which the portal closed behind them, and the queen, smiling, watched them go. — Don't let us down! We and the lucky butterfly are counting on you! — she said out loud, as if they would hear her, and at that moment a butterfly with rainbow wings landed on her head, which also looked smilingly at where the portal was. For one thing, he waves one paw goodbye.