𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑: 𝔽𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕤

      Tails explained everything to that other Fiona, who does not know him, because he himself was never in her life, unlike his world. It took him about an hour to explain to her everything from his infancy until he grew up and began traveling with his naga friend to other worlds to stop Luz Bucket. But the main thing he quoted was that Fiona loved him, cared for him and shared everything with him. That other Fiona listened to him and for the first time in her life, she invited this stranger to visit her. Although she didn’t know him, she decided to take his word for it since he mentioned her. In addition, he quoted what her father was like and how he raised her, unlike her mother. After all, in fact, no one knew about it, since she never told anyone about it. Therefore, she took him at his word, taking into account the words about traveling to parallel worlds. Having made tea for this stranger, she also began to tell him her history of this world. Tails learned that this world's Fiona had it a little worse. It turns out that her village was attacked by three nagas once. Even to her house. Among them was a huge purple scorpion, and he was accompanied by two nagas who looked like a green hedgehog and a gray jackal. It seems that in this world, the local Luz Bucket was still able to persuade all the nagas to side with him and fight against the people and the Mobians. And he attacked his village, although in his world his village had never been attacked. In general, when they attacked, they also ate a couple of pigs and chickens and trampled a couple of Fiona’s vegetable gardens. Because of this, it became difficult for her to live alone, because before she had everything that she wanted to share with everyone. Then he began to live alone and scrape together the last pennies to survive. Because of this, she became one hundred percent a recluse. Now she thought only about herself and did not want to be friends with anyone. In this world, she has nevertheless become the way her father would like to see her, raising her to be a little evil, harmful and inhospitable. The fox listened to her carefully and imagined in his head how events in this world had turned out differently. Nagas are rumored to have attacked all villages and towns in this world. They overfed and killed everyone until there were only a small number of people left with the Mobians in this country. Now there are so few Mobians and people left in these lands that there was no longer even resistance from the soldiers, and the naga hunters did not appear at all. Therefore, no one could protect them now. This conversation also took about an hour. Shadow, who was hiding outside the window, heard all this. Then he lightly tapped the claw of his index finger on the glass of the window. Tails realized that it was Shadow who came to him ahead of time, said goodbye to Fiona, hugging her goodbye, apologized for scaring her so much, pissing her off and showing up without an invitation, and then leaving. That other mother, who, although she did not know him, watched him go. She was even happy to talk to him, and he listened to her and even treated her politely. Although she became as evil as her father, she still dreamed in her heart of having a son or at least a daughter like Tails. The latter ran out of the house and jumped into a hug with his naga. — You won't believe it, Shadow! — I know. That's why I came for you ahead of time. — What happened to you? That is, not from you, but from... Well, in general, you understand who I mean! — Come with me, I'll show you.

***

      Shadow brought the fox to his home on the same slope and the fox was shocked by what he saw. Shadow's entire house was destroyed, and the corpse of a striped naga lay next to his bed. That is, that Shadow from this world. He was covered with small spears and died. Apparently humans and Mobians attacked him. The fox gasped at what he saw, flew up to him, lay down on his chest and almost cried, imagining that it was his Shadow who was killed. — Can't be! — I’m afraid it might, Tails. I myself was shocked when I first came here and saw this. Apparently we mixed up the worlds when we were returning to our home and accidentally ended up in another world that is similar to ours. At the same time, events in him went completely differently. — Yes, as well as the fact that my mother has never met me here and does not know me. — said Tails and still roared, lying next to the corpse of Shadow’s double. Shadow lightly lifted the fox onto his right palm, pressed it to his chest and began to slowly run his palm over it to feel sorry for him. — Okay, okay, don't cry! Just think, we mixed up the worlds. Let's open the portal again and this time carefully select our real world, where we came from! Tails' eyes widened and he grabbed the striped snake hedgehog's arm as he lifted it, preparing to open a new portal. — No, Shadow! — No? — he didn’t understand him. — We can’t leave everything like this. Remember how many worlds we have overcome! How many people, Mobians and nagas, did we help try to fit in there. Why should we leave this world and leave everything as it should remain? This world cannot simply be left with evil and injustice. Since we got here, it means we must find out what’s wrong and also save this world. — But how? — Shadow didn’t understand. — The main problem in this world, as in ours, was Luz Bucket himself. I believe that the local version here became more evil and many nagas, unlike our world, believed him in order to kill all people with Mobians. He may have even killed me in this world as a baby when that Luz attacked me in my world. By the way, where is he? — A! He is here! — the striped one explained, pointing his finger at the corner where he placed the still tied up Luz. He was still sitting there and this time he did not try to break free or run away. He just sat and thought about something. Although he even heard perfectly well what they were saying here, this time he did not interfere or invent something against them. — How are you? — Tails asked him. — What do you care about me? — the naked scorpion grumbled in response and continued to think. Tails flew up to the scorpion, took out his sword and placed it against its snout. Luz was scared of him, but having calmed down, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes, preparing for him to kill him. — Let's! Finish me off! I deserve a long and painful death, because you disgraced me! But the fox was not going to kill him. He took out his sword only to cut out the vines and free the big guy. He widened his eyes and was shocked that he freed him. Nevertheless, the naked scorpion stood up. — Go to yourself from this world. Find yourself and find out why you became so evil from this world and how you were able to find support from other nagas. Ask yourself a few questions, and then come back to us and pass it all on to us if you can! — Why?... Why do you trust me with this?... Why don't you kill me, but instead let me go, even though you know that I still don't trust you and won't listen to you? — Luz asked the fox, hissing at him through his teeth. — Because we are not soulless nagas like you, Luz, who think only about themselves. We are kind, honest and fair people, as well as Mobians and Nagas, who want to live in peace and believe that a peaceful union between races is possible. You know very well that we are not lying to you. Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it much earlier, back there, in that world where those children and I attacked you in that meadow. I could even have killed you there when you honestly admitted that you killed my parents and left me alive to swim in that river as a baby, but I didn’t do it. Because, unlike you, I am not obsessed with revenge, and I do not try to impose my opinion on everyone with fears, but I trust my heart. — the fox pressed it to his chest. — You yourself were once the same as a child, Luz. Tell us where the good old Luz Bucket went, whom my beloved Shadow loved and knew when you were still young. Where? Luz Bucket listened to him and at first he wanted to be stubborn again, but again he became thoughtful. Even then he thought: “If those fox Tails and the traitor Shadow hate him so much and do not want him to realize his rightness, then why are they leaving him alive and not killing him, like those soulless people with the Mobians, as he thought about them?... Maybe he really was wrong about them?” He also looked at Shadow, who looked at him sternly and pointed with his thumb towards the exit from his, not his, house. Having crawled past them on his tail, he left the house and walked towards the forest. On the way, he was still thinking out loud: — Maybe they are right, and I was wrong?... That's why they didn't kill me?... Or maybe I just became naive, like that two-tailed fox?

***

      Luz crawled to that huge cave where the secret village of all the nagas was located. He usually came here in his world to persuade all the nagas to come with him. However, he could not find support there. But if his alternate version from this world was able to achieve this, then can he believe him that he is his counterpart from another reality? Maybe he can at least help him. The naked scorpion entered the cave and unexpectedly for him, someone hiding behind the entrance to the cave, holding a large tree like a club, swung it and hit Luz, knocking him down and knocking him out. He fell to the ground and lost consciousness. The naga who knocked him out with one hit was the green hedgehog-snake Scourge. He crawled over and examined it. — What is this, a joke? — he asked himself, took him by the shoulders and dragged him into the cave to show the real Luza Bucket. — My king, this naga appeared at the entrance to the cave. He looks suspiciously like you. Another Luz Bucket examined the unconscious body of his double and was convinced that he was a complete copy of him. Only the tip of the tail was slightly chopped off and the sting like his was missing. He slaps his hand on his cheek to wake him up. — Who are you? — he asked that Bucket while he was coming to his senses. At first he didn’t understand anything, who hit him and knocked him out? And he grabbed him by the shoulders and raised his voice: — WHO ARE YOU??? WELL ANSWER??? ARE YOU A TROJAN NAGA OF HUMANS AND MOBIANS??? IS THERE AN ARMY OF SOLDIERS HIDDEN INSIDE YOU??? MAYBE YOU ARE A ROBOT??? — Hush hush! I'm real. I am is you. I'm Luz Bucket. — Prove it! — the naga scorpion asked the naga scorpion incredulously. — My father... — he just wanted to tell his alternative self the proof that only they know about. True, remembering again how that hedgehog and nun treated him to a pie and did not kill him, like that fox, he doubted whether it was worth telling him this. However, he decided to speak his truth, in which he himself believes. — They killed him and I take revenge on the people with the Mobians. However, no one believed me, unlike you. I could not find support from the nagas, because in my world where I came from, all nagas naively believe that they can live in peace with people and Mobians. Another Luz believed him and explained: — On the contrary, I was lucky, unlike you. The nagas believed my words. I was able to convince them to be on my side and trust me. They even became convinced that I was right when people attacked Shadow and killed him. - He said, and then turned away and became a little sad. - Hmm. I feel a little sorry for this hedgehog. It was a good snake. He loved me, cared for me and trusted me, almost replacing my father after people killed my father. — I regret! But my Shadow betrayed me. Not only is he still alive, he follows me wherever I go and tries to stop me. - explained the scorpion with a wounded tail. — Like this? — He naively believes that peace between humans and Mobians is possible. He's friends with this two-tailed fox. I should have killed him right away when he was a baby and floating down the river when I attacked that village and killed his parents. — A! That baby? I finished him off right away without thinking about it. — a naga scorpion with a whole tail answered him, grinning. He really didn't care about the deaths of children in his heart. — You don’t care about children? — Apparently that’s why it didn’t work out for you. You are too soft, and you should have been more evil and cruel, like me. — Luz explained with his tail intact. — I was just as cruel. I just treat babies as honest. Luz explained with a wounded tail. — Will you help me not only cope with this world, but also recapture my world? Another Luz thought, scratching his chin and said: — Fine. I trust you. You are me and I must help myself. But how do we get to another world? — King Merlin has a hiding place in his castle where a magic ring is hidden for moving between other worlds. It was created by a sorcerer who, many years ago, was a faithful courtier of that king’s great-grandfather. I learned about this from the rumors of humans and Mobians in some villages. Haven't you heard about this yourself? — No. I don't care what they say. I immediately attack and kill everyone who gets in my way. By the way, are that traitor Shadow and his foxes still chasing you? — Yes. They even captured me and held me captive. They are hiding in your Shadow's house and waiting for me to return after interrogating you. — he explained to him. — Yeah! — that Bucket grinned. — You’re great for deciding to tell me the truth. Scourge, take Infinite with you and go home to Shadow. Find another Shadow there with his two-tailed fox cub and kill them, and you can eat the fox cub if you want. — Yes, Your Majesty! — Scourge saluted and crawled towards the stone house. — They call you king here? — that Luz asked him. — Certainly. — he answered him. — And what? Aren’t you a king? — No. In my world, no one trusts me and did not support my opinion that people and Mobians are dangerous and that they cannot be trusted. — Those are the scoundrels! — Or maybe you are mistaken? — asked the white mouse-snake. — What did you say? — Luz Bucket of this world asked, looking at her suspiciously. — I think maybe those other Shadows and that little fox are right? Maybe peace and friendship between nagas, humans and Mobians is still possible? Maybe you both were in a hurry and were wrong about the fact that people and Mobians are dangerous, and we are in vain to attack them? Yes, they are more afraid of us than we are of them. Maybe those people who killed your father are not guilty? Maybe they were scared of you too. Did you think you would eat them and that's why they attacked you? Luz, with a wounded tail, listened to her attentively and also thought about it, since everyone had tried to convey this to him many times already. Only Luz, with his tail intact, frowned and spat to the side. — Do you even think about what you’re talking about, naive one? — I'm not naive! I'm almost an adult now and I'm just guessing. Maybe we should just forget about this war with people and Mobians and just try to make peace with them and get in touch? — So you go yourself. You will see for yourself that they will immediately attack you. They won't even listen to you. — Not true. They won't attack if you try to prepare them and don't go out first so that they don't get scared right away. — explained the snake mouse. — Do you think at least a little before you blurt out something? — the naked scorpion with a whole tail got angry, waved its tail and cut the chest of that nagina with its stinger. She clutched her chest in pain and fell to the ground. — Apparently you weren’t taught and raised enough? He began to cut her on the back with his stinger, and the other Luz, with a wounded tail, covered his mouth with his hands in horror, looking at this and could not even intervene and save her. — Please, King Bucket! No need! — NEED!!! — he shouted and continued to cut her brutally. — You shouldn’t be so naive and stubborn that you don’t listen to me and don’t believe my truth! You must know your place! Having finished cutting her, the unfortunate baby died, lying with her eyes open. Naginya began to lie like a corpse. Luz, who killed her, took a breath to calm down, and the other looked at him and was horrified by his example, what a monster he himself was and what he almost became just like that Luz. In fact, he did not wish harm and death to his nagas. This Luz Bucket seemed so fixated on revenge that he even began to kill nagas if they were against him and did not trust him. But the nagas, apparently out of fear, still decided to follow him and even appointed him as their king. Nagi Scourge and Infinite took the mouse's corpse and carried it with them to throw it out into the street. — Holy butterfly! — whispered the frightened Luz, and the other looked at him questioningly and asked: — Unlike me, do you trust some bug with rainbow colors on its wings, which is supposedly the soul of nature, which never helped us all against people and Mobians? Apparently you are too soft compared to me. It’s no wonder why you couldn’t take over your world and become an authority there, unlike me! — It's not up to you to decide! — both Luz's heard the fox’s voice. They looked at the exit from the cave and saw the same, another naga Shadow. Also with a two-tailed fox on his shoulder. They clenched their fists, confidently crawled into the cave and looked menacingly at Luz, who had a sting on his tail. So they were able to distinguish him from theirs. — How did you get here so quickly? — asked them a naked scorpion with a wounded tail. — We immediately realized that you would give away our hiding place and followed you so that you would not see or suspect us. — Ha! And what will you do to me? There are two of you, and us, except for my double from your world, where you came from! And there’s a whole army of us! — that scorpion boasted, and then nine more nagas loyal to him came out, who looked menacingly at the striped naga traitor with the fox cub. — Where did you get the idea that there are two of us? — Tails asked smirking. — Does that mean three, since you think Luz is on your side? — Bucket asked and laughed. — Nope. There are many more of us. — the fox answered and Shadow at that moment raised his left hand, clenched into a fist. Since there was a ring with a heart on the claw of the index finger of this particular hand, he thereby opened the portal. Yes, not just one, but several behind him and on his sides into various worlds that he and his Luz had already been to before. Peter Pen himself flew out of the first portal, looking like Tails and holding a sword in his hands. He looked at the striped naga with that Tails and smiled and winked at them. From the next portal came two black and white Mobian agents, the hedgehog Shadow and the scorpion Luz Bucket. Both were wearing hats and holding pistols. From the third portal, whistling something to himself, death itself slowly emerged in the form of a white wolf in black clothes and a hood. Taking out both sickles, he exits the portal and stands next to the naga Shadow, looking with his terrifying red eyes at the Luz Bucket of this world. — Corre, corre serpiente! - he said in Spanish. Tails emerged from the next portal in a futuristic suit of the future, armed with a laser gun. Following him came out the approximately fifty humanoid robot soldiers who were with him. Two sea nagas with gills, similar to Sonic and Knuckles, emerged from the fifth portal, armed with tridents. Tails emerged from the sixth portal, riding a camel and armed with a machine gun. The naked Sonic and Sally emerged from the seventh portal, albeit without children. They also looked menacingly at Luz from this world. The nagas Sonic and Shadow came out of the eighth portal with their Tails. Their portal was opened into the interior of their house, and the nagas Silver and Blaze emerged from the ninth portal. — No even else? — Tails asked his Shadow. — Where even more? — he grinned in response, and at that moment another portal opened into the world, which had previously been frozen, from where Merlin’s great-grandfather, along with his army of knights on horseback, also went out onto the battlefield to help their allies. The last portal that opened brought Shadina and Tailsko, who, without asking questions, immediately joined the final battle. Luz and his faithful nagas from this world widened their eyes, not expecting such an army from them that would dare to challenge them. — Well, a loser's trash can? — the fox asked mockingly. — Did you place the stones out of fear? — Yes. — he answered him menacingly, raising his sting on his tail. — And you all will probably pass for paper! — So you are the same monster that those striped nagas with the two-tailed fox told us about?— Agent Luz Bucket asked as he loaded his gun. The naga scorpion with a wounded tail exhaled with relief, because he was not asking about him, but his double of this world. This means they won't attack him. Just so as not to disturb them, he still decided to crawl away. — You all can’t stop me. — answered that other naga scorpion and pointed his index fingers at his enemies. — Kill him! — FRIENDSHIP OF NAGAS AND PEOPLE FOREVER!!! — Tails the borrower shouted, taking out his sword pin. A team of good-natured people, including death itself with sickles, screaming heart-rendingly, ran into battle. The evil nagas with Luz Bucket also crawled into battle.