That evening was by far one of Louise's happier moments.

The nobles all asking her to dance, the wonderful music easing her soul, and even the dapper way her familiar had dressed for that night. It was all so perfect to the young noble.

Then there was the fact that, despite being a commoner, Eggman knew many of the dances reserved for nobility. He easily kept up with her throughout the entire ball, even leading her in a few new movements that night. The person that taught him to dance was someone she wanted to meet one day, if only to thank them.

Even Tabitha, whom Louise had expected to sit in a corner and read during the dance, had a partner in Metal. How the robot managed to convince the noble to dance with him was beyond her comprehension. Yet, somehow, the machine had done it.

Kirche, naturally, had numerous dancing partners throughout the evening. She always danced a little too close for comfort to the men. But that wasn't going to get Louise's spirits down tonight.

Even when she laid down to sleep that night, long after the ball had ended and the time entered that odd hour which wasn't quite night, but not quite morning, Louise still couldn't get rid of the smile on her face.

Her familiar must be rubbing off on her, she concluded, before rolling over to a more comfortable position to get some much-needed rest.

Eggman sat in his base, his stern face scanning through the information projected on the monitors from the console sitting before him. He sipped a cup of coffee as images flashed through depicting equations and numbers.

The doctor had set up a crude sensor array to search for minute fluctuations in subatomic particles. In particular, he was searching for entangled knots of space-time that would be indicative of dimensional tears between his world and this one.

However, his current setup wasn't perfect. In fact, it was akin to that of trying to pick up high quality broadcast television on the other side of the world… with a wire coat hanger. To have something more capable of studying dimensional shifts would require vast amounts of power and space to house the equipment necessary, both of which were at a premium in his small base.

While he would have preferred to remain at the ball, Eggman stayed long enough to dance with Louise, then vanished as soon as the noble was distracted. She didn't seem to miss him too much. Besides, this was her time to celebrate, not his. Still, it was a nice few hours to be admired… for once.

The monitor beeped, as Eggman turned to look at it. The particles floated and pulsed in the simulation, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

That is, unless…

He adjusted the formulas. The fact that an armed GUN agent arrived here, coupled with the difficulty the doctor had in generating a stable wormhole for Shadow, Rouge, and Omega to return… something was off about that.

Suddenly, the simulated particles bounced wildly, striking one another with enough force to split themselves apart. But what puzzled the doctor was the fact that these particle strikes were creating more energy than they could physically possess. That violated the fundamental law of energy conservation. Even if all the particles were vaporized into energy, they couldn't explain the quantities the doctor was observing.

Whatever was going on, the doctor concluded, was forming some type of natural particle trap that was drawing in energy and matter from vast distances. This would explain the excess energy.

But, without a more elaborate lab to test his hypotheses, the doctor was left with only a collection of equations and a screensaver.

Eggman curled his mustache in thought. This world's governing force was like that of a Medieval-era country. Perhaps feudalism is in effect here. In his world, feudal societies typically consisted of monarchs with large tracts of land to govern, typically given to nobles in return for oaths of fealty.

In that case, he concluded, a visit to Princess Henrietta would be necessary for more than just to address the Staff.

"You're awake."

The voice was strange… metallic. Too emotionless to be from a normal person. Had to be an assassin. Did they finally decide to dispose of her?

Tabitha had anticipated this type of betrayal and, in one swift move, grabbed her staff from beside her bed and leaped onto the floor, aiming her weapon at her assailant.

"My combat system is disabled for recalibration. I couldn't harm you if I tried," the strange, blue metallic golem replied.

The noble blinked several times, as she began to remember last night.

She had become exhausted from the dancing and, having stayed around long enough to be congratulated, Tabitha requested that Metal Sonic escort her back to her room.

Yet she didn't remember ordering the robot to leave… Did he really stay here all night?

"However, you did exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress, so I administered a mild dose of diazepam to provide a more peaceful sleep." Metal added, revealing a small, empty vial.

Tabitha nodded. She didn't have that nightmare last night. Frankly, it was the first time she felt well-rested in years.

"I won't ask you to talk about it, but I do suggest you find someone you can trust about this. Distancing yourself will only reinforce the negative effects of your trauma."

The petite noble stared at the machine as it left the room for a minute, before returning with a tray filled with food brought up from the kitchen.

"I wasn't sure how well you would feel after last night, so I brought up breakfast for you." He placed the tray on her bed. Tabitha looked over it, before nodding.

"Thank you." She replied, as her room's windows shook and a desperate whine filled the area. Both noble and machine turned towards the source, only to see her large familiar staring at her, hungrily eyeing the food.

"It appears your pet has decided to join us. I'll go grab something for her!" Metal replied before dashing out of the room at incredible speed.

Sylphid let out an inquiring grunt as Tabitha looked at her.

"No, you can't eat him," she replied, as the dragon let out an annoyed snort. A small, wry smile played at the corners of her mouth, adorning a face normally as cold as ice.

Louise woke up the next morning, and stared across her room. Upon noticing the empty bed of her familiar, the noble sighed.

She had noticed Eggman slip out during one of the later sonatas, just as a handsome nobleman approached her for a dance. The rest of the night was largely a happy blur at that point, but wasn't as enjoyable as dancing with the doctor. It just felt… different?

Louise mulled over this. It was so strange, publicly dancing with a familiar, yet dance with one she did. By all rights, she should feel humiliated and embarrassed by the act. But all she could feel was a pleasant feeling she had only experienced with her sister, Cattleya. The warmth of his hands… his firm, yet flexible movements, the way he moved with elegance and poise…

The noble shook her head to clear the memory. Now wasn't the time to get nostalgic. Obviously, Eggman had retreated to his lab and hadn't been back to sleep the entire time. She willed herself to get up. After all, she reasoned, a noble had to make sure her familiar got adequate rest.

As Louise stood up, a couple of Pawns dashed in, carrying a long case. One of them spotted Louise, and clapped happily.

"Oh, goody! You're awake!" it exclaimed, as the second guided her to the dressing stool.

Louise blinked in disbelief as the robot extended her arms. The reason for their behavior was revealed when the first Pawn opened the case.

It was a dress. Black, plain, with no signs of any special touches. What kind of clothing was this for a noble?

Louise was about to reject it when something caught her eye: a small, simple note pinned on the front of the dress.

Louise,

I know we haven't seen eye-to-eye on things, and I'm still trying to learn to live in this world. I do appreciate everything you've done for me so far. You were having such fun at the ball last night that I didn't want to ruin the mood, but there is something I must tell both you and the princess soon. I'm afraid that my delay last night may have already ruined the opportunity I had, but I'll explain everything. This will be a critical meeting, hence the dress. Don't be fooled by its appearance; just put it on and it'll wow you. I guarantee it.

~Ivo

She stared at the note. This… thing was a lackluster attempt at a peace offering. Louise already worked out that Ivo would need her help securing an audience with the princess. Given his previous kidnapping of Henrietta, it may be a little difficult to do so; there was no doubt that her guard detail would have been increased to ensure her safety.

Then again, her familiar made no attempt to harm the princess. Granted, the affair with Fouquet and the Staff of Destruction caused the doctor to relinquish his bargaining chip before any real harm could be done. While the doctor claimed that he went after Fouquet merely in retaliation for upstaging his plans, Louise began to wonder if there was some ulterior motive. Everything he did seemed to have another purpose, after all.

The noble pushed these thoughts out of her head and returned to look at the dress. What did she have to lose? A few minutes? Besides, it makes sense to humor your familiar's behavior every now and then.

As she reached out to remove the note, it melted into the dress. Shocked, Louise pulled out the material, trying in vain to find it. After her unsuccessful search, she allowed the robots to dress her.

They pulled the stiff, stuffy material over her head. She nearly suffocated on the dress as they finished pulling it over her.

Louise stared at herself in the mirror. The material was skin-tight, showing off her every curve, or lack thereof. The skirt narrowly hugged her legs, leaving very little of her slight body to the imagination, however disappointing that may be. Overall, it looked more like something Kirche would wear. She made a note to order Eggman to burn this thing. You couldn't talk to a member of royalty with such offensive garments!

As she glared at the plain, embarrassing figure staring back, one of the robots turned to its partner, and asked a simple question.

"Do you think we should turn it on?"

What happened next took her breath away.

The dress appeared to bloom, shifting the bodice into a beautiful mint-colored top, complimented by yellow and green highlights that flowed from her sides all the way down the sleeves, terminating just above her wrists. The skirt, however, put the bodice to shame.

It looked like the skirt exploded, filling out into a beautiful, blossoming bottom that touched the floor for a good meter around her. The fabric seemed to shimmer, shifting through almost every color possible: iridescent greens, blood reds, and even bright yellows and deep blues.

The dress was so amazing that Louise had to check again to see how it looked on her. It was as if she had become an emissary for a distant kingdom, where they knew magic that allowed them to create miraculous dresses such as these.

As she looked over her appearance, Louise noticed that something was… off. After unsuccessfully trying to pin it down, she turned to the side.

That's when she saw it. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Louise touched the bodice. Its high neckline covered her chest completely, yet there, where there was previously nothing…

She put her hands to the spot in question. There was a distinct curve to her chest now. It wasn't a significant difference, but the subtle change did help Louise feel more feminine.

Louise turned around, noting that the dress helped shape her body, providing just enough sculpting to give her a girlish figure.

As she continued to admire the clothes, Louise spotted Eggman entering the room. He was dressed differently, as well.

"It's a special composite material designed to remain compact until activated by an electric charge. At that point, the material unfurls into its true shape. And to think I originally used this to create shields and expandable components for my robots," he explained, as Louise turned to take in his clothes.

Eggman stood before her in what looked like his normal military coat. However, upon closer inspection, the noble realized that this coat had far more intricate designs: a set of pauldrons adorned both shoulders, bordered with golden tassels. the coattails were longer, too: they terminated just above his knees. His classical one-piece pants were replaced with black military trousers, tucked into knee-high brown boots. A golden circlet hung off his right shoulder, adorned with numerous medals of varying type and size. On his bald head perched an impressive cap with the symbol of the Eggman Empire embossed upon its center.

Overall, the doctor looked like a powerful military general. He even had a ceremonial saber hanging at... his… side…

Wait… Louise did a double-take at the sword. It was. It's that horrid sword given to him by Kirche!

Noticing her gaze, Eggman drew the weapon. Its blade was altered, with silver, gold, and bronze all mixed throughout the glistening metal.

"I figured since we should make an impression, I'd give Kirche's little gift here a spin. I made some improvements to it, as well. The extra alloys should help give it a more… exotic appearance," he explained, as Louise calmed herself down. It was just a gift from Kirche… and it would be rude not to have taken it.

Still… the idea he would be wearing that… instead of the one she bought him.

"Besides, Derflinger is still with Metal. I haven't seen the two since the ball."

Ah. That explains it, then. Louise put on her best smirk she could muster, as she stared at the doctor.

"I saw him last with Tabitha. I hope those two aren't getting into trouble," she baited, hoping for a reaction from the doctor.

Eggman frowned.

"I hope not. Metal's in a vulnerable state right now. His combat systems are being recalibrated so we don't have another incident like the other day."

Louise nodded. The idea of a robot running around, attacking students because of a faulty targeting system would tarnish their reputation, not to mention the reputation of the school.

But still… the fact that the doctor didn't even speculate about what kind of trouble a robot and a chevalier could get into… it annoyed her.

"Could you imagine, though, what it will be like, if those two became friends? A chevalier and one of my greatest creations..." Eggman shuddered, "there would be nothing to stand in their way."

"What do you normally do on days like today?" Metal asked. It was a day classes were not in session. The robot watched as other students milled about below.

"Read," Tabitha replied, as she picked up her book.

Metal was amazed at how much the little girl had eaten: almost everything he had brought up was decimated by the mage's disproportionate appetite. Clearly, the machine inferred, high magic use puts a drain on a person's energy reserves, which would certainly result in a rapid metabolism.

"Aren't there any other activities? You have a familiar capable of transporting you anywhere." Metal pointed to a set of mountains nearby. "Have you considered just exploring those, if only to say you did it?"

"Not interested." Tabitha replied.

Metal stared at the girl, perplexed by her apathetic behavior.

"If I had the level of freedom you do, I wouldn't stop until I've seen everything around here," the robot commented. Metal wasn't exactly sure why he said it, but he now wondered why he had rebelled against Eggman for all these years. Perhaps the robot wanted, above all else, to be free.

Perhaps it was a personality quirk that he picked up from Sonic's data… or perhaps Metal just wanted to see and observe more than just combat. There wasn't enough data for the machine to draw a conclusion.

"Why don't you?" Tabitha asked. "Nothing's stopping you."

Metal shook his head.

"I… can't."

Tabitha stared at the robot, who now looked away, as if it was contemplating a serious question.

"Why not?" she asked.

"It's not something you could understand, looking free yet being bound to your obligations," Metal tried to explain. When he turned to face Tabitha, he was shocked to see that the girl had left her bed and stood in front of the robot, her face, while still neutral, burned with curiosity.

"Try me."

Metal stared at the girl, before giving in.

"Most Eggman robots operate on preprogrammed directives. These are directions we must follow, regardless of where or what we are."

"Instinct," Tabitha replied, "Hungry, tired, cold, scared..."

"In many ways, yes," Metal agreed, "But more complex machines have advanced heuristics to allow them to adapt and develop specialized traits, and even change their behaviors on the fly, but they can't override their core directives.

"Thinking," she theorized, "this or that, fight or flight, personality."

Metal was amazed at the girl's understanding.

"That's fairly accurate. However, I am different than those machines. I do possess my own 'personality', as you put it, but a large portion of my traits are directly ripped as data from someone else. Consequently, my identity isn't entirely my own. Instead, it's always shared with another. Even my name reflects the fact I'm not completely unique."

Tabitha stared at the robot for several minutes. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond to his last statement. How could something as exotic as Metal not be entirely unique? Unless…

"Twin?" she suggested. Metal stared at her in confusion.

"But I am not an identical replica of Sonic. Portions of myself are unique to me."

"Fraternal." she answered.

Metal processed this response. In many ways, he and Sonic were twins: One was created to be a replica of the other, though many of Metal's systems were different than his progenitor's. They were both fast, blue, and had similar skeletal systems. Yet… there were still so many other things that the robot had different than Sonic. His copying ability, for one, which even he was still not sure how that power came to be. Perhaps it was a side-effect of the data-cloning process.

Since there were no other viable alternatives for defining his relationship, Metal chose to instead accept the proposed answer and stored the additional information for later review.

"Tell me… something about your world." Tabitha requested. In his preoccupation, the robot didn't notice the mage had put her book aside, and was now staring right at him.

Metal wasn't sure how to reply. Most of his memory banks were used to store tactical information, not observations of the world around him.

However, there was one mission where he had to enter a set of ruins to analyze some stone tablets…

"There is one story I know of, a legend from ancient times," he began.

A/N: Ok, long time, no see, huh? Truth be told, I had this chapter ready for a while, but I wanted to spend a little more time refining it. There were a few paragraphs that I wasn't completely sure to include. I don't want to go completely lewd and bring the breast joke of the series into focus, but I find Louise's physical deficiencies reflect her negative personality traits. In time, I hope to have Louise blossom as a person, both mentally and physically.

I'm trying to show off parts of Louise's inferiority complex. I may have Eggman make a note of it. Alfred Adler, the founder of individual psychology, points out that inferiority and superiority complexes are closely related: someone who thinks highly of themselves are hiding feelings of inadequacy.

Using Louise as an example, think about how she is portrayed: a haughty noble who's unable to cast normal magic and, consequently, belittled by her family. Suppose that her angry behavior is caused by her inferiority complex. To me, there's four components to her inferiority:

Her magical talent: This is the large one because it spawned the other three psychological problems. Her inability to perform even the most basic of spells, and how others react to it, has forced her to develop a red-hot temper. Compare how Louise acts before and after she gains the ability to cast Explosion. Yes, she does lose a bit of her anger and becomes a more centered person at towards the end of the series.

Her family: Having a daughter who can't use their rank's magical ability, especially in a society where such a lack of talent is scandalous, has no doubt affected her family's opinion on their daughter. We see evidence of her being abused as a child because of her failures. In fact, considering how this society behaves, I wouldn't be surprised if rumors floated around about Louise being an illegitimate child. I do have a plan for Louise to confront her family problems in the future, as part of her becoming more psychologically balanced.

Her body: This isn't as strongly related to her magic right now, but it's something I plan to elaborate more on as the story progresses. I won't dice words: Louise is a pancake. Given that she's in what is effectively a high school, there's no doubt that she will have to face bullying due to her lackluster physique. People can be merciless.

Her colleagues: Let's face it, her peers have given her the title "Louise the Zero" because of her aforementioned magical problem. Everyone makes fun of her poor abilities and treats her like garbage, because it's socially acceptable because she's… different. Kirche, her polar opposite, is a major antagonist for this group.

In time, I hope to see Eggman help Louise become a better person by giving her the tools (pun intended) to confront each of these issues. We have already seen Eggman confront the first one by reassuring her that she is casting magic, but her current method is simply not powerful enough to correctly utilize it.

Also, the doctor is encouraging Louise to make friends with Kirche to resolve the fourth problem.

I hope to eventually deal with Eggman's own psychological issues, but that will be some time off. I have a future story arc planned where everyone will travel back to the doctor's world to deal with a major threat there. I plan on addressing his problems then.

As another note, I want to briefly talk about this Eggman's personality. He is a self-proclaimed genius, where others have dubbed him as "evil". While most of his actions are borderline diabolical (mind control anyone?), I want to point out that the doctor's intent isn't to be the evil person at all: he's a political idealist who initially wanted to help the world, much like his grandfather.

Something happened, however, that shifted his whole perspective about people in general. Essentially, the doctor became cynical. No longer trusting people to do the right thing, Eggman sought to personally change the world for the better. By himself.

I think this cynicism best explains the doctor's defining trait: he works alone. Sure, he sometimes teams up with other characters, but overall, he doesn't ally himself with anyone without a good reason.

Overall, I hope to one day delve more into the psychology of these two, and how they will eventually complement each other.

I promise that next chapter will present further story progression. Do keep in mind that I am working as well as attending a university to complete my degree. Unfortunately, education comes first. Because I can't eat fanfiction.