A/N: Okay, I realised mid-week that the formatting had all disappeared when uploading this story, including scene breaks, which has made the story quite confusing. Here's my re-upload. It should be a lot better now.

ABOVE THE GREAT FOREST

The first that George knew, he was waking up in deep grass, to a dozen bruises and a rough, deep voice telling him tersely to wake up. That was a 'dozen' with artistic license, of course: he couldn't count his bruises, it was just that there were either a lot of them or they just covered a lot of his body, and they all glowed painfully across his senses.

They covered a lot of his body. Yeah, that was probably the best way to think about it. In any case, he was far more interested in the fact that he recognized the voice talking to him. It sounded astoundingly like Knuckles the Echidna.

George opened his eyes.

Fuck! It was Knuckles the Echidna, frowning down at him. George was just about to express his shock when Knuckles looked up and spoke.

"Who are you?"

"I'm George," answered the human, still too dazed to offer anything but a standard greeting. However, he was interrupted by another voice, one that made his eyes snap open and brought him instantly awake.

"I could ask you the same question." Sonic the Hedgehog! SatAM Sonic, in particular.

George clambered to his feet. He wobbled a little, but managed to stay upright. He looked at the other people surrounding him: Knuckles looked alarmed by his height, but seemed torn between facing off against George or Sonic. Sonic likewise seemed to be keeping an eye on Knuckles and George, but seemed to feel more in control of the situation. Clustered around Sonic was the SatAM team: Sally and Bunnie, Rotor, Antoine and Tails, who hid behind Bunnie and watched George with wide eyes.

Everyone went still, silent and tense, unsure of who to ask and who to listen to, first.

It was Sally who took the initiative, stepping forward with her hands up. "Okay, let's work this out. You - who are you?" she asked Knuckles.

Sonic watched George warningly out of the corner of his eye as if to say, 'don't do anything until she's ready to talk to you'. George made sure to keep still. Sonic had always seemed more approachable in games and videos, if not exactly cuddly. Now George could see why he made such a good freedom fighter: the hedgehog had a wiry, tough manner that he could only see now, in person. Just a single glance was enough to warn George not to mess with him. Sonic may have been young (in fact, maybe it was precisely because he was young and potentially impulsive that George felt the need to just shut up and obey), but he held command here. The nearest to come to challenging him in this respect was Knuckles, although he seemed to feel a touch overwhelmed by this particular set of events.

Knuckles scowled a little but acquiesced. "The name's Knuckles."

"And who are you? What do you do?" asked the princess, pressing for more.

Knuckles relaxed just a little. "I'm the guardian of the Master Emerald. It's around here somewhere and I'm going to find it. But if anyone here tries to take it you'll regret it."

Sally nodded. "Of course," she said, soothingly enough that he wouldn't feel challenged but not so much that he would feel patronized. "Did you lose it when you fell?"

Knuckles' jaw tightened; it seemed he didn't want to say any more.

"Did Robotnik do it?" asked George, and all eyes turned to him.

"Who?" Knuckles looked suspicious. His legendary fists balled up and George resisted the urge to take a step back.

"Dr. Robotnik," George elaborated. "Human. Not like me, though. He's known for being hungry for power. I'm guessing he'd want the Master Emerald for himself."

Knuckles relaxed again. "He called himself Robotnik." Then he looked up. "I don't know where he went. I was too busy saving your skin when you appeared. Shit, he could be after the Emerald now!"

Bunnie cleared her throat and glared at Knuckles. She'd put her hands over Tails' ears. "No swearing, sugah."

Knuckles was about to retort when Sonic took a single step to bring him in front of the rabbit and fox. "She said no swearing in front of the kid."

The echidna paused, then snorted and paid the trio no further attention. Instead he scanned the horizon as if searching for the Emerald - not that the horizon was very far away; they were more or less surrounded by forest.

The princess spoke again: "If it's any help, Robotnik's rarely quiet in the way he goes about things. If he was down here looking for the Emerald, we'd be able to hear him."

Knuckles looked conflicted about whether to trust this piece of information or not. But trusting Sally, with her reasonable tone, seemed the natural thing to do so he contented himself with scratching at his chest and scanning the depths of the forest some more.

Sally took this opportunity to turn to George. "So how did you get here?"

George shrugged. "I've genuinely got no idea. I woke up with Knuckles standing over me and that's the first I knew of all this."

Knuckles was watching him now, rubbing at his lower lip, deep in thought. "Robotnik had the Emerald hanging from his machine. He was nearly away from the Floating Island all together. Something invoked its power, and you appeared in a flash of light. I hit his machine and Robotnik started fighting back. I got him to drop it and then you, and me, and the Emerald, fell. I figured I needed to know more about you and you wouldn't survive the fall so I glided you to the ground."

George stood silently for a moment, stunned by this. "Thank you," he said eventually.

Knuckles shrugged. "Now the Emerald's lost. I've got to find it. And you, human? You're staying with me."

Now Sonic took over from Sally. "Then I'm coming with you."

"No!" Knuckles bristled. "I don't need your help. I'm looking for the Emerald alone!"

The hedgehog advanced on him, his prickles bristling just as bad. "I'm coming whether you like it or not. I don't trust humans and I'm keeping an eye on him." He jabbed a finger in George's direction.

George raised a finger to object, but a glare from Sonic shut him up. Instead the human looked at Sally, who smiled sympathetically at him. He put his finger down. "Well, if nothing else, I'm taller than you guys, so I can see a little further. I'll be good to come and look for it."

"And when you see it, you tell me," snarled Knuckles.

"Sure thing," answered George, although his own dominant streak made him want to tell Knuckles to stick his attitude up his ass.

Knuckles turned on his heel and went off in a random direction. Sonic followed but first shot George a warning glare.

George followed.

Sally called after them: "Sonic? We'll see you back at home and finish off work."

"Sure thing," he called back with a cheeky smile, which dropped again as soon as he looked ahead again.

As soon as they were out of hearing range of the rest of the team, Sonic faced off against George. "How do you know about Robotnik if you're new here?"

The human held his breath as he figured out how best to answer, and then sighed. "Where I come from, all of this - you, the Knothole Freedom Fighters, Knuckles, the fight against Robotnik - is a fictional story. I didn't think it was real, but here I am now and it looks real to me, so I'm just trying to fit in the best I can."

"You're from another world?"

"Another universe actually, I think."

Sonic looked skeptically up at the human. "If you turn out to be lying, you're in big trouble."

George pushed down half a dozen taunts. Now was not the time. "Sure. I'll be as good as gold, I promise."

The hedgehog smirked. "Yeah. Right. Come on, let's find this Emerald. Knuckles - what does it look like?"

As the two talked over the size, color and dimensions of the Master Emerald, George lost himself in thought. How had he got here? He knew he'd asked his friend, Jayne, for a story that went something like this and now, despite the fact that he'd expected to get a word-processing document by email with the story on, he was now inside it. That was… disturbing. He tried to contact her by a means that, in theory, should work in a written story.

Hey Jayne, can you read my mind? he thought, looking out for some kind of reply from her.

A scrap of paper fluttered in front of his eyes. One moment it wasn't there, the next moment it was. He grabbed it and turned it over to see that on it was written a message: 'Yes'.

This… this was potentially very bad. How come I'm actually here? Have you abducted me? I've got a life I need to live! George found himself shuddering as he walked through the leaf mold and grass of the forest, craning his neck absently for signs of a green gem sparkling in the dappled light. He couldn't see anything yet.

Another scrap materialized and he snatched it out of the air. '…yeah. Look, the situation's like this: I know you think you're George, but you're not actually George. It would make more sense to call you George A'.

George A? What does that mean?

'You have George's memories, but you're… split off from him. A copy, of sorts. George will read about these events and think I'm just writing a self-insert story for him, and he'll carry on with your/his life. But for you, you'll actually experience the story itself. It helps keeps things realistic, if I get your authentic responses to events'.

So wait - there's now two of me? And you can control reality?!

'Yep. And mix it with fiction. That thing I did in the other story I told you about, it wasn't a plot device. It's really me'.

Fuck, I didn't know you could actually do this! Take me home!

'Sorry, but no. Suffice to say I'll keep you safe in this story, since you didn't really know what you were getting into. Just… try not to be too rash, when you meet Robotnik'.

George's eyes bugged out. I'm going to meet Robotnik?

'Mm hmm'.

That doesn't sound safe.

'True, but you've got this. We talked about this, remember?'.

Well yeah, but I didn't think you could really do this!

'Sad thing is, your original self will still just think this is entirely fiction. Sorry George'.

Thanks for the useless apology, George snarked, and kept on searching.

xXx

George spent the next couple of hours, on and off, begging his original to help, but Jayne edited all of these out and warned George A that she had done this, since they didn't suit the purpose she had arranged with the original George. Indeed, to leave them in would waste the word count she had agreed with him. Eventually, after much arguing, begging, threatening, angry silences and failed attempts at bargaining, George A reluctantly accepted his position and decided that yes, he was going to fight Robotnik.

That was when he began to formulate his plan.

xXx

They found the Master Emerald lying cradled in a prickly bush. Knuckles hefted it onto his shoulder.

"Okay, well, there it is, Knuckles," said Sonic. "We can help you get it back up to your island. We have a plane. If you come back to Knothole we'll get it ready for you."

"Thanks," muttered Knuckles.

The group began to travel back.

George started thinking as they turned to head back, with Sonic leading the way. Where would things go from here? He wanted to go back home, but now that he was a copy, he suspected he couldn't. Maybe instead, he would live on Mobius, and… and…

Oh, crap!

His schizophrenia! He was well-medicated at this particular point in time, but he didn't carry his meds around with him, and it was only a matter of time before they wore off and he began to suffer from a recurrence of his symptoms. He had to get home!

Jayne! Did you get that? I need to get home! Now!

'Sorry George, nothing doing. You said you wanted a self-insert story, so you're going to have to work this one for yourself. Just for the record, I will let you go back home, if you figure out a way to. You will integrate seamlessly with Original!George'.

George A fought to keep his breathing under control. You total fucking bitch.

Jayne said nothing to that.

xXx

By the time they arrived in Knothole Village, George had convinced himself not to tell his hosts about his illness. If Mobian attitudes to schizophrenia were anything like terrestrial ones, he'd be in for a rough ride. Robotnik may or may not have been clinically insane, but if he was, then George would get tarred with the same brush.

He didn't need or want that. Instead, he talked to Sally, the next chance he got.

"So, um, Sonic and Rotor are getting the plane ready," he began, sitting down and hugging his knees in an effort to be somewhere close to Sally's height. Actually, when he sat down she was a bit taller than him.

"Yeah," she answered conversationally, and looked at him as if to ask why he was bringing that up.

"If the Emerald was responsible for bringing me here, then it's probably the key to getting me home."

Sally's look of realisation was… a little unsettling to George. That had seemed like such an obvious thought.

'They seem to think poorly in cartoons, sometimes'.

Jayne spoke in writing on the wall, unseen by Sally. But George caught it.

'Unlike the escape story, I thought I would at least give you characters who think like cartoon characters'.

Yep. Thanks, he answered, not quite willing to let Jayne off the hook.

"Since I know what Robotnik's like, do you want me to help out with the Knothole Freedom Fighters while you figure out how to get me home? I don't mind helping, honest."

Sally stopped what she was doing and looked curiously at him. "It's normally so difficult to get people to help. You really want to volunteer?"

George nodded. "Yeah!"

The ground squirrel looked blown away. "Wow. Well, that's great. Welcome on board, George!"

He found himself shaking hands with her, which was a bit of an odd experience since her hands weren't even half the size of his own. "It's just that, I have a few ideas…"

xXx

Rotor looked uncertainly at Sally before answering George. Sally had heard it before so didn't look shocked. In fact, she didn't offer him any idea of her opinion. She clearly wanted Rotor to use his own judgement.

Nonetheless, Rotor echoed Sally's thoughts. "We value all life. We don't kill."

George held his breath. Hoo boy, this was going to be an interesting conversation. "Does Robotnik? I mean, would he kill?"

Again, the two Mobians looked at each other. "Yes, absolutely. Thousands are dead because of him."

"And does he continue to kill people?" the human asked.

"Yeah. Only last month he sent a raid into a town fifty miles north of here," Sally answered.

"So doesn't it stand to reason that killing him shows a greater respect to life than letting him live? I mean, there's having faith that he'll see the error of his ways, and there's understanding that he's just going to keep on killing…"

He stopped talking: Sally looked disheartened all of a sudden.

"Sally?" he prompted gently.

At first she said nothing. Then: "You're right. I guess I've always known it, it's just that…" She sighed. Then she got up from her seat and walked out.

George watched after her for a moment, and then turned to Rotor. "Will she be all right?"

"Yeah," he said, shrugging. "And, uh, you are right. It's just that humans seem to think more about killing than any other animal."

George smiled ruefully. "So I really should just do my best here and get out of your hair."

Rotor returned the smile and stood up. "I'll start breeding that anthrax."