#AND SULFUR SMELLS LIKE EGGS - wham line

[toytowns]

chapter 40 sampler

maybe now you’ll understand why it’s a match made in ... well hell AND heaven

Amy and Sheptilah sat next to each other at her heavy wooden table while Eggman sat across from them. The hut was large and well-furnished with overstuffed shelves and wooden chests strewn about. He placed some papers on top of the table and slid it toward Amy.

“Mordred, the Egg Boss of Eurish if you remember, his team found some evidence of wiccaphage activity.”

“Wiccaphage?” Amy’s brow creased.

“Yes, as in ‘witch-eater’. Wicca meaning witch and phage meaning to eat.”

“Wicca is a religion, but go on.” Amy rolled her eyes.

“Anyway,” Eggman cocked his head, “they found the same kind of iron-dissolving marks on nearby buildings from a few years ago. Thunderbolt’s people interviewed the locals and found that there were odd disappearances years ago as well. Five years ago, to be exact.”

“When was the moon destroyed?” Sheptilah bit her thumbnail.

“Five years ago,” he sighed, “so they immediately started causing trouble.”

“But then… I should’ve been awoken immediately. The burst of energy that attracted you in the first place was the only one sent out.”

“I was out there for something else. Finding you was an accident.” Eggman pulled on his glove, “I didn’t go out there after the burst of energy; it happened after I arrived.”

She crossed her legs and bounced her foot nervously, “why would the magic choose you?” She jumped up and grabbed the royal grimoire, dropped it on the table and began flipping through the pages.

“Un-fudging-believable,” she pulled out some of the bookmarks, “okay.” She paused. The spell listed in the book was slightly different from the one that was imposed upon her. It wasn’t unusual for a mage to alter a spell to suit their needs but it was rude of them to not apply their notes to it.

“What is it?” Eggman adjusted his glasses.

“Nobody kept their damned notes the way they should’ve. Then again, I guess they all died after they sealed me up.” The witch crossed her arms. “I honestly don’t know why you were chosen.”

“Divine retribution for blowing up the moon in the first place!” Amy flashed a sharp-toothed grin. All of the Mobian hedgehogs had fangs, but Amy rarely showed hers.

“Unless… there is a theory,” Sheptilah interrupted, “about the sun and the moon.”

“A theory or a prophecy?” The hedgehog mused.

“The Red King and the White Queen. The sun and the moon ‘marry’,” she used finger quotes, “or come together soul-to-soul. It’s an allegory of two conflicting forces coming together to create the rebis. I think the rebis would be whatever we defeat these wiccaphages with. It’s gotta be the staff my mothers designed.”

Amy gripped the table. “Where does this leave Shadow?” Her heart was beating hard and fast. All of this was exciting to her.

“Shadow is the third facet in the tria prima! He’s salt! Salt is all about what’s left over between life and death, right? And we all know his story fits that allegory. Gods, it makes so much sense!” Sheptilah grabbed a pencil and flipped to a blank page in the grimoire and started scribbling in cuneiform.

  “The universe is bringing us together to fulfill this alchemic theory,” Sheptilah spoke rapidly, “I should’ve known. There’s always a reason for something.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” The overlander was very confused.

“Eggman, you’re the sun.” The little pink apprentice slammed her fist on the table, “the universe chose you for this on purpose. That’s why the crystal didn’t call for you until you were close enough. You were predestined for this. All three of you. Mercury, sulfur and salt are what metaphorically make up all of the universe.”

“But marriage?” He squinted.

“It’s not literal, you doofus,” Tilly stuck out her tongue, “I’m the moon and you are the sun.” She brushed her hair behind her ear, “sulfur and mercury.”

“It makes so much sense!” Amy jumped up, “mercury is the moon, right? Mercury is a shapeshifting material both literally and metaphorically. That’s what you are, Sheptilah! And Eggman is sulfur! Active, fiery and volatile!” She was jumping up and down, “oh my God! It’s all coming together!”

“Ladies,” Eggman was thrown off guard by their enthusiasm, “the sun?”

“You were meant to be together!” Amy sighed wistfully, “It’s almost romantic.”

Sheptilah bit her lip, she didn’t want the budding feelings known to anyone. She hadn’t even told her familiar. It was a simple crush, nothing more.

“Amy, you need to lay off the pulp novels,” Eggman chuckled.

“Sulfur represents wants and desires,” Tilly interrupted again, “salt is the manifestation of hard work and mercury is the constant movement between shapes.”

“You’re always pursuing your goals to no end, Shadow is an engineered being and Sheptilah is always moving between here and G.U.N.” Amy explained. “Sheptilah has white hair and you wear red, primarily.”

    Eggman’s eyes grew a bit wider with understanding, “and sulfur smells like eggs.”

Sheptilah sat down and rested her head on her grimoire, “my head hurts.”

“My mind is blown,” the hedgehog squealed, “oh my gosh!”