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Chapter Text

Knothole

In the aftermath of Perfect Chaos' attack, the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix divided their time between helping clean up the city and setting up a Chao Garden on Angel Island. In the middle of Azure Lake, Chaos' egg was set out on a rock in the water like a holy relic. More and more Chao showed up at the lake, drawn to the egg like moths to a flame. Their presence helped to calm even the most anxious of the group, which included both Sonic and Hope.

Sonic was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the amount of damage caused by the flood and Chaos' attack, and Hope had yet to find any trace of her grandmother. Because of his anxiety, Sonic decided to take a break, popping into the Knothole lab for a breather. To his surprise, Chris and Keith were working on repairing none other than Gamma, giving the former Badnik a tune-up, as well as the Freedom Fighter's insignia to cover his Robotnik symbol.

"How's that look, Gamma?" Chris asked.

"Excellent," Gamma replied. "Thank you."

"I remember you," Sonic piped up. "The good Badnik Amy and Cream stood up for."

"Isn't that an oxymoron?" Keith asked.

"Maybe…" Chris scratched his head. "So, would that make him a Goodnik?"

"Whatever works," Sonic decided. "So what's he doing here?"

"This unit was tasked with collecting a new symbol to prevent unnecessary deactivation from Freedom Fighter supporters," Gamma explained. "As well as the transport and containment of Robian C-001."

The last part got Sonic's attention. "Say what?"

"Over here, Sonic," Hope said.

He turned towards a work table that was covered by a white tarp. Hope was standing next to it, toolbox in hand as she prepared to work. Sonic approached, and Hope whipped off the tarp. His jaw dropped at the sight of Uncle Chuck strapped to the table, currently inactive.

"Uncle Chuck...?! But... how? When?"

They heard the door open, turning to see Amy and Cream enter.

"We found him on the Egg Carrier while searching for Lily's family," Cream explained.

"Gamma helped us bring him back here, and has been on guard to contain him in the event he wakes up," Amy added. "Between cleaning up Station Square and managing the Azure Lake Garden, we haven't had time to tell you."

"I've been working on repairing him as best I can," Hope included. "He's suffered a lot of damage thanks to the crash, which is why his systems knocked him offline. But don't worry, I'll have him functional in no time. Who knows, maybe while I'm working, I can figure out what makes Robians tick and bring the real Uncle Chuck to the surface. Aurora knows we could use his 'Uncle to Many' attitude right about now."

Sonic said nothing, looking him over before turning to Amy. He slowly approached before pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you, Amy… You have no idea how much this means to me."

Amy paused before returning the hug. "Cream deserves one of those too."

Sonic wasted no time hugging Cream as well.

"You too." He pulled away, tapping her badge. "You definitely earned this."

Cream smiled at the praise. That's when a knock came to the door. Sonic opened it, seeing Sam standing there.

"Oh hey," he greeted. "Sam, right? James' kid?"

Sam nodded. "Is… Hope here?"

"In here," Hope replied. "What's up?"

Sam looked up at her, his face portraying nothing but sympathy and remorse.

"I… need you to come with me," he told her. "And… bring as many of your friends as you can."

Everyone began slowly setting their tools down, the tone of the room dropping.

Area 99

At Area 99, the Freedom Fighters were led along. Dr. Bennett led Sam and Hope into a room, which much to Hope's horror was a morgue. A body lay on a table, covered with a sheet. The girl's blood ran cold as Sarah took hold of the sheet, nothing but sympathy and compassion on her face for Hope.

"I'm so sorry about this, but…" she began, "Can you identify this woman as Agnes Hopkins, your grandmother?"

She pulled back the sheet, revealing the pale face and closed eyes of none other than Agnes. Hope's hands went to her mouth with a gasp and she gave a broken nod before just dropping to her knees. Sam caught her as she fell, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry…" he told her softly.

Hope just buried her face into his chest and wept openly. Sam fought back tears himself, while Sarah looked on, wishing there was something she could do to ease the girl's pain.

-X-

Sometime later, Hope and Sam exited. Hope's red eyes and tear-stained cheeks told the Freedom Fighters all they needed to know. The kids rushed to Hope's side, just holding her and letting her cry. Cream even gave Cheese to Hope, hoping the Chao would help soothe her. The rest of the group looked on in sorrow and empathy. Sonic began sparking at the sight and realization, breathing heavily, before he spun around and slammed his fist into the wall behind him, screaming in rage and anguish.

"Sonic?" Sally piped up, turning to him.

"I- I gotta go," Sonic insisted. "I can't stay here…"

He zoomed out fast.

"Sonic, wait!" Tails cried. "Come back!"

But he was already gone.

Station Square

The funeral was a small affair, with Agnes buried alongside Hope's mother and father. The Freedom Fighters were there, alongside the kids and their families. Nelson and Lindsey were both standing with Hope, keeping their hands on the girl's shoulders. As Agnes' coffin was buried, Hope looked away, tears in her eyes. Much to her surprise, she was able to see Eggatha standing under a tree dressed in black, an umbrella over her head, and Coco by her side. Despite the pain she was in, knowing her cousin risked exposure to offer support made Hope feel a little better. She wiped her eyes and gave a tiny wave, Eggatha returning it.

From a distance away, Sonic stood off from the others, unable to look Hope in the eye. Sally came up to him, gently taking his hand. Sonic hesitated before squeezing hers.

"I failed… again," he let out.

"No…" Sally shook her head. "Sonic, please. Don't do that to yourself."

"It's true, Sal," Sonic lamented. "I failed, and Hope paid the price. She, and Aurora knows how many others. I failed to stop Chaos in time, and because of that-"

He choked, tears in his eyes.

"Sonic…" Sally let out.

Sonic turned away, getting to his feet.

"I have work to do…"

Before Sally could stop him, he darted off. She sighed before joining the others.

"Where's Sonic?" Chris asked.

"It was too much for him," Sally replied. "No doubt he went to help rescue efforts."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"I'm not sure," Sally answered. "He's reverting to how he was after the first Death Egg. He made so much progress. He was finally getting better, and now…"

"Guess the city isn't the only thing that needs rebuilding," Chris sighed. "Sonic's confidence... and Hope's happiness."

He rubbed his face. "Are we sure we won this time?"

"If you're asking me 'Did the good guys win?'" Sally said. "Yes, the good guys won, Chris. But... I'll have to get back to you on whether or not it was worth it."

Hope said nothing, looking down at Agnes' grave. Lindsey placed her hands on her shoulders.

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now, darling," she said. "Do you... have a place to stay at the moment?"

"There are some bunks in Knothole," Hope replied. "It's where I've been crashing."

"Well, how about coming home with us?" Nelson offered. "What you need is somewhere you can mourn in peace, and some home-cooked food from Ella will help."

Hope thought it over for a moment or two. She turned back, nodding.

"Thank you, Mr. Thorndyke," she said gratefully.

"Whatever you need, we'll do our best to help," Lindsey assured. "We promise."

Knothole

Over the next few days, Hope acclimated to life at the Thorndyke Mansion, finding an escape from her grief by working on different projects. That left the others free to worry about Sonic, whose every waking moment seemed to be centered around helping clean up Station Square and finding any survivors. He barely took time to eat and rest, and it was only getting worse. In desperation, Sally called for a meeting.

"We need to talk about Sonic," she said. "Ever since Agnes' funeral, he's been on the move non-stop."

"I swear, I'm half tempted to bop him upside the head so he'll pass out long enough to get some frickin' sleep," Knuckles admitted.

"He's gonna run himself to death if this keeps up," Tails added.

"But what can we do?" Mina asked. "You guys know how stubborn Sonic can be. We tried an intervention once before the Metamorphia stuff, and it didn't work."

"Which is why this time, we're going to hit the crux of the problem: his perceived failure," Sally declared. "He thinks he failed because of what happened to Agnes. We need to show him he's wrong. Or, more appropriately, Kat and Hope are going to show him."

Kat and Hope exchanged looks at that.

"Us?" Hope asked.

"Sonic's issues all started when he failed to save Kat and her village from the first Death Egg, and it's come full circle with you. You two are the only ones who can make him see the truth."

"I've already spiked his chili dogs with a sedative," Tails piped up. "He won't be running for a bit. Not until feeling returns to his legs. If you're gonna talk to him, now's the time."

Kat let out a breath. "You up for this, Hope?"

"I am," Hope nodded. "Sonic needs to know what happened to my granny isn't his fault in the slightest."

"Agreed," said Kat. "And I need to make him see the same about my old home."

Hand in hand, the two girls made for Sonic's room.

-X-

The hedgehog was laying on his bed, poking his legs and barely feeling anything.

"I should've known something was up when Tails made those chili dogs," he grumbled. "That little sneak slipped me a mickey!"

He turned when the doors opened, allowing the two girls entry.

"Sonic, we need to talk," Hope told him.

Sonic looked between the two and sighed. "Well, since my legs still feel like jello, I guess I don't have much say in the matter."

"No, not really," Kat confirmed. "I'm gonna be blunt, Sonic. None of this is your fault."

Sonic opened his mouth to object, but Hope raised a hand.

"What happened to Grandma isn't your fault and never was. I don't blame you, Sonic. Not one bit."

"And what I told you last year about the Death Egg, I was way out of line," Kat included. "I was wrong and I am sorry I ever made you feel like that. I was hurt. I was grieving. I wasn't thinking straight. But it's no excuse for what I did."

"And I never blamed you for my grandma," Hope went on. "Honestly... I've blamed myself. I'm the one who smashed the Nullifier Eggman was using to control Chaos. I freed him in the first place. If anyone's to blame for what happened to Station Square... it's me, not you."

"Hope, you didn't even know what it was," Sonic pointed out. "You had no way of knowing what would happen."

"And neither did you," Hope countered. "What happened to me, to us, it's not your fault."

"Eggman destroyed my village," Kat went on. "Eggman killed my people."

"Eggman unleashed Chaos. Eggman killed my grandma. He's the only one to blame for everything that's happened. All you've done is try to stop him and save as many people as you can."

"You're not gonna save everyone, it's just not possible. But you'll save more people if you take care of yourself and let people help you."

Sonic sighed. "I get what you're saying, believe me. But plenty of people are still in Station Square, trapped in rubble and the like. What am I supposed to do, just leave it?"

"No, of course not," Hope clarified. "But you need to get yourself in order first. You've been pushing yourself to the limit with barely any food or sleep. Have you even seen yourself in the mirror lately?"

Kat went and pulled the mirror off the wall, holding it in front of Sonic. His quills were dull, matted, and dirty, his face was gaunt and sunken in, and he had bags under his eyes that almost looked like bruises. He took one look and turned away in disgust.

"You ever think of what would happen if crap could eat and crap stuff out? Pretty sure that's what I look like right now."

"Accurate," Kat agreed as she put the mirror back.

"The sedative will wear off in a few more hours," Hope told him. “When it does, shower, and eat something properly. Otherwise, Tails will drug you again."

"Okay, you win," Sonic conceded. "Now that you mention it, I've been feeling pretty... blah."

"So…" Kat raised an eyebrow. "Are you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Sonic assured. "To be honest, that's just what I needed to hear."

He pulled off his sneakers, setting them by the bed. As he curled up to get some much-needed sleep, the girls vacated the room, sharing a high-five.

"We should've done that a long time ago," Hope remarked.

"Agreed," Kat nodded.

The two left him to rest, confident that this time, they had finally gotten through to him.

Chapter Text

Angel Island

About a week later, the others were working in the Azure Lake garden, getting a Chao Berry tree planted and erecting a comfortable cave for the Chao. A Warp Ring opened up and Sonic exited, looking much better and cleaner.

"Hey, Sonic!" Keith greeted.

"Hey, Keith," Sonic waved. "Sally told me to take a break and come help with the Chao Garden. So... anything you need done?"

"Yeah, actually," Helen replied. "Could you help me loosen the soil here? I'm trying to plant some wildflowers to make the lake a bit homier."

Sonic nodded. "Sure thing."

He curled into a Spin Dash, launching himself through the dirt and tilling it for Helen.

"Careful, Sonic!" Tails objected. "You're getting dirt in the water!"

"I got it," Knuckles assured.

Cream and Cheese were near Chaos' egg, looking it over when they heard a small crack. The two looked up, seeing the egg was beginning to rock back and forth.

"Everyone!" Cream cried. "It's time!"

There was a collective gasp as everyone gathered around the lake. The egg began to rock back and forth at a rapid pace before a crack opened up, circling the entire shell. Cream gently reached out, taking off the top and allowing the Freedom Fighters to see the child of Chaos for the first time. He was almost perfectly white, his hands a gradient to a watery blue that was matched by two fins on the sides of his head. His eyes were big and green, his head coming to a point that connected with a glowing yellow pom-pom. All and all, aside from color, he looked almost exactly like a miniature Chaos.

"Whoa…" everyone let out.

The Chao were already flocking toward him, chirping happily as the newborn beamed at everyone.

"What should we name him?" Cream asked.

"Chaos Jr.?" Sonic offered.

"We are not naming a demigod Chao Chaos Jr," Knuckles informed him.

Kat thought for a minute before snapping her fingers. "How about Drake?"

"Drake?" Keith asked.

"Yeah," Kat nodded. "We all thought that he was this massive dragon, remember? So, if this little guy is his son, then he's a drake. So, Drake."

Sonic nodded. "That's… actually the perfect name."

Kat smiled, then several of the Chao began to appear, harmonizing as they danced around Drake. Suddenly, a little blur ran past them and up to Drake. When it stopped, everyone's jaws dropped at the sight of a Chao identical to Cheese and the others except for three little points on the back of his head similar to Sonic's quills.

"What the…?" Sonic let out in shock.

"Did that thing just…" Knuckles began.

"It did... But how?" Tails questioned.

The Chao chirped, a smirk similar to Sonic's on his face as he greeted Drake. Two more Chao suddenly appeared, one flying with even more grace than the others, and one literally pushing a big rock aside to get to them. Upon closer inspection, the flying Chao had little fox-like ears on top of his head, and the strong Chao had begun to manifest twin spikes on the back of his nubs.

"Cream…" Helen began, "What happened to these Chao?"

"Nothing's happening to them," Cream explained. "They're just Character Chao."

"Character Chao?" Chris asked.

"All Chao can form bonds with other creatures and gain their traits as they grow," said Cream. "Character Chao take it up to eleven, so to speak. They're a rarer breed, though. I've never seen one before now."

"So these guys are super-rare," Sonic mused. "But why are there three of them?"

"Because of Drake," Cream replied. "He's a demigod to them, so they're drawn to him."

"And they decided to mimic us. Cute."

"Seriously cute," Hope agreed.

The Tails Chao flew over to Hope, chirping as it landed on her head. It nuzzled her, purring as he did. Within minutes, Hope felt her fears and pain begin to fade. She smiled, sighing.

"I swear these things are therapy personified," she remarked.

"They do have that effect," Kat admitted.

As if on cue, the Knuckles Chao went over to her. It chirped before jumping onto Kat's arm, clinging to it with surprising strength.

"Seems this one has claimed me," Kat petted it with her free arm. "And quite forcefully, too."

The Sonic Chao turned to Keith, walking over to him and smiling.

"Me? Seriously?" he asked.

He bent down and picked up the Chao, who nodded and chirped happily.

"They'll need names," Sonic perked. "I've already got some."

He gestured to each Chao in turn. "Chronic, Chails, and Chuckles. Team Sonic, meet Team Chronic. Team Chronic, Team Sonic."

The Chao chirped, enjoying their names.

"Since when are we a team?" Knuckles deadpanned.

"Shhh," Sonic urged. "You're ruining the moment."

"If Chails is anything like Tails, I get the feeling he'll be right at home in the Brain Trust lab," Hope decided. "And with ready access to the Lake of Rings, it'll be perfect."

"Chuckles will be good with me," said Kat. "I can bring him to the Garden whenever he needs it."

"Not sure about Chronic, to be honest," Keith admitted. "My mom has a 'no pets' policy."

"There are pets, and then there's a Chao," Chris pointed out.

"Yeah, even Eggman has a Chao," Hope chimed in.

"Wait, he does?" Kat questioned.

Hope pulled out her phone, showing a picture of Eggatha with both Nik and Pitch

"Apparently," Chris remarked.

"Yeah," Sonic nodded. "It's why he tried to make a getaway with Cream's mom."

"Huh," Kat let out. "How could a Chao be attracted to him?"

"Those are a rarer breed," Cream explained. "Dark Chao. They're drawn to those with... less than pure hearts."

"So... they're evil too?" Knuckles asked.

"Of course not. There's a difference between 'dark' and 'evil,' Knuckles."

Knuckles nodded. "Yeah, that's a good point. Well made."

"All right," Keith conceded. "Here's hoping Mom can't say no to that face."

"If she can, there's something wrong with her," Sonic said.

Station Square

When Keith took Chronic home, Laura was almost immediately fawning over him.

"Oh my gosh, look at this little cutie!" she exclaimed.

She picked up Chronic, absolutely starstruck.

"He's one of the Chao at the Garden we've been setting up on Angel Island," Keith explained. "He took a shine to me, so I figured I'd bring him home and... well, you know."

"Of course, he can stay," Laura assured him.

She playfully poked Chronic's belly, getting a cute chirp and giggle from him.

"He can stay?" Keith blinked. "But… you hate animals."

"Chao are hardly animals," Laura pointed out. "They're mostly self-sufficient, and some of the cleanest beings in existence. And to clarify, I don't hate animals. They're just messy and a lot to look after, and we don't have the time to balance caring for pets with work, you know?"

"Fair," Keith hugged his mom, smiling. "Thank you."

"Any time," Laura replied.

Angel Island

Back on the island, Kat and Knuckles headed into Echidnaopolis, Chuckles still clinging to the former's arm.

"Lara-Le!" Kat called. "Check this out!"

Lara-Le came up, seeing the Chao clinging to Kat's arm.

"Oh, that's adorable!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's kinda attached," Knuckles said.

Chomps came over, bending down and giving the Chao a sniff. Chuckles chirped, booping him on the nose.

"Well, glad to see you two will be getting along," Kat said, smiling.

They heard a throat clearing and turned to see Locke approach.

"Oh, boy…" Knuckles sighed, realizing what was about to happen.

"He's here for me," Kat said. "He always is."

He stopped before them, his face stern.

"Kathryn, you've been shirking your training for over a week," Locke began. "I've been nice, I've been patient. I've been more than reasonable. But my patience for your slacking is at an end."

"Locke, be reasonable," Lara objected. "She had to be there for her friend. Her grandmother died, remember?"

"Stay out of this, Lara," Locke told her. "Kathryn, if you won't take your duties seriously, then perhaps you're simply not meant for this."

"Hey!" Kat defended. "I had other stuff to do, okay? My friend lost her only family, the Chao Garden, and relief efforts after Chaos!"

"You are a Guardian-in-training," Locke insisted. "Our priorities are to protect the Master Emerald and the island first and foremost."

"Explains your parenting skills," Knuckles muttered under his breath.

Locke turned to him. "What was that?"

"Well excuse me for putting others before myself, unlike you!" Kat snapped before Knuckles could answer.

Locke scowled. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Kat spat. "Believe it or not, I do take this seriously! Do you want to know why I wanted to be a Guardian in the first place? So you would finally see me as someone worthy of respect. But all you've done is ridicule me and push me further than I have ever seen you push Knuckles! It's as if you want me -!"

She froze, realization hitting at that. After a minute, she scowled, angrier than she had ever been before. "That's it, isn't it? Why you've been such a slave-driving asshole to me since I started Guardian training. You've been trying to get rid of me this whole time!"

Knuckles went wide-eyed as the pieces fell into place. Lara-Le put a hand to her mouth, and even Chomps and Chuckles were scowling. Even more shocking, red lights were beginning to filter out of the Master Emerald, swirling slowly behind Kat.

"You're not fit to be a Guardian," Locke shot back. "The Guardians have always been and always should be echidnas. There's no place for the likes of you."

Kat clenched her fists, and to everyone's surprise, her eyes began to glow a fiery red as her hair flared brightly, rising up and glowing like flames. Locke gaped and immediately backed up against the wall as Kat got in his face, letting loose. Smoke rose from beneath her feet as if she was burning the grass below her.

"Not fit...? NOT FIT?! I have done everything you've asked of me. I have tried so many times to show you that I'm more than you thought me to be! But it was never enough! It would never be enough!"

As she ranted, the lights behind her began to coalesce, forming the translucent form of Tikal. She was unseen by all save for Locke, to whom she gave a disappointed shake of her head.

"I worked my ass off! I helped stop Chaos! I've saved the world from Eggman ten times over, and you still treat me like crap!"

Unable to contain her rage anymore, Kat shoved Locke into the wall, cracking it before turning away.

"I'm done with this, Locke! I'm done with working like a dog to earn the respect of a nasty, selfish, racist old man like you!!"

"Kat-" Knuckles called out.

"WHAT?!" Kat screeched, her aura flaring for a split second.

Knuckles pointed to a puddle on the ground, the only reflective surface currently available. She took a look, gasping at the power her reflection was giving off. In an instant, the power dissipated, leaving her normal once more. Seeing she had calmed down for the time being, and was reeling from shock, Knuckles quickly rushed over to her, taking her arm.

"C'mon, we're leaving," Knuckles insisted. 

Before they left, Knuckles gave Locke a dirty look. 

"You almost had me convinced there was a shred of decency or possible growth in you for a while. I should've known better." He shook his head in disdain. "I'm embarrassed to be related to you."

They stormed off at that. Locke tried to follow, only for Chomps to step in his way, snarling and growling at him. The threat was clear; if Locke tried to go after Knuckles and Kat, Chomps would go right for the throat. Tikal was the last to disappear, her lights fading from view as she seemed to cry.

Knothole

Knuckles and Kat soon arrived at Knothole, explaining the revelation regarding Locke that had been revealed. All the while, Sonic was completely silent. After a minute, he stood up. Everyone was immediately on edge by his attitude; while he looked calm at first glance, it was only skin-deep, and he was literally out of his mind with pure, unbridled fury (1).

"That's it," he began, his voice calm and tinged with cruel malice. "I've had it way past all I can take from that old fart. It's time he and I sat down and had a very violent talk."

"Sonic, no," Sally interjected.

"Don't try and stop me, Sal! You know he's had it coming for a long time!"

"Maybe so, but this isn't the way. You can't stoop to his level."

"Then what are we supposed to do? Let him walk all over Kat and Knuckles?" Sonic was sparking with rage, lightning dancing in his eyes as he gestured to the Knuckleheads. "Kat's been through enough without putting up with his racist bullshit. So unless you have an actual alternative, I'm going to Angel Island, taking Locke outside, then I'm going to smash him into a greasy red smear on the ground!"

"Sonic!" Knuckles grabbed the irate hedgehog. "Get ahold of yourself!"

"Seriously Knux?!" Sonic snapped as he freed himself from Knuckles' grip. "You should want this more than I do! Even you can't deny your old man's an asshole who deserves the beating of his life!"

"I'm not denying what he is," Knuckles replied. "He's an asshole and a racist, but he's still my father. Besides, I've already washed my hands of him. Kat and I are not returning to the island. Not this time, not ever again."

Sonic was still angry. Sally put a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you go out on a run?" she suggested gently. "Help with clean-up, deal with Badniks. Do something to calm down."

After a minute, Sonic sighed and took off. Off to the side, Kat was just looking at her hands in shock.

"<All that power... and I let it out so easily...>" She was shaking slightly as she curled in on herself. "<If Knuckles hadn't stopped me...>"

Knuckles spared her a glance, unable to keep the concern off his face. "Her strength is one thing, but this... it's completely unheard of. What she was doing... it looked like she was manifesting Chaos Energy, like Sonic's lightning."

"Her prolonged exposure to the Master Emerald must have been empowering her," Sally suggested. "And now... she's absorbed enough that she's gained the ability to manifest it."

"Perhaps," Knuckles mused. "It's the best we can figure. I mean, Sonic manifested power because of all the Power Rings and Emeralds he's used. So it makes sense she could do the same. The question is... why?"

Angel Island

Back on Angel Island, Locke was seated before the Master Emerald. Lara came up behind him.

"Well, you've finally done it, Locke," she said in discontent. "You drove Kathryn off the island, and our son along with her. Was it worth it?"

Locke said nothing. Lara sighed and turned away, Chomps following after her. Once they were gone, Locke looked up at the Emerald.

"Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did you choose her? I don't understand it."

He was met with silence.

"She's a human, an outsider," Locke went on. "She does not belong in the Brotherhood."

"Then you forget your own history, Locke."

Locke perked as the red orbs materialized from the Emerald, swirling around until they formed Tikal. She appeared in front of him, her disappointment and sorrow evident.

"Tikal?" he let out in awe before shaking his head. "What do you mean?"

"Contrary to what you believe, the Brotherhood of Guardians has not always consisted of echidnas," Tikal informed him.

Locke blinked. "What?"

"The founder of our Brotherhood was not an echidna, but a hedgehog. Solaran. He founded the Brotherhood after my sacrifice, alongside your ancestor Edmund."

"What...?" Locke let out. "But... But I thought-"

"And he was not the only 'outsider' to be in the order," Tikal went on, ignoring him. "Many creatures from all over Mobius were in the Brotherhood. But come Ascension Day, the Echidnas took Master Emerald with them when Angel Island rose into the sky and effectively rewrote history to claim they have always been the sole Guardians. And since that day, I have watched our people revert to how they were while under my father's rule: cold, cruel, and believing themselves superior to all. Up until the day Kathryn Winters arrived on this island."

"Her?" Locke questioned. "How could she have changed anything?"

"Your son," Tikal answered. "He saw a scared, wounded young girl who had escaped enslavement and a massacre, and he took her under his wing and cared for her without a second thought. He fed her, clothed her, and made her feel safe. He invited her to live here and opened his home to her. And with her, I saw my chance to restore the true Brotherhood."

She paused for a moment, letting out a shuddering breath.

"Do you see now? I chose Kathryn to be the bridge between Angel Island and the surface."

"That's why the Emerald connected with her," Locke realized. "Why she gained so much power so fast." He met Tikal's eyes. "Because of you."

"Precisely. Though you may very well have burned that bridge due to your stubbornness and pride."

Locke fell back as the realization hit. He pinched the bridge of his snout with a sigh.

"I'm a fool," he let out.

"Indeed," Tikal confirmed bluntly.

"What should I do?" Locke asked. "How can I make things right?"

"That, Locke, is up to you to figure out," Tikal answered.

She disappeared into red light at that. After a few minutes of debate, Locke made his decision, standing up.

Mobotropolis

Mina was gathering some supplies, Bunnie, Shorty, and Antoine with her.

"Is this the last of it?" Bunnie asked.

"I think so," Mina nodded. "Did we get that polish you like, Shorty?"

"Yeah," Shorty confirmed. "Shard's been mooching off of me. Now he'll have his own can."

"Hang on…" Antoine perked, looking through the crowd to see a familiar face. "Isn't that... an echidna?"

The others looked, seeing Locke wandering around looking for something.

"Not just any echidna," Mina said. "It's Knuckles' dad. What's he doing down here?"

"Don't know, don't care," Shorty said bluntly. "Let's split before I give into my urges and shoot him in the foot."

"Now hang on, the guy never leaves the island," Bunnie pointed out. "So what is he doing in Mobotropolis?"

"Probably looking for Kat so he can rag on her some more," Shorty theorized. "Who cares? He's an asshole."

"Still, maybe we should see what he's doing," Mina insisted.

Shorty was clearly against it but gave in when he realized Mina wouldn't be persuaded otherwise.

"Ugh… fine," he sighed. "Hey, Locke!"

Locke perked, turning in their direction before hurrying over.

"There you are," he greeted. "You're Knuckles and Kat's friends, right? I've been looking for someone to take me to Knothole Village."

"Why do you want to go to Knothole?" Bunnie asked.

"To make amends," Locke replied. "I know you think very little of me and have no reason to believe me, and I don't blame you. But I swear on my honor as a Guardian I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to talk to Kathryn and my son."

The four Freedom Fighters exchanged looks, genuinely surprised.

"Guys…" Mina said after a minute, "What should we do?"

"I think we should take him back," Bunnie decided. "He wouldn't leave Angel Island and come all this way if he wasn't serious, right?"

"Indeed," Antoine agreed. "I'll vote yes."

"If he truly wants to make amends, who are we to get in his way?" Mina added.

Shorty sighed.

"You guys do know the minute Sonic sees Locke, he'll be out for blood," he pointed out. "Sally just barely managed to talk him down from going straight to the island and tearing his freaking head off less than an hour ago, in case you've forgotten."

"Perhaps one of us should go first," Antoine suggested. "Let them know he's coming."

"True," Bunnie agreed. "I mean, Knuckles made it clear he wanted nothing to do with his father."

"I'll go," Mina offered.

She pulled out a Warp Ring, turning to Locke.

"Give us a minute to get everyone ready," she said.

Locke nodded, and with that, Mina threw the Ring.

Knothole

Back at Knothole, Knuckles and Kat were getting settled in with the others' help when Mina appeared.

"Guys…" she began, "You won't believe who we ran into back in Mobotropolis."

"Who?" Sally asked.

"Locke."

Instantly, Knuckles and Kat's moods soured at the mention of Locke's name.

"What the hell does he want?" Knuckles growled.

"He came all this way to make amends," Mina explained. "He just wants to talk to you two."

"Is that what he told you, Mina?" Knuckles questioned. "And you bought it?"

"He did come down from Angel Island personally," Mina pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it's not the first time he's tried to make amends," Kat shot back. "I mean, he's apologized so many times."

"Tell him to go back to Angel Island, and to please let the door hit him on the way out," Knuckles spat. "I'm done with him and his shit, Mina. I don't want him in my life."

"Knuckles... he left the island to talk to you personally," Mina said. "He wouldn't do that unless he really meant it."

"Then you obviously don't know who you're talking about," Knuckles answered.

"Knux... he's your dad," Mina pointed out. "Do you really want to end things like this?"

Knuckles paused for a moment.

"Look…" Mina sighed, "I know he wasn't a particularly good father to you, but he wants to make it up to you and came all this way. At least hear him out. You never know when the next time you see him might be the last."

She looked down at that moment, clearly thinking about her mother.

"Ugh… fine," Knuckles gave in. "I'll talk to him."

Mina smiled before peeking her head through the still-open Warp Ring.

"He'll talk to you," she informed Locke. "Come on in."

Locke stepped through, followed by the others. The tension could be cut with a knife, but just as he opened his mouth to say something, they heard the front door open.

"Well, that was just what I needed," Sonic remarked as he entered the room. "Nothing like a good run to clear... your…"

He trailed off as he looked up and saw Locke. Immediately, everyone was on edge.

"Hello, Sonic," Locke greeted. "I'm-"

Suddenly, a sonic boom sounded and several items were blown and scattered across the room as Sonic tackled Locke to the ground at super-speed. He pinned the echidna down, the pure hatred in his gaze enough to kill.

"You've got some nerve showing your face around here, you racist jackass!" He snarled.

"Sonic!" Sally cried out. "Sonic, let him go!"

"Why should I?"

"Because you're better than that. Now let. Him. Go."

After a tense moment or two, Sonic sighed before backing off. He shoved himself off of Locke, the echidna grunting in pain as Sonic glared at him.

"Consider yourself lucky Sally was here to stop me, Locke. Now, out with it. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to make amends if it's not too late," Locke replied.

"Less than an hour ago, you burned that bridge by saying Kat had no place in the Brotherhood, Dad," Knuckles told him. "Why the sudden shift in tone?"

"I was paid a visit by Tikal," Locke answered.

"Oh really?" Kat asked. "I'm surprised she's still sticking around."

"Solaran did say she and Chaos would be trapped in the Emerald for all time," Knuckles pointed out.

"Now that Chaos' rage has abated, they choose to remain in it," Locke clarified. "But that's not the point."

Locke proceeded to explain what Tikal had told him. How Solaran was one of the founders of the Brotherhood of Guardians, how they used to be a mixed-race group, and how the echidnas hijacked the Master Emerald and the guardianship for their own ends; he left out no detail. As he came to the part of Kat's role, and the reason behind her power, everything began to make sense.

"That's why you got so strong so fast," Keith realized.

"Exactly," Locke nodded. "Tikal chose Kathryn to be her means of bringing back the original Brotherhood and to serve as the bridge to reconnect the echidnas of Angel Island to the surface. But my pride and old views blinded me to that truth for so long... until she informed me as such. I know I've apologized and promised to change many times over the past year. I know you have no reason to believe this time will be any different."

He sighed before dropping to his knees. Everyone was shocked as he bowed low, his head to the ground.

"But could you two find it in your heart to give this old fool one last chance?" he asked.

Knuckles and Kat looked at each other uncertainly.

"I... don't know what to say," Kat admitted.

"You don't need to answer right away, or return to the island immediately," Locke assured. "All I ask is that you consider it."

He rose to his feet, letting out a thready breath.

"I am... truly sorry for everything I said," he told them. "And how I treated you. I don't expect you to believe me, but it's true."

A moment of silence followed, and Locke turned away.

"I've said what I came to say. I'll... just be going now." He turned to Mina. "Would you kindly return me to Mobotropolis? I can find my way back to the island from there."

Mina nodded. "Yes, of course."

She opened the Warp Ring, allowing Locke to pass through. Once he was gone, the two Knuckleheads were left stunned.

"Knuckles? Kat?" Sally asked. "You two okay?"

"I… I'm not sure," Knuckles confessed.

"Me neither," said Kat. "I think this time... he was genuine."

"Right, and I'm a Badnik," Sonic scoffed. "He's done this before, and I say you two have been burned enough."

"Sonic, anyone can change for the better," Sally insisted. "You know that."

"Yeah, but they have to want to," Sonic countered. "You can't make them."

"Just like you can't make this choice for them," Sally pointed out. "It's their decision whether or not to give Locke another chance."

"Not yet," Kat decided. "Not right now."

"Agreed," Knuckles nodded. "We need some time to think."

Sonic shrugged. "Your old man, your call."

Angel Island

That evening, Locke had taken up his post at the Master Emerald shrine. As he stood there, the familiar light of a Warp Ring opened up at the base. He gasped in disbelief as Knuckles and Kat stepped out

"You came back…" Locke managed.

"It is our shift," Knuckles pointed out.

"We do take our duties seriously," Kat added as they took up their positions.

"We're staying through our shift, then heading back," Knuckles informed Locke. "We're... not ready to come back to the island full-time yet."

"Understandable," Locke nodded.

"I hope you mean it this time Dad, because the first sign of your usual shit, and we're gone for good," Knuckles warned. "No more second chances."

"I'm well aware of that," Locke replied.

He began walking away, pausing at the bottom of the shrine.

"I... will do everything in my power to earn your forgiveness," he answered. "No matter how long it takes."

"I'm not sure yet if we can forgive you, Dad." After a minute, Knuckles gave a small smile. "Doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

From behind them, Tikal's shimmering form peeked out from the Emerald. She smiled at Locke, giving an approving nod before vanishing. Locke gave a smile of his own before walking off.

Chapter Text

Knothole

The next day, Hope was in the Brain Trust lab. She had plugged Shorty's Cybernik armor into her laptop and was typing away trying to hack it as Chails made himself comfortable in the little nook they had made for him to sleep.

"That feels seriously weird," Shorty admitted.

"I know, I know," Hope replied. "But it's the only way to access the coding of the suit. If we're going to engineer an override, we're going to need everything we can get."

Shorty nodded. "Good point."

As she typed, Hope looked up, having thought of something.

"Shorty…" she began, "If I do manage to get the suit open, what're you gonna do?"

"The plan was that I stick with you guys and keep fighting," Shorty replied before thinking. "But I've been coasting by for so long as Shortfuse, using the armor... not sure what I can do without it, now that I think about it."

Hope perked. "Well, maybe we could redesign the suit. Make it something like Rotor's: removable and much more breathable."

"Not a bad idea," Shorty mused.

"I'm sure Tekno can help there, and I'm sure the boys will-" Hope perked, noticing something. "Hello… what do we have here?"

Shorty turned to her. "What've we got? Something good?"

"Something great if this is what I think it is," Hope answered. "Keith! Chris! Get your butts in here!"

The two boys soon came running in. She showed them the laptop.

"Tell me this is what I think it is."

Chris and Keith look it over, smiles soon breaking out.

"If you think it's an override code that'll open the Cybernik armor…" Keith began.

"You're right!" Chris exclaimed.

"Yes!" Hope cheered. "Brace yourself, Shorty."

She typed in the code 091893 (1), and several pneumatic hisses reached their ears. Shorty gasped in shock as the helmet clicked and popped open. The suit then began to open up from the chest out, allowing Shorty to stumble free for the first time in a year. He fell to his knees, feeling his face and looking over his hands. His clothes, while still intact, were worn, tattered, and faded, his fur matted, but despite all this, a smile broke out on his face. He let out soft, breathy laughter before flopping onto his back while laughing happily.

"I'm free…" he managed. "I'm finally free…"

He hopped up and grabbed all three kids, spinning in a circle while hugging them.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

After a minute, he set them down. Chris smiled before sighing.

"Y'know, in retrospect, we should've thought of hacking into the armor in the first place."

"Eh, hindsight's 20/20," Keith shrugged. "The important thing is we finally got him out."

Shorty was beyond caring about the time, already planning how he would enjoy his freedom.

"I'm going to take a very long, very hot shower, then I'm going to get a haircut, then I'm going to stuff my face until I can't eat another bite! But first..."

He rushed over to Tekno's part of the lab, grabbed her, spun her around, and kissed her. A moment of silence followed, Tekno turning beet red.

Hope snickered. "Shorty, you dog, you."

As Shorty and Tekno continued their much-welcomed PDA, Keith's phone began to buzz. He pulled it out.

"Mom?" he answered.

"Come to my lab immediately. You are going to want to see this."

Station Square

Keith arrived at the lab in record time. Laura was chatting with Nicole, the latter's handheld on Laura's desk.

"Nicole?" he asked.

"Hello, Keith," Nicole waved.

"Keith, good, you're here," Laura greeted.

"But what's Nicole doing here?" Keith questioned.

"After Amy and Cream rescued Sonic's uncle, I've been working on a way to restore his mind," Laura explained. "Princess Sally let me borrow Nicole to this end."

"Why Nicole?" Keith asked. "She's not a Robian."

"True," Laura nodded. "But she suffers, or suffered, from the same problem that every Robian suffers from. She lacked free will but was freed from it. I've been trying to figure out how she got free. And I believe I've found it."

She gestured to the Power Ring capsules.

"My current theory is that Nicole was always capable of learning, of mental and emotional growth. The introduction of Power Rings to her console not only unlocked the door to that but allowed her to regain her memories of her past life as Dr. Ellidy's daughter."

Keith blinked. "So, are you saying that it's possible to restore free will with a Power Ring?"

"With proper stimulation, yes," Laura clarified. "An emotional trigger is required, something that sparks the will to live. For Nicole, it was being with the Freedom Fighters."

Keith grinned. "Mom, this is perfect!"

He rushed forward, hugging his mother tightly. She returned the hug in kind, then Keith quickly pulled a Warp Ring out of his pocket.

"I've got to tell the others!"

Knothole

In record time, Keith had gathered the others in the lab, standing before Uncle Chuck's still inactive body.

"Guys, thanks to my mom, I believe we've found a way to bring Uncle Chuck's mind back."

"Are you serious?!" Sonic demanded. "We can bring him back?!"

"Once repairs are finished, yes," Keith replied.

Sonic nearly fell to the ground in relief, tears in his eyes.

"Thank Aurora…"

"Allow me to break it down for you," Keith held up a Power Ring capsule. "Mom's research on Nicole points to Power Rings being in part the cause of her mental development and emotional growth. She was always capable of it, but it was when Dr. Bennett first inserted one into her console that those particular functions were unlocked."

"So basically, the Power Ring will unlock Uncle Chuck's ability to think for himself," Chris theorized.

"Essentially," Keith clarified. "With the proper stimulus, he'll be able to break through his programming himself and regain his free will permanently. It was the same with Nicole. The rings got her development rolling. It was interacting with us that let her become as lifelike as she is now."

"So all we need to do is insert a Power Ring into Uncle Chuck's main systems, have Sonic provide the proper stimulus, and he'll be back to himself," Hope remarked. "Mentally at least."

Keith nodded. "Bingo."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Sonic exclaimed. "Let's get my uncle back!"

"Hope, how are repairs coming?" Sally asked.

"I got a little sidetracked with Shorty, but I'm almost done," Hope replied. "I'm just worried about what'll happen when I turn him on. He's in the heart of our base, and he is still under my uncle's thrall."

Keith perked. "Hey Sonic, didn't you say that Eggatha had some sort of override that made Coco stop attacking you?"

"Yeah," Sonic thought back, snapping his fingers until it hit him. "The code was 'Override AR-113.'"

"It may also require her voice key," Hope pointed out. "I'll see if she can send me a recording of it."

"You do that," Chris said. "Keith and I will take over repairs."

Hope nodded, going to her email as Chris and Keith got to work. Sonic was trembling with excitement.

"It's happening…" he said aloud. "We're finally here. Am I dreaming?"

"Well, one way to find out."

Sally pinched his arm, making him yelp. Then he broke out into a grin before grabbing Sally and hugging her.

"I'm finally getting him back!"

A few hours later…

Uncle Chuck was fully repaired. The others were gathered around as Hope held up a tape player.

"I got Aggie's voice recording, though hopefully, I shouldn't have to use it. Is everybody ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," Sonic replied.

Chris opened up the access panel on Uncle Chuck's chest. Keith handed him a Power Ring, which he inserted into his power core.

"Moment of truth time. Let's turn him on." 

Double-checking the restraints on the table, Hope took a breath and powered the Robian on. His eye screens flickered on and he began looking around. Hope kept the recording on standby as Sonic approached his robotic Uncle.

"Uncle Chuck? It's me. It's Sonic."

"Hedgehog, Priority One!" Uncle Chuck declared, straining against his restraints. "Detain by order of Dr. Robotnik!"

"I know you're in there, Uncle Chuck!” Sonic insisted. "Fight the programming! Fight Robotnik!"

Uncle Chuck stopped struggling, the Power Ring's energy shining through him before he ended up in a struggle for his mind, images of his life flashing before his eyes.

"Ugh…" he managed. "Detain... I'm going to fight... Robotnik, Freedom Fight-"

"Yeah!" Sonic cheered. "That's it, Unc! You got this!"

"Freedom Fight... fight Robotnik…"

"Fight Robotnik!" Sonic exclaimed. "Come back!"

Uncle Chuck struggled for several seconds, before letting out a tortured scream and going limp. A tense moment or two passed, before Uncle Chuck looked up, his eyes having gone from glowing red to a dull maroon.

"Uncle Chuck…?" Sonic let out uncertainly.

Chuck looked at his nephew, giving him a warm smile.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to release me so I could hug my nephew?"

Hope pocketed the recording before releasing the restraints. Sonic practically tackled Uncle Chuck, laughing his head off with tears in his eyes.

"You're back!" he cheered. "Finally!"

He pulled away, somewhat cautious. "It's really you, right?"

"I'm back, Sonic. At least up here," Uncle Chuck tapped the side of his head. "That's the most important thing. The body will come later. Good to see you, Sonny."

"Good to see you too, Unc," Sonic answered.

"I hate to be that person, but maybe we should take precautions," Chris offered. "Just in case this isn't as permanent as we want it to be."

"Right," Keith agreed. "It was all based on a theory Mom had."

"Wise decision," Uncle Chuck agreed.

He laid back down and allowed himself to be strapped back down. Sonic sighed.

"I hate to do this to you, Unc, but better safe than sorry."

"I get it," Uncle Chuck assured. "No need to feel bad or be sorry."

"We'll give it twenty-four hours," Tails decided. "If he hasn't reverted by then, we'll know the effects will last."

"Then I pray to Aurora my faculties remain intact for that time period," said Uncle Chuck.

-X-

As the day went on, Sonic hardly left Uncle Chuck's side. Hope had moved on to a side project, Chails looking over a robotic Chao toy with a windup key and propeller on his head as the other brains glanced over.

"What're you doing to that Omochao?" Tekno asked.

"One of the little projects I've had on the drawing board for a while," Hope explained. "I'm upgrading it. Repurposing it into a robotic support member for the team."

"Interesting idea," Tekno mused. "And it has nothing to do with wanting a sentient Chao of your own?"

"Chails is the Brain Trust mascot, not my own personal Chao like Chronic or Chuckles," Hope reminded her. "Having my own would be nice. And since none of the Chao on Azure Lake bonded with me, I'm doing the next best thing."

Tekno shrugged. "More power to you."

"Hey, Tekno!" Shorty called suddenly. "I'm going to Meh Burger! Come with me!"

Tekno laughed and turned towards the door. "Coming!"

She headed out at that. As they did, Sonic talked with Uncle Chuck, getting him caught up on everything. He told him about all of his adventures, how the ranks of the Freedom Fighters had grown, and even admitted to his darker persona.

"Well, you've certainly been busy over the past year," Uncle Chuck said when he was finished.

"Yeah, I have," Sonic agreed. "It's been interesting, but it's also been hard."

"I don't doubt it,"

"I've missed you so much, Uncle Chuck," Sonic sighed. "The day Eggman roboticized you… it was one of the worst days of my life."

"I'm sorry to put you through that, Sonny," Uncle Chuck told him. "It only happened because I was a fool. I thought I could reason with Robotnik, get through to anything left of Julian in there. I was wrong."

"You had to try, but Julian Kintobor isn't in there anymore," Sonic said. "All that's left is Eggman."

Hope paused her work for a moment, letting out a small, mournful sigh before continuing. Sonic winced at his choice of words.

"Miss Kintobor, would you mind coming over here for a moment?" Uncle Chuck asked.

Hope put down her project and walked over to the table. Chuck turned one of his hands in the straps, opening it. Seeing the invitation for what it was, she took it and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I can't begin to imagine how all of this must be for you," he told her. "And mere words can't express the depths of my sorrow and shame for the part I played. I know I'm not Julian, nor Agnes, and I don't seek to replace them… but know that should this work and I remain in control, you can come to me for anything."

Hope smiled, wiping a tear from her eyes. "I see why you're considered 'Uncle to Many.'"

Uncle Chuck smiled back. "What can I say?"

Sonic smiled at the warmth of the scene.

-X-

Eventually, twenty-four hours passed. The Freedom Fighters gathered in the lab for the moment of truth.

"Alright Mr. Hedgehog, how do you feel?" Keith asked.

"Please, Mr. Hedgehog was my father," Uncle Chuck quipped. "Just call me Uncle Chuck."

There was a collective sigh of relief.

"Okay, that confirms it," Tails said. "The effects are permanent."

He got to work removing the restraints. Once he was free, Sonic hugged his uncle again.

"If Uncle Chuck is free now, then that means we can free all the other Robians." Mina declared. "Like my mom!"

"Or Dulcy's mom," Kat added.

"Or my dad!" Cream exclaimed.

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down a bit," Sally cut in. "Look, I know you're eager to free them, but we don't have the time or manpower to pull off a big rescue at the moment.

"Sally's right," Sonic agreed. "We got extremely lucky with my uncle, but we don't even know what Eggman does with the Robians or where they are."

"Hang on," Hope cut in. "We do know where Cream's dad is though. We can at least save him."

Sonic nodded. "It's a start, and it'll give me a chance to see how Eggatha's doing."

As they slowly dispersed, Sally went over to Mina.

"I know you want your mother back, Mina, but just wait a little longer," she said gently. "Once Station Square is back in working order, we can get to planning Robian rescues."

Mina gave a small nod.

"I understand, really, I do," she assured. "It's just... I miss her so much."

"I know," Sally put a hand on her shoulder. "But we finally have a way to free them from Eggman's control. It may not be a working De-Roboticizer, but it's a start."

Robotropolis

In her lab, Eggatha was polishing up Coco, making sure he was in the best condition possible. Robotnik came to check on her, letting out a sigh.

"Agatha, if you polish that bot anymore, it's going to be too slippery to do any work," he said.

Eggatha didn't answer.

"Agatha... you know I never wanted this," Robotnik informed her. "I was going to use Chaos to level the city, yes, but I never intended to flood it. And I certainly never intended on... what happened to dear Aunt Agnes."

Eggatha once again remained silent. Robotnik sighed again.

"I'm... in my lab when you're ready to talk."

He walked out and the door closed. Eggatha lowered her polishing rag and sniffed. Coco bent down, gently wiping the tear from her eye.

"There, there," he said, his voice normal rather than the usual robotic monotone. "It's alright."

Eggatha turned away, blowing her nose.

"Thanks, Coco," she said. "It's been... tough. I may not have been blood-related to Hope's grandma, but she was always such a nice lady."

"I know, sweetie. I know," Coco soothed. "How ironic that your grief and sorrow is what allowed me to break free of my Robian programming."

"Fatherly instincts," Eggatha mused. "Nothing more powerful. I'm just sorry you have to keep pretending to be mindless."

"A temporary problem, I'm sure. Now, Robotnik was right about polishing me too much. How about I get to scrubbing these floors while you get yourself some lunch? You haven't eaten yet."

Eggatha nodded. "Right. Okay."

Coco went over and grabbed a bucket and a scrub brush as Eggatha went to go get some food. Before she left her lab, her computer beeped, signaling she had an email.

"Huh, email," she mused.

"Food first, Agatha," Coco insisted.

"Alright, alright."

She departed at that. She made her way into the kitchen, making herself a simple sandwich with some chips. As she made her simple meal, Snively came in for a drink. He looked his sister up and down, rolling his eyes.

"Are you still sobbing over ole Agnes?" he asked. "She was Hope's grandmother, not ours. Stop being a crybaby and get over it."

Eggatha glared at him, and it was at that moment Snively was grabbed and yanked bodily off his feet by Metal Sonic.

"Be silent, Snively, or I will tear your tongue out myself," he warned.

Eggatha just gathered her sandwich and walked out.

"Thanks, Metal," she said gratefully.

Metal just nodded at her. Eggatha went back to her lab, closed the door, and sat down at her computer. She munched idly on the sandwich as she opened her email. When she saw the tagline, she nearly choked. "Freedom for Robians!" screamed at her, courtesy of Hope.

"They found a way?"

She opened the message, immediately scanning through it before straightening as her eyes widened.

"Coco put that scrub brush down. Your days of working as a Robian slave are over."

Coco did so and Eggatha shoved the rest of her lunch in her mouth before peeking her head out of the lab.

"I'm heading out to Springtrap for some air!" she called.

"Take an escort!" Robotnik called back.

"I'm taking Coco! Metal's busy!"

There was a smash from the kitchen, followed by a scream from Snively.

"OW! You damned junk pile!"

Eggatha snickered before turning back to Coco. "Well, let's get going."

"Yes, Lady Agatha," Coco said in a fake monotone.

Knothole

Back in the lab, Hope got an email.

"She's going to Springtrap Village with Coco," she informed them. "And… she says we won't need the override with a winky emoji."

Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…?" He shook his head. "Whatever. I'll go get him."

He zoomed off as fast as he could.

"I'm finally getting my daddy back!" Cream cheered.

Springtrap Village

Meanwhile, Eggatha and Coco had arrived in Springtrap Village, a rather seedy Zone near Robotropolis that could be considered Westside Island's equivalent to the Star Light Zone. A den for humans and Mobians who skirted the law, they often dealt with Robotnik and his minions because they paid well for good scrap. They walked through a large bazaar full of different vendors and various rough types. However, none of them so much as looked in Eggatha's direction, giving her a wide berth as she marched through the area, hand in hand with Coco. Eventually, Eggatha arrived at a larger booth full of several different pieces of circuitry and wiring, an older human man with graying brown hair behind it.

"Hello, Mick," she greeted. "Where's the good stuff?"

"Right this way," Mick replied.

He led her into a small warehouse full of large amounts of scrap. Eggatha looked around and smiled, beginning to gather what she needed. He led her into a small warehouse full of large amounts of scrap. Eggatha looked around and smiled, beginning to gather what she needed.

"Here's money for the scrap, and a bonus for the damages," she told him, setting a large pile of Mobiums on his counter.

Mick perked. "Wait… damages? What do you mean?"

Eggatha was spared the effort of an answer when a blue blur rushed in, rapidly spinning around her and knocking her off balance. Sonic stopped, catching her.

"Sorry, but gotta make it look like a struggle," he said quietly. "You know the drill."

She nodded dizzily as he tossed her into a pile of wires before grabbing Coco. With a toss of a Warp Ring, he shoved the Robian through and hopped in himself, the ring closing behind him. Eggatha got up, shaking her head to clear it as she brushed wires out of her hair.

"That's what I mean, Mick," she said casually. "Keep the change."

With that, she departed as though nothing had happened.

Knothole

In Knothole, Coco and Sonic came crashing through, the Freedom Fighters all standing at the ready.

"Well, that was certainly more exciting than I anticipated," Coco mused casually.

Everyone perked, slowly turning to him in surprise. Coco got up and dusted himself off, holding out a hand for Sonic.

"Up you go, son. I imagine I'm not a very soft landing platform like this."

After a minute, Sonic took the offered hand, letting Coco help him up.

"You... you got your mind back on your own?"

"Well, yes and no. I'd been flickering in and out of control pretty much since I was turned. Miss Agatha tried to help, telling me about how you were taking care of my daughter and how she was safe. And then, she came to me crying about her great aunt Agnes and I finally managed to push free, wanting so badly to comfort her. Paternal instincts are a heck of a boost."

"That they are," Uncle Chuck agreed.

Coco turned, seeing Uncle Chuck walking in, holding hands with Cream. If Coco possessed a jaw, it would have dropped at the sight of his daughter.

"Cream?" he let out. "Creampuff, is that you?"

A smile broke out on Cream's face.

"Daddy!"

She ran over immediately. Coco dropped to his knees, scooping her up.

"Oh, baby girl… I'm so sorry I kept you waiting. I promise I'll never leave you like that again."

"I'm just happy to have you back," Cream replied, sniffling.

She hugged him, Cheese landing on his head and hugging his metal ears. Sonic observed the scene, feeling like a part of him was finally mending. Uncle Chuck also watched, letting out a small sigh.

-X-

Sometime later, Coco was sitting in the lab, Cream asleep in his lap as Keith, Chris, and Hope looked him over, making sure the lack of Power Ring wouldn't cause a relapse. As they worked, Uncle Chuck approached, looking somewhat sheepish.

"Children, may I speak with Coco alone for a moment?" he requested.

They turned to him, seeing his expression before nodding and dispersing. Uncle Chuck sat down in front of Coco, who just gently caressed his daughter before looking up.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes," Chuck replied. "I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"For this," Chuck gestured to Coco's Robian form, "For separating you from your family, for everything that my invention put you through."

"Your invention?"

"Dr. Robotnik wasn't the original inventor of the Roboticizer. He stole the plans and blueprints... from me. All of this, every Robian ever created, is because of-"

A hand went to his mouth as Coco silenced him.

"I'm going to stop you right there. You may have created the machine, but Robotnik was the one who turned it into the horrifying creation it is today. He's the one who transformed so many Mobians, myself included. You're not to blame, merely another victim like myself."

"But-"

"No buts. If you feel that strongly about this, then work to make amends. We may have our minds back, but there are so many more who don't. And we're still robots. If you created the device that transformed us, then you're the best suited to de-transform us."

After a minute, Chuck nodded.

"You're right. Sonic and the kids have been working on a De-Roboticizer for over a year, but they're still not close. I'll do what I can to help them finish it."

Coco nodded at that.

Robotropolis

Eggatha came running into Robotnik's lab, sobbing loudly. Her uncle turned, shocked to see his niece acknowledging him as well as bawling her eyes out.

"Agatha?" he asked. "What happened?"

"Oh Uncle, it's terrible!" Eggatha wept. "Sonic took Coco away!"

"He what?!" Robotnik shouted.

"He came in and he stole Coco," Eggatha sniffed. "I… I heard him muttering about thanking Snively for the tip... then he took him! They- they found a way to free Robian minds... and Snively told them they could test it on Coco!"

She started crying again. Robotnik slowly rose to his feet. He scooped up his niece, letting her bury her face in his shoulder as he stalked toward Snively's lab. He immediately kicked the door in, Snively jumping and spinning around.

"Oh, boy…" he sighed. "What did I do this time?"

"Surprise inspection time," Robotnik replied coldly. "Let's let your email do the talking, shall we?"

"Go ahead," Snively retorted. "You won't find anything."

"Metal, take Agatha," Robotnik ordered. "I'm going to need both hands free."

Metal took Eggatha from the doc, cradling her. With that, Robotnik went over to Snively's computer, bringing up his email. He checked the outbox, finding a message to Hope and opening it.

"'If you really found a way to fix the Robians, I'll gladly volunteer a test subject. Have the hedgehog go to Springtrap Village in an hour. It's high time the brat paid for all the pain and misery I've suffered.'" he read aloud.

Snively was already sweating as Robotnik read it. He slowly began creeping toward the door when his uncle finished, turning to him.

"And where, pray tell, do you think you're going?" he asked.

Snively stiffened before straight up breaking into a run. Robotnik hit a button on his metal arm, unleashing several Badniks and locking down the base.

"Catch that sniveling worm and bring him to me!" he ordered.

He marched out of the lab as Metal turned to Eggatha.

"Hope is rather good at imitating your brother's writing style," he mused.

"I know, right?" Eggatha agreed. "And now, you don't have to be jealous of Coco anymore."

Metal's internal fans clicked on as he turned away.

"I was never jealous…"

-X-

Sometime later, Robotnik was seated casually in his throne room when he heard the sounds of beatings and yelping before the door was thrown open, and Snively was bodily tossed in. He pulled himself up as Robotnik loomed over him.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" he questioned.

"I'm being framed!" Snively objected. "She's always doing this, but you never see! She sets me up to fail and you always fall for it!"

"Snively, nothing happens in this city that I am not aware of," Robotnik shot back.

"Then you should know that Agatha is nothing but a-"

"SILENCE!" Robotnik roared, cutting him off. "Do not speak ill of Agatha, Snively. Unlike you, she actually makes herself useful. She doesn't whine or complain as you do, offers valid arguments instead of excuses, and contributes useful ideas and tech to the Empire. Tell me, Snively. Since coming to my fair city, what have you accomplished aside from constant failures and petty pranks?"

"W-well, I…"

"Get him out of my sight," Robotnik interrupted.

Two Swatbots grabbed Snively, dragging him out. Snively glared at Robotnik as he went.

"I helped you design the first Death Egg if you recall! You don't give me enough credit, Julian!"

Robotnik was only stopped from firing a warning laser by the door slamming shut behind the Swatbots. He then slumped onto the throne, stroking his chin.

"So, Sonic and his brood have found a way to free the Robians," he mused. "If that's the case, then I'll need to figure out a new means of acquiring workers."

Chapter Text

Station Square

A week or so passed after Uncle Chuck and Coco were liberated from Robotnik's control. Station Square had been put back in working order enough for City Hall to arrange a small award ceremony. Mayor Bullyani stood at the ready, the press gathered as Tails approached him.

"Citizens of Station Square! It is my privilege to honor one of our heroes, one who risked his life to save us all! Miles 'Tails' Prower!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, including many of the Freedom Fighters, and Sonic himself. The mayor revealed a small box, opening it to reveal the yellow Chaos Emerald. The crowd gasped.

"We found it on the outskirts of the city after the Chaos mess," the mayor explained. "You're much better equipped to hold it than we are."

He closed the box, holding it out for Tails, who took it with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," he said politely. "I greatly appreciate this gesture."

"No, thank you and your Freedom Fighters, for all you do to protect not only Station Square but all of Mobius."

The crowd cheered and clapped as Tails shook the mayor's hand.

Knothole

Later, at Freedom HQ, the Freedom Fighters and their friends had gathered in the TV room. Charmy and Cream were bouncing atop the couch excitedly.

"C'mon, c'mon!" Charmy urged. "It's almost time!"

"Sheesh, calm down, Charmy," Sonic said.

"Telling Charmy to calm down is like telling you to walk slowly," Kat informed him.

The others were setting out snacks and drinks, and discussing things.

"Refresh my memory," Amy requested. "What's the occasion?"

"I ever tell you the head of Breeze Media is my cousin?" Sonic asked,

"I think I recall that coming up in casual conversation once or twice," Amy admitted.

"Well, Breezie has created a new TV show based on us," Sonic explained. "Or at least our main group. It's called 'Sonic-Man and the Emerald Squad'."

"Wow," Knuckles mused. "Lotta good publicity we've been getting nowadays. What's next? Plushies?"

"Who knows?" Tails shrugged.

"Guys! It's about to start!" Charmy screamed.

They gathered around the TV as the show began its title sequence. A blue blur ran across the screen from both sides, forming the show's title before stopping short, revealing himself to be a human man wearing an outfit based on Sonic. It consisted of a blue suit with white accents, red boots coming up to his knees, and a helm that was shaped like Sonic's spines. A visor covered his eyes, and he had gloves exactly like Sonic's.

"Gotta go fast," he boasted.

"Comin' at ya from the speed of sound, it's Sonic Man!" the narrator declared. "Fighter of truth, and leader of the Emerald Squad!"

From there, four more characters made an appearance, each wearing suits that made them look like humanoid versions of various Freedom Fighters.

"Fists!" The Knuckles character sneered, pounding his fist into his palm.

"M.P.H!" The Tails character grinned, landing in a triumphant hero pose.

"Rosie!" The Amy character summoned a hammer, giving it a few swings before flashing the camera a peace sign.

"And Princess Pinecone!" The Sally character gave a proper curtsy, which transformed into a back kick at the camera.

"Hmmm…" Sally mused. "Names could use a little work, but not too shabby."

On the screen, everything began to shake as the heroes all turned. "The Squad has sworn to protect all life from the vile machinations of the vile machinist... Eggborg!"

From a hole in the ground emerged a hilariously ridiculous parody of Robotnik. He was excessively fat, dressed in a red and black suit with yellow accents that just seemed to accentuate his size. His face was absurdly cartoony with black eyes and red irises, a drooping pink nose, a massive mouth, and his usual mustache. A grey mask covered his face and metal gauntlets covered his arms. Kat, who was just taking a swig of Chao Cola, promptly spewed it out of her nose at the sight of Eggborg. She held her nose, laughing hysterically as the other kids were in similar states of hysteria, Chris nearly choking on some popcorn. Keith slapped his back to help him, then they all just devolved into further laughing.

"Oh, Aurora…" Frances managed. "That's supposed to be Eggman?!"

"He's almost as stupid looking as the real thing!" Vector laughed.

The laughter managed to subside and they all began watching the actual show. Sonic Man engaged Eggborg in an epic fight, ending when he knocked him off his glider-esque Egg Mobile and onto the ground. Eggborg flailed around, shaking his fist as the Emerald Squad walked away.

"This isn't the end of it! I'll get you next time, Sonic Man! NEXT TIME!" He tried to get up desperately but failed. "Help! I've fallen, and I can't get up!"

That set off another round of uproarious laughter. Tails was eventually forced to pause the program.

"This is my new favorite show!" Kat laughed. "They really nailed Eggman!"

"You can say that again!" Chris chuckled. "They even got his defeatist attitude down perfectly!"

"Wait," Helen snickered. "I've got a way to make this even funnier." 

She took the remote, rewinding it to the point where Sonic Man knocked Eggborg off his glider and he was left on his back, narrating the scene with a goofy voice. 

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But the people of Mobius just stood round and giggled, while that rotten egg just laid there and wiggled!"

At this point, everybody was laughing their butts off. Kat flat-out fell off of the couch, clutching her sides as she dissolved into pure hysterics. Sonic was also clutching his side, his face hurting from the massive grin on his face.

"Stop it!" he laughed. "Oh jeez, I'm gonna pee myself!"

"Oh man, can you imagine what would happen if Eggman saw this?" Tails pondered.

"I'm pretty sure he would react just like his cartoon counterpart, am I right?" Danny suggested.

And thus, the laughter returned.

Robotropolis

Meanwhile, in Citadel Robotnik, Eggatha, Snively, Grimer, and the 6-S were gathered around the TV, watching that very same episode. Eventually, their laughter drew Robotnik's attention.

"What is so funny?" He entered, seeing the TV. "I see, you've been chortling at the television. Is something on here so much more entertaining than my instructive and brilliant discourse?"

He watched over the program, seeing Eggborg suffering his humiliating defeat. Before long, Robotnik was beginning to shake with rage, his face turning beet-red as everyone recoiled.

"N-now now, doctor, you're turning red as a lobster," Grimer cautioned. "Don't blow your top!"

"It's my top, Grimer, and I'll blow it if I want to," Robotnik managed, his voice strained.

With a roar, he pulled some kind of spring-loaded device out of his pocket. With a press of a button, a red extendo-boxing glove launched out, punching out the TV screen. The others gave him a wide berth as he let loose.

"How dare anyone on Mobius laugh at the great Dr. Robotnik?!" he exploded. "No one makes fun of me! NO ONE! I demand to know who's responsible for this outrage!"

"Uncle Ivo, calm down," Eggatha tried to soothe. "It's just a TV show. Breeze Media's newest hit show, actually."

"So…" Robotnik growled. "Sonic's cousin is responsible for this."

"With all due respect, doctor, I believe you're overreacting," Orbot said. "It's a television show just for fun."

"I'm reacting just fine! Is this what I've been reduced to?! It's bad enough that blue rodent is popular enough to get his own series, but it's even worse that I, future ruler of Mobius, have been reduced to a two-bit Saturday morning cartoon villain in everyone's eyes!"

"Oh, c'mon, Doc," Cubot insisted. "It's funny! And people love a good villain."

"Shut up!" Robotnik snapped. "How do you expect us to establish a global empire across this planet when everyone sees me as a joke that falls on his back and flails around like a prone turtle?!"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Cubot began.

"I'll teach Breezie to make a jackass out of me," Robotnik swore. "Ready the missiles (1)."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Eggatha stood up. "I know your villain cred is being threatened, but you already shot a missile at Station Square and it failed. If you do the same for a simple studio, it's redundant. If it's the show you hate, then we fix the show. Make it something that shows your villainous essence."

"Hmmm…" Robotnik calmed down, stroking his mustache in thought. "The idea has merit."

Eggatha breathed a small sigh of relief, wiping her brow.

Studiopolis

In her office at Breeze Media sat the owner and founder, Breezie. She was a slightly-taller-than-average Mobian hedgehog with green fur. She had long quill gatherings with blue highlighted tips that fell behind her head, resembling long hair, and two smaller and curved bangs of quills on her forehead. She also had purple irises, peach skin, and a short black snout. She wore a red business suit with red high heels, a white undershirt, yellow buttons, and white gloves being held together by yellow cuff rings, along with purple eyeshadow. She examined the ratings for the Sonic Man premiere, grinning.

"Nobody draws an audience like my little cousin," she said proudly. "Talk about star power! I've known plenty of moguls that would kill for that kind of adoring public. This show's gonna make me rich! Like, stupid rich!"

She hugged herself. "Somebody pinch me! I must be dreaming!"

The door was thrown open at that.

"I volunteer for that duty."

Breezie yelped, nearly falling out of her chair as Robotnik stormed in.

"E-Eggman!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"First, my name is Ivo Robotnik," Robotnik snapped. "And second, I'm here to talk to you about how I was depicted in Sonic Man. To put it bluntly... I didn't like it one bit."

"Y'know, if you don't like the show, you can just change the channel," Breezie suggested.

"SILENCE!"

Breezie backed up, hitting the wall as she held out her hands in a warding-off gesture.

"Y-you so much as blink at me, and Sonic will be all over you like fleas on a Devil Dog!" she warned.

Robotnik scoffed. "My dear, do you truly think I'm afraid of your wretched little cousin?"

"W-well… kinda?"

That was the wrong thing to say. Robotnik's face began to go from red to purple with rage.

"Wait, wait!" Breezie cried. "Can't we sit down and talk about this?"

"As a matter of fact, that's why I'm here."

Breezie relaxed about three hairs as Robotnik took a seat.

"See, one day I will rule this planet. And I will hardly be taken seriously if the people of Mobius see me as a cartoonish supervillain. So, I came here to negotiate to change the Eggborg character into something that reflects my true villain credentials."

"You're asking me to mess with the show?" Breezie objected. "But everyone else loves it!"

"You are free, of course, to decline," Robotnik said casually. "In which case I will bring your media empire to its knees, and you may pursue a new career opportunity centered around fighting bums in the gutter for your next meal."

The blood drained from Breezie's face at that.

"No, please," she pleaded. "I'll do whatever you want. Just don't do anything to my business."

Robotnik smirked. "I'm so glad you understand."

"I understand you're a job-killing socialist…" Breezie muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

Breezie backpedaled, putting on a sheepish grin. "N-nothing! Pleasure doing business with you."

Knothole

Next week, the Freedom Fighters gathered to watch Sonic Man, only to find it was now a hardened, dark, and edgy version that was completely unlike the last episode. Eggborg was also a far more threatening and far less comedic villain. This version of him was less cartoonish and more frightening. His cybernetics were more imposing and he walked and he talked more like a cruel dictator than the punching bag he was previously.

"I've seen shows undergo some changes after the pilot, but this is ridiculous," Chris noted.

Sonic exchanged looks with Tails and Knuckles, the trio instantly realizing what happened.

"Eggman," they sighed. "Of course."

"I guess this is what happened," Kat rolled her eyes. "Seriously, why didn't he just change the channel?"

"Because that's what sane people do," Keith deadpanned.

"If he thinks he can mess with a kid's show just for making fun of him, he better think again," Sonic stood up. "And if he hurt Breezie... let's just say he might need new legs by the time I'm done with him."

"Count me in," Knuckles decided.

"I'll get my noise-canceling headphones," Kat said. "I hate Studiopolis."

"I'm coming too," said Sally.

"Me and Keith as well," Chris insisted.

"That'll do," Sonic declared. "C'mon, let's go."

Studiopolis

In record time, the group Warp Ringed to Studiopolis. The usual din of the city had an added air of tension and uneasiness to it, something that was felt by everyone in the group.

"Ugh…" Sonic shuddered. "Something's just making my skin crawl."

"You said it," Knuckles said, looking around at the city. "Something just seems… off."

A police siren sounded, and a cop car rode up to them. "Hey, what're you kids doing out past curfew?" the cop asked, peeking out of his window.

"Uh... you know we're Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, right?" Sonic questioned.

The cop blinked. "Oh... sorry. Thought you were Sonic-Man cosplayers."

"Officer, what's going on here?" Sally asked. "Everyone seems so... on edge."

"And with good reason," said the cop. "There's been a rash of disappearances recently."

"Disappearances?" Knuckles questioned.

"People have just been disappearing off the street."

"How long has this been going on, and where?" Chris asked.

"For the past week," the cop answered. "Mostly within a five-block radius of Breeze Media."

"That tracks…" Kat mused. "Eggman has to be behind it."

"Meaning we need to get to Breeze Media fast," Sonic insisted.

-X-

They hurried to the Breeze Media building, looking around the outside.

"It's quiet…" Sally mused. "Too quiet."

They peeked in, seeing a robotic receptionist at the desk.

"Please tell me that's a Receptionik and not a roboticized person," Sonic pleaded.

"Wish I could," Chris answered. "Her name is Shawna. She's been working here for years."

"Damn it," Knuckles cursed. "So Eggman didn't just ruin the show. He turned Breeze Media into a front for Badnik processing."

"Guess it's a good thing I came along," Keith declared as he pulled out a Power Ring capsule. "Alright Shawna, time to wake up."

Sonic, immediately fearing the worst, took off up the stairs toward Breezie's office.

"Sonic, wait up!" Sally cried.

"Go," Keith insisted. "I've got this."

"Chris, you watch his back," Kat ordered. "Knuckles and I will go hunting for more Robians."

Chris nodded as Sally went after Sonic. As Knuckles and Kat went off, Keith crept over to Shawna, opening her access panel and placing the Power Ring inside.

"Come on Shawna, you've never been one to take orders," he insisted. "I mean, you've sassed even the snootiest of stars, and you're gonna let Eggman tell you what to do?"

The ring energy flowed through Shawna at that, life and reason returning to her eyes as she looked around.

"Oh, thank Aurora…" she managed.

"Welcome back," Keith greeted.

"Listen, you need to scram," Shawna insisted. "Almost everyone in the building is a robot."

"What about Miss Breezie?" Chris asked.

"I don't know. She hasn't left her office in a week."

"She has to be a prisoner," Chris deduced.

-X-

Meanwhile, Sonic made it to Breezie's office, finding it locked. Sally ran up to him just as he reeled back, preparing to bust down the door.

"Sonic-!"

Sonic tucked into a ball before ramming into the door, splintering it open and knocking it to the ground, eliciting a yelp from Breezie.

"Breezie!" he shouted.

He stopped short, seeing Breezie was perfectly fine, working at her desk and dealing with paperwork, a pair of glasses on her face.

"For Aurora's sake, Sonic!" she exclaimed, standing up. "You could've knocked!"

"Breezie, you're okay!" Sonic blinked. "And… doing paperwork?"

Breezie shrugged. "Well, I do have a business to run."

Sonic shook his head to clear it. "Where's Eggman?! We know he's here!"

"Down in the boiler room," Breezie replied. "Either that or recording. Why do you ask?"

"'Why'?!" Sonic repeated incredulously. "Breezie, do you even know what's been going on for the past week?!"

"No, I've been swamped with work."

"He's been using the studio as a front for Badnik processing!" Sonic shouted. "Everyone in Studiopolis is scared shitless of being nabbed off the streets! Your secretary's been roboticized!"

"What?" Breezie shook her head. "C'mon Sonic, stop joking. Shawna may be a bit cold, but she's not a robot."

"You really think I'd joke about anything to do with that fat lunatic?!" Sonic demanded.

"Look, Eggman's not the best business partner, but-" Breezie's eyes widened as she realized just what she said. Sonic and Sally were left stunned.

"...What?" Sonic managed.

"Sonic, it's not what you think. I-"

"Are you saying you let Eggman change Sonic-Man and take over the boiler room?" Sally demanded.

"Just let me explain-"

"Did you sell out to the man who roboticized Uncle Chuck?!" Sonic screamed. "Who slaughtered Shēngcún Village and burned Floral Forest to the ground?!"

"We had a deal!" Breezie cried. "Change Sonic-Man to something more to his liking, and let him use my boiler room, that's it!"

"What, and you believed him?!" Sonic shouted. "Did you ever wonder what he could be using the boiler room for? Maybe something, oh, I don't know, EVIL?!"

"Sonic, please," Breezie begged. "He was going to destroy my company, put me back on the streets! What else could I do?!"

"Oh, I dunno," Sonic said sarcastically. "Maybe call me so I could handle the situation? Did you ever think of that?"

"He told me that if I did anything to stop him, he'd ruin everything," Breezie insisted. "I couldn't do anything. I had no choice but to go with it!"

Sonic glared at her.

"You had a choice every step of the way. But you chose to side with the man who turned my uncle, your father, into a robot slave."

"Sonic, please…"

Breezie reached out to him, but Sonic angrily brushed her off, taking a step back.

"I don't know you anymore…"

He turned on his heel and ran out of the office.

"Sonic!" Sally called out.

"Sonic…" Breezie let out.

Sally gave Breezie a dirty look before following Sonic.

-X-

She ended up finding him in the alley dry-heaving by a trash can. She approached cautiously, placing a hand on his back. He recoiled at the touch.

"Sonic, it's me," she soothed.

Sonic relaxed at hearing her voice.

"How could she do something so stupid?" he managed.

Sally gently rubbed his back. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you're going through right now."

Sonic took a few deep breaths, rising to his feet.

"There are more important things at stake right now," he insisted. "We'll worry about what to do with Breezie after we chase Eggman out of Studiopolis."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sally asked.

"More than.”

"That you can do this?"

"I have to," Sonic got to his feet. "If Breezie's right, Egghead's either in the boiler room or recording studio."

"Sonic-" Sally began.

"Look, Sal. I'm not looking to share my feelings," Sonic cut her off. "I'm gonna find Eggman, then look him straight in the eye."

"And… then what?"

Sonic cracked his knuckles. "Then I'm gonna share my feelings."

Down in the Boiler room, Knuckles and Kat were looking around, trying to find the rest of the Robians. They eventually came across a Roboticizer with several Robians standing off to the side. Eggatha was sitting at a desk, her feet propped up as she read the latest issue of the Crack-Ups comic book.

"Eggatha?" Kat asked.

Eggatha looked over the book. "I was wondering when you guys would show up."

"He's still using the Roboticizer, even after he lost Uncle Chuck and Coco?" Knuckles asked.

"He's exploring other avenues, but until then, it's all we have," Eggatha replied.

"You gonna do this the easy way, or the hard way?" Kat questioned.

"Hmmm…" Eggatha tapped her chin. "Hard way this time."

Knuckles shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Eggatha pulled a remote out of her dress, hitting a large red button. Several Robians began to emerge from the shadows.

"Oh, boy," Knuckles sighed.

"Man... this is gonna be fun," Kat mused.

"Good luck!" Eggatha said cheerily as she scampered off.

Knuckles instantly punched some Robians back as they approached.

"Watch it!" Kat objected. "We can't damage them too much!"

"Relax, I'm pulling my punches."

They were soon forced on the defensive before Kat perked.

"Wait! Eggatha's override!"

"Of course!" Knuckles cleared his throat. "Override AR-113!"

Nothing happened. The Robians kept coming. Knuckles sighed.

"So it is voice coded. Now why didn't we think of bringing the recording Hope had?"

"We weren't exactly thinking straight," Kat defended.

"Knuckles! Kat!"

The two ran to see Keith running down the stairs, lobbing two Power Ring capsules at them.

"Catch!" he shouted.

The two caught them, popping the canisters open.

"Now what?" Knuckles demanded. "We can't open their access panels when they're on the attack!"

"Just slip them around their necks! We'll worry about inserting the rings after!"

"Like ring toss at the fair!" Kat realized.

She took out several rings, throwing them at the Robians. Knuckles did the same, all of the Robians gaining Power Ring necklaces. They slowly stopped in their tracks, the power flowing into their minds and bodies.

"Come on, work…" Keith pleaded.

One by one, the Robians blinked and looked around.

"Yes!" Knuckles cheered. "It worked!"

They heard a struggle, turning to see Chris having Eggatha in a submission hold.

"Ow, not so rough!" Eggatha objected.

"Sorry," Chris said. "But we gotta ask you a few questions."

"Okay! Okay! I yield!"

Chris let go, Eggatha rolling her shoulder

"Alright," Keith began, "So whose brilliant idea was it to hijack Breeze Media and make it into a Badnik processing plant?"

"...Mine," she admitted reluctantly, much to everyone's shock. "Before you fly off the handle, Uncle Ivo initially planned to carpet-bomb the studio. They may be Robians, but it's better than being blown up."

"All this just because he didn't like how Eggborg was depicted?" Chris questioned. "Aurora forbid he just change the channel like everyone else."

"It's not just that," Eggatha clarified. "Uncle Ivo's annoyed that he's fallen so far that people on Mobius see him as a hammy, campy Saturday morning cartoon villain who's no threat to anyone. This was a big play to get his villain cred back, so everyone will take him seriously and know what he's capable of."

"And his plan was to take over a studio and redo a cartoon," Kat deadpanned. "Yeah, real top-notch villainy."

"How pathetic can you get?" Knuckles scoffed.

"Well, I'd say using Breeze Media as a front for Badnik processing helps in that regard, wouldn't you?" Eggatha questioned rhetorically.

The Knuckleheads thought for a minute, then nodded.

"Okay, fair point," Knuckles conceded.

"In any event, you got me dead to rights," Eggatha told them. "I don't really care what happens from here. The old show was way better anyway."

"Nice of you to say so," Knuckles replied.

"He's in the recording room," Eggatha said. "You didn't hear it from me."

"We did, but I made you tell after scaring you," Kat offered, picking up Eggatha. "We do have history."

"True," Eggatha nodded.

They soon met back up with Sonic and Sally, who told them about Breezie's deal with Robotnik.

"Are you serious?!" Knuckles demanded. "She made a deal with Eggman?!"

"Obviously, Breezie didn't consider the full ramifications of doing so," Sally said. "She's been at work in her office for the past week, and had no clue what Eggman's been doing right under her nose."

"Is she a complete idiot?!" Kat shouted.

"Breezie's not the problem right now, Kat," Sonic cut in. "Eggman is. We'll worry about her later."

"He's in recording," Eggatha informed him. "And the second he sees me, he's gonna flip."

"Don't worry," Sonic assured. "He's about to have much more to worry about."

He made a beeline for the recording room, kicking the door in.

"Knock knock, Eggman!"

Robotnik was just about to turn on the recording when Sonic burst in. He jumped, spinning around to see Sonic before composing himself.

"Ah, Sonic," she greeted casually. "If I'd known you were coming, I'd have poisoned a cake. Do you like what I've done with Sonic Man?"

"Frankly, it's an affront to cartoons," Sonic shot back. "Seriously, if you hate the show so much, change the freaking channel."

"It's the principle of the thing!" Robotnik snapped. "I'm supposed to be an evil scientist people fear and respect! This cartoon makes me into a mockery!"

Sonic shrugged. "Eh, seemed accurate to me."

Robotnik turned beet-red. "Get out of here, now!"

"Sure, but you might want to look out the window."

Robotnik glanced out, seeing Kat wave with Eggatha in her grip. He gasped before scowling.

"Winters, I'm only going to say this once. If you don't get your hands off my niece right now, I will personally have Metal Sonic rip out your eyes and shove them down your throat so you can see his claws tear your carcass open!"

"Yeah, right," Kat scoffed. "Now, do I need to snap her rib again, or did you learn from last time?"

"Oh, I've learned." He seemed to give in, before charging forward, jumping out the window and knocking Kat off of Eggatha. She landed hard as Robotnik grabbed Eggatha. He called in the Egg Mobile, gently depositing her in it before turning on Kat.

"Oi!" Sonic called. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size, Eggborg?"

Robotnik growled, turning to face him.

"Oh, wait," Sonic smirked. "No one else on Mobius looks like a house.

"Laugh it up, hedgehog," Robotnik spat. "I'll destroy you first, then I'll tear that little brat apart!"

"Just try it, Eggman!"

They charged, getting into a big knock-down drag-out brawl. Eventually, Sonic planted his feet in Robotnik's gut and kicked him through the wall. He landed on his back as the others looked, only for smiles and stifled laughter to break out as the doctor struggled to get up.

"Help me!" Robotnik shouted. "Help! HELP ME! I've fallen, and I can't get up!"

His face turned red as he ranted and swore. Kat cracked up at the sight, and her laughter quickly spread.

"And you say you're nothing like Eggborg!" Chris cackled.

"You're him down to a T!" Keith added.

Robotnik rocked from side to side, rolling onto his gut before pulling himself up.

"Fine. Change the stupid show back. But I've still managed to prove my villain credibility," he called in the Egg Mobile, boarding it. "And for laughing at me... there isn't a name yet for the Hell I have planned for you all, but rest assured, you will be screaming in it."

He took off, everyone cheering and exchanging high-fives.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Sonic scoffed, his expression souring. "Just one thing left to do…"

Back in Breezie's office, the Freedom Fighters confronted her.

"Miss Breezie, what the hell were you thinking?!" Chris demanded.

"He was going to take everything from me!" Breezie objected.

"At least when I was duped by him, it was the first time I met the guy," Knuckles recalled. "I didn't know any better. But you did!"

"He said he'd destroy everything I worked for! Everything I've built!"

"So you sold out to Eggman to keep your Aurora-damned MONEY?!" Kat shrieked. "How could you?!"

That set Breezie off. She jumped to her feet. "How dare you! You don't know me!" She got more hysterical as she went on. "You have no idea where I come from! Where I've been! How long I've been there! WHAT I HAD TO DO TO GET FROM WHERE I WAS, TO WHERE I AM NOW!"

"She doesn't," Sonic cut in, "but I do."

That ended Breezie's argument in an instant as he stepped forward.

"I know you had a crappy life before Uncle Chuck took you in, and you worked your ass off every day to build up this company," he said. "But it doesn't give you a free pass to make deals with people like Eggman, and it sure as hell doesn't excuse betraying your employees and family!" He slammed his fists on her desk, cracking it before composing himself. "I'm done listening to your excuses, Breezie. Here's what's gonna happen. You turn Sonic Man back the way it does, and from here on out, half the profits from the show go to the Freedom Fighters so we can finish the De-Roboticizer and clean up your mess. Got it?"

Breezie just nodded.

"Consider yourself lucky I don't hand you over to the police, or tell Scarlet Garcia," Sonic spat.

One by one, all of the Freedom Fighters stalked out of the office. Sonic was the last one out. Breezie looked down in shame, tearing up.

"I…" she held her arm as a tear fell onto the desk. "I'm sorry…"

Sonic stopped, turning his head only slightly as tears welled up in his own eyes.

"Yeah…" he said quietly. "Me too."

And with that, he was gone.

Knothole

Sometime later, Sonic was sulking by the Lake of Rings. As he skipped a stone across the water, he heard the sound of metallic footsteps approaching.

"Care for some company?" Uncle Chuck asked.

"Sure," Sonic replied. "Why not?"

Uncle Chuck sat down next to his nephew, putting a gentle hand on his back.

"The princess told me about what happened at Breeze Media." he began.

"I just... can't believe she'd sell out like that," Sonic sighed. "After everything you did for her... and everything Eggman's done. How could Breezie be so stupid?"

"Everyone makes mistakes, acting rashly when things go wrong," Uncle Chuck told him. "She did what she felt she had to."

"She could've called me, Unc," Sonic pointed out. "Gotten in contact with someone that could help."

"She's spent so long with nothing, the idea of losing everything was just too much," Uncle Chuck said. "A weakness Robotnik exploited."

"But that doesn't excuse-"

"What Breezie did was foolish, Sonny. I'm not here to argue differently. I'm just asking you to see it from her side. You grew up with a loving family and got everything you could ever want. Breezie's family died during the Great War, and she barely got what she needed before I found her on the streets."

"I understand that, I really do. But-"

"But you're not ready to forgive her yet," Uncle Chuck finished.

"No…" Sonic sighed. "Not yet."

"And no one's asking you," Uncle Chuck patted his back. "I'll go talk to her."

Sonic just nodded as Uncle Chuck rose and departed, leaving his nephew to his thoughts.

Studiopolis

At the Pink Bot club near her building, Breezie was sulking at the bar, taking a shot of a Strawberry Sunrise on the rocks as the bartender set out another one. She downed it, sighing.

"Keep 'em coming," she insisted, putting a small bag of Mobiums on the table.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" the bartender asked.

"Don't judge me, buddy," Breezie replied. "It's been a long day."

"Care for a drinking buddy, Breezie?"

Breezie perked before looking over in surprise to see Uncle Chuck.

"Dad…" she let out.

"Hey there," Uncle Chuck greeted. "Is this seat taken?"

Breezie shook her head, and he took a seat.

"I suppose Sonic told you about my little deal with the Devil," she sighed.

"He did," Uncle Chuck confirmed. "He was quite upset, and from the looks of it, so are you."

“Sonic read me the riot act... and rightfully so," Breezie said. "I can't believe I was so stupid... so desperate to protect myself. I didn't care about the consequences."

"At least you admit to your mistake."

Breezie sighed. "He threatened to destroy my company, Dad. I panicked at the thought of losing everything."

"I understand. Believe me, I've been in your shoes, panicking and making rash decisions. It's how I ended up the way I am."

"Sonic was so torn up... he'll never forgive me for this."

Chuck put a hand on Breezie's shoulder, smiling in reassurance.

"He will, in time. Just be patient."

Knothole, one week later…

Everyone was gathered up in the media room of Knothole, more snacks laid out.

"So, we thinking the show's back to normal?" Chris asked.

"Most likely, yeah," Keith nodded.

As they were beginning to kick back, a knock sounded on the door.

"I got it," Sonic decided.

He went over and opened the door, surprised to see a humbled Breezie standing there.

"Hey, Sonic…" she greeted awkwardly.

"Hi," Sonic greeted civilly.

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but I just…" Breezie sighed, looking down. "I'm sorry... for everything. I'm so sorry and ashamed of what I did, Sonic. If I could go back in time and stop myself from making that deal with Eggman, I would."

Sonic stood there, just looking at his cousin, watching as she teared up. After a moment, he reached out and took her hand.

"You... wanna join us for the revamped second episode?" he asked.

Breezie blinked. "You... you actually want me around?"

"Eh, I'm extending an olive branch," Sonic replied. "We can't change the past, Breezie. But we can learn from our mistakes and be better people."

After a brief hesitation, Breezie nodded and Sonic let her in. Sally scooted over on the couch, making room for the two hedgehogs. They sat down as the show began, the earlier cartoony feel back in full swing. Within minutes, laughter was ripping through the room, the tension between Sonic and Breezie melting almost instantly.

In this episode, Princess Pinecone had been kidnapped and was hanging from a shark tank. It climaxed with Sonic Man managing to save her and kicking Eggborg to the curb once again. When it was all settled, Sonic Man scooped her up in her arms, dipped her, and gave her a big kiss. The others all cheered and applauded, while Sonic and Sally turned beet-red, looking at one another awkwardly before scooting a few inches away from one another.

Robotropolis

At Citadel Robotnik, Eggatha had managed to persuade Robotnik to watch the latest Sonic-Man episode with her. While initially annoyed, Robotnik eventually began to lighten up and see the funny side of it all.

"Alright, so it has its high points," Robotnik confessed. "While I still find the Eggborg character a juvenile, asinine parody of myself... I'll admit some of his antics are pretty funny."

"Exactly," Eggatha agreed. "Besides, it's all for fun. And when you're the ruler of Mobius, you can make Sonic the buffoon character."

When they got to the scene of Sonic Man and Princess Pinecone's kiss, he chuckled.

"I'd kill to see the look on Sonic's face at this part," Robotnik remarked.

The two shared a laugh as they watched the show, just enjoying themselves for a brief moment.

Chapter Text

Station Square

A sunny day in Station Square found Sonic called to Honey Clothing. He went in to find Honey consoling a weeping Undina.

"Shh, shh," she soothed. "It's alright. It's gonna be okay."

"Hey, what's going on?" Sonic asked.

Undina looked up, brightening.

"Sonic! Oh, thank Aurora!" she let out, running over to hug the hedgehog, nearly knocking him over.

“Whoa, easy!” Sonic said. “What’s wrong?”

"That Egg Carrier,” Deena explained tearfully, “The one that crashed into the ocean. It landed near Meropis! It's leaking crude oil into the water, poisoning everything!"

"A lot of people are getting sick from the pollution, Big Blue," Honey added. "If something isn't done…"

She didn't have to finish. Sonic’s thoughts immediately turned to the Oil Ocean and how it devastated the environment and mutated the wildlife. Unfortunately, the hedgehog's desire to help was trumped by his hydrophobia.

"Meropis is an aquatic city, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Undina confirmed.

"At the bottom of the Central Sea?"

"Just south of Spagonia (1), yes."

Sonic’s pupils shrank and his eyes widened in fear. "...Oh, hell no! I'm outta here!"

Just as he turned to go, metal shutters slammed shut in front of the doors, blocking his exit. Sonic turned to see Honey smirking and holding out a pair of blue swim trunks.

"Sorry, Sonic," the cat declared. "Time to earn your sea legs."

"Oh come on…" Sonic whined. "You can ask any of the other Freedom Fighters and they'd be more than willing to help! Why does it have to be me?!"

"Sonic, please…" Undina pleaded.

"Deena, look," Sonic sighed, massaging his temples. "It's not that I don't wanna help you, or that I'm keen on your kingdom suffering from the crude and all that. But I hate water. I'm not the guy for this job."

"Either you do this, or I'll tell everyone your full name," Honey threatened. "Middle names included."

Sonic stiffened, turning to her. "You wouldn't dare."

Honey grinned mischievously, a twinkle in her eye. "Just try me… Maurice ."

Sonic gulped nervously, but his look of fear was quickly replaced with a cold grimace. "You… are a vile, manipulative cat."

"I'll take that as an 'I'm in.'" Honey decided.

She held out the trunks, which Sonic reluctantly took.

"Your middle name is Maurice?" Undina asked.

"My name is Sonic, Deena. Period," Sonic said flatly. "Let's just get this over with."

Knothole

"Meropis is being threatened?" Sally asked.

She and the others were gathered around as Undina explained the situation. Sonic was off to the side, wearing the swim trunks and a facial expression that screamed ‘I wish I weren't here right now’.

"Yes," Undina confirmed. "If something isn't done soon, my entire kingdom will fall to this pollution. I need everyone's help if there's to be any chance of saving my people."

"Deena's right," Mina agreed. "If we don't clean this up, everyone in Meropis will get sick, or worse."

She shuddered, recalling the mutant Mobini they had seen at the Oil Ocean Refinery during the Phantom Ruby incident.

"The repair efforts of Station Square are still ongoing, so we can't spare a lot of people," Sally said. "Still, this is a matter that cannot be ignored. Sonic, who do you think should come along?"

"Not me," Sonic said flatly. "You all know I hate water, and you're asking me to go down to the bottom of the ocean."

"So you're gonna let all of Meropis be polluted to death because you're too chicken to face your fear of water?" Knuckles questioned. "And I thought you were supposed to be a hero."

"I didn't say that!" Sonic said defensively. "I'm saying I'm not the right person for the job!"

"You know the Egg Carrier better than any of us," Sally pointed out. "You also know Eggman, meaning you're the best fit for the job, water or no."

"I can't escape this, can I?" Sonic asked.

Sally shook her head.

"I have to go through with it, don't I?"

Sally nodded. Sonic bit his lip as he took a deep, hissing breath, then sighed and sagged in defeat.

"Alright, fine,” he said, massaging his temples, “But I'm not gonna like this one bit."

Sally shrugged. "Reluctant participation is still participation."

"I'll go," Knuckles decided. "I'll help keep Sonic the Chicken from bolting."

"Knuckles, I will kick you in the nuts," Sonic warned.

Sally quickly stepped between them before they could come to blows.

"If he's going, so am I," Kat decided.

"Me as well," Rotor declared. "I'm the closest thing to an aquatic member we have, so it makes sense."

"So... the question is how do we get there?" Sally asked.

"Fortunately, Rotor, Tekno, and I have been working on a submarine on the side for just such an occasion." Tails piped up.

Cream blinked. "You just happened to have one ready?"

"Never know when it might come in handy, and then who's prepared?" Tekno asked rhetorically.

"Can Cheese and I come?" Cream asked. "We can help clean up."

Sally smiled. "Sure."

"Let us put on the finishing touches, then we'll be ready," Tails said. "In the meantime, everyone who's coming, get ready. Swimsuits, scuba gear, whatever you need."

"In that case, Sonic, you're with me," Chris said. "I got something that might help you."

"Think my swimsuit's on the island," Kat said. "It's laundry day if I recall."

"Snag mine too when you head up?" Knuckles requested.

"No prob," Kat replied, already pulling a Warp Ring from her pocket. "Back in a flash!"

She hopped through, the ring closing behind her. Sonic turned to Chris.

"Alright, show me what you got,"

"Considering your... issues with water, I had an idea to help even the odds in the event you might have to swim."

Chris led Sonic over to his workbench, revealing yet another Power Sneaker specification, these possessing what appeared to be miniature submarine propellers on the heels.

"I took the basic concept of the Rocket Shoes and modified them for underwater travel, creating what I call the Propeller Shoes."

"Could come in handy," Sonic mused.

“Fair warning,” Chris rubbed the back of his head. "I... haven't had the time to test them yet."

"Well, no time like the present," Sonic decided, stuffing them into a bag. "At the very least, I can use them to make a speedy getaway."

Angel Island

Up in Echidnaopolis, Kat had searched her entire room top to bottom, but couldn't find her swimsuit.

"Hey Lara!" she called. "You put all my laundry in my room, right?"

"All the laundry that was in your hamper!" Lara called back.

"Did you see my swimsuit? I can't find it!"

"I think Chuckles was playing with it!"

Kat sighed, rubbing her eyes. "And... where is he now?"

"My guess, the Garden!"

"Of course he is,"

Kat headed for Azure Lake, seeing Julie-Su by the shore petting one of the Chao.

"Hey, Julie," she greeted. "Have you seen Chuckles?"

Julie-Su pointed out to the center of the lake. There, Chuckles was frolicking about, wearing a red one-piece swimsuit that Kat immediately recognized as hers.

"Hey!" she shouted. "That's mine!"

She immediately dove into the lake, swimming out to him, only for Chuckles to start swimming away. Kat began swim-chasing the Chao, the rest of the lake's occupants watching in amusement. Julie-Su was giggling where she sat. Before long, Kat was beginning to lose her patience.

"Chuckles, come on! I don't have time for this! I need that for a mission!"

Chuckles eventually ran into Drake. The Chaos Chao looked at him reproachfully, pointing at Kat and chirping as if ordering him to give her the suit. Chuckles pouted, then got out of the suit and held it out. Kat took it, giving Drake a nod.

"Thank you," she said politely. "My friends and I are dealing with a crisis in Meropis, and I barely have enough clothes as is. I do not need to ruin my outfits with salt water."

"And yet lake water is fine!" Julie-Su called from the shore.

"Lake of Rings water, and shut up, Julie!" Kat shot back.

At the mention of Meropis, Drake perked. As Kat paddled back to shore, he followed, landing on her head.

"Huh?" she let out, pulling the Chao Prince off her head. "What are you doing?"

He wriggled out of her grip, flying back up and sitting on her head.

"Is this your not-so-subtle way of asking to come along?"

Drake nodded.

"Well, who am I to argue with a demigod?" Kat decided.

She climbed out of the water, only to feel a familiar grip on her ankle. She lifted her leg, seeing Chuckles clinging to it.

"Let me guess, you wanna come too?"

Chuckles chirped in affirmation. She sighed, then pulled him off her ankle and got him situated on her arm.

"Guess we have two new additions to the mission," she decided.

Great Blue Realm

Sometime later, the Freedom Fighters shoved off from Station Square's port in a sleek submarine with a blue-and-orange paint job similar to that of the Tornado 2, with Tails' trademark twin-tail logo painted on the side and a drill mounted on the front.

"Behold, the Sea Fox!" Rotor declared. "The Freedom Fighters' own submarine!"

"Not bad, Rote," Sonic mused.

As they headed into the sea and submerged, Sonic took a breath, sitting down while trying to keep himself calm. Undina approached, sitting next to him.

"Sonic, I really appreciate you doing this for me," she said gently. "I know this must be difficult for you."

"I almost drowned when I was six, Deena," Sonic sighed. "So... yeah, it's a nightmare. Uncle Chuck taught me how to swim, but I've never really been able to kick it."

"You will eventually," Undina assured. "I managed to get over my fear of dry land after all."

"Yeah, but that's land, this is water," Sonic pointed out. "Totally different."

"But we're not. We've had similar experiences, actually."

Sonic looked up at her, his interest peaked as Undina began her tale.

"It all started about two years ago. My parents permitted me to leave home and study at Spagonia University. I got bored and decided to travel, see Mobius." She rubbed the back of her neck, "I... kinda ran out of money along the way. Got in a tight spot in Northamer near Empire City. Super-hot summer day, and I didn't have any water or protection. You can probably guess what happened to me from there."

"You shriveled up and almost died from heat-stroke?"

"Yep,” the mermaid princess grimaced. “If Honey hadn't found me, that would've been it. For the longest time, I was afraid to go outside. I spent a good four months just hiding, taking so many showers I'm surprised Honey didn't kick me out for the water bill alone.” Deena shook her head, banishing her fear, then smiled at Sonic. “But, that's when she made me this."

She showed Sonic her umbrella.

"To keep the sun off your head?" Sonic guessed.

"Not just that. Your clothes and shoes are designed to work with your speed, not burn out from air friction and heat." She pressed a button near her umbrella's handle, and it began sprinkling water down on her. "My umbrella keeps my gills and body moist."

"That's great and all, and I'm sure it helps, but I fail to see how that can help me."

"Try this." Undina handed him a stone necklace with a water drop motif, a glowing blue gem in the center.

"What’s this?" Sonic asked.

"I wouldn't ask you guys to come down to Meropis without a means to survive. These Air Charms are made in my hometown. They're custom-made and enchanted for any air-breathers that come down below. As long as you're wearing it, you'll be able to breathe water like you breathe air. No need to fear drowning."

"Handy," Sonic mused.

As they went along, Sally turned to Undina.

"So Deena, what can you tell us about your home?"

"What do you wanna know?" Undina asked.

"Well, everything. The culture, the history."

“Alright then.” Undina smiled, sitting down. "Meropis' beginnings trace back to when the kingdom of Atlantium rose from the sea and became Flicky Island. As crazy as it sounds, we found sanctuary due to the efforts of a Chao."

"A Chao?" Cream asked, to which Deena nodded.

"Her name is Aquarius. To this day, she resides in the city's Eusebes Shrine, living as our patron saint."

"She's lived that long?" Knuckles asked.

"Mama told me this once," Cream recalled. "Chao develop and mature quickly, so their lifespans are pretty short. But, at the end of their life cycle, they reincarnate as an egg and are reborn as a new Chao with all the characteristics and memories they had in their past life. Judging by what she told me, Cheese and Chocola are on their fourth or fifth cycle."

"Instant reincarnation," Kat mused. "Nice."

Drake seemed to be listening intently to Undina's story, chirping slightly as he rested on Kat's head.

"Aquarius taught us sacred rites that protect the city from outsiders, and in return, we instate priestesses that care for her and the shrine where she resides. Without her, Meropis, as we know it today, wouldn't exist."

"She taught you this stuff?" Sonic asked. "How can a Chao have that kinda power? Unless…"

All eyes turned to Drake, the pieces falling into place.

"Hey, Drake... is this Aquarius why you're so eager to get to Meropis?" Kat asked.

Drake nodded, chirping in response.

"He says he wants to meet his older sister," Cream translated.

Everyone blinked at that. Deena in particular was especially surprised.

"I thought Drake looked familiar," Undina remarked. "He's a child of Chaos, just like Aquarius."

"You know about Chaos?" Rotor questioned.

"Of course," Undina confirmed. "The Living Wave. The Guardian of Chao. He's as much a part of our culture as his daughter. Though I must admit, the bunny being able to understand him is something I wasn't expecting."

"Well, I'm a priestess chosen by Chaos himself," Cream explained.

"It's true," Sonic confirmed. Undina was completely floored.

"Chosen by Chaos himself!?" 

"Yeah, he gave her a magic touch, and next thing we knew, she was speaking to Chao," Knuckles added.

"Learn something new every day, I suppose," Undina mused.

"Deena, can your priestesses talk to Chao?" Cream asked.

"Yeah, it's all part and parcel for the whole shrine gig," Undina petted Drake. "I can do it too."

Drake chirped.

"Yes, yes, we had to learn it the hard way," Undina sighed.

"What'd he say?" Rotor asked.

"I got the power to speak and understand Chao directly from Chaos himself," Cream translated. "Deena and the priestesses studied and learned it like you would any other language."

"And considering all they can say is 'Chao', you can bet it wasn't an easy language to learn." Undina deadpanned.

Everyone shared a laugh at that. At that moment, Rotor perked, seeing a group of aquatic Mobians wearing ornate, gold-colored armor swimming their way.

"We've got company," he reported.

Undina took a look, gasping.

"The Meropis City Guard. This... could be a problem."

"How so?" Sally asked.

“Well…” Undina twiddled her fingers awkwardly. "You know how in the movies, most undersea kingdoms are very isolationist and xenophobic?”

“Yeeeeeah?” Kat asked warily.

“They’re not going to sink us as soon as they see us, are they?” Cream asked fearfully.

“N-Nothing like that!” Deena hastily assured. “But, interaction with the surface is heavily regulated. You need to go through proper channels and the like to bring land-dwellers like you guys into Meropis, and I kinda, sorta... didn't do that."

Knuckles facepalmed at that. "So you’re telling us that we're trespassing in a land that's as welcoming to foreigners as Angel Island was before Kat arrived, and is already on high alert because of the pollution!?”

"What do you want from me, Knuckles?" Undina defended. "My people are dying! I wasn't thinking straight!"

"No use worrying about it now," Sonic cut in. "What's the plan?"

"Just let me do the talking," Undina said. "And pray to Chaos and Aurora that the guards on duty are in a listening mood."

Rotor led Undina to a panel in the back. He opened it, a hatch in the ground opening up into the open water. Undina dove through, Rotor closing the panel behind her as she swam out to talk to the guards.

“Halt!” a feminine voice shouted as Undina approached the guards, stopping her dead in her tracks.

The guards were all different species of Mobian fish, all clad in green, tunic-like garments and golden helmets adorned with shells. Beneath their tunics, they wore a chainmail cuirass and a black, wetsuit-like garment, but no footwear; and each of them was armed with ornate tridents with hooked, crystal-tipped prongs that glowed with energy. Tridents that were all pointed at Deena.

“Not one step further, outsider!” the leader said, her rank signified by the larger shell on her helmet. “Put your hands where we can see them and don’t move!”

“Stand down, all of you, it’s me!” Undina cut in, holding up her hands placatingly.

“Wait…Princess Undina?” the leader said as she lowered her weapon, allowing Undina to get a better look at her face. The lead guard was a Mobian dolphin with bright purple skin. She had a white muzzle with a rounded snout, along with some purple dots on her cheeks that resembled freckles. She had a dorsal fin on the top of her head, two on the back of her head, and one more on her back, as well as a caudal fin for a tail. She also wore a shell bracelet on her right ankle, causing Deena’s eyes to widen in recognition.

“Echo!?” she asked in disbelief, smiling as she did, “Echo, is that you!?”

“Princess!” the newly identified Echo exclaimed, “Oh, thank Neptune, you’re…!” And was promptly cut off when Deena suddenly hugged her.

“Echo! Oh my gosh, it’s really you!” she cried, “You don’t know how happy I am to see you!”

Echo paused for a moment, awkwardly looking back and forth as she processed what was going on.

“I-It’s nice to see you too, Princess,” Echo replied, blushing profusely as she gave Deena a reassuring pat on the back, “We’ve missed you.”

“I know,” Deena said as she broke the hug. “Echo, listen I brought…”

“Lieutenant Echo!”

Echo and the guards snapped to attention as another figure swam in their direction. The figure was a Mobian shellfish with a maroon carapace, a white torso and muzzle, and a thick, crustacean tail with black stripes. He wore the Meropis Royal Guard uniform, with the additions of a green hood attached to a pair of green and black swimmerets and a black sash, kept together by a gold buckle, a pair of golden boots, and a golden, metallic claw on his left hand.

From the way he carried himself, he was clearly a veteran soldier, something only highlighted by the black eye patch he wore over his right eye and the cold sternness displayed in his visible blue eye.

“Captain Striker!” Echo said as she snapped into a salute.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” he said, before turning his attention to Undina, his expression briefly softening for a second before returning to normal.

“Princess Undina,” Striker said, bowing respectfully, “Welcome home.”

“Captain,” Undina said, “It’s been a long time.”

“Too long.” Striker shook his head. “A pity your return had to be marred by these…unfortunate circumstances.”

“I’m aware, Captain. Which is why I’ve brought help.” She motioned to the Sea Fox, “Everyone, come on out!”

At that, Sally emerged from the Sea Fox, followed by Kat, Knuckles, and Sonic (the latter most certainly not being dragged out by the former by his legs while trying not to freak out).

“Captain Striker, allow me to introduce Princess Sally of the Kingdom of Acorn and the Knothole Freedom Fighters,” Deena said.

“Greetings, sir,” Sally said as she extended a hand, “We…”

“Drylanders!” Echo shouted, causing all the guards present to raise their weapons and aim them at the group.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Sonic called out, raising his hands defensively. “Hold your fire, we come in peace!”

“Do you think we’re idiots or something!?” one of the guards shouted.

“We know that you’re the ones who sent that flying ship that’s been poisoning our kingdom, and now you’re here to finish the job yourselves!” another accused.

“What!?” Knuckles exclaimed. “That’s insane!”

“We came here to help clean up the poison!” Kat explained.

“Yeah, and I’m Abyss the Squid, Captain of the Setting Dawn Pirates!” the guard scoffed.

“Enough, you fools!” Striker shouted, silencing his men before returning his attention to Undina. “Princess, what do you think you are doing, bringing these Drylanders into our waters?”

“As they said, they’re here to help,” Undina explained. “The ship polluting the kingdom is one of Dr. Robotnik’s war machines, and no one knows them better than the Freedom Fighters.”

"Princess, land-dwellers are forbidden in Meropis, especially now in this time of crisis," Striker pointed out. "They could easily be imprisoned for this, if not executed on sight."

"Wow, talk about a welcome wagon. Just need some sharks and a complementary bucket of fish guts to complete the package,” Sonic deadpanned.

“Sonic!” Sally chastised, pointing to Striker, who was narrowing his eye at them. A glare that, to Sonic’s surprise, sent a chill up his spine.

“Sorry…” the hedgehog chuckled with a wince, “Nerves.”

Striker merely growled.

"Captain, the crisis is exactly why I brought them here," Undina defended. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Actually go through the proper channels," Striker said bluntly. "Ask your mother and father for permission before you take action."

"There was no time to go through the proper channels, and even if I had, there was a very good chance it would be denied," Undina retorted. "For our people, I had to do this."

"Princess-" Striker began.

"So what if they're Drylanders!?" Undina demanded. "People are getting sicker by the day! Sonic's the only one who can help us now!"

"Princess-"

"We need their help, Striker! It's the only way anyone will survive this!"

"Princess!" Striker shouted.

She finally paused, and Striker pinched the area between his eyes.

"If you feel so strongly about this, then perhaps you should attempt to beseech the King and Queen. They are the only ones who can allow this breach of conduct."

"Then that's what I'll do. Lead the way."

Undina turned back to the others, motioning for them to follow.

"Why do I get the feeling this is gonna be a repeat of the Felidae incident?" Sonic sighed as the group returned to the Sea Fox.

"Which one?" Rotor asked.

"Pick one."

Meropis

As they went along, the Freedom Fighters gaped as they took in the city of Meropis. The buildings were mainly dome-shaped, with the taller ones having towers on top of them which usually were round on the top as well. Some buildings also had features resembling fins. The city was also surrounded by a watery shield, dotted here and there by what appeared to be Power Rings.

"Okay, as much as I hate water, I can't hate this view," Sonic confessed. "This place is amazing!"

“It looks just like the city from The Little Merhog (2)!” Cream exclaimed, her eyes starry-eyed.

“Forget that, this is like Atlantium: The Lost Empire or Aquato-Man (3)!” Kat added, equally excited.

"Let's hope things go well with Deena's parents," Sally remarked. "That way, we can get a better look around."

“I wonder how those towers project that barrier?” Rotor mused. “They don’t appear mechanical.”

“They’re not.” Deena explained, “The Shield Towers draw on the natural Chaos energy of the ocean itself, channeled and directed by the spiritual power of Aquarius and her priestesses.”

“Interesting,” Sally added.

“We should check that out once we’re done here, eh Knuckles?” Kat turned to her brother, only to find him staring out the window, lost in his thoughts. “Knuckles, you okay?”

“Yo Knux, what’s up?” Sonic inquired.

“Guys…does something seem…off, about the people here?” Knuckles asked.

“What do you mean?” Deena asked.

“Like, something just feels off …I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“What are you talking about?” Sonic asked as he joined in on the people-watching. “Sure, it’s underwater, but all I see are a bunch of normal, ordinary people going about their…wait a minute…something does feel off. Something…missing.”

“But what?” Knuckles asked.

The group puzzled together as they looked out at the city, but couldn’t find a thing out of place. There were grown-ups on their way to and from work, children were playing, policemen (or guards in this case) patrolled the streets, and people were going shopping at different market stands selling food, furniture, trinkets, clothing, and…

Then it hit them.

“Oh my gosh!” Cream exclaimed, her face beet red, “Everyone’s naked!”

The group promptly screamed and covered their eyes. Because sure enough, the citizens of Meropis were, for the most part, completely in the buff. There were the guards and their uniforms, as well as a few odd individuals wearing what appeared to be swimwear or a few accessories; but, it generally stopped there. Fortunately, being fish and other marine creatures, everyone’s ‘important stuff’ was kept on the inside. Though that did little to help the Freedom Fighters…

<By the Ancients!> Kat cursed as she covered Cream’s eyes, “I think I’ve gone blind!”

“Just calm down and open your eyelids, Kat,” Rotor said as he kept his eyes on the road, eye twitching and face red.

“Right, sorry,” Kat let out as she did just that.

“Deena, what the hell!?” Sonic shouted indignantly, “You didn’t tell us your kingdom was a freakin’ nudist colony!”

“Again, Egg Carrier poisoning water! Bigger issues!” the princess snapped before calming down. “Also, it’s not just Meropis. The Great Blue Realm as a whole has a more…lax dress code.”

“Kinda like how things are on Angel Island, no sense wearing what isn’t absolutely necessary,” Knuckles said, “Plus, they’re fish people. Excess clothing would create too much drag while swimming.”

“Still…” Sonic said as he shook his head.

“Alright, enough!” Sally shouted, desperately trying to change the subject. “We can worry about Meropis’... cultural differences later. For now, let’s just focus on getting to the castle so we can complete our mission.”

“Sally,” Rotor cut in, “We’re here.”

Sure enough, the Sea Fox had arrived at an ornate castle that looked like it’d been ripped straight from a picture book. The building itself was made of a pink material that appeared to be a combination of crystal and coral. It had a single, multi-layered tower with a trident-like tip at the top, and practically dwarfed the other buildings.

“Here it is,” Deena explained. “Poseidos Palace, my home.”

“Wow, it makes Castle Acorn look like a dollhouse,” Sonic said, breathlessly. “N-No offense, Sal!”

“None taken…” Sally said, equally shocked.

“Anyway, let’s get going,” Deena said as she got up.

Kat took Cream's hand in hers. "Stay close to me, Cream."

They docked at a special platform at the base of the tower before exiting. To everyone’s surprise, they could breathe inside. They took a few more moments to take in the sights when Striker and Echo approached them.

“Welcome to Poseidos Palace,” Echo greeted, “Did you enjoy your view of the kingdom?”

“It was…a view,” Sonic said with a grimace.

"I should hope so. There’s a chance it could be your last,” Striker said, earning him a flat look from the group. “Now, if you'll just follow us to the throne room, the King and Queen will decide your fate."

As he turned, Sonic leaned into Undina.

"Is Mr. Personality a regular here?" he asked.

Sally pulled him back. "Sonic, now is not the time for your usual 'deadpan snarker' shtick."

"Okay, serious mode. Duly noted."

"Captain Striker is the commander of the Meropis City Guard," Undina explained. "He's incredibly loyal to the royal family, and has been serving them since I was a guppy."

"And the dolphin?"

"Lieutenant Echo. A good friend of mine, and loyal to the end."

They were led to the throne room and entered one by one, Undina in the lead as Echo stood at attention. The room was vast and decorated, with exquisitely detailed portraits and elaborate tapestries and murals hanging from the walls, and several coral chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, providing light via glowing crystals. A red carpet went down the middle, forming a path to a pair of thrones in the back (one being conspicuously shorter than the other). A group of guards stood at attention along both sides of the carpet, with Captain Striker standing slightly off to the side, closer to the thrones. The only thing missing was said thrones’ occupants.

“The King and Queen will arrive shortly.” Echo explained, “Hopefully, seeing you again after so long will improve their moods, Princess.”

“I hope so…” Deena replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

“Out of curiosity, what are your parents like, Deena?” Kat asked.

“Well…”

“Unacceptable! Inexcusable! Completely and utterly intolerable!”

The Freedom Fighters practically jumped out of their skins as a voice echoed through the palace. It was shrill, it was loud, and most importantly of all, angry. Very angry.

“My King, please!” a voice frantically soothed, “I know you’re very upset, but you need to calm down!”

“Don’t you tell me to calm down!” the king shouted, “I have every right to be upset! My subjects are dying! My kingdom is a mess! And my daughter has just…” He let out an indignant scream.

“Puffy, settle down,” another voice soothed, this one deep, feminine, and somewhat alluring, “If you keep that up, you’re going to give yourself a stroke.”

‘Puffy’ took a slow, deep breath. “Y-Yes, of course. Thank you, dear,” he said.

“Good,” the feminine voice said, “You there, announce our arrival.”

“Y-Yes My Queen!”

At that, a trumpet began playing. The Freedom Fighters searched for the source and found a Mobian minnow dressed in a light blue tunic frantically running into the room. Once he was done playing his tune, the minnow stopped at the side of the door to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his brow as a woman entered the room.

She was a green-scaled, Mobian anglerfish (as seen by the illicium/lure on her forehead) with a white muzzle who stood slightly taller than her attending subjects. She had small, round fins on the sides of her head and long, green, spiky-looking tendrils for hair, similar to Undina’s, albeit hers were tied together into a ponytail with a deep pink hair tie.

For attire, she wore a regal-looking dress, the same deep pink as her hair tie, with a white, segmented belt with a golden strap, white rims with shoulder straps on the top, long sleeves hanging by the side, and two extra layers on the bottom, colored pink and white, respectively. She wore a golden circlet around her illicium, the tip of which was encased in a prism-like crystal with a golden rim and the bottom. She also wore deep pink lipstick and had what appeared to be a glittery blush on her cheeks.

 “Presenting her most Royal Majesty! Her Grace! Her Excellency! Queen Angelica Merrowyn de Meropis!”

A storm of cheers erupted from the attending guards as the queen entered, eliciting a subtle smile from the monarch.

“Mama…” Deena whispered in a mix of reverence, but also a little terror.

“That’s your Mom!?” Kat whispered in disbelief.

“She’s so pretty,” Cream said.

“I can see where you get it from,” Knuckles said dumbly.

“Ah-he-he-hem!”

The Freedom Fighters looked to the side of Queen Angelica to see a second figure walk out from behind her, tapping the messenger’s shoulder with a scepter before pointing at himself.

“And King Puff,” the messenger said, unenthusiastically, the king nodding in satisfaction as a lone ‘Hooray!’ echoed through the throne room.

Puff was a Mobian… pufferfish with small, round fins on his ankles and arms, and a medium-long tail fin. His scales were the same indigo as his daughter, but were covered with thistle spots; the same color as his belly and muzzle. He had thick eyebrows and a few blue spikes on his chin and jaws, as well as two prominent spikes on his muzzle, giving him the illusion of having a short beard and a thin mustache.

Like most of his subjects, Puff was nude; his only articles of clothing were a spiky, golden crown and a yellow cape held together by a blue treat.

“That’s the king!?” Sonic quietly exclaimed, taking a moment to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating, “He’s so… so… short!”

True enough, Puff was somewhat lacking in verticality, being only a little bit taller than Cream. He was also a little on the rotund side, having a small, but protruding belly and short, stubby limbs. All in all, he looked… unimpressive.

“Seriously, I thought he was your baby brother for a second there!” the hedgehog continued.

“Sonic, hush!” Sally ordered.

“Who looks like somebody’s baby brother!?” Puff said as he turned toward the Freedom Fighters, gritting his short, sharp teeth and glaring at them viciously.

“Uh oh…” Sonic gulped, realizing he’d done goofed.

“Now you’ve done it,” Rotor groaned.

“Well, I’m waiting!” Puff shouted, “Speak up now, or-!”

“Daddy!” Undina called out, grabbing the diminutive monarch’s attention, his eyes going wide with shock.

“Un-Undina? Undinaaaaaaaaaaa!” he exclaimed happily, tears practically gushing out his eyes as he ran to his daughter with Sonic-like speed and threw his arms around her, startling the princess.

“Undina! Are you okay!? I was so-so-so-so-so worried about you! When we heard about the Egg Dungeon, I—!”

“Daddy, it’s okay, I’m fine,” Deena soothed as her father buried his face into her shoulder, staining her blouse with tears and mucus.

“A-Are you sure!?” Puff asked as he began frantically examining her, “None of the robots or the prisoners hurt you? No broken bones or scales?” The king’s eyes went wide with horror. “They didn’t…?”

“No! Of course not!” Deena shouted, blushing profusely in embarrassment.

“Oh thank Neptune,” Puff said as he clutched his daughter tightly, “Thank Neptune…”

“Awwwww…” Cream said.

“That’s sweet,” Sonic added.

The Freedom Fighters watched as Puff and Undina hugged a little moment longer with a smile. With everything that had happened and everything that was going on now, they all needed this. However, all things must come to an end, and Undina and her father’s heartwarming moment came to an end when he suddenly grabbed her by her blouse and got right in her face, eliciting a startled shriek from her.

“Undina Merrowyn de Meropis! You are in so much trouble, young lady! ” His face was mere millimeters from hers as he shouted and screamed.

“Daddy, calm down!” she pleaded.

“Don’t you ‘Daddy, calm down’ me, Missy!” Puff shouted. “Do you have any idea what you put your mother and me through!? Two years with barely a note or call! You drop out of school to go sightseeing! You were captured, enslaved, and nearly turned into a robot by a madman! And you willingly allow your innocent body to be plastered over the walls of every dirty-minded, mermaid-crazed idiot in the world! I did not send you to Spagonia so you could go gallivanting around Mobius like a Red Reef trollop in the middle of a Dagon-damned war! ” 

“Puffy, that’s enough!” Angelica interrupted.

“Angelica!” Puff cried, “Our daughter-!”

“I know what she’s done, dear,” the queen interrupted as she massaged her temples, “And while I mirror your outrage and we will have words over this,” she turned to Sonic and his friends, furrowing her brow, “We have more urgent matters to attend to.”

Puff turned to the Freedom Fighters, his brow furrowing as well.

“Yes, we do.” At that, Puff released Undina; the princess watched as he stormed off toward the throne, Angelica following him.

“Mama, I…”

“Not now,” Angelica said coldly before resuming her advance toward the taller throne and taking a seat. “Undina, do you realize just what you have done? You abandon your kingdom and people for two years without a word. You ignore your duties and responsibilities to become a model of all things! Now, you finally return…” Angelica turned to the Freedom Fighters, her metaphorical nose turned up in disgust. “And bring outsiders to our sacred land.”

Undina winced at her mother’s harsh tone but quickly regained her bearings and stood her ground.

"Yes Mama, I have. These outsiders are members of the Freedom Fighters, protectors of Mobius, and champions of good. I brought them here to help us in our time of need."

"We do not require the aid of Drylanders," Angelica spat. "It is because of them and their ceaseless conflicts that our waters are suffering. Their foul machines poison our water and threaten our people because of them."

"Mother, please," Undina pleaded. "This mess was caused by Dr. Robotnik. Sonic is the best suited to deal with it. You're being unreasonable."

"Do not talk to your mother like that!" Puff ordered. "You know our laws, Undina. Or has your time on the surface made you forget your place?"

"I did what I thought was right!" Undina defended.

"We set certain rules for our kingdom, and we expect them to be obeyed," Puff went on. "And contrary to what you may think, Undina, being a princess does not put you above the law."

"Perhaps you simply require time to reflect on your actions," Angelica mused. "Captain Striker, escort my daughter to her room, and send the land-dwellers  back to the surface immediately!"

"Mother!" Undina cried desperately.

"Your Highness, if I may-" Sally began.

"No, you may not," Angelica snapped.

It was at that point Sonic lost his patience. He stepped forward at that.

"Could you people be any more stubborn and thick-headed?! Deena brought us here to help save you!"

King Puff turned to Sonic, eyes blazing with anger.

"You dare speak to us in this-!"

"Yes, I dare! Undina's our friend, and she came to us so we could help you in your hour of need!"

"We do not require your aid!” Puff shouted “It is because of you that the infernal device is in our waters! You honestly think we will allow you to cause any more harm?!"

"Eggman's the one who made the damn thing in the first place! We've been cleaning up his messes for over a year! That's why Deena came to us! Would you rather be poisoned to death than accept help when it's offered? How stupid are you?!"

At this point, King Puff was seething with anger, and Sonic was the same way. Neither showed any signs of backing down.

"You obviously aren't aware of your place, hedgehog," the King sneered.

"Oh, I am," Sonic boasted, jabbing himself in the chest with his thumb. "I'm the Hero of Mobius. I do what I think is right, and that includes helping people even if they don't want it. Things like your laws and regulations mean next to nothing to me."

"Enough of this!" Angelica snapped. "I won't stand for this any longer! Guards!"

Before the situation could go any further, Drake zipped off Kat's head, letting out a surprisingly loud chirp. It seemed to rip through the throne room with a wave of power. Everything stopped, all eyes turning to the Chao Prince. He flew right in front of the two royals, chirping and shaking a nub condescendingly.

“What in the world…?” Puff said in disbelief.

"Drake says that you're both being racist and bigoted fools for turning us away," Cream translated. "He's also saying you have no right to yell at Sonic like that, or any of his friends."

"This Chao…" Angelica began. "Could he be...?"

"Yes," Undina confirmed. "A child of Chaos. He's Aquarius' little brother."

"His name's Drake, hatched from an egg Chaos himself left behind," Knuckles added.

Drake chirped again.

"He wants you to apologize for being so rude and to pull your heads out of your butts and accept outside help," Cream added.

He chirped again.

"Or he'll take his sister and leave," Cream tacked on.

Puff and Angelica exchanged looks at that. Puff cleared his throat.

"If you know the Living Wave, I suppose we can bend the rules just this once," he decided.

Drake waved a nub as if to say "Go on."

"And you have our sincerest apologies. Meropis is open to you while you work on our pollution situation."

Drake nodded in satisfaction. He then flew back towards the group, dropping back onto Kat's head with a triumphant plop.

"Wonderful!" Undina clapped her hands. "We'll get to work immediately! Echo! Do me a favor and take the rabbit and her companions to the Eusebes Shrine. I imagine Drake will very much enjoy meeting his sister."

"As you command, princess," Echo bowed.

Nearing Meropis at that very moment was a submarine bearing the Robotnik Empire insignia, as well as the usual gray with yellow-and-black stripes decal of the Egg Mobile. Within, Robotnik looked ahead, the 6-S squad by the side as they approached.

"Meropis dead ahead, cap'n!" Cubot declared in his pirate accent.

"Down scope!" Robotnik ordered.

Cubot pressed a button, and the periscope descended a bit too far, hitting Robotnik on the head and pinning him down.

"Not that low, you mega-dolt!"

"Apologies, Cap'n. She be a feisty one."

He hit the button again and it lifted back up, much too high to be of any use.

"Idiot…" Robotnik grumbled. The third time was the charm. The scope lowered enough for the doctor to actually look through it. "That's better."

He scanned the city, taking in everything he could... and stopped short at the sight of the docked Sea Fox.

"No…" he let out, realizing what this meant. "Sonic is in Meropis? When did he get a submarine?!"

"The Freedom Fighters seem to have a knack for always being prepared," Orbot noted.

"Hang on…" Grounder piped up. "I thought Sonic hated water. What's he doing at the bottom of the ocean?"

"If our intel is correct, he's friends with Princess Undina," Decoe recalled. "She probably talked him into coming down to help."

"Sonic sure has powerful friends," Bocoe remarked. "That's the second royal he's befriended."

"Doesn't Knuckles count as royalty?" Decoe asked. "Being the son of a tribal chief?"

"Good question," Coconuts mused.

"It doesn't matter," Robotnik cut in. "Sonic's weakness is water, so he's a sitting duck down here. Up scope!"

"Up scope!" Scratch announced.

Robotnik's thumbs were caught in the handles, the scope lifting him along with it.

"Down!" he shrieked. "Put it down!"

Cubot pressed the button, the periscope zipping down and slamming Robotnik into the ground before retracting. Robotnik groaned in pain before getting up, a dangerous grin on his face and a furious look in his eyes. Scratch laughed nervously

"B-boy... that's what I call a look that could kill."

Robotnik rose to his feet. "Oh, it's not the look that'll kill you…" He grabbed the 6-S. "IT'S THIS! "

He then proceeded to beat them all senseless in a fit of rage. They hit the ground, Coconuts immediately hugging his legs and trembling.

"Help me, Mommy!"

He fell on his side, sucking his thumb in a fetal position.

"Doctor, calm down," Orbot urged. "You'll damage the sub and drown yourself."

Robotnik stopped, putting a hand on his face as he took deep breaths.

"Yes, of course," he said calmly. "I'm here to take advantage of Meropis' situation, not fly into a rage and destroy my own equipment."

He looked out at the kingdom. "Who would have thought Sonic taking out the Egg Carrier would actually lead to a golden opportunity?"

"What are you thinking, Doctor?" Decoe asked.

"I'm thinking that this time, Sonic's gonna be all washed up."

He turned to two beings in the back, one humanoid with fins, the other a Badnik with tentacles…

Chapter Text

Meropis

While Sonic and the others left to discuss things with Undina, Echo led Kat and Cream to where Eusebes Shrine was located, eventually taking them to a cavern outside the city.

“Why is the shrine so far away from the city?” Kat asked.

“Well Kat, the priestesses need to be able to concentrate on their duties,” Echo explained, “And a noisy, crowded city isn’t very conducive to that.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Anyway, these caverns will take us to the shrine’s grounds. Just swim straight ahead, then up until you reach the surface.”

The group swam through the caves for a good few minutes, engaging in some small talk as they did.

“Excuse me, Miss… Echo, was it?” Cream asked.

“What is it, Cream?” 

“I was just wondering, Princess Deena told us you two are friends, right?” the rabbit asked. “She hugged you as soon as she saw you, so I’m guessing you’re close?”

“You…could say that,” Echo said, fiddling with her trident awkwardly, “When we were children, the Princess used to sneak out of the castle to play with me and my friends.”

“Sneak out?” Cream asked, confused, “Why would she need to sneak out?”

“Probably because her mom and dad didn’t like her playing with commoner kids,” Kat explained with a hint of venom in her voice.

“You would be right,” Echo replied. “Their Majesties didn’t approve of the Princess fraternizing outside her social class, and would scold her harshly whenever they found out.”

“That’s awful!” Cream exclaimed.

“Indeed.” The dolphin shook her head sadly, as if remembering something painful, “Part of the reason I joined the Royal Guard was so that I could see her again.”

“Well, it looks like you succeeded,” Cream said with a smile, “That’s good!”

“I suppose…”

Kat watched as Echo fiddled with her trident, noticing a faint blush coming over the dolphin’s cheeks.

“Hey, Echo…”

“O-Oh look, we’re here!” Echo suddenly exclaimed, pointing to some toward a light glowing down from above, “Well, let’s not dilly-dally, time to go!”

“Echo, wait for us!” Kat called out, but the dolphin bolted off before she could finish.

“Wow, she’s almost as fast at swimming as Mister Sonic is at running,” Cream said.

“Yeah…” Kat agreed, “Come on, let’s go.”

Kat and Cream swam after Echo, eventually reaching the surface, where Echo was waiting.

“Here we are, you two,” the dolphin declared, “Welcome to Eusebes Shrine.”

“Wow…”

They had arrived at a small, underground beach with several fruit-bearing palm trees, a pool of fresh water, and a small, stone house off to the side with a clothesline containing a tattered pair of black shorts. The cavern was lit by several crystals hanging from the wall, as well as sunlight shining down through several sun holes in the ceiling toward the back. Below the sun holes was a small, three-story ruin similar to the ones in the Stone Stormlands.

“So that’s Eusebes Shrine,” Cream said in awe.

"Hang on…I recognize these ruins," Kat murmured, looking at the ruins up and down, "This is a Gaia Temple, isn't it?"

Cream tilted her head, confused, Echo mirroring her reaction. "Gaia Temple?"

"A temple to the Gaias, ancient beings of light and dark, gods of the land itself," Kat explained.

“Land… gods?” Echo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What would a temple for land gods be doing in an undersea kingdom?” Cream asked.

"Not sure…” Kat said, scrunching her face as she scratched her chin. “Maybe this shrine used to be one a long time ago, but over time, the old faith was lost.”

"I wouldn’t know," Echo answered. "I know next to nothing about the Drylands, let alone these Light and Dark ‘Guy-ahs’. Since Meropis' beginning, it's only ever served as the home and re-birthplace of Aquarius."

Drake chirped happily at the mention of his sister. Chuckles reached out and patted his back as if to tell him to calm down. As they neared, they heard the sound of a gentle, soothing flute melody.

"Ah, we're in luck! We’re just in time for Priestess Coral to perform the daily rites," Echo mused.

All three Chao perked at the sound of the song, the two flyers bobbing slightly as all three began harmonizing to it. The entire group followed the sound of the music, drawn to it like moths to a flame.

They entered the shrine and saw a female betta playing a flute-like object made of glowing, multi-colored energy, her eyes closed intently. She was covered in orange scales, with a muzzle colored off-white yellow, the same as her hands and feet, and had a large, round tail with a teal edge. She had thick, shoulder-length tendrils growing from her head, giving the appearance of hair, that gradually changed from orange to purple and finally, teal; as well as two, small, white orbs on her forehead. Additionally, she had small fins growing on her forearms and above her ankles with the same orange, purple, and teal color scheme as her “hair”.

She wore a mint green dress with a purple sash and a darker mint green trim, and a matching turban with four, white coral ornaments with purple stripes on them, as well as a cord necklace with a white pendant.

Seated off to the side was an intimidating-looking shark, a little gray manta ray around Cream's age in an orange dress, and a green-and-black Chao with a spiky ball for a head pom-pom, all of them bobbing their heads to the music.

What caught their attention, however, was an altar bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Knuckles Clan ruins in Soumerca and Angel Island. Seated on this altar was a Chao that bore a resemblance to Drake, but with pink skin where he had blue, long ears on her head, a halo in place of a pom-pom, and an orange seashell necklace. She harmonized with the melody, smiling.

"That's Aquarius?" Cream asked quietly. "She looks like an angel."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Cream," Kat agreed.

Both Chuckles and Cheese bowed before the angelic Chao as Drake flew towards her slowly. As the melody ended, Aquarius opened her eyes, seeing Drake. They were the same shade of blue as his own. She gave him an inquisitive chirp, rising off of the altar to greet him. He gave her a small chirp and a wave, then they both embraced.

"Awww…" Cream let out.

As the betta dismissed her flute, she turned to see them. "Oh, Lieutenant Echo! I-I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Greetings, Priestess,” Echo said with a polite bow, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I brought some guests.”

“Guests?”

Coral looked over Echo's shoulder to see Cream and Kat waiting, the two of them smiling and waving.

“O-Oh!” Coral exclaimed as she brushed herself off. “My apologies for not greeting you sooner. It’s not often we get visitors down here, especially not Drylanders."

“She’s really pretty!” the manta ray said as she looked at Kat.

“Awww, thank you,” Kat said, scratching her head in embarrassment. “Ah, right! Where are my manners? I’m Kat. This is Cream, and our Chao: Chuckles, Cheese, and Drake.”

The Chao chirped happily as they fluttered and waved.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” the betta greeted with a bow, “Welcome to Eusebes Shrine. My name is Coral, the priestess here.” Coral turned to her two companions, motioning them to come over.

“This is Pearly, my little apprentice. Say hello, Pearly.”

“Hello, Pearly!” the manta ray said with a cheeky grin, getting giggles out of everyone present (except Echo, who sighed in exasperation).

“Over here we have Razor,” Coral said as she turned to the shark.

"Yo," the shark greeted with a two-fingered salute and a big, toothy grin.

Cream looked up at Razor, seemingly scared and intimidated by the big shark. He looked at her, before smiling and patting her head.

"Easy," he soothed. "I ain't gonna hurt ya. I just look scary."

"You should get a new face, Razor," Pearly teased. "Yours is broken."

"Very funny, Squirt," Razor deadpanned, giving Pearly a playful nudge.

“I-It’s not that…” Cream said, twiddling her fingers and looking to the side, “It’s just…”

“Just what?” Razor demanded playfully. “C’mon, I’m a big boy! Spit it out!”

“Yeah Cream, what’s… Oh …” Kat exclaimed as she looked down at Razor’s outfit…or rather, what he considered an outfit. “Ohhhh Ancients, you’re naked…”

Quickly, she covered Cream’s eyes, with Cheese and Chuckles doing the same for each other. Razor looked down at his “outfit”, which was little more than a green belt with a satchel, a necklace consisting of several gold triangles on a string, and some silver piercings on his head-fin and two fin-like flaps on the sides of his head.

“Yeah, so?” the shark said nonchalantly.

“Right…” Echo said, facepalming. “I forgot about that.”

“Razor, why don’t you go put on your pants, please,” Coral asked, awkwardly.

“Oh come on, Coral!” the shark pouted, “It’s not like I got anything to hide!”

“Razor…” Coral said sternly, causing Razor to sweat a little.

“Alright, alright, I’m going!”

Kat watched as Razor stepped outside, grumbling and mumbling under his breath. He walked over toward the clothesline by the stone house and pulled the shorts off the line. He slid in his legs, followed by his tail, before finally adjusting his satchel and belt so that they were over his pants. Once he was decent, he returned to the shrine.

“There, happy?” he groused.

“Thank you, Razor,” Coral said with a smile, “I know you don’t like wearing it, but I appreciate it.”

Razor blushed slightly, turning away so she wouldn’t see. “Y-Yeah, no prob…”

“Bah!”

At that moment, the black and green Chao hopped up and jumped on Razor’s head, knocking him to the ground.

“Hey!” Razor shouted as he grabbed the Chao. “What’s the big idea, you little water gremlin!?”

The Chao just grinned and snickered at him, revealing a set of sharp teeth identical to Razor’s own, much to Kat’s surprise.

Coral sighed in fond exasperation. “And this is Razor’s pet Chao, Crusher.”

“Bah!” Crusher cried happily.

“You named your Chao ‘Crusher’?” Cream asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It makes him feel important.” Razor shrugged, “Plus, it’s cool.”

"He looks cool," Kat said. "Is that another one of those weird adaptations you mentioned, Cream?"

"Kinda," Cream clarified. "A Chao's shape and color change as they mature into one of five special types: Flying, Running, Swimming, Power, and Normal. Crusher's a Swim-type. And judging by the spiky ball, as well as his eyes and the black coloration, he's also a Dark Chao."

“Dark Chao?” Kat asked, sounding a little anxious.

“Don’t worry,” Razor said as he picked his Chao up, “Crusher can be a handful, but he’s a real sweetheart. Ain’t that right, little buddy?”

Razor rubbed Crusher’s belly, causing the Chao to rumble happily.

"Tough exterior, heart of gold," Kat remarked, smiling slightly. "Good to know."

“Yeah,” Pearly chimed in, “Razor looks all big and tough, but he’s all soft and squishy inside.”

“That’s cuz my bones are made of cartilage, Pearly!” Razor yelled defensively before calming down. “But yeah, I’m one of the good guys. Believe it or not…” He grinned pridefully as he trapped his chest, “I’m the Sacred Guardian of Eusebes Shrine!”

“Self-proclaimed…” Echo said with an aside glance.

“Hey!” Razor shouted at Echo as he set Crusher down, “Nobody asked your opinion, ya gilded can of tuna!”

“Gilded!?” Echo exclaimed, offended, “My armor is pure Orichalcon, you trap-jawed reprobate!”

“Oh dear, not again…” Coral said as she went to break up the fight.

“Aiyah…” Kat said with a smirk.

As Kat watched the argument unfold, she heard footsteps on the sand. She looked down and saw Crusher walking toward her. The Dark Chao stared at the larger human curiously, unsure what to make of this newcomer. After a few seconds, Kat decided to break the ice.

“Hey there, little guy,” she said as held her hand out.

Crusher leaned closer and tentatively sniffed the strange human girl’s fingers. Kat smiled.

“Aw… he likes -” 

Suddenly, Crusher opened his mouth and bit down on Kat’s fingers with an audible “Nyom”. She immediately screamed, trying to shake him off.

“Aww, shit!” Razor cried out as he ran over to help, “Crusher, no! Bad! No bitey!”

The shark lightly struck the Chao on the back of the head, causing him to let go of Kat’s hand with a pained squawk.

“I am so sorry, Kat!” Razor apologized as he wrangled Crusher, the Chao cackling all the while, “As I said, Crusher is a handful!”

“I noticed!” Kat said as she shook her hand.

“Let me see that,” Coral said as she approached Kat and examined her hand. “Hmmmm…he doesn’t appear to have broken the skin, but just to be safe…”

Coral closed her eyes and let out a tone, causing an aura of multicolored energy to appear around Kat’s arm. In an instant, the pain disappeared.

“There, that should do it,” Coral said. Kat and the others stared in awe as she moved her fingers.

“Whoa…” Kat said, “What was that?”

"That was the Mystic Melody," Coral replied. "A magical technique that allows one to channel the positive mystical forces of Mobius.”

“Was that the song you were playing?” Cream asked. “It was really pretty.”

“It was,” Coral nodded. “Aquarius taught the first Meropians the melody, and it's been used in our sacred rites ever since."

“Really?” Kat asked, “Hey Drake, why didn’t you teach Cream that when she became a priestess?”

The Chaos Chao simply shrugged and chirped, as if to say ‘I dunno’.

“Pardon me, but you’re a priestess?” Coral asked, stunned at what she’d just heard.

"Coral, look!” Pearly said as she pointed at Drake, “That Chao there looks a lot like Aquarius," she noted. "Is he an Angel Chao too?"

"A Light Chaos, actually," Coral clarified. "Aquarius used to look just like that a few cycles ago."

"He's Chaos' son," Cream told them. "He laid Drake's egg himself."

The Eusebes Trio and Echo stood there in slack-jawed shock at what they’d just heard.

“Chaos, the Living Wave…” Echo said, dropping her trident, “That’s his son!?”

"So he's Aquarius' brother," Coral realized. "As I live and breathe."

“Wow…” Pearly said numbly. Razor whistled.

"Seems you're something special, kid," Razor mused. "Hope you're sticking around a while. The girls here are seconds from going gaga."

Cream smiled awkwardly at that.

“A-Anyway, we got a little off topic,” Coral said as she got her wits about her, “Was there something you needed help with, Lieutenant?”

“No,” Echo explained, “I’m just showing Kat and her friends around the kingdom. Princess Undina brought them and some others to help deal with our oil issue."

The betta perked. "Deena's back in town?"

“Big Sis is here!?” Pearly exclaimed.

“Oh…goodie,” Razor said unenthusiastically.

"Indeed, she is," Echo confirmed. "Really got into it with the King and Queen. I was afraid it was going to get messy for a moment."

“Why am I not surprised?” the shark added.

“Big Sis?” Kat asked.

“Undina used to train with us,” Coral explained, “She was born with incredible spiritual abilities, so the king and queen sent her here to learn to control her powers.”

“She was my teacher before Coral was,” Pearly said happily, “And she used to play with us all the time, so she’s our big sis!”

“Huh…” Kat said, surprised, “You learn something new every day.”

“Excuse me, Priestess Coral?” Cream asked, “Could you please teach me how to perform the Mystic Melody?”

That question surprised Coral. “You…want me to teach you the Mystic Melody?”

“Yeah! I don't know much about being a priestess, but the Melody seems important, and I want to make sure I learn everything I can.”

Coral thought for a moment before nodding. "I don't see why not."

“Really!? Thank you so much!” Cream cheered, Cheese doing the same.

Kat and Razor smiled as the girls ran off.

“Well, those three hit it off,” the redhead said.

“I’m glad, that’s the happiest I’ve seen Coral in a long time,” Razor said fondly.

The two took a seat by the freshwater pool, Chuckles settling in Kat’s lap while Crusher jumped in.

“Soooo… you’re a Guardian too?” Kat asked.

“Eh, you too?” Razor replied.

“Guardian of the Master Emerald. Angel Island.”

“You’re from Angel Island!?” the shark exclaimed, “How-!?”

“Long story…” Kat groaned.

“I imagine,” Razor watched as Crusher swam in circles around the pool, “So, Echo says that you’re here to help with the oil spill?”

“That’s right,” Kat nodded, “The ship causing it belonged to one of our enemies. It crashed here after one of our battles.”

“Enemies?”

“We’re part of the Freedom Fighters,” Kat explained, “A resistance group that protects Mobius from supervillains, monsters, and other bad guys.”

“Oh yeah, I think I heard about you guys a while back.” Razor tapped his chin, “I’m surprised you came all the way down here.”

“Of course, we would! Deena’s our friend and Meropis is her home,” Kat said as if it were obvious. “Plus, we never abandon people in need, whether they’re man or Mobian, wet or dry.”

“I see…” the shark said, looking intently, “That’s a good policy to have. Meropis could use more people like that.”

“I imagine,” Kat said. 

Razor stared ahead, looking deep in thought. As he did, Kat took a moment to examine the shark. For a Mobian, he was fairly well-muscled, not unlike Knuckles or some of his kin. He was also covered in mostly faded scars, all of which appeared to come from some kind of slashing weapon. Guess that talk about being a Guardian wasn’t just a boast.

There was one scar in particular that grabbed her attention: a burn scar on his left arm. It wasn’t very big, but from the coloration, it was relatively recent. However, it was too even to be from a fight. Too neat. What’s more, there was a tiny splotch of black near one of the edges. It almost looked like part of a tattoo.

“What the…?” Kat whispered as she squinted at the mark.

“Hey, Kat?” Razor asked, snapping the human out of it.

“Wh-what’s up?” she asked.

“Can you tell me more about your group?” the shark inquired, “I wanna learn more about these ‘Freedom Fighters’.”

Kat smiled at that. “Get comfy Razor,” she said, “You’re in for a ride.”

Meanwhile, outside the palace, Sonic and the others had sat down to discuss the situation with Undina.

"So… what's the plan?" Sonic asked.

"For now, we need to get a closer look at the Egg Carrier, and figure out where the leak is," Rotor decided.

"Dismantling the thing and dealing with it is also a must," Knuckles pointed out. "We can't just leave it to spring another leak."

"Once we've dealt with the leak, then we can worry about cleanup," Sally said.

"The Egg Carrier's the size of an Empire City skyscraper," Undina remarked. "Just finding the leak is gonna be a chore."

"No one said it'd be easy," Rotor pointed out.

"Maybe we can get some soldiers to help," Sally suggested. "Make the search easier."

"Provided Striker pulls that stick out of his-" Sonic began.

Their attention was suddenly grabbed by screaming. Everyone turned to see numerous torpedo-like pods shooting through the water, blasting through the bubble around the city and bursting open to reveal custom Badniks, including Swatbots and Troopers in gold armor similar to Commander Brutus. One, a sizable E-100 model with light blue and gold plating, spiked pistons on his arms, and the number 106 on his side, stood tall, regarding the people around them.

"Citizens of Meropis!" he declared. "The Robotnik Empire has arrived to lay claim to this kingdom! By order of Dr. Robotnik, surrender or die!"

Sonic stood up, walking toward them casually. "Mind if we choose neither?"

"Yeah," Knuckles agreed. "I think I'll take option three: Smash you into scrap!"

Sally powered on her Ring Blades, stepping in front of Undina.

"Priority One: Hedgehog. I am E-106, codename Eta. Prepare to meet your doom."

He charged at Sonic, his arms giving off a pneumatic hiss as he pulled back. Sonic narrowly dodged as Eta swung, his spiked fist, propelled by the pistons, plowing deep into the wall.

"Hey, watch it!" Sonic shouted. "Haven't you bucket heads done enough damage as is?!"

Eta pulled his arm free, turning to look at Sonic.

"Primary target is Sonic the Hedgehog. Nothing else matters. If a building or two happens to be demolished in the process, so be it."

"Talk about a one-track mind!" Rotor cried. "Sally, get Deena clear!"

Sally did so, and the fight wore on for a bit. Eta was incredibly resilient, enduring multiple attacks and continuing to go. Eventually, he plowed his fist spikes into the ground and began pumping his pistons, the ground around him beginning to shake and crack before suddenly he stopped, his optics flickering.

"Enough, Eta!” Robotnik's voice came. "I didn't send you here to destroy the city!”

All eyes turned to see a drone resembling a mix between the Egg Mobile and Bokkun's TV messages fly in, the image revealing Robotnik's face

"Eggman!" Sonic shouted. "Sheesh, do you ever take a break? We kicked you out of Studiopolis just two weeks ago!"

"My name is Ivo Robot-! " Robotnik cut himself off, sighing. "Oh, forget it." He cleared his throat. "Believe it or not, I was taking a break. My forces came out here to find the sunken Egg Carrier, hoping to salvage anything that survived. And then I discovered the... unfortunate predicament of Undina's kingdom. "

"We're already dealing with enough because of you, Doctor!" Undina snapped.

"That's why I'm here, Princess, " Robotnik replied. "I'm perfectly willing to clean up my mess and save your city and people from toxic shock. All you and your parents have to do…” he gave a wide, malicious grin, “Is swear your loyalty to the Robotnik Empire. "

"Never!" Undina screamed. "I haven't forgotten how you treated me and so many others in your Egg Dungeon! My people will never bow to you!"

"Why do they always want to do it the hard way?" Robotnik muttered. "In any event, Princess, I'm not taking no for an answer. If your people won't bow to me voluntarily, I'll make them! "

"And how do you plan to do that, Eggman?" Knuckles shot back. "Last time I checked, your go-to scheme for control isn't so foolproof anymore."

"I’ve been exploring alternative means to build my Egg Army.” He grinned again. “And you're about to see the first success. "

As if on cue, they heard footsteps. Several Meropians gasped at the sight of the figure that appeared. Undina went pale.

"Oh, Aurora… it's you!"

The figure was a Mobian orca with broad shoulders, a thick fin-like flap on each side of his head, and a cybernetic dorsal fin on top of his head, which connected to a green gemstone in the center of his forehead. He wore a uniform similar to Robotnik’s own, complete with black jumpsuit and white gloves; but instead of a coat, he wore a mustard yellow vest-jacket, as well as a pair of bulky looking silver wristbands and boots, each with green gems mounted into special slots. His eyes were green but appeared to lack pupils and the sclerae were jet black as if they were lights floating in a pair of dark, empty holes.

"Ah, Princess Undina," he greeted, his voice smooth and refined, but with a sinister touch. "The last time I saw you, you were just a little fry. (1)"

"Akhlut…" Undina spat. "I should have known you'd throw your lot in with Robotnik. What have you done to yourself?"

"Nothing I didn't ask of him," Akhlut shot back.

Knuckles examined Akhlut's cybernetics, the pieces falling into place. “Legionization.”

“Knuckles?” Rotor asked.

“This guy’s been Legionized… he’s a cyborg!” Knuckles turned back to Robotnik. "That's why Eggatha captured Lien-Da back on the Isolated Island, isn't it?"

"Clever boy, " Robotnik remarked. Though I prefer the term Cyberization. Those who swear loyalty to me will be reborn with cybernetically-augmented bodies.”

"And what exactly is this guy's story?" Sonic questioned.

"I was once part of the City Guard here, second only to Striker," Akhlut explained. "But Puff and Angelica didn't see things my way."

"Because you were a warmonger!" Undina shouted. "Addicted to the thrill of battle! That's why Mother and Father banished you!"

"They were weak-willed and faint-hearted," Akhlut retorted. "And you're no better, Princess. Meropis needs new leadership. Strong leadership not afraid to take what they deserve."

Undina shook her head. "You're insane."

"No, I simply miss the good old days. The roar of battle. The crack of metal and bone. Good, honest conquest."

"Wow…" Sonic deadpanned. "You really are insane."

"Oh please, Sonic," Akhlut scoffed. "The doctor told me all about you. We're not so different, you and I. We both understand what's best in life."

"And what, pray tell, is that?"

At that, Akhlut grinned, baring his razor, sharp teeth for everyone to see.

"To crush your enemies! See them quiver before you! And hear the lamentations of their women!"

Sonic immediately felt a chill up his spine. He was no stranger to evil grins, he saw them nearly every other week. The unforgettable visage of a smug, overconfident, self-important would-be conqueror or diabolical mastermind as he dreamed of cities named after him and giant statues of himself proclaiming his brilliance. But Akhlut’s grin was different. This wasn’t the grin of an egomaniacal loon like Eggman or a self-important bully like Snively, but one of a ravenous wolf eyeing a soon-to-be freshly-killed rabbit.

The grin of a killer.

But just as quickly as the feeling arose, Sonic shook it off. He’d faced down bigger, uglier, and nastier things before. He could handle an overgrown robo-tuna.

"Seriously?” Sonic said, raising an eyebrow, “That's what you think of me? Forget borderline, you are insane."

"Then why are you here?” Akhlut asked, “Why do you constantly throw yourself into battle with so-called villains like the doctor? Why go out of your way to fight and destroy Badniks? I'll tell you why. You enjoy the violence and thrill of the fight. That's why!"

Sonic scowled. "You don't know anything about me, Akhlut, so don't pretend that you do!"

"Alright, enough with the monologuing! " Robotnik cut in. "Akhlut, just get on with the killing! "

“Of course, Doctor.” Akhlut charged, grappling with Sonic. "At last, a foe worthy of my might. Our battle will be legendary!"

"If you catch me first!" Sonic shot back.

"Care for some assistance?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah! Let's make sashimi out of this guy!"

They clashed, and Akhlut was soon forced on the defensive.

"Come now, Sonic," the orca went on. "There's a warrior within you. You don't need to deny it."

"So what?!" Sonic snapped. "I don't fight for its own sake! I fight to help people! Protect them from monsters like you!"

"Monster' is a relative term, boy," Akhlut retorted. "To a Flicky, a Bush Femur (2) is a monster. You and yours have just gotten used to being the Femur."

"Just shut up and eat fist!" Knuckles delivered a hard punch to Akhlut's face.

Akhlut pulled back, spitting out some blood. "It appears I'll need to take this elsewhere."

He took off toward the bubble shield, jumping out of it and into the surrounding sea. Sonic froze up at the sight.

"Oh, great…" he let out.

"We can't let him get away, Sonic," Knuckles insisted. "So suck it up and let's get that whale!"

Sonic clenched his fists, pulling out his bag and swapping out his normal sneakers for the Propeller Shoes. Making sure the Air Charm was still around his neck, he steeled himself.

"C'mon Sonic, you got this," he muttered. "Yougotthisyougotthisyougotthis…"

He jumped out of the barrier, Knuckles following as he fought the panic. Knuckles grabbed his arm, making him face the echidna.

"Air Charms, Sonic," he reminded him. "We can breathe."

"I'm well aware of that! Doesn't mean I like being twenty thousand leagues under the sea!"

"Then don't think about that," Knuckles said simply. "Let's focus on Akhlut. He's our target."

They turned to face Akhlut, who was casually performing a backstroke before getting up.

"Yes, the odds are fair," he mused. "Two on two."

Knuckles blinked. "Two?"

A metal tentacle suddenly grabbed his arm, yanking him back. Sonic turned to see that the tentacle belonged to a sizable octopus-model Badnik with a blue head and red eyes.

"Keep the echidna busy, Octobot," Akhlut ordered. "I'll handle Sonic."

The bot didn't respond with words. Instead, its tentacles lashed out, grabbing for Knuckles and shooting for the ocean floor. Sonic watched them go down before turning to Akhlut, clicking his heels to activate the propellers.

"You want me? Come and get me!"

Akhlut smirked. "You may be the fastest thing alive, but you're out of your depth here. Even you can't defeat a killer whale in his natural element, Sonic!"

"Gonna try!" Sonic shot back.

He then shot forward, propellers launching him at speeds not quite as fast as his own, but still faster than normal. While he put up a good fight, in the end, he was overwhelmed by Akhlut's aquatic superiority. He was sent flying back by an underwater tackle, the impact knocking off his Air Charm. Sonic's eyes widened, and he immediately began clutching his throat as his lungs began to burn.

"They say drowning is one of the worst possible ways to die," Akhlut mused with a cruel smirk. "It seems they're correct."

Within the city, Sally and Undina saw Sonic struggling, gaping in horror.

"Oh no!" Sally cried. "What do we do?!"

Undina was already running out, jumping into the water herself and darting straight for Sonic, who was beginning to turn purple from lack of oxygen. She reached him, grabbing him by the cheeks. Sonic had just enough time to register that when Undina, much to everyone's shock, pressed her lips to his. Sally's jaw dropped, Akhlut’s eyes widened, and Sonic turned red in embarrassment before feeling a rush of air fill his lungs and bring him back from the brink. Once that was done, Undina swam down, retrieving his Air Charm and slipping it back around his neck.

"You…" Sonic stammered the second his ability to do so returned, "You just freaking kissed me!"

"I-It was CPR!" Undina insisted. "I was saving your life!"

"How pathetic!" Akhlut cut in. "The great Hero of Mobius needing a rescue!"

"So what if I needed rescuing?" Sonic shot back. "At least I have people willing to risk their lives to help me! You? All you have is your bloodlust!"

Akhlut furrowed his brow at the hedgehog, but only for a moment.

"It's all I need!" the orca shouted as he prepared another charge. But before he could, something darted through the water, slamming into him.

"Really?" Rotor questioned as he came out of his attack. "Because it looks like you could use someone watching your back."

"Rotor!" Sonic called. "Get to Knuckles! He may be strong, but he's gonna need help against that Octobot!"

Rotor nodded before swimming down, seeing Knuckles facing Octobot. The echidna was struggling in its metallic grip, his punches not being as effective with the drag of the water. Rotor engaged the Drill Rush, pounding into Octobot and knocking him off. It loosened its grip on Knuckles, allowing him to swim free.

"Thanks, Rote," he said gratefully.

"We need to get Akhlut back into the barrier," Rotor insisted. "Taking him on in his home turf won't work."

"With the bot nursing that dent, it shouldn't be too hard."

Indeed, Rotor's attack had left the bot flailing uselessly, its head badly dented and bent. This left the pair free to rejoin Undina and Sonic, who already had the same idea. They were swimming for the city as Akhlut looked Rotor over.

"So…" the orca sneered, "After all these years, the Walrus Herd continues to vex and defy me." He took a moment to stare Rotor in the eyes, “I see…you must be Rotor.”

Rotor blinked. "Uh… do I know you?"

"No, but I know you.” the orca scowled at him, “Sherman Walrus' boy."

Rotor stopped at that, the others turning to Undina.

"It's why Akhlut was banished from Meropis," Undina explained. "He gathered a group of like-minded soldiers in the guard and launched an unauthorized assault on Iceborough in Artika."

"An assault that nearly destroyed my home," Rotor recalled, scowling. "I lost my mother in that raid… And dad…" Rotor’s eyes widened in realization, his fists clenched in anger. “You bastard!”

Before anyone could react, Rotor charged at Akhlut, tackling him before spinning around to maneuver him toward the city.

"Yikes!" Sally exclaimed, diving out of the way as they both came flying through the barrier.

Both landed hard, rolling on the ground before Rotor ended up on top of the orca. Sonic, Knuckles, and Undina came through not long after, the former quickly shaking himself free of water and spitting out more than a few mouthfuls.

“It was you! ” Rotor screamed as he attempted to wring Akhlut’s neck, “You killed them! You killed my parents! You heartless son of a-!"

“Get off of me, brat! ”

Before Rotor could finish, Akhlut kicked him off, standing up as the green gem on his dorsal fin began to glow.

"I'd prefer to break your body first, but shattering your mind works too!" he declared. Rotor growled at the orca as he prepared to make another attack.

“I’ll break you, you lousy…!”

“Psycho-Sonar!”

Rotor clutched his head in pain as green waves began to emit from Akhlut’s dorsal fin. As soon as they reached him, the walrus clutched his head in pain, blood gushing from his nose and eyes as he fell unconscious. 

“Rotor!” Sonic rushed at Akhlut, only for the orca to turn and use his sonar attack on him.

Sonic clutched his head in pain, gritting his teeth as waves of psychic power washed over him. He felt as if his skull was being split in two while being simultaneously set on fire. As his nose began to bleed, Sonic made one last attempt to charge at him, but Akhlut whirled on him, grabbing his shoulders and focusing the waves entirely on him.

"I'll peel your mind apart bit by bit, Sonic!" he boasted. "Let's see you try to be a hero when you're reduced to a drooling mess!"

Sonic winced in pain before grabbing Akhlut's face, the orca gaping in shock.

“What the!?”

"Get… out… of … my …" he headbutted Akhlut with all his might, "head! "

Ahklut grimaced, releasing Sonic and stumbling back. Sally then struck, ring blades shining as she jumped up, slashing at the green gem. It cracked under the power of her blade, and the feedback caused Ahklut to scream and convulse in pain. After a good few seconds, the gem’s light faded, and Akhlut began to go limp.

“Im…possi…ble…”

The orca's eyes rolled back in his head. He dropped to his knees, then face-planted in the sand. Before they could move to apprehend him, he was ensnared in a tractor beam and pulled out of the city. They looked to see Robotnik's submarine being the source, Robotnik sighing through his camera drone.

"Let it never be said I didn't suffer for my occupation," he muttered.

"Only warning, Eggman," Sonic told him. "Get the hell outta these waters."

"Way ahead of you, Sonic,” Robotnik smirked. "I don't want to be in the blast radius. Especially with all the oil in the water. "

"What are you-" Knuckles' eyes widened in realization. "Oh shit…"

At that very moment, they heard a distant explosion. Robotnik cackled as his drone and sub retreated. Sally looked out to see metallic debris flying every which way.

"He self-destructed the Egg Carrier!" the squirrel cried.

"No…" Knuckles gasped. "With all the pollution, this place'll go up like a Spagonian candle (3)!"

"Maybe not," Undina mused.

She suddenly grabbed at Sonic's jacket, yanking out his Warp Ring pouch.

"Whoa, hey!" Sonic shouted.

Ignoring him, Undina pulled one out, tossing it and opening a portal to the shrine.

"C'mon! There's no time to lose!"

She jumped through, the others following suit.

At the shrine, Cream, Coral, and Pearly were all playing beautiful harmonies on ethereal flutes. The Chao were all cheering and clapping, Kat, Razor, and Echo nodding along to the music. The music stopped when the Warp Ring opened, spitting Undina and the others out.

”Undina!?” Coral cried out.

"Princess!" Echo exclaimed. "What's going on?"

"Dr. Robotnik's detonated the Egg Carrier," Undina explained. "We need to reinforce the city's shield right away!"

"Oh, dear…" Coral turned to her apprentice. "Pearly, I'll need your help. Cream, do you think you can lend aid as well?"

Cream nodded. "I'll try."

Drake and his sister were both floating to join the priestesses, chirping seriously.

"Count me in too," Undina was already summoning her own flute.

The four girls gathered in a circle, beginning to play a low melody. The others looked on in awe as both Drake and Aquarius began harmonizing with it, glowing brightly as they held hands, spinning in a slow circle between the four. 

Outside the cavern, the Power Rings dotting the shield began to glow along with them. The shimmering barrier seemed to thicken, becoming a solid dome that pulsated with pure Chaos Energy. The Egg Carrier debris impacted the shield, bouncing off before seeming to disintegrate. Even more amazingly, the waters around the shield began to brighten, waves of power purging it of pollutants and oil.

"Whoa…" Sonic let out.

When the song finally came to an end, the ocean looked clearer than ever before. The two Chao dropped out of the air, exhausted. Razor quickly caught them both, handing Aquarius to Coral and Drake to Kat. Undina dismissed her flute, sighing in relief.

"We did it,” she managed, “Thank Neptune, we actually did it!”

Coral nodded, turning to Cream. "You're a natural with the Mystic Melody Cream. Most Eusebes priestesses didn't learn it that fast."

"Maybe Chaos helped me," Cream theorized.

"Now that that's done…" Sally strolled over to Undina, grabbing her by one of her head fins like one would grab someone's ear.

"Ow, hey!" Undina yelped. "Hands off the merchandise!"

"Deena…" Sally began, "Don’t ever kiss Sonic again."

Kat blinked. "You kissed him?"

"His Air Charm was knocked off!" Undina insisted. "He was drowning! I was giving him air!"

"You kissed him!"

Her face was beet-red, something Kat quickly picked up on.

"Hang on," she began. "Sal… are you jealous?"

"W-what? Me?" Sally sputtered.

"You are!" Kat exclaimed. "You're jealous Deena took Sonic's first kiss!"

"That was your first kiss too?" Undina questioned.

Everyone's jaws dropped at that.

"You're kidding…" Knuckles managed. "Both Sonic and Deena had their first kiss... and it wasn't even a real kiss?!"

He snorted and then just began laughing. Undina blushed, while Sonic just sat down, rubbing his eyes in annoyance and embarrassment.

"Someone throw me back in the sea…" he grumbled.

Razor let out a small cough. "As... entertaining as this is, we should probably report that the oceans are clear."

Sally nodded. "Yes, of course."

As they prepared to leave, Kat noticed Echo clutching her trident, looking almost…despondent.

“Echo! You coming?” she called out, causing the dolphin to snap to attention.

“O-Oh! Yes! Coming!”

The Freedom Fighters stood at attention before Puff, Angelica, and Striker. Undina told her parents everything that had transpired, though she was smart enough to omit her kiss with Sonic.

"I see…” Puff said at last. “So that’s what happened.”

“Yes, Daddy…” Undina replied, “The city is saved, the toxins have been cleansed, and the people are safe.” She grimaced. “Now, I believe there’s something you and Mama need to say.”

Puff and Angelica winced, though more out of guilt than disgust.

“Yes, of course, dear,” Angelica said. And with that, they turned their attention to Sonic, “You saved our kingdom and people despite the way we treated you, and more importantly, you saved our daughter when she needed help the most.” Both she and her husband bowed slightly. “All of Meropis owes you a great debt.”

Sonic shrugged. "Just doing our duty, Your Highnesses."

“Still, this is most troubling…” Striker added, “Akhlut has given us trouble before, but now that he’s joined forces with Robotnik …”

“Yes…” Puff said with a grimace, “He’s going to be near-unstoppable…”

"I've been thinking about that," Razor approached the throne, bowing. "Your Highness, Dr. Robotnik most likely won't give up threatening the city and the surrounding oceans. And with Akhlut at his side, he's that much more of a threat. So... I believe we should form our own Freedom Fighter group."

Everything blinked at that.

"To replace the City Guard?" Angelica questioned.

"Not at all," Razor clarified, shaking his head. "To back them up, deal with disturbances outside Meropis. We can't just expect Sonic's crew to solve our Robotnik problems all the time.”

"Hmmm…" Puff mused. "The idea has merit. Perhaps having a force protecting the waters would be wise."

"Very well," Angelica decided. "The formation and upkeep of this group will fall to you Razor. I trust you will not fail in your duties."

"You can count on me, your Majesties," Razor tapped his chest with a grin.

With that done, Undina stepped forward herself.

“I’ve been doing some thinking as well…” She took a deep breath and steeled her gaze."Mama, Daddy... with your permission, I'd like to return with Sonic and his friends to the surface.”

This took Puff and Angelica aback.

“What!?” Puff exclaimed, “But you just returned! We-!”

“Puffy…” Angelica cut in. “Let her explain, first.”

Puff grimaced, before motioning for his daughter to continue.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now,” Undina explained, “And after today, it’s only strengthened my resolve to do this.”

“This being…?” Puff asked.

“It’s time that we started building stronger ties with the Drylands. Not just Meropis, but the Great Blue Realm as a whole.” Undina smiled, big plans going through her head. “I want to see the world, get to know the cultures of the land. That way, when I return, I can be Meropis' official ambassador to the outside world."

They thought it over before nodding.

“Very well…” Angelica declared, “You have our blessing to do so, Undina.”

"J-Just…promise us you’ll try to keep in better contact with us,” Puff added, “I know I…overreacted a little, but again… two years .”

“Of course, Daddy. I promise to keep in touch,” Undina smiled.

"We do have one additional caveat,” Angelica added. “With Robotnik on the prowl, we want you to take a bodyguard. The last any of us want is a repeat of the Egg Dungeon." 

“I’m not sure if that will be possible, Your Highness.” Striker said, looking somewhat grim, “A good chunk of my men are still recovering from the poison, I’m not sure I have any to spare.”

“Oh…right…” Undina sagged in disappointment. At that, Echo perked. She turned to her princess and old friend, thinking back to the time they spent as children. How sad they were when they had to separate for good. And the joy they shared from seeing each other again when she joined the Royal Guard. From when they saw each other again for the first time in two years. Echo saw her chance, and she wasn’t about to let it slip.

“I volunteer!”

The attending Meropians and Freedom Fighters turned toward Echo, who stepped forward, planting her spear on the ground.

“Echo?” Undina asked in surprise.

“With Your Majesties’ blessing, I will accompany Princess Undina to the Drylands as her royal bodyguard.”

This surprised everyone, especially Striker.

“Lieutenant, do you realize what you’re asking?” he asked, “You will be required to follow the Princess wherever she goes and protect her at all costs, even your own life.”

Echo’s resolve wavered, but only for a moment. “I am aware of the risks Captain Striker, I knew them when I took the oath in the first place.”

Striker looked Echo in the eye, giving her the same glare he did Sonic. The dolphin sweated. Her lips quivered, slightly. But, she held her ground. At that, Striker nodded.

“Very well,” he said, “Lieutenant Echo the Dolphin, by the power invested in me as Captain of the Royal Guard, I hereby appoint you royal bodyguard to Princess Undina.”

Echo held her arm across her chest in salute. “Thank you, sir! I will not let you down.”

“Echo!”

Suddenly, Undina rushed forward, smiling and hugging Echo tightly, causing the dolphin to let out a squeal of fright.

“Thank you so much, Echo! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!”

“P-Princess! P-Please, calm yourself! I…” Echo cried out, trying to pry her off.

"Oh, this is perfect!" Deena gushed. "I promise, you are going to love the surface! The places, the food, the people!” She squeed for a moment as she spun Echo around, the dolphin hanging limply in her grip, somewhat stunned, “We. Are going. To have. So. Much. Fun!”

“Wow,” Sonic said, “That is one happy fishy.”

“You said it,” Razor added.

At that, Deena let Echo go, allowing her to regain her bearings.

“Granted, we’ll have to get you something to wear once we get there,” Deena said, “That armor makes you stand out like a sore fin.”

Echo opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she realized she was right.

“Yes, Princess. That’s…a good point.”

“Oh! And you’ll need an umbrella like mine to keep you hydrated in hotter climates!” Undina held Echo’s hands. “Or we could just share, whatever works!"

At that, Echo went ramrod stiff, her face beet red. It was taking her every ounce of willpower to keep her composure. But despite her reaction, she seemed…happy. Overjoyed, even. Something that did not go unnoticed by Kat.

“O-Of course, My Princess.” Echo finally stammered out, “I-I look forward to accompanying you on your journey…”

Eusebes Shrine

Sometime later, the group was back at the shrine, deciding to hang out for a bit and see the sights. Or in the case of some of them, catching up with old friends…

“Undina!”

“Big Sis!”

As soon as Undina returned to the shrine, Coral and Pearly immediately ran over and embraced her, the manta practically throwing herself into Deena’s arms.

“Welcome home, Big Sis! We missed you!”

“I missed you too, Pearly!” Deena replied, hugging the little manta tightly, “Have you been a good girl for Coral while I was gone?”

“Ya-huh! Coral’s a really good teacher!”

“Of course she is,” Deena added, “She’s the best!”

“W-Well, I-I wouldn’t say that…” Coral said, blushing slightly.

Kat, Sally, Cream, and Echo watched as the three girls caught up.

“Awwww, that’s sweet,” Kat said.

“Indeed,” Sally concurred, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Deena this happy before.”

“Priestess Coral and Pearly were very close with the Princess. They were practically sisters.” Echo explained.

“They remind me of me and Miss Bunnie,” Cream said, “I’m glad that Princess Deena has friends like that.”

“Yes…” Echo added, a wistful smile coming over her face, “I’m actually jealous of them.”

“Well, look at it this way,” Kat said, “Now that you’re Deena’s bodyguard, you can spend all the time you want with her.”

Echo fiddled with her trident. “Yes,  I suppose I can.”

Kat smirked mischievously. “Maybe you could even get her to kiss you too.”

“That would be…” Echo’s eyes widened and her grip on her trident tightened as she realized what she’d just said. “Oh,  barnacles…”

“I knew it,” Kat said.

“Wait a minute…” Sally realized, “Echo, are you a lesbian?”

Echo’s only response was a soft, squealing noise.

“Oh my goodness, you are…”

“A what?” Cream asked.

“It means she’s attracted to other girls,” Kat explained.

“Ohhhhh!” Cream nodded in understanding, “Wait, Miss Echo, do you have a crush on Princess Deena?”

Echo looked like she was halfway from soiling herself.

“I-I…”

“You do, don’t you!?” Cream said happily, “That’s so sweet!”

“P-Please don’t tell anybody!” Echo frantically whispered, “I…” She paused at that. “Wait, what?”

“She said it was sweet,” Sally replied, “Did you think we were going to judge you for it or something?”

“Cuz we’re not,” Kat chimed in, “Hell, some of my best friends are gay.”

The dolphin looked at the girls in disbelief “R-Really?”

“Of course!” Cream replied, “If anything, we’re happy for you.”

“I see…” Echo said, unsure of what to make of this.

“Look, if you’re not comfortable, we won’t tell anyone,” Kat promised.

“I-I’m sorry…” Echo apologized, “The Royal Guard has a strict ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. If word of my sexuality got out, I could lose my job!” Her grip on her trident tightened even more. “And if that happens…”

“Don’t worry…” Sally said, placing a hand on Echo’s shoulder, “Your secret is safe with us.”

Echo stared at the three Drylanders, stunned at what they’d just told her.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, “Thank you all so…”

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!”

“CRUSHERRRRRRRRRR! ”

The girls turned to see Razor angrily chasing Crusher around the cavern. The shark was butt-naked, the Swim-type Dark Chao having stolen his pants.

“Oh my!” Sally shouted, blushing profusely as she covered Cream’s eyes.

“Seriously!?” Kat added.

“Oh Razor…” Echo said, facepalming.

“Crusher! You little bastard, give me back my shorts!”

“Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah!” Crusher’s merry chase was brought to a halt when Coral scooped him up. “Bah?!”

“Crusher!” Coral scolded. “What have we told you about stealing Razor’s pants?”

“Baaaaaaaaah…?”

“That’s what I thought,” Coral said, “Now, give them back, or no more Square Fruit for you!”

Crusher quivered in fear as he dropped Razor’s pants. Once he did, he ran over to the pool where Chuckles was swimming and dove in to hide from the betta.

“Thanks for that, Coral,” the shark said as he picked up his pants.

“Anytime, Razor,” Coral said with a smile. With that, Razor walked off, but not before taking a moment to glare at Deena over his shoulder.

“Princess.”

“Razor,” Deena replied. The two looked at each other for a few seconds, before Razor walked off. Something that did not go unnoticed by the others.

“What was that about?” Sally asked.

“Not sure,” Echo replied. As this was going on, Cream noticed Pearly looking at Crusher nervously. Concerned, she walked over to her.

“Hi, Pearly…”

The manta turned to see Cream walking over.

“Oh, hi Cream!”

“Hello Cream,” Coral greeted as well, “Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine,” the rabbit explained, “I just saw that Pearly looked kinda nervous, so I wanted to check on her.”

Pearly paused for a moment.

“N-Nervous?” she asked, “Wh-What do you…?”

“Pearly…” Deena asked, “Are you still scared of Chao?”

The manta stiffened at that.

“Hold on, Pearly’s afraid of Chao?” Cream asked. Pearly let out a soft whine.

“Yeah…” she finally admitted, “It’s embarrassing for me to admit, Cream, but…I am.”

Cream blinked. "Really?"

"It's mostly Dark Chao, like Crusher," Pearly confessed. "I can't help it. They're just... scary-looking."

Cream giggled.

"They may look scary, but they're just like any other Chao."

She pointed to Crusher, who was wrestling with Chuckles in the pool. Chuckles was chirping in a teasing manner, and while Crusher's chirps sounded more like mischievous cackles, it was clear they were both just having fun.

"See? Dark doesn't necessarily mean evil, Pearly."

Pearly looked them over, slowly relaxing. Chuckles managed to pin Crusher, sitting on his stomach as the Dark Chao flailed. After a moment, Crusher tapped the water three times and Chuckles hopped off.

"Chuckles! Crusher! Could you come here for a second?" Cream requested.

Both turned and nodded, approaching the pair. Cream picked up Crusher, holding him out to Pearly.

"Just pet him," she said. "You'll see."

Pearly slowly reached out, placing a hand on Crusher. When he didn't snap or try to bite her, instead leaning into the touch, Pearly managed a smile and began scratching the top of his head. He let out a low purr, curling up in her lap happily.

"Now that I think about it…" she began, "He is kinda cute."

Cream smiled, nodding. Meanwhile, Sonic, Knuckles, and Rotor were in another part of the cavern talking things over.

"So Sonic, think you finally conquered your fear of water?" Knuckles asked.

"Honestly?" Sonic began. "No, and I don't think I ever will. But that's not gonna stop me from doing my duty."

"Good to know," Knuckles remarked. "Sorry about that Sonic the Chicken jibe earlier."

"Eh, I've heard worse," Sonic shrugged. He then noticed Rotor, who was sitting off by himself, brooding.

“You okay there, Rote?” the hedgehog asked.

“Yeah…I’m fine.” the walrus said, not even looking at him.

“You don’t sound fine.” Knuckles pointed out, “This is about Akhlut, isn’t it? What he did to your parents?”

Rotor sighed, pinching his forehead as he did. Sonic and Knuckles weren’t going to drop the issue, and he knew it.

“It was about a year or two before I first joined the Freedom Fighters. I’d left my family in Iceborough for…reasons.” That statement caught Sonic and Knuckles off-guard.

“What kind of reasons?” the hedgehog asked.

“Sonic, please,” Rotor cut in, not wanting to go further than that. “Anyway, sometime after that, I saw this article in the newspaper. The environmental conditions caused the ice around the city to become unstable, causing a huge chunk of it to sink to the bottom of the ocean, killing a lot of people.” He looked down sadly, “My mom and dad were among the casualties.”

“That’s not what happened though, was it?” Knuckles asked.

“No,” Rotor replied, “The city had been attacked. Those people, my folks, they’d been murdered.” He clenched his fists and grit his teeth. “By him…"

“Awww geez… Rote,” Sonic winced sympathetically.

“Part of the reason I joined the Freedom Fighters was so that I could prevent what happened to my home from happening to others.” Rotor revealed, “And maybe, along the way, I’d get a chance to avenge my family.”

“Rotor,” Knuckles said, “I know you’re upset, but-”

“I know,” the walrus cut in, “Taking down Akhlut won’t bring them back, but it still needs to be done. That orca…he’s a monster, you saw it. He has to be stopped.”

“And he will be,” Sonic assured, putting a hand on Rotor’s shoulder, “And the next time we see his shiny, blubbery butt, we’re gonna kick it all the way to Adabat.”

Rotor smiled at that. “Thanks, guys.”

“So, what do we do now?” Sonic asked.

“Not sure,” Knuckles said, “We got a whole underwater kingdom to explore,” Knuckles grinned mischievously. “Although... maybe we should get out of here before the king and queen find out you stole Deena's first kiss."

A yelp and splash sounded, and everyone turned to see Sonic had "accidentally" pushed Knuckles into the water.

"Oops," he said casually. "Clumsy me."

Everyone just laughed at the echidna's expense, a welcome relief after such a tense battle.

Citadel Robotnik

“Dammit!”

Eggatha ran down the halls of the medical bay as fast as she could. She’d heard about what had happened at Meropis, and she was not happy. Not happy at all.

“I told him not to do it!” she ranted under her breath as she took a quick right, “I told him, and he did it anyway! The second I find him, I’m gonna-!”

Her violent fantasies were interrupted when she bumped into something, something big, square, and dumb.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Grounder shouted.

“Yeah, this is a hospital!” Coconuts added.

“You know the rules,” Scratch cut in, “No running allowed!”

“Quiet, nincombots!” Eggatha screamed.

“Miss Eggatha!” the nincombots screamed.

“G-Greetings, Your Mini-Maliciousness!” Scratch simped, “I-Is there anything we can help you with?”

“Yes!” Eggatha replied, “You can help by telling me where that big, fat idiot is so I can give him a piece of my mind!”

“Ummm… which big, fat idiot?” Grounder asked, his eyes moving side to side as he twiddled his drills.

“You know who I’m talking about! Now, tell me where he is before I give you a piece of your mind!” the young Robotnik snapped, tapping Grounder’s cranium for emphasis.

“H-He’s in Room 216!” Coconuts cried, his hands raised defensively, “Please, don’t hurt us!”

The members of the S-6 watched as Eggatha just ran ahead, not even giving them a second glance.

“Wow…” Grounder said numbly, “I haven’t seen Miss Eggatha that upset since … uh… since …”

“Since never!” Scratch finished for him, “She’s never been that upset! Not even after she found out about what happened on the Death Egg!”

“I mean, can ya blame her?” Coconuts said, “That ‘big, fat idiot’ is practically her dad.”

“Yeah, I’d be pretty upset too if someone I cared about did something that stupid.” Scratch said solemnly.

“Yeah…” Grounder added dismally, before perking up again, “Who are we talkin’ about again?”

The only answer he got was a pair of bops on the head.

-X-

Meanwhile, Eggatha had finally reached the 200s and was in the middle of searching for her destination.

“Come on…come on, where is it?” Her eyes scanned each of the room numbers, reading them off one by one. "213...214....215...There! 216!"

She grits her teeth as she grabbed the doorknob and gave it a sharp twist.

“There you are!” she shouted as she slammed the door open, “You’d better have a good reason for what you did you…”

As soon as she saw the room’s occupant, her rage was immediately snuffed out.

“Akhlut…”

Akhlut was lying unconscious on a hospital bed, clad in nothing but a gown and hooked up to machinery monitoring his life signs and brain activity. The orca was out like a light, the monitor showing his brain activity nearly flatlining. His fang-filled maw hung open slackly, a small puddle of drool accumulating on the side of his cushions. His black, abyssal eyes stared vacantly into space. All in all, he was a mere shell of the beast that had terrorized Meropis not too long ago.

“Oh, Aurora…” Eggatha said as she slowly entered the orca’s room, “Who did this? H-How did this happen?”

“It was Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, ma’am.”

Eggatha turned around to see Decoe and Boecoe walking toward her, both wearing scrub shirts and doctors’ coats.

“Th-They damaged his Psystone,” the golden robot explained, “The backlash to his mind was…severe.”

“He’s been like this ever since,” the shorter, silver robot continued, “We’re not medical robots, but we don’t need to be to tell you that there’s a good chance he may never wake up.”

If Eggatha’s eyes were visible from behind her glasses, they’d be as wide as dinner plates. As soon as the impromptu medical robots told her this, she ran back into the room and over to Akhlut’s bedside.

“Miss Eggatha!” Decoe and Bocoe called out, but like the trio before them, Eggatha wasn’t listening.

“Dammit! I told you you weren’t ready for the field yet!” Eggatha cursed as she climbed up onto Akhlut, “You should’ve listened to me! Now look at you!”

She crawled over to Akhlut’s head, being careful not to disturb the sensors taped to his chest.

“Akhlut!” she called out, “Akhlut, can you hear me!?”

The orca didn’t respond. He just lay there, drooling and staring into space.

“Come on, Akhlut! Wake up!” Eggatha pleaded, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “Please, wake up!”

There was a low, thready groan from beneath her, then one of Akhlut’s arms reached up. She gasped, even as the massive hand encircled her face.

“Shut… up…” the orca moaned as he forced himself to come to. "You’re giving me a migraine, you little runt.”

“Akhlut!” Eggatha squealed with joy as she wiggled loose from the orca’s grasp, wrapping her arms around his thick, muscular neck. “You’re okay! I thought you were dead!” 

Her joy immediately turned to rage as she squeezed the orca’s cheeks, “You big, fat idiot! I thought you were dead!”

“Right now, I wish I was…” Akhlut slowly sat up, causing Eggatha to roll backward a little. The orca rubbed his forehead to quell the sharp, stabbing pain in his frontal lobe.

“Don’t touch it!” Eggatha cried out, “Your stone is broken!”

Akhlut stopped to feel the slot for his Psystone and growled when he found it was empty. “Right…the squirrel.”

“How do you feel?” Eggatha asked as she looked up at him.

“Lousy…” he replied, “My head hurts, my eyes ache, and everything tastes and smells like copper.”

“Ohhh trust me, Akhlut… that’s going to be the least of your worries…”

Akhlut and Eggatha turned their attention to the door, where Dr. Robotnik stood waiting…and looking very cross. The doctor walked into the room, revealing Decoe and Bocoe holding each other as they cowered in fear against the wall across from them. Eggatha swallowed nervously as her uncle advanced closer. Ironically, the only one not afraid was Akhlut.

“Doctor,” the orca said grimly.

“U-Uncle, please!” Eggatha pleaded, “He’s still hurt! He’s-!”

“Agatha, hush.” Robotnik interrupted as he returned his attention to the orca. "You had one job, Akhlut.” He held up a single finger. “ One. Job! Kill Sonic, secure the Egg Carrier, and prepare Meropis for conquest!"

“That’s three jobs,” Akhlut deadpanned, completely unaffected by the doctor’s temper.

"Don't you back-sass me, blackfish! Because of you, we lost the Egg Carrier and everything on it, and Meropis is most likely looking into allying with the Freedom Fighters against us!"

“I did everything in my power to stop them!” Akhlut defended, now clearly showing his true feelings on the matter.

“Clearly, that wasn't enough!” The doctor said as he got right in his face. “I thought you were supposed to be some kind of mighty warlord! Yet you were bested by a mere group of children! "

“Hah! Mere children?” the orca chuckled. “They were skilled warriors, give them credit where it's due." He leaned closer to the doctor, giving him the same vicious, predatory grin he gave Sonic before their battle. “Besides, you're hardly in a position to be making cracks about my win record, Ivo."

His blustering was cut off when he choked slightly, his body beginning to spark with yellow electricity.

“If I were you, Akhlut, I would watch that tongue of yours, before I start making cracks." the doctor said, his thumb performing a motion similar to how one would activate a handheld detonator.

“Uncle, stop it!” Eggatha pleaded, grabbing her uncle’s sleeve. “He's already injured enough, and that's on top of what you and Grimer put him through when you first captured him!"

Robotnik remained unfazed, so Eggatha gritted her teeth and stamped her foot.

“If you don’t lay off him, I'll purge the entire Eggnet to the Freedom Fighters!”

Robotnik scowled at his niece’s sudden display of impudence, clearly furious; but the beads of sweat forming on his forehead betrayed his true feelings. However, before the situation could escalate further, Akhlut stepped in. The shocks had stopped and he was on his feet, putting himself between the two Robotniks.

"That's enough, Agatha," he cut in.

“But Akhlut…!”

"Your Uncle is right, I failed my mission." The orca furrowed his brow as he clenched his fists, “And it's because I've grown weak."

“You’re darn right you’re…!” Robotnik’s angry outburst cut off as the words finally registered. “Wait, come again?”

“What do you mean you’ve grown weak?” Eggatha questioned.

"I've known nothing but an uncontested victory for years, and I spent months trapped in your dungeons as you tried to break me, Doctor." Akhlut forced a breath through clenched teeth. "As much as it pains me to admit, I've grown complacent, rusty. If I am to vanquish Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends, I need to regain what I have lost."

"And what's to stop them from breaking your Psystone again?" Robotnik asked, more curious than upset at this point.

"I'm not talking about my Psystone, but myself." He flexed his arms slightly, and despite their significant girth, it was clear he was far from pleased. "My skills have decayed, my muscles have atrophied, and my mind has dulled. I need time to sharpen them back to their original edge. Sharper, even. What I need is to train." He leveled the doctor with a look. "Besides, you yourself admitted to disliking repeat performances. My absence shall give you plenty of time to use some of your other schemes and weapons."

Robotnik mulled it over for a moment, genuinely surprised.

"This...isn't the response I usually get from my minions. Normally, they're begging for mercy or making excuses."

"Please,” Akhlut scoffed, almost sounding offended, “I am no mere minion, Ivo. I am Akhlut the Orca, Egg Boss of the Northern Oceans, Beast of the Boreal…” His, by this point, signature savage grin returned. “Black Ice. I don't accept excuses from my soldiers. Why would I offer them to my own superior?”

Eggman looked at Akhlut, processing everything the orca had told him. He studied him for a good minute or two, and when he was done…he smiled.

"I knew there was a reason I was dead set on recruiting you, Akhlut," the mad doctor said. "Very well, I shall grant your request."

“Thank you, sir,” Akhlut replied, bowing slightly.

“Thanks, Uncle,” Eggatha said as she let out a sigh of relief. She then adjusted her glasses, taking on a serious demeanor. “Now get out. I need to cut and reinforce a new stone, not to mention upgrade everything for better durability, as well as gather the combat data for… the project."

“So long as that project remains strictly confidential,” Robotnik replied as she started shoving him out of the room.

"Don't worry, this one remains under wraps," she promised as she closed the door, turning to Akhlut.

"Do I even want to know?" the orca wondered.

“Sorry, not yet,” Eggatha replied as she shook her head. “Now, lay down, I have work to do.”

Akhlut walked back to his bed and did as he was told. Once he was situated, Eggatha adjusted her goggles and grabbed some tools.

"You know...I'm going to be gone for a while.” the orca stated, his expression changing to one of…concern, of all things. “Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Eggatha paused, but only for a moment as she shook her head.

“I'll manage,” she replied. “But you better call, or write, or something every once in a while,” She turned and glowered at the orca, “Or I'll hunt you down and make you regret it.”

"I make no promises,” Akhlut added, “I'm a wanted man, after all." He thought for a moment, his expression softening again. "...but I'll try."

She smiled, then got to work...

Chapter Text

Knothole

It was a lazy day in Knothole. The Freedom Fighters were hanging out in the TV room, Cream and Cheese playing a new game Sonic had bought at their request. On the screen were the three Marxio Brothers, doing such things as hopping on evil turtles, going down green pipes, and busting bricks with their heads

"Super Marxio Bros.?" Chris read from the case. "Aren't the Marxios-"

"Yep," Sonic nodded. "The guys who ran Spring Yard on South Island and Spring Stadium on Flicky Island for Eggman. They bailed out after they got paid for the stadium. Said they were gonna make a game about themselves."

Shorty scoffed. "Who cares about the adventures of three electricians?"

Sonic shrugged. "Cream asked nicely, and I felt she earned it after helping save Meropis."

"A true Freedom Fighter and she's only six," Bunnie mused.

Suddenly, a loud, draconic roar shook the entire area. Everyone jumped out of their skins, looking around nervously

"Uh…" Mina began nervously, “What was that?"

"I have an idea," Sonic replied. "Everyone outside! We have company!"

They headed out at that, Sonic in the lead. As they got outside, they spotted a familiar silhouette descending from the sky, landing in front of the group.

"I thought it was you," Sonic mused. "Guys, meet Dulcinea. Or Dulcy for short."

"Hello, Freedom Fighters," Dulcy greeted in heavily accented Common.

Antoine blinked. "You speak Common now?"

"Enough to... get by," Dulcy replied. "Still learning. Your language is… hard."

"Say no more," Sonic assured. "I'll go snag our translator."

Echidnaopolis

Knuckles and Kat were getting all of their stuff situated back in their rooms.

"I'm glad you're both willing to return on a more permanent basis," Locke said.

"I'm glad you're actually keeping your word this time," Knuckles replied.

"I'm well aware this is my last chance, and I have no intention of ruining it by backsliding," Locke told them.

Kat and Knuckles both nodded in approval, and it was at that moment Sonic warped in.

"Sonic," Knuckles greeted. "What's up?"

"I need Kat if you don't mind."

Kat blinked. "Me?"

"Your draconic friend came by for a visit," Sonic explained.

"My draconic..." Kat perked, breaking out into a grin. "Dulcy!"

Knothole

Kat and Sonic warped back, the former beaming at the sight of Dulcy. She immediately broke out into Chun-ese, gaining the attention of the dragon.

<Dulcy! Welcome to Knothole! It's good to see you!>

<Good to see you too,> Dulcy greeted. <But... I'm afraid this isn't a social call.>

Kat tensed, looking worried. <What is it? Is it your mom?>

<No.> Dulcy shook her head. <Dragon's Nest recently came under attack by Dr. Robotnik. He made off with the mother of a newly-laid egg.>

<He what?!>

"Kat, fill us in?" Sonic requested, not understanding her but reading her angry and terrified expression easily.

"Eggman just kidnapped a mother from Dragon's Nest! One who just laid an egg!"

"Seriously?" Tails scowled. "Every time I think that sleaze couldn't possibly sink any lower, he does."

"What's his encore?" Amy spat. "Singing 'Great Balls of Fire' at the burn ward? Going to the orphanage to make fun of the kids with no parents? (1)"

"He must have taken advantage of how weak dragons are after they lay," Kat mused. "Damn Eggman."

<My people are going out on a hunt to retrieve the mother before she suffers the same fate as my own,> Dulcy explained. <However, in order to do this, we require someone to protect the freshly hatched egg.>

"She wants us to guard the egg while the Nest gets the mom back," Kat translated.

"You got it," Sonic nodded. "We'll handle things."

"I know this is an off day for us, but a good portion of the team is helping with the final pieces of Station Square," Sally pointed out.

Sonic shrugged. "Relax, it’s guard duty. A small team should be fine."

"I'll come," Shorty decided. "Hope finished up my new suit, and I'm curious to see if it'll work as well as it did when I was trapped in it."

"Count me in too," Tails said.

"I'm coming for obvious reasons," Kat said.

"Obviously," Sonic nodded. "Maybe Knux can be convinced to come too."

"You may need me for diplomatic reasons," Sally pointed out.

"Alright, then I think we have our team," Sonic decided.

-X-

As the others got ready, Shorty was led into the lab where Hope revealed the redesigned Cybernik armor. It was sleeker, shinier, with new boots as well as red gloves and shoulder pads with black stripes. The most notable change, however, was the helmet, which had been changed to a motorcycle helmet-esque design with a pane of glass over the face, similar to Rotor's own armor.

"I tried to make it cooler and less claustrophobic," Hope said. "What do you think?"

"I think it'll do perfectly," Shorty replied. "Thanks."

Hope smiled. "Anytime."

-X-

After collecting Knuckles from the island, the group gathered around Dulcy, handing the dragon one of the Warp Rings. She went to toss it, but stopped, turning back to the team with a serious look. "<Be warned, while the council did approve of my decision to recruit you, there are many among the nest who do not care for non-dragons.>"

"Watch out for bigoted dragons," Kat clarified.

"That's why you have me," Sally said. "Here's hoping they're more willing to hear me out than Deena's parents were."

Dulcy gave the ring a flick, opening up a massive portal to the base of Dragon's Nest. Sonic gestured for her to enter.

"Dragons and ladies first."

With Dulcy in the lead, everyone went through the ring.

Dragon's Nest

On the other side, the group looked up, beholding Dragon's Nest for the first time. It was a stone structure situated on a high rock pillar emerging from the bottom of a canyon. The nest had bone decorations on the outside, as well as paintings. Inside was a stone floor, ornaments in the form of golden dragon heads, and a large nest that was reminiscent of an eagle's nest.

"Whoa…" everyone let out in awe.

<Dragon's Nest is the cradle of our civilization,> Dulcy told them, Kat translating. <Dragons from all over Mobius come here to lay eggs and raise their newborn pups.>

"It's absolutely amazing," Sally admitted, unable to contain her awe.

"I never imagined I'd ever see this place outside of books," Kat mused. "And now, I'm walking in as a guest."

"Hard to believe, ain't it?" Knuckles questioned.

"Please follow me," Dulcy requested, switching to Common for simplicity's sake. "Elder is waiting."

As they headed deeper into the nest, they were greeted by a large, older dragon with red scales, wearing a black robe with silver accents. He had a long white beard, a black ring like Dulcy's, and a golden left eye. He looked upon the group as Dulcy bowed, the Freedom Fighters following suit.

<Elder Glint, I bring you the Freedom Fighters.>

Glint looked them up and down.

<We have heard much about you. All of it, good.>

<Thank you, sir,> Kat said politely, maintaining her bow for a moment longer. <We are honored to be welcomed into this sacred place, and will gladly fulfill the duty bestowed upon us.>

Glint led them up to the nest, where a lone dragon egg sat. It was a very large egg, one that was a vibrant red color and ridged like scales. It shimmered in the light and hummed with a surprising amount of power.

"Anyone else getting weird vibes from that egg?" Sonic asked.

"I know what you mean," Knuckles mused. "This thing's giving off a ton of Chaos Energy."

<Be at ease, there's nothing wrong,> Glint assured them, reading their unease. <That is simply the egg's qi (1), Dulcinea's egg was much the same.>

"'Key'? You mean that anime, spirit energy stuff that gives martial artists superpowers?" Shorty asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, it's real," Kat explained, mildly annoyed at Shorty's oversimplification, "It's what Yurashians call Chaos energy."

<Dragons require high levels of qi to thrive,> Dulcy explained. <Our eggs flood our bodies with it until we are strong enough to hatch.>

Sally turned to Glint. "Elder, you have our word we'll take care of this egg. No harm will come to it while we're on guard."

Glint gave a small nod. At that moment, they heard a furious roar and turned to see a massive, serpentine red dragon slither in, glaring at the Freedom Fighters in absolute hatred. All of them quickly tensed, fighting their instincts to go on the defensive. Dulcy didn't, stepping in front of the Freedom Fighters and staring down the dragon.

<Zan, you're supposed to be preparing for the raid,> she snarled, her hostility evident. <What are you doing here?>

Zan ignored her, his gaze never leaving the Freedom Fighters as he let out a deep, angry growl. <So it's true. You did bring outsiders to protect my egg. Have you lost your mind, Dulcinea?!>

<We must focus on recovering Cinder,> Dulcy argued back. <Or do you not care what happens to your mate?>

"The serpent is Zan, the egg's dad," Kat whispered to the others. "The missing mother is his mate, and he's one of the bigoted dragons."

"Of course he is…" Shorty sighed.

<These... outsiders do not belong here,> Zan spat. <They defile this sacred ground! They defile my egg!>

<They're here to protect it from future attacks by Dr. Robotnik, Zan,> Glint cut in. <The least you can do is be grateful.>

<This paltry group of six? They are no warriors, they are children. They cannot protect my egg!>

<Zan, I'll have you know these are the Freedom Fighters,> Dulcy retorted. <Sonic the Hedgehog is among them. They've fought Robotnik for over a year. If not for their efforts, he would have conquered Mobius ten times over by now.>

Zan just let out a long, feral snarl, smoke curling out of his nose.

<Should anything happen to my egg, I will smite them all.>

He slithered off at that. Kat and Dulcy watched him go with nothing but disdain, while Glint just sighed.

<What are we going to do with him?>

<Well, he'd make a very handsome throw rug,> Dulcy suggested causing both Kat and Knuckles to snort while Glint looked at Dulcy reproachfully. <Just think: whenever he gets dirty, we can take him out and beat him.>

<Dulcinea...> Glint let out, shaking his head.

<What? Glint, we both know Zan should have been expelled from the colony long ago. He's a danger, a racist, and an asshole, and we'd be better off without him.>

<I'm afraid that his behavior is not enough to warrant expulsion. Until he does something that threatens the sanctity of the Nest, his place here remains uncontested.>

Dulcy sighed bitterly.

<Yes, Elder Glint.>

As the Elder took his leave, Kat gave a quick summary of events. 

"Dulcy wants Zan gone, but they can't cause being an asshole ain't a crime."

"It seems she has a history with him," Tails remarked.

"I do," Dulcy replied, trying to speak in Common again. "We were mates once. He was... cruel. I left."

Kat winced at that.

"Did he…" Tails faltered for a moment, "Hurt you?"

"He yell, get angry fast. First time he hit, I hit back, then I leave."

"And another lady dragon apparently loved him enough to pop out an egg with him?" Sonic questioned. "No accounting for taste, I suppose." 

Sally gave him an angry look, to which Sonic just shrugged. 

"What? Everyone's thinking it. I'm just saying it."

"Cinder want to tame him," Dulcy explained as best she could. "Thought egg would calm inner fire. At least, he not lay claw on her."

<Thank Gaia for small miracles,> Kat muttered.

"He can complain about us all he wants," Knuckles insisted. "We came here to protect that egg, and that's what we're gonna do."

Later, after the dragons took their leave, Sonic and the others watched over the egg, doing whatever they could to pass the time. Tails, Knuckles, Kat, and Shorty were playing cards, Sally performing some basic dances with her Ring Blades, preparing for a fight should it arrive.

"Got any sevens?" Tails asked.

"Go fish," Shorty replied.

Sonic stood up, stretching.

"I'm gonna go for a run. Check the perimeter."

"Don't go too far," Sally warned. "This isn't Knothole. You don't know this area as well as back home."

"Wasn't planning on it," Sonic assured.

-X-

He zipped out of the Nest, going out to enjoy the crisp night air. He gave a stretch, sighing happily. "Hard to believe the day just started for us and it's already night here. Guess that's what instant transcontinental travel will do to you."

At that moment, he heard a low growl and looked up to see Zan floating overhead.

"Zan?" he let out. "Wait... shouldn't he be helping with his mate's rescue?"

He ducked for cover, grateful for the cover of night as he watched the dragon make for a clearing at the base of the nest. Sonic's eyes narrowed and he zipped back into the Nest.

-X-

Kat collected her cards from Knuckles, chuckling to herself.

"And that's another group for me," she bragged.

"You have got to be cheating," Knuckles insisted.

"Nope, I'm-"

Sonic snagged her around the waist, disappearing with her as her cards fluttered to the ground

"Well... guess she's out," Tails said casually.

-X-

Sonic darted to the clearing where he saw Zan headed, setting Kat down.

"Sorry to yank you away from your card game, but I needed a translator," he told her.

"What's going on?" Kat asked. "What am I translating?"

"Whatever he's saying,"

Sonic pointed ahead. The two looked to see Zan standing a few meters ahead. Their jaws dropped when they saw a familiar TV drone approaching. Immediately, Kat pulled out her cell phone, hitting record so they were filming the entire thing.

"Let's see if this translation software works," Robotnik's voice came before being translated into Chun-ese. <Can you understand me, creature?>

<I am no creature. I am a dragon, and yes I understand you,> Zan replied.

<Alright, good. Now tell me, why would you choose to betray your colony?>

<I'm not betraying anyone. I'm doing what I have to in order to save my mate.>

<Ah yes, my latest acquisition,>" Robotnik mused, stroking his chin in contemplation. <What's your offer?>

<Your nemesis Sonic and his friends are at Dragon's Nest right now, guarding my egg. Release my mate and spare my egg, and you can have their heads on a platter.>

"Oho!" Robotnik chortled. <Now that's a bargain! And it gives me a perfect opportunity to test out my latest super-weapon.>

<Then we have a deal?>

<Indeed. You can collect your mate, and none of my bots will touch your egg,>

Kat's expression soured as she turned to Sonic, shutting off her phone. 

"He sold us out to Eggman, trading us for Cinder and his egg."

"Well... now Dulcy finally has a legitimate reason to kick him to the curb," Sonic mused.

-X-

They hurried back to the nest. Once they explained what was happening, Knuckles let out a yell and smashed a stalagmite.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

"Eggman mentioned something about a new super-weapon he's dying to try out on us," Sonic informed them.

"I don't like the sound of that," Sally fretted.

"I better suit up then," Shorty decided. "Eggman won't give us much room to prepare."

He immediately began donning his suit, just as something began blocking out the moonlight. They looked up, seeing a cloud overhead.

"A raincloud?" Sonic asked. "Damn weathermen are always wrong."

"Sonic… that's not a cloud," Kat informed him. "It's moving against the wind. I think that's a Nimbus."

"A what now?" Sonic questioned.

"A Nimbus," Kat explained. "It's a mystical cloud used for transport by some people in Yurashia. Mostly exclusive to the citizens of Kar Leung."

"So… what's one doing here?" Tails asked.

"Well, we're gonna find out," Shorty mused.

As the cloud neared, a figure jumped off. The Freedom Fighters took in the sight of a male Mobian monkey with brown fur and blue eyes, donned in a uniform similar to Akhlut's, but red and turquoise. Also unlike Akhlut, he outwardly appeared no different from an average, non-robotic Mobian. In his hands, he wielded a golden staff with red gemstone-like points on both ends.

"Freedom Fighters," he ordered in perfect Common. "Stand down and surrender."

"Whoa, fluent Common," Sonic mused.

"And if we refuse to surrender?" Knuckles questioned.

The monkey twirled his staff rapidly, both ends crackling with electricity before he held it at the ready. "Then you will feel the wrath of Monkey Khan."

"Bring it on, monkey boy!" Sonic shot back.

Khan pointed his staff at Sonic, which began sparking. Sonic narrowly managed to dart to the side as a lightning bolt came crashing down.

"Nice trick," Sonic quipped. "Now let me show you mine!"

He began crackling with Chaos lightning, blue light filling the Nest. He charged, engaging Khan. Sonic took multiple hits and zaps from his staff but kept going. Shorty took aim, firing several shots of his own. Sally came in herself, Ring Blades at the ready. Khan parried her attacks before knocking her back, her blades flying away. Rather than strike while she was down and disarmed, Khan stopped and waited for her to retrieve her blades, giving Kat a chance to get a shot in. He casually dodged her strikes and ducked away, much to her annoyance.

"Fight me, you damn, dirty ape!" she shouted.

"You are a child and an unarmed one at that," Khan replied. "There's no honor in such a battle."

"Unarmed child huh?" Kat retorted.

She reared back her foot and kicked as hard as she could between his legs. There was a loud metallic clang as Khan's eyes widened, tears in his eyes as he recoiled, cupping his groin. Kat herself hopped back, yelping as she held her foot and examined her toes.

"Okay, ow!" she shouted. "I feel sorry for your poor girlfriend!"

"It appears… you can hold your own," Khan managed, his voice strained.

"And you… are not a full Mobian," Kat remarked.

"Of course…" Tails realized. "He's been Cyberized like Akhlut!"

"If that's the case, then why isn't he acting like a complete and utter asshole?" Sonic questioned bluntly. "I mean, the guy's attacking us, yeah, but he gave Sally a chance to recover her weapon, and hasn't touched Kat."

At that moment, Kat received a massive kick to the stomach.

"Until now," Sonic amended.

Sally perked in realization.

"Because he's not like Akhlut."

"Come again?" Shorty questioned.

"Khan didn't join Eggman or be Cyberized of his own volition," Sally theorized. "He must've been captured and had it forced on him. He's been brainwashed."

"Great," Knuckles sighed. "And us without our resident ring-bearer."

Khan then shot a blast at the group, forcing them to scatter.

"Face me, Freedom Fighters!" he ordered. "Face your death with honor!"

"Any bright ideas?" Tails asked.

"Pin him down," Kat ordered. "I got this."

She opened her jacket, revealing a Power Ring capsule.

"Keith give it to you?" Sally asked.

Kat nodded. "A while back actually, for cases such as this. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

"Well, we need it, and you have it," Sonic noted. "Shorty! Disarm this guy! Knuckles go for the left, Sally, go for the right. I got the legs."

They immediately went on the attack as Kat popped open the capsule.

"A good rule to go by," Khan began, "Do not say your plans out loud when your enemy is mere feet away."

Knuckles winced. "Good plan."

Khan deftly avoided Shorty's attempt to disarm him, stabbing his staff into his chest plate. the resulting shock sent Shorty flying back, embedding the squirrel in the wall. Knuckles went for a grab and was deftly smacked in the stomach, then the face. As he was kicked aside, Khan turned to Sally, both of their weapons glowing with power.

"We're trying to help you," she insisted. "Stop fighting us."

"Surrender, and I shall," Khan retorted.

"I'm afraid that's not an option."

"So be it."

They clashed for a bit. Khan broke her guard before spinning his staff, jabbing it into her stomach and sending an electric shock that sent her rolling back. Seeing this, Sonic gasped before sparking, his eyes lighting up with rage as he whirled on the monkey.

"KHAAAAAAN!" he screamed, power surging around him.

Khan had just enough time to turn before Sonic went on the attack, giving him a vicious headbutt, unleashing a barrage of Spin Dashes, and finally plowing him into the ground. Khan lay there, stunned, a bug-eyed and stupefied look on his face as he let out a pained wheeze while Sonic put a hand over his face, breathing deeply and calming down before going to check on Sally.

"All you, Kat," he said simply.

"Damn…" Kat mused. "And I thought I had a hair trigger."

Still, she held out the Power Ring, looking Khan over. She couldn't find any access port, so she just shrugged.

"Well, hope this works."

She slipped the ring on his head, where it rested like a circlet. Shockingly, the glow from the ring began to fade as it solidified into a solid gold circlet. The power itself rushed through Khan's body, seemingly initiating a full system reboot. After a minute, Khan's eyes opened, and he looked around, rubbing his head.

"Wǒ de tóu… (2)" he managed.

Realizing he'd slipped into Chun-nese, Kat stepped forward, squatting down so she was at eye level with the monkey.

<Monkey Khan? Are you alright?>

Khan turned to her, nodding slowly as he came to grips with his free will being returned.

<Thank you for releasing me.>

<Do you still understand Common? It would make this easier for my friends.>

"I do, yes," he replied in Common as he got up and dusted himself off. "I suppose there is at least one benefit to this entire ordeal."

He turned to the others, bowing.

"My true name is Ken Khan. Thank you for liberating me from Robotnik's control."

Sonic just nodded before helping Sally to her feet.

"You okay, Sal?"

"My legs feel like jello, and I'm pretty sure it looks like my hairdo exploded. Other than that, I'm just peachy."

"You have my sincerest apologies for my attack on you," Ken told them. "I did everything in my power to give you a sporting chance. Even as a mindless puppet, I refused to let go of my honor."

Sonic waved a hand, dismissing it. "Eggman's fault, not yours."

"How did you even end up like this?" Shorty asked.

"The one you call Eggman came to my village," Ken explained. "He wanted soldiers with our abilities. To spare my people, I offered myself as a sacrifice. He installed cybernetic augmentations across approximately fifty percent of my body and stole my mind to make me his puppet. It was after that was complete that he sent me here."

"And I thought he couldn't do anything worse than Roboticization," Sonic spat.

"No," Knuckles shook his head. "Legionization, Cyberization… whatever it's called, it's way worse."

"Now that I'm free, I must return to my home," Ken declared. "I know the doctor will return, and I must defend my people."

"Good luck," Sonic told him. "And if Eggman becomes too much, feel free to hit us up. We'll gladly come help you kick his ass five ways to Sunday."

"I will."

With that, Ken summoned his Nimbus and flew away, leaving the Freedom Fighters to continue guarding the egg.

Sometime later, Dulcy and the other dragons returned, a black-scaled dragon dressed in a uniform similar to Dulcy's, clearly Cinder, with them.

"I take it the raid was successful," Sonic noted, his tone even and his emotions unreadable.

"Yes," Dulcy noted. "We were surprised. Few guards, and little resistance."

"Like they wanted you to take her…" Kat muttered.

The Freedom Fighters were immediately on edge when Zan appeared, nuzzling Cinder before coming to check on his egg. "<I see that these creatures actually succeeded in protecting our egg.>"

<It is unharmed?> his mate asked.

Zan curled around the egg, examining it thoroughly for even the smallest of cracks.

<Not so much as a scale out of place…>

<No thanks to you, you eel in dragon scales,> Kat spat.

Zan gaped at her, in shock at both her audacity and knowledge of Chun-ese. The others were equally so, and the Freedom Fighters just waited, watching this unfold. After regaining his composure, Zan turned to her, his face a mask of pure fury.

<How dare you speak to me that way, human!>

<I'll speak any way I want to the slimy snake who sold me and my friends out to Robotnik!>

The other dragons gasped. Zan began to sweat but tried to maintain a calm face.

<You have no proof or evidence of these imagined transgressions. I would never put my egg in->

He was cut off when Kat pulled out her phone, turning on the video she had recorded of Zan's conversation with Robotnik. A dead silence fell over the entire nest as Kat held it up, showing each and every dragon Zan's traitorous actions. Elder Glint carefully took the phone from her, staring at the video.

<Zan...> the stunned Elder let out, <How could you?>

<The- The child lies!> Zan sputtered, trying to cover for himself. <It's a fake! A lie concocted by these outsiders to defame me!>

<This is no fabrication,> Kat informed him. <I swear to the purity of the Gaia of Light that I speak not but the truth.>"

The other dragons began murmuring amongst themselves, and Zan was beginning to sweat.

<You... You can't possibly believe the words of this half-blood whelp of a human over one of your own!>

<It explains why it was so easy to get Cinder out of there...> Dulcy hissed, glaring at the video before turning sharply to Zan. <Robotnik let us take her in accordance with your little deal!>

Realizing there was no coming back from this, Zan whirled on Kat with a snarl. He reared back and prepared to blast her with a stream of fire. Kat froze, bringing her arms up to block her face, but Dulcy quickly jumped in front of her, preparing a fire blast of her own. Her fire struck Zan in the side of the head, knocking him aside. He crumbled to the ground as Dulcy stalked towards him, smoke billowing from her mouth and nose.

<I knew you hated non-dragons, and that you'd stoop low to get what you wanted Zan, but this? Conspiring with the man who kidnapped your mate and roboticized my mother?!?>

<Your mother was weak and deserved what she got!> Zan shot back. <My Cinder is innocent! I was ensuring the sanctity of my family! Those pests are not worthy to even look upon this sacred ground, and now they walk among us as if they belong, speaking out as if they are our betters!>

<SILENCE!>

Everyone suddenly froze, all eyes turning to Glint as he stood up, wordlessly returning Kat's phone to her. When he did speak again, his voice was calm but cold.

<I put up with your twisted beliefs and attitudes, hoping that someday you would improve and that fatherhood would mellow you out, but now you conspire with Dr. Robotnik and ridicule Sabina's fate. You've crossed the line Zan, and it's time I do what should have been done long ago.>

Zan's face went pale at that, backing away.

<Wait… no! I have protected this Nest time and time again!>

<And now, you have threatened its safety, and the safety of those we deemed allies.> Glint shook his head. <This cannot be overlooked, nor can it be forgiven. You are hereby banished from Dragon's Nest for the rest of your days and will pay the ultimate price for betraying the colony.>

A few dragons came forward, one holding what appeared to be a jewelry box. Dulcy held Zan in place as the box holder opened it to reveal what appeared to be a Power Ring. Zan struggled, but it was no use; the black ring in his nose was yanked right out and replaced with the golden one.

"A Power Ring?" Sonic asked.

<Not quite,> Dulcy explained. <The Black Singe Rings we wear are symbols of honor and pride. Those golden rings rid us of our flame breath. To be bestowed a golden nose ring is reserved only for the worst offenders of the dragon code.>

Once the golden ring is in place, several other dragons grab Zan, dragging him off. Still, he screamed and fought.

<At least tell my pup about their father! That I loved them and everything I did was for them!>

Cinder looked right into his eyes, hurt and anger written all over her face as she pulled her egg close to her body.

<No. They won't even know your name.>

That set Zan off. He began fighting and kicking, roaring to high heavens.

<You will suffer for this, Freedom Fighters! I will hunt you all down and destroy everything you love! Starting with you, you little brat! I will tear your life apart as you did mine, and I will make you beg me to end your suffering!>

He was finally dragged out of sight and Kat just snorted, rubbing her arm.

"You're about a year too late for that."

Knuckles, who had been providing play-by-play throughout this entire ordeal, went over to Kat and put a hand on her shoulder. She placed her hand over his, smiling at him.

"Well, seems we've got another asshole to worry about in the future," Sonic sighed.

"That's a concern for another day," Sally decided.

Cinder turned to them, smiling.

<Thank you, Freedom Fighters, for protecting the nest and my egg.>

<And for exposing the truth about Zan,> Glint added.

Cinder looked in the direction her former mate was dragged off, snorting a breath of smoke from her nose in contempt.

<To think I loved him. I would have done anything for him. And for him to pull something like this…>" She sighed. "<He's the worst piece of slime it's been my misfortune to know.>

<Some jerks will never change, and Zan is one of said jerks,> Knuckles told her, deciding to speak up for once. <You're better off without him.>

<Just make sure your pup knows that their mother does love them and that their father does not define them,> Kat cautioned.

<Of course,> Cinder promised as she curled around her egg, sighing in relief. <If any good came out of this, it's that I have a baby on the way.>

"You all are welcome to come whenever you wish," Dulcy informed the Freedom Fighters. "You have proven yourselves true Lóng yǒu (3)."

"C'mon everyone," Sally said. "Let's go home."

She fished out a Warp Ring and they all hopped through, returning home to Knothole.

Robotropolis

After being cast out by the other dragons, Zan eventually made his way to Robotropolis and was meeting with Robotnik, who had recently installed the translator software into his metal arm for convenience.

<Well, if it isn't the draconic turncoat. I returned your mate, as promised, but I'm afraid my ultimate weapon did not live up to its expectations.>

<It doesn't matter,> Zan replied. <The Freedom Fighters found out about our deal and ratted me out to the council. Which is why I'm here.>

<Is that so? Go on.>

<I've been banished, deprived of my prized fire breath. The Freedom Fighters ruined my life and cost me everything, and you have the resources I need to restore my strength and make them pay.>

<So you came to work for me. It's only fair to warn you... allegiance to the Robotnik Empire comes at a price.>

<No price is too great, I assure you.>

Robotnik grinned maliciously. <That, my friend, is exactly what I wanted to hear.>

Chapter Text

Station Square

A few weeks after the events at Dragon's Nest, Station Square was finally repaired enough for the schools to reopen. Chris and co. gathered together as they began heading inside.

"I can't believe I'm actually excited to go back to school," Hope remarked.

"Just a heads up, you do not have to eat the lunch my mom made you," Chris warned. "She's a horrible cook."

"Y'know, one of these days you're gonna have to break it to her," Keith pointed out.

Kat raised an eyebrow. "Is it that bad?"

"Worse," Chris said bluntly. "She once tried to bake a cake. It ended up hard as a rock, more burned than charcoal, and the kitchen looked like she set off a bomb in it. That's not even getting into her attempt at making a pumpkin pie. It was some huge slimy blob of dough, and one bite made Aunt Laura keel over and barf."

"Oh man, don't remind me of that," Keith begged. "I was terrified she'd end up dying from food poisoning."

"Yikes," Kat let out, visibly wincing.

"That explains why Ella slipped me a second lunch," Hope mused as she held up a second brown bag that simply read 'Just In Case'.

"We've pondered weaponizing Aunt Lindsey's cooking more than once," Keith remarked. "Just imagine what her 'cake' would do if it was dropped on a Swatbot's head."

They all began laughing at the idea.

"The 6-S would have new nightmare fuel," Kat chuckled.

As they approached the school, they spotted Mr. Stewart waiting for them at the door. He gave them a wave, flagging them down.

"Looks like Mr. Teacher Spy wants to touch base," Kat noted.

Keith shrugged. "Well, let's go see what's up."

The four made their way up to their "teacher."

"Good morning, Mr. Stewart," Chris greeted.

"Morning, kids," Stewart replied. "Mind if I speak to you in private for a bit before class starts? I'll make sure to write you a note."

"No prob," Hope answered.

He led them to the teacher's lounge, closing the door.

"First off, on behalf of GUN, I want to offer you our sincerest condolences, Miss Kintobor," he began. "I can only imagine what you must be going through."

Hope nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Secondly, we were hoping now that things were a bit calmer, we could get a full account of what happened that day," Stewart added.

"Yes, of course," Keith said.

Alternating between them, the quartet explained the Chaos incident, beginning when Robotnik set him free, detailing their quest to attain the Chaos Emeralds before him and the battles with the Egg Carrier, and concluding with the flood. Mr. Stewart took extensive notes on the subject, nodding and asking appropriate questions.

"And we have nothing to fear from Chaos?" he asked.

"Nope," Kat assured. "He's residing happily in the Master Emerald with Tikal. He was just so angry that he just... reached his boiling point and never stopped."

"But Sonic took care of that," Chris added.

Stewart nodded. "Alright, good to hear. Now, I think I've kept you out of class long enough."

He opened the door and let them all file out.

"Y'know, when did it become normal for us to just have meetings with our teacher, who's actually a spy, to talk about deities suffering from depression?" Chris pondered.

"Around the same time it became normal to travel to Yurashia in a blink to babysit a dragon's egg," Kat tacked on.

-X-

The day went on peacefully, but things quickly began to go downhill after lunch. As the group was headed back to class, their path was blocked by none other than Mark Carradine. At the sight of him, everyone just sighed in resignation.

"Here we go again…" Chris groaned.

"What the hell are you doing here, Robotnik?" Carradine demanded. "Haven't you done enough damage? Or did flattening the entire city not sate you?"

"Why don't you shut your mouth?" Keith spat.

"What?" Carradine shot back. "The entire city was flooded and I had to sleep in Diamond Stadium, which was packed to the brim, because of her lunatic uncle, and they still let her back in?!"

"Drop it, Carradine," Kat growled. "She's not Eggman."

"Might as well be," Carradine insisted. "Only a matter of time before she starts roboticizing all of us just for shits and giggles like her psycho cousin."

"Hey!" Hope cut in. "Leave Aggie out of this!"

"So you're defending her?!" Carradine shoved Hope hard into a locker. "I knew it! I knew you were a sympathizer!"

"Carrabine…" Kat began, her tone dangerous. "Cut it out now."

"Screw off, Winters. This is between me and her."

Carradine looked Hope right in the eyes.

"You wanna die, Kintobor?" he smirked cruelly. "Just like your grandma?"

Chris and Keith's jaws dropped, and Hope gasped, tears coming to her eyes at that. Hearing that, Kat snapped. Letting out an enraged scream, she plowed into Carradine, knocking him off Hope. He rolled back, getting to his feet as he glared at Kat.

"Oh, you are so fu-"

He was cut off by Kat's boot solidly connecting with his face. She didn't say a word, but her hair was ablaze with light, her eyes blood red and cold. She pounced on top of Carradine and began wailing on him, not holding back. He tried to block her attacks, and his arms cracked after the first blows fell. Before long, he was reduced to whimpering in pain and fear, pleading for mercy. Just as Kat had her hands around his throat, her hair beginning to darken, Sam rounded the corner, having been drawn by the noise. Immediately, he grabbed her arms, trying to pry her fingers loose.

"Kat, stop!" he shouted. "STOP! You're killing him!"

Those words seemed to snap Kat out of it. Her hair suddenly lost all light and her vision cleared. Upon realizing what she was doing, she dropped Carradine, scrambling backward in shock and horror as she looked him over. He was barely conscious, bruised and bloody, letting out groans of pain before passing out. Kat looked at her hands, stained with his blood, and began shaking and hyperventilating.

"What have I done…" she let out. "What have I done…"

Sometime later, Carradine was taken to the hospital while Kat was taken to the principal's office. Outside, the rest of the Freedom Fighters had gathered, where Hope and the boys told them everything.

"Carradine said that to you?!" Sonic exclaimed, getting a nod from Hope.

"Even if I stopped Kat, no matter how I try, I just can't feel sorry for the douchebag," Sam admitted. "He's been tormenting Hope non-stop for months. Every day it gets worse, and the crap staff here doesn't do a damn thing about it!"

"Even so, this isn't a good situation," Sally remarked. "One of our own just assaulted and almost killed someone. This is not going to reflect well on any of us."

"We'll handle it, Sal," Sonic assured her. "Make sure this doesn't get out."

"Mr. Stewart's already working on containing the situation," Tails informed her. "Our only big problem is the Carradines themselves."

-X-

Inside the office, the Carradines were in a complete uproar, yelling at the Principal. Kat just sat meekly in her chair, Lara-Le and Locke sitting on either side of her.

"I'm not defending Miss Winters' actions in the slightest, but I will have you know that she did so in defense of her friend Hope Kintobor," the Principal informed the erratic parents. "Your son has been bullying and harassing her for quite some time."

"What?!" Mrs. Carradine shouted. "Since when?!"

"Ever since Dr. Robotnik's first assault on South Island. So at the very least, a year. What provoked this attack was Mark making light of the death of Miss Kintobor's grandmother in the flood."

"Even if this were true, it doesn't merit this... this psychotic girl beating him to death!" Mr. Carradine shouted.

"What Kathryn did was excessive, yes, but your son's lack of discipline and remorse are also at fault," Locke pointed out. "Neither side is pure here."

"Agreed," said the principal. "Thus, I highly recommend that Mark be transferred to a different school so similar incidences do not occur."

"Why should our son have to transfer?!" Mrs. Carradine demanded.

"Actually, that is reasonable," the principal pointed out. "It gets him away from his victim, as well as his attacker."

"And this little psycho gets away with it?!"

"I didn't say that. Miss Winters' actions will be met with discipline. Starting with a three-week suspension, as well as her expulsion from the baseball team."

"That's more than fair," Lara-Le agreed.

"And what about our son?!" Mr. Carradine shouted. "He's in the hospital because of her!"

"The Freedom Fighters will cover all medical expenses," Locke cut in. "They said as such."

There was a moment of silence as the irate parents took time to contemplate the offer.

"Alright," Mr. Carradine said, albeit begrudgingly. "However, we will be filing for a restraining order, and she better start receiving some psychological help. Someone that mentally unstable should not be around normal children."

"Very well," the principal said.

-X-

The meeting ended and the two families emerged. The Carradines marched right out of the office, not even giving the Freedom Fighters a second glance. When the Echidna clan emerged, the Freedom Fighters converged.

"What's the damage?" Sally asked.

"She's suspended for three weeks and kicked off the baseball team," Lara explained. "The Carradines are filing a restraining order and demanding she get professional help."

They all breathed sighs of relief.

"Not the worst outcome," Sally noted.

"We're going to take Kathryn home for now," Locke told them. "I imagine she needs time to reflect on her actions."

Kat just gave a slow, silent nod. They departed at that, leaving the Freedom Fighters to discuss things.

"An outburst like that doesn't just come out of nowhere," Tails mused. "Kat's been dealing with issues like these for a while now."

"That's not even the worst of it, Chris said. "She flared up with Chaos Energy, and near the end, just before Sam stopped her... her hair was turning black."

"Just like me…" Sonic realized.

"She was going Dark, and almost did," Keith noted. "If Sam hadn't pulled her off…"

Sonic stepped forward at that, already having an idea. "I'll talk to her. See if I can convince her to get help."

"I get the feeling that'll be an easy sell," Hope mused.

Angel Island

On Angel Island, Locke and Lara-Le informed Knuckles of what had happened.

"Damn…" Knuckles let out.

"I had a feeling that her sudden rise in power would lead to complications," Locke noted. "I just never thought it'd lead to this."

"Kathryn is a good girl, but she's troubled, and her time with us hasn't always been as supportive as it should have been," Lara noted. "We need to help her work out her issues."

"The type of help she needs, we cannot give her," Locke remarked. "She requires professional help."

"Sounds like I got here just in time," Sonic's voice called out.

The echidnas all turned to see the hedgehog emerging from a warp ring. Knuckles turned to Sonic, his worried expression voicing all of the questions he couldn't put into words. Sonic just gave a small nod.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Her room," Knuckles replied.

Sonic gave an appreciative nod, then headed for the house.

-X-

Kat was sitting in her room, curled up on her bed with Chuckles in her lap. The little Chao was nuzzling her, doing everything in his power to comfort her, to no avail. Sonic slowly approached, sticking his head in. Upon seeing her, he let out a small cough, then put on a horrible German accent.

"So, how is ze young lady doing today?"

Kat looked up, snorting mirthlessly at that. "You know how I am," she replied. "Also… the accent? Really?"

"Hey, it got a small laugh out of you," Sonic retorted in his normal voice before shifting back. "Now, tell me what's been bothering you."

"What's bothering me?" Kat turned to face him. "I almost killed someone, Sonic. I haven't felt that much uncontrolled rage since Naugus."

Sonic took a seat. "This has been building up for a long time, Kat. I'm not mad at you, none of us are. If anything, we're kicking ourselves for not doing something about it sooner."

"I thought I was managing it," Kat told him. "I knew I had a temper, I knew I snapped easily, I even warned him to back off, was already stepping to retreat… then he said that and… and something in me just broke."

"But that's not what scares you, is it?" Sonic guessed.

Kat shook her head. "I was gonna kill him. I wanted to kill him. I had my hands on his throat and all I had to do was squeeze." She looked down at her own hands, which were shaking badly. "I almost went Dark, Sonic. If I did that… with how strong I am… How volatile I already am…" She shuddered at the idea, repulsed and shaken by it.

"Been there, done that," Sonic remarked.

Kat stayed silent, still shaking from fear, self-loathing, and disgust.

"Look, Kat. I'm gonna tell you what Dr. Sorders told me. Bottling up negative emotions and trying to push them down just makes things worse. Let them out slowly, no fuss, no mess. But let the pressure build up…"

"And you'll pop," Kat chimed in.

"I know you're careful not to vent on people, but you need a more constructive outlet for your rage," Sonic went on. "And you need help finding the source of your anger."

"Is this where you tell me I need to find a shrink?"

"It's either that, or you explode again. And next time, someone may not be able to stop you."

Kat gave a nod. "Well, I am supposed to seek professional help, per school's orders. But I don't think Dr. Sonic, Ph.D. counts."

"I recommend Dr. Sorders," Sonic suggested.

"If you trust her, I will," Kat decided.

"And about Hope's bullying issue, I've already worked out a plan to deal with that. I just need to have a chat with your teacher-spy to pull it off."

Station Square

The next day, the Freedom Fighters, along with Danny, Frances, Sam, and Helen, watched off to the side as all the students filed into the school's gym for a "special assembly". There were murmurs among the crowd about what the assembly was about.

"Why are we over here and not with the others?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, why are we standing off to the side like a bunch of weirdos?" Frances added.

"Trust me, it's better over here," Hope assured.

Mr. Stewart took the stage, a microphone in hand.

"Students, today we'll be having an assembly about bullying," he announced.

At that instant, Chris, his hand behind his back, pressed a red button. Hatches opened up in the ceiling, and the students were all pelted with a slew of water balloons.

"Does that answer your question, Danny?" Keith deadpanned.

Danny just nodded, and Sonic dropped from the rafters, expertly hitting the ground with two legs and his left hand.

"Nice entrance," Helen remarked. "Bonus points for the superhero landing."

The crowd gasped as Sonic rose to his feet.

"That's right, kiddies," he announced. "I'm the one giving you the lecture on bullying. You all know who I am... unless you've been living under a rock for the past year. And today, I want to tell you about a very good friend of mine. A friend who has been the victim of bullying and hazing because of their family. I think you all know exactly who I'm talking about because you've either participated in the bullying or passively watched it occur and did nothing."

Several students looked aside in shame, realizing who he meant.

"So here's the deal. If I hear from Chris, Keith, Hope, their friends, or anyone that anyone in this school has been bullying anybody, I'll personally bring your folks down here, take them to the principal's office, and have a talk with both you and them. Think I'm joking and don't know how to get in contact with your moms and dads?"

His eyes sparked briefly. "Try me."

There was a general murmur throughout the entire crowd as he smiled.

"Excellent. You're all dismissed. And remember: bullying is not cool. You wouldn't like it if it happened to you, so don't do it to others."

Once everyone began filing out of the gym in a large, sopping-wet line, Sonic rejoined the group.

"Hopefully that takes care of this problem," Sonic said. "Now Carradine."

"He's transferring out," Hope pointed out. "He shouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure he's already had the fear of Aurora pounded into him," Keith added.

"Even so, I want to make sure some other kid at his new school doesn't suffer like you did, Hope," Sonic insisted.

"Sonic-" Sally began.

"Relax," Sonic assured. "I'm not gonna hurt him. I'm just gonna scare him straight."

At Station Square General Hospital, Sonic walked in, surprised to see Eggatha standing in line in the waiting room with a suspiciously full backpack on her back.

"Hi, I'm here to see Mark Carradine," she greeted.

Sonic raised an eyebrow before walking up next to her. "And so am I."

Eggatha turned, looking surprised.

"Sonic! Hi!" she greeted. "How's Hope? She okay?"

"She's fine," Sonic assured.

As they headed to Carradine's room, he turned to her.

"Please tell me you don't have something like a blaster in that bag of yours."

"I don't have something like a blaster in this bag of mine," Eggatha insisted.

"Agatha…" Sonic began reproachfully.

"I don't!" Eggatha insisted. "I'm not allowed to handle blasters. Uncle says not until I'm sixteen."

"Then what is it?"

Making sure no one was looking, Eggatha opened the bag. Sonic's jaw dropped at the sight of a brand-new chainsaw and hockey mask inside.

"I know what you're thinking," Eggatha began. "Stop thinking it. I'm just using them for intimidation; scare the guy away from Hope and any of his other victims. I'm morally gray, Sonic. Not psychotic."

"Okay good, because I was worried there for a moment," Sonic sighed. "Seems we have the same goal in mind."

Eggatha nodded. "So how do you wanna play this? Good cop, psycho cop?"

"That's the plan," Sonic answered.

Eggatha grinned, then they approached the room.

"You first."

Sonic opened the door, seeing a battered Carradine in bed, practically mummified in casts and bandages.

"Hey there, Mark," he greeted casually. "How're you feeling?"

Mark just groaned.

"For the record, I don't condone Kat's actions, but either way, you brought it on yourself by terrorizing Hope for so long. That's why I'm here. I'm only gonna say this once: leave. Hope. Alone. Never bother her again. Stop bullying altogether. If you don't, I'll know. And you can either deal with me... or my little frenemy."

Seeing her cue, Eggatha burst through the door, brandishing the chainsaw and wearing the hockey mask as she jumped onto Carradine's bed.

"Hey, do you wanna see my new chainsaw and hockey mask?!”

Carradine let out a muted scream before wincing in pain, and they heard the sound of liquid rapidly dripping into metal, realizing what it was.

"Ooh, good thing you had a bedpan handy," Sonic remarked.

"Oh yeah," Eggatha agreed as she lifted her hockey mask, grinning in a way that truly made her look like Robotnik's niece. "You called my cousin a Roboticizer and a monster and belittled her grandmother's death. My Uncle wanted to come down here and personally tear you to shreds. Next time, I won't talk him out of it. Do we understand each other?"

Carradine nodded without hesitation. Her grin became much more pleasant.

"Excellent," she said before hopping off the bed and stowing her stuff. "Bye Sonic. See you next scheme."

Sonic just waved as she went before turning to Carradine.

"Oh, and if you tell anyone I was here, I'll deny it. Your word against mine, Marky. You can't prove anything."

He gave a two-fingered salute, then zipped off in the blink of an eye.

Knothole

He joined the rest of his friends at Knothole, seeing his Uncle Chuck handing something to Kat.

"What's this?" Kat asked.

"Sticks dropped by her old burrow and picked it up for me." Uncle Chuck explained.

Kat opened her hand, revealing a Chaos Shard like the one on Sticks' spear made into a necklace.

"A Chaos Shard necklace?"

"It reacts in the presence of high concentrations of Chaos Energy, much like your own," Uncle Chuck explained. "I figured that it could serve as an early warning system, inform you of your rising power so you can take steps to avoid a meltdown."

"Wow… thanks," Kat smiled. "This'll really come in handy."

They turned to see Sonic enter at that.

"Ah, Sonic," Uncle Chuck greeted. "Done with your bully hunting?"

"Yep," Sonic nodded. "Got some surprise backup from Eggatha too. Between the two of us, it's safe to say Carradine won't be bothering anyone anymore."

"You didn't hurt the boy, did you?"

"Unc, this is me we're talking about," Sonic assured. "He's been through enough."

"I'm just glad things didn't get any worse," Mina remarked.

Uncle Chuck glanced over at Mina, looking surprised. "My dear, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you yet."

"Oh!" Mina let out. "Sorry, I've been helping with the messes in Station Square. I'm Mina Mongoose."

"Mongoose…" Uncle Chuck repeated. "You're Arthur and Isabella's little girl, aren't you?"

Mina blinked. "You knew my parents?"

"I fought with Arthur during the Great War," Uncle Chuck explained. "And you look just like your mother."

Mina was still surprised.

"What... what was my father like?" she asked. "I don't remember him very well. He died when I was only four."

Uncle Chuck smiled, then wrapped an arm around her. "Come, I'll tell you all you want to know over some hot cocoa."

As they walked off, Sonic turned to Kat, who finished adjusting her new necklace.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"A little," Kat replied. "Dr. Sorders is amazing and I think seeing her is something I've needed for a while."

"Just know this: You're not alone. No one here is," Sonic assured. "If you ever need anything, you just have to ask."

Kat smiled before hugging Sonic gently. He returned the hug in kind, everyone smiling at the gentle scene before them.