Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You know the story, of triplets born, the throne awaits. A seer warning of a deadly fate. It started like this, a realm on the brink of chaos. A madman had split the kingdom in two and it had all led to this. A final battle between him and the last alliance, a gathering of Mobian races to finally return peace to the realms.

Staring off into the sky, atop a cliff, stood a hedgehog. She had dark amethyst fur, cascading down her back in thick curls with a sheathed sword at her hip. Joyeuse, it had been nicknamed. The sword of royalty.

“...this is it,” Aleena sighed, looking down at the army below. It wasn’t an army of men, no it was one of machines. Pawns, loyal only to the false king.

A large brown owl, in bronze armor landed next to her, gathering dirt and dust in her talons. “Yes, one way or another, it all ends tonight. Two armies are walking into that field, and only one’s going to leave it. Julian’s hoping that he’ll meet overwhelming force with sheer numbers.”

The hedgehog shook her head, as tall as a human. “...I don’t know why he suddenly decided to go against the crown. He was my trusted adviser, the people listened to his every word and respected his opinion.”

“Power corrupts,” the owl replied, with a shake of her head. “Alas, it’s a tale as old as time.”

Aleena sighed. “Longclaw, if things go south…”

The owl wrapped her wing around Aleena’s paw. “Rest assured, the children will be safe. There’s places not even Robotnik knows about, where they can be raised safe from harm. But please, my queen… come back safely. I’m not their mother, you are. There’s things only you can teach them.”

“I will,” Aleena said, gripping her sword. “A mother must always keep her word. I’ve never thanked you, you know. For…”

“Looking after you?” Longclaw asked. “You’re not the first royal I’ve raised from an egg. Though you’ve certainly been one of the most trying…”

She chuckled fondly.

“Yes, I admit I was a right royal terror as a child,” Aleena said. “It wasn’t all bad, even when I drove you mad at times. You helped me design my royal attire, helped me with every costume.”

Longclaw nodded, clacking her beak together. “I admit, I’ve never done that before, it’s always a… unique experience helping you find your fashion.”

She sighed.

“Remember, Chaos is power. Don’t let it consume you, don’t lash out in rage, otherwise you’ll become as dangerous as the man you’re using the Emeralds to stop,” the owl explained. “Mobius already has too many scars, don’t let it gain another. You are the one to unify the chaos. Don't let your hate consume you, keep yourself pure. You are the controller, you are your own master.”

Ameila nodded, drawing her sword as seven emeralds swirled around her. Her amethyst skin burned a rosey gold, and like a shot from a cannon, raced across the sky in a streak of light…

-----

Rocketing over a lake, water split beneath the queen, turning to steam in mid-air. From out of the hissing smokey waters rose mechanical bees, their buzzing filling the air. Darts flew from their stingers, like a rain of arrows towards the high queen of Mobius.

“Chaos Slicer!” Aleena cried, drawing her sword, a wave of gold energy erupting outwards from the blade. The drones started to melt just from the heat before exploding in multiple little fireballs.

Up in the sky, a lifeless moon stared down at her, slowly eclipsing the sun.

“Ohohohohohohoho, my dear Queen Aleena,” a voice cracked from inside the moon. “So you’ve finally brought out the big guns. You had all of that power all of this time, and now you’re finally giving me the pleasure of seeing it? That kind of power… you could have ended the war in an instant!”

“Silence, Robotnik.”

“Please, my dear, it’s Julian-”

“Silence,” Aleena repeated, narrowing her now crimson eyes. “Julian was my friend… you killed him, Doctor. I’m here to avenge his death.”

“Put me down like a rabid dog, you mean,” Robotnik laughed. “Face it, Julian was weak, subservient to your every whim! Kintober had to die! He could have had all of the power in the world, thanks to the glory of science!”

“Be silent!” Aleena said, slamming the tip of her blade into the ground. Another wave of golden energy washed outwards from Joyeux’s tip, the rapier humming with light. 

Egg Pawns toppled end over end, reduced to piles of burning, smoking scrap.

“It’s true,” Aleena said, slicing through a jet drone as she flew up towards Robotnik’s masterwork, the so-called Death Egg. “I could have ended this war with all of this power. But power corrupts, you know that better than anyone, Robotnik . You’re an embarrassment to my friend’s memory, and a disgrace to this kingdom!”

In her ear, a voice crackled out a gentle reminder. “Be careful Aleena, communications… I won’t be able to keep track of you the closer you get to Robotnik’s satellite. I’ll lose you soon.”

“Thank you Rosemary, for… For everything. If I don’t make it back…”

“Don’t talk like that,” she heard the vixen sniffle. “You’re the Queen, of course you will. Don’t say such foolish things! Don’t you dare die on us!”

“Don’t worry,” Aleena said as she gazed up at the mechanical moon. “I don’t plan on it. After all, my children are waiting on me.”

“That’s my girl,” Rosemary said before gasping. “...I don’t believe it, but you’ve got reinforcements inbound.”

The Queen’s super form flickered for a second, pulled out of her intense focus on everything around her. “Pardon?”

“Overlanders!” Rosemary said in shock, and Aleena’s eyes widened seeing knights in armor taking the battlefield. “...That’s not… Soleanna is still an hour away!”

Aleena flew by knights, none of them bearing the blazing crest of the Italian kingdom. What she saw shocked her, and made tears come to her eyes even as they quickly turned to steam.

“No, it’s not them. It’s…” she whispered. “They’re just people, they’re not from any one kingdom.”

Indeed, people from across Mobius had joined the fight alongside her own kingdom. All united in one goal, one mission.

“ROBOTNIK, YOUR TYRANNY ENDS TODAY!” Aleena shouted, blazing like a miniature sun.

Knowing the battle below was safe in hand, Aleena flew up to the Death Egg, rapidly ascending into its depths. Rosemary’s voice soon turned to static, her voice barely audible over the crackle of white nose.

“I’m going to lose you completely, Mrs. Prower,” Aleena said. “If you can still hear me, better get our best song ready.”

“Ro… ge…” the radio then fell silent.

Aleena was then blasted through a wall, missiles briefly knocking her out of her super form. Footsteps clanked against the floor, and Aleena didn’t need to look up to know who they belonged to. 

The mechanized copy of her own image, Aleena knew. taking in quick short breaths to re-center herself, the memories came rushing back in like a tidal wave.

The one who….. The one who…. Killed her sworn sister in arms, and the one who left her nephew Knuckles without a mother. No… she couldn’t think about that now. She couldn’t, she had to keep her mind in the present. And yet, like rays of light reflecting out of every facet of a gem…

The echidna was bleeding out, bruised and scarred, barely able to keep her eyes open. Her robe was tarnished, tattered.

“Tikal!” Aleena said, racing up to the now empty shrine. “Stay still, don’t move. Healers are on the way!”

Tikal’s eyes were glazing over, even as Aleena rapidly tried to stem the blood loss with her paws. “...Aleena, I… I’m glad you’re here. I… I found some grapes for Knuckles, can… can you give them to him, please? And tell… Tell Locke that I…”

“No, you’re going to tell him yourself!”

“Yeah… yeah, I will,” Tikal said, shaking her head weakly. “Just… Remember my queen. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart. The sun will shine on Mobius again, I’ll be able to raise…”

She took a last gasp of air before her eyes shut forever.

“No no no no no no no…” Aleena said, trying to shock her heart back to life. “Tikal… hold on, just a little bit longer!”

The scream emptied Angel Island’s skies.

“TIKAAAAAAAALLLLL!”

Back in the present, the normally amethyst collared machine clunks forward, now golden with piercing emerald eyes. As ever, it stood over her.

The Master Emeralds energy; she could sense it flowing through the mechanical lifeform’s body, responsible for this change. No… it wasn’t life, Aleena reminded herself. It didn’t bleed, it didn’t think, it only killed. 

She grit her teeth, the rose gold aura around her starting to turn darker. The emeralds rapidly swirled around her as the whites of her eyes turned a piercing black.

“You monster…” Aleena said, her voice barely higher than a primal snarl.

“Incorrect,” her metal doppelganger says in a monotone voice “I am a machine not a monster.”

“Quite,” Aleena said, her voice bitterly cold. “And like all machines, you’ll end up in the scrap pile all the same.”

Her blade struck again, Metal Aleena able to parry them at first but eventually the original began to rapidly outspeed her. She Spin Dashed the fake into a wall, pulling away as she raised her blade for another attack.

“ERROR DAMAGE TAKEN BACK THRUSTERS DECREASED BY 58.7582615%.” it stated in monotone.

Gaia, she hated how overly specific this thing was, HATE HATE!

Then she remembered her mentor's words. “You are the one to unify the chaos. Don't let your hate consume you, keep yourself pure. You are the controller, you are your own master.”

Aleena stopped in her tracks, as Longclaw’s words rang true in her mind as clear as a bell. “...damn it, what… What am I doing? Tikal wouldn’t want this, and my kingdom… they’re counting on me. They’re putting their lives on the line, expecting me to come back.”

She took a deep breath, her fur returning to gold. Drawing back a fist, she slugged the mechanical hedgehog dropping it to the floor. It’s head cracked, the lights flickering off.

“I don't have time to deal with you, as you're just a worthless copy. I’m the real Aleena. Remember that.”

She then extends her right hand curling her pinkie and ring fingers while pointing her pointer and middle finger point to the left. Her thumb pointed downwards, the emeralds floating around her duplicate.

“CHAOS CONTROL!” Aleena shouted. and then spins her hand clockwise until her fingers point down. “Enjoy Pluto, I’ve heard it’s really nice this time of year.”

The mecha was gone, having fallen through a purple portal that closed up behind her.

“Now… on with business. Nobody else is dying to Robotnik’s madness. Nobody at all.”

-----

Robotnik watched everything come crashing down all around him. On the ground, his forces were pushed further backwards and every second Aleena drew closer to him. In his throne, the once proud man sighed and sagged.

“It’s over,” he said. “I’ve lost. But by Gaia, I came so close! So close! I hate that hedgehog!”

“Sir?” one of his badniks, a rooster named Scratch asked. “What should we do?”

“Nothing…” Robotnik sighed.

“N-N-Nothing, sir?”

“What else is there even to do?” the man asked, stroking his beard. “...where did I even go wrong? I… I wanted to make the world better, bring it into the future with the power of SCIENCE! Aleena… she should have seen what I was trying to do! Kintober didn’t have what it took, he had petty morals, simple ethics of mortal men holding him back. I was a GOD for a time, controlling the world, fixing what was broken.”

“Doctor?” a voice pulled him out of his musings. “Sir, if I may interject, we should retreat for now. We can always start again, no experiment is without its failures. The work must continue!”

A platypus he’d convinced to join his side, not that it had really been that hard. Starline subscribed to the same philosophy as him, believing the only gods in the sky were the ones they created. He had a mind almost as great as his own. Sure he would never reach his level of intellect but still a genius nonetheless. Credit had to be given where credit was due.

“Bah don't be ridiculous with the Master Emerald powering the final egg, I can still win this. I thought you had more faith in me, you whimpering fool!” he said putting on a forced confidence 

“Sir, listen,” Starline said. "I agree. Naturally your final egg is powerful and using the Master Emerald was a stroke of inspired genius might I say so myself. But the Queen, she passed all 7 trials to get each of the emeralds. No one has ever done that before! That plus her own unrivaled natural talent for chaos magic…  the power she has its unrivaled even by the master emerald itself! But I think we can still win. I… I know you said to scrap it but I know we can fix it. Project M, after all-” 

“SILENCE!” the mad doctor shouted, his eyes flashing. “YOU DARE MENTION THAT FAILURE TO ME? THAT’S IT I'M DONE WITH YOU! YOUR FIRED! Begone from my sight!” 

He pressed a button, a capsule forming around Starline as he was ejected from the space station, plummeting… crashing down to Earth.

“There… I did it. I did a good deed, I’ve tossed away Starline, a genius sure but also completely mad. Maybe that can help balance my karma. Besides my technology is still grand and can do wondrous things surely that will help tip things in my favor after all this is over. And why? Because I know it, they’ll sing SONGS about me as I pass through the pearly gates. Not only is my technology going to be used long after I'm gone for great things but I helped unite the world!”

The queen was at his doorstep by now. 

“Before I go, I’ll show that dratted Queen my masterpiece. Maybe it’s over for me now, but I won’t go down without a fight! No, it won’t be easy to win, my old friend. The world will still stare in awe and fear at my greatness as I fight the golden power of chaos with all of my genius! OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!”

-----

Starline groaned as he pulled himself out of the wreckage of the escape pod.

He looked up at the Death Egg and ripped away his lab coat in a gasp of fury.

“Robotnik… you said I was your most trusted mind, and instead you threw me out like common trash?” the platypus asked. “I had ideas! Ideas to make your empire immortal, and secure your place on Mobius’ throne. They’d sing songs, worship you as a god-emperor of machine and metal!”

Instead… here he was, watching as a golden light burst out of the Death Egg. He knew it was over, Aleena had won. 

“And just like that, my dreams are dashed,” Starline said to himself. “Because you rejected me, you thought me mad! Project M would have secured the empire’s future! Instead, you brushed me off, tossed me aside…”

He chuckled, as a thought came to his mind. Maybe, just maybe, if he wanted something done right, then he had to do it himself. Robotnik was clearly not as immortal as he’d hoped, he wasn’t a god. After all… he was only human.

And humans couldn’t rule Mobius… Overlanders always thought they knew everything, they always had dreams of bringing their lives into Mobius. They weren’t a part of his grand design, he’d thought Robotnik had been the exception. 

Clearly… he’d been a fool. A laugh burst up and out of the platypus’ throat. Yes… he had been a fool, thinking a lowly, common, Overlander had what it took to show the world what true science could do for it. No, he never should have gambled on that fat egg of a human.

If you wanted something done right…

You had to do it yourself.

-----

“OHOHOHOHO, so you’re here…” Robotnik laughed, his rotund belly jiggling with each and every chortle. “Took you long enough, Queenie!”

Aleena said nothing, and shook her head sadly.

“No last words then?” Robotnik said, the massive, bulbous blue ship hovering above her. “Very well then… DIE!”

The ship, glowing green with Chaos energy, fired off a scorching ray towards the Queen. An explosion erupted all around her, and as the smoke began to clear, Robotnik stared in shock.

“I don’t believe it… I won… I finally got one over on that stupid hedgehog! I did it!”

Then, triumph turned to tragedy as Aleena stood having not moved an inch with nary a scar on her.

“Now Aleena, we’re old friends, surely two intelligent beings can work these things…” Robotnik said, beginning to panic as he fired off a barrage of missiles. “OUT!”

“Chaos Control!” Aleena said, time slowing around her as she ripped the Master Emerald out of its housing.

Alarms started to blare as red lights flashed all around the two as time resumed.

“WARNING PRIMARY POWER SOURCE MISSING! WARNING DEATH EGG IS LOSING ITS ORBIT! WILL CRASH LAND, WARNING!”

“As you were saying, Doctor?” Aleena said, floating above him. 

“Impressive, I love the confidence. A fool's substitute for intelligence!” Robotnik said,  as an energy web sprayed all over the woman. “If I can’t rule the world… I might as well remove you from it! We’ll both go down, queen and king! The world doesn’t need you, and my dream will go on!”

“Finally,” Rosemary’s voice crackled back into Aleena’s ear. “I’ve got communications back again!”

“Then you know what to do,” Aleena said, in reply. “Flood him with feedback.”

Music blared through all channels, and the queen pushed all away. The alarms, the explosions, even the mad doctor faded into the background as the beat raced through her.

“The faster we're fallin', we're stoppin' and stallin'... We're runnin' in circles again…”

Aleena burned the webbing away, thrusting her hand forwards. “Chaos SPEAR!”

Throwing a lance of pure energy at the Final Machine, she watched it pierce through metallic hide. 

“I’m sorry…” she thought she heard Robotnik whisper, and pretended she hadn’t heard. Julian had died long ago.

Aleena wiped away her tears, flying out of the falling satellite.

“Can’t let this hit the ground…” the Queen said, pushing upwards, grasping ahold of the Death Egg. Her muscles rippled, even as a falling comet fell to earth. 

Slowly but surely, cracks spread outwards as golden rays of light shined through and the world went white…

-----

Down below, people stared in awe as the Death Egg broke apart in a shower of light. Robotnik’s badniks stopped moving, collapsing in the war-torn fields, oil leaking into the grass. Small animals were pulled out of their bodies, and held close by their saviors.

Rosemary’s voice cracked over the radio, in a complete panic. “Did anyone see the Queen? She’s… surely… she’s just got to be…”

Longclaw upon hearing this, took to the sky to try and spot her.

The old retainer’s eyes narrowed, spotting a form hurtling towards the ground. Tucking in her wings, she flew as fast as she could, shocked the queen is still in super form despite clearly being unconscious. Longclaw allowed herself a smile of pride, her will was truly remarkable. She’d raised her student well.

Pride turned to horror as the queen slipped past her talons, crash-landing on the ground.

“Aleena!” the owl shouted, landing next to her as her subjects gathered around in transfixed horror.

“Please…” Longclaw said, resting her head on Aleena’s stomach in a faint hope to hear her heartbeat. “Just… just give me this. The battle’s over, so please Chaos, just give us this…’

“What’s happening?” Rosemary shrieked out over the radio, and Longclaw reached up into her ear to throw the earbud aside. She tried rousing the queen, shaking her, trying to hold back tears.

Slowly, but surely, the queen rose to her feet and gave a weak thumbs up. 

“...and you were worried,” Aleena laughed weakly though Longclaw failed to see the humor of the situation. “Relax, it’s always going to take more than a little thing like re-entry to stop me.”

Longclaw knew better, she could tell the queen was hurting all over. This kid, she swore sometimes. Forget dying of old age, Longclaw thought fondly. Aleena was going to make her die of a heart attack at this rate, with how amazingly stupid this hedgehog could be.

Thankfully, she was alive, even if the owl knew the queen had seen better days. But she was putting on a strong front, just so nobody worried over her. Later, she’d have Words with her reckless fool of a student but for now she’d take the miracle. Right now, Aleena’s subjects needed her.

She could chastise the young mother later, right now they had to get her on her feet and back to her children.

The queen then focuses on regaining her strength, wounds slightly healing. “Now, let’s fix this. You’re right Longclaw, there’s too many scars across the landscape. Let’s see if we can heal a few of them, shall we?”

She waved her hand, new blossoms sprouting as she began to sing a song, ancient and beautiful.

“Sing with me a song of birthrights and love… The light scatters to the sky above dawn breaks through the gloom, white as a bone…” she sang, the power of the Emeralds flowing through her as they circled her.

The Seer walked through the gathering crowd, if possible the only person Longclaw knew that was somehow older than her. The ancient aardvark’s name had long been forgotten, instead everyone just called him by his title. “Yes, my queen. Soon, we can begin one thousand years of peace under your radiant rule, your grace.”

The Emeralds radiated light everywhere and damage all over the world began to heal. But, the Queen stopped herself, summoning the seven gemstones back to her. “There we go, I gave the world a bit of a boost but… we have to do this ourselves.”

The Seer blinked in confusion, clutching his cane tightly. “Ourselves, your grace?”

“Now just one thing left to do,” Aleena said, apparently not having heard the question. She closed her eyes and started flashing, the Emeralds flashing alongside her. Crossing her her arms, she tapped her pointer and middle fingers together. “CHAOS SEVERING!”

With a shout, as her golden aura faded, the Emeralds returned to the temples they came from. Panting, the Queen smiled in satisfaction.

“My Queen!” the Seer shouted in alarm, while Longclaw smiled. It took a lot of strength to give all of the power up, and while she was surprised the Queen did it she was also incredibly happy that she had her priorities in order.

“I had to do it, we can't rely on them to fix all our problems.”

Longclaw nodded sagely. “A difficult choice, but the correct one. It’s a very wise decision, my queen they are a miracle something not meant for the ease of their use but for the dream we dont ever need them at all.”

The Seer stared, before clearing his throat. “Y-Yes of course defying destiny its what your good at my Queen. As ever, your choice is the correct one, your grace.”

Longclaw laughs, a part of her knew she should have paid closer attention to the old aardvarks’ words in hindsight but decided against it. “And I suspect the children will be just as happy with her decision as we are, correct?”

She gave the Seer a warning glance, daring him to press the matter further.

“My babies…” Aleena said, eyes widening. “I… Take me to them, I have to hold them.”

“Right this way, your grace,” Longclaw said. “They couldn’t ask for a better mother, I think…”

“And I couldn’t ask for better children…” Aleena smiled, serenely.

-----

Today, the triplets had been watched by one of Aleena’s oldest friends, a rabbit from the countryside named Vanilla. And Aleena knew it wouldn’t be the last time. Alas, as much as she wanted to be by her children’s side at all times, she was still rebuilding a shattered country.

She read them the story of nights, and dreams, smiling as she sat on a rocking chair. While they were far too young to understand her -After all, they were still but a few months old- they still relaxed at the sound of her voice. Vanilla gave a happy sigh, knowing that the threat of war was hopefully forever in the past. She was starting to hear the reports come in, it was over. Robotnik was defeated.

“Thank you…” she said, to whatever deity was listening as Aleena returned. “Thank you…”

She embraced the hedgehog, never letting go until she was certain this wasn’t a dream. Until she was certain that Aleena was really here.

“Welcome home, your grace. Aleena, you look exhausted, like by the gods it must have been one incredible battle. I can’t wait for you to tell me all about it. It’s finally over,” the rabbit said, and the queen just nodded. She then just scooped up her 3 babies hugging them tightly, tears freely flowing. “I was worried you’d not make it back to them. I didn’t say it aloud, not to them, but… I still dreaded the news. I knew you’d win, but I didn’t know what the cost of it all would be.”

Aleena just sat in the rocker holding them. Vanilla quietly slipped out of the room, to leave the mother and children alone.

“Blast,” the Queen said as she looked around. “Vanilla took that book with her. Hmm… I’ll tell you a story of my own then.”

“Once there was a hero queen, she fought off an evil mechanical empire and did her duties as a queen diligently. All the while she even ensured the birthing of heirs she was surprised she had 3 of them but that just ment 3 times the love for them,” she narrated. “She had no idea who the father was nor did she care. She had them and that was enough both for her duty and for her heart. But this queen had a shameful secret, one she had only ever told her sworn sister, she was a coward in the most important battle of all. Love.”

Aleena smiled sadly, giving a weary look to her children.

“Well, that's not true. Not entirely, anyways. She would brave any challenge for her children but the love she was afraid of was the kind you share with someone special. She loved both of her friends beyond words, but she couldn’t ever tell them. One was a married woman, a virologist, one who kept everyone safe on the homefront. Constantly fighting a war on disease. The other was her oldest and dearest friend. Someone who kept everything organized and everyone's spirits up.”

She wiped a tear away, it’d been a long time since she’d bared her soul this much to anyone besides Longclaw and Tikal.

“The three were even in a band together, using the power of music to inspire everyone the world over to fight,” the queen said before looking at a picture of her friends, taken long ago before everything got so complicated. “It felt good to share that. Even if I can never work up the courage to say it to them… Telling you made me feel better.”

-----

Elsewhere very far away in a frozen hell, an amethyst colored machine stirs its head sparking. “Error memory error replaying last recorded memories…”

“You’re-” %&%87 “real… Aleena-” %^^(8 “-I’m” ()(#$6 “-worthless fake…”

“Memories received,” the hedgehog said as she stood up, eyes glowing. “I am the real Aleena.”

It would be a long flight home, but she’d see her children again… eventually. No matter how many years it took for her to get there.

-----

Several hours had passed, the Queen now humming to her children.

“Your Grace,” Rosemary said, hugging the hedgehog as she tucked her children in. “I…”

“I know…” Aleena said, holding her close. “I know. You don’t have to say anything. He’s gone… It’s over. Go see Amadeus, you’ve earned a month off. I’ll have someone else fill in for you at Mobius General.”

“For what it’s worth,” Rosemary said as she smiled warmly at her, tugging her coat tighter around herself. “I didn’t doubt you for even a minute. I knew you’d come back.”

After Aleena retook the throne, the celebrations lasted a solid week. She’d never attended this many parties in her life, though she was happy it was all over. Her children should never have had to grow up during wartime, wondering if they’d ever see tomorrow.

“Did you regret it?” Longclaw had asked, post-mortem. “Going to war? They say war makes fools of us all. That there’s nothing that war has ever achieved that one could not better achieve without it.”

“The horrors of war, I think,” Aleena said, with a sad smile. “Pale in the loss of a mother’s love for her children. Robotnik, damn him, had designs on the whole world. You’d think he’d stop at my kingdom? There’d be nowhere they could hide, and I wouldn’t be able to hold Robotnik off forever. He had to be stopped, it’s true there’s never a good war but I think stepping aside and bowing to the whims of a madman would lead to a far worse outcome.”

“Yes, you’re quite right, though… I mourn for the man Julian was, not the monster he became,” Longclaw sighed. “Alas, that’s the greatest tragedy, that the world was deprived of such a mind. The first shot fired wasn’t on the battlefield. No, it was in Julian’s lab, when the man we called Kintober died in battle with his own mind.”

And that, Aleena mused, said it all really.

-----

It took 6 months for the queen to fully recover from her injuries. She spent it with her children only doing queenly duties when required. Peace slowly spread and the horrors of war quickly became naught but a distant memory.

3 short years after the war had ended, the Seer approached the Queen.

“Sonic stop running around so much. I know it's not easy but… Gah, MANIC STOP TURNING INVISIBLE! SONIA, PUT DOWN THAT CHAIR!”

The queen groaned to herself, facepalming. “You inherited all my gifts, is this punishment for all the grey feathers I gave Longclaw?” 

She notices the Seer walk in, with a grave look on his face. “My queen, I've had a horrific vision! A new darkness approaches, one far worse than Robotnik’s treachery!”

The Queen sat back in her throne, every bit the bringer of peace and loving mother.

“I saw it and watched in horror, as an army greater than Robotnik’s came to be. It will soon arrive and devastate the kingdom. Then the entire world will fall! The only chance we have is if you give up your children they must be raised in secret so they can one day rise up and stop-”

The queen stared in horror. “Are you MAD? Please tell me this is some cruel attempt at a joke, after so many years. Otherwise, I’m forced to consider that you’ve taken leave of your senses! I can't possibly do that! You know I can't! How dare you ask me that! If you have seen destruction then I will just advert it like I have so many times before!”

Her eyes narrowed.

“When will this happen?”

Even as she spoke, she felt her stomach churn. Of course, the Seer would never lie to her, but there had to be some other way!

Give up her children, separate? Despite warning her of a deadly fate, and asking her to bide her time and lay in wait she simply couldn’t do that!

“I’m sorry my Queen, my vision was… cloudy,” the Seer said. “I don’t know the exact time, but if you don’t act soon you’ll seal their fate!”

“Forgive me, I chose my kingdom over the children once before. I can’t ever do that again,” the Queen said. “Whatever happens, we shall face it together. As a family.”

“Then,” the Seer sighed, pulling his robe up over his head and retreating.

“The kingdom’s fate is already sealed…”

Chapter Text

6 months later…

Explosions erupted outside the palace as the sun set over the city, the castle shaking as Aleena grabbed a pillar with her hand to steady herself. Just like the Oracle had said, war had returned to her kingdom, the rhythmical sound of mechanical footsteps echoing up from the streets below. 

An army of robots, unthinking, unfeeling. Uncompromising. Her guards had tried to hold them back, but how did you hold back a tsunami? Eventually, the levee broke, and the silver wave poured in through the streets.

“The arrogance…” Aleena swore to herself. “I thought I could… I didn’t even see any of this coming, he warned me! I dismissed him at the time, I told him if war came, I’d handle it.”

She looked to see smoke rising from buildings, her subjects pulled from their homes by robots. She didn’t even know who’d dared to invade, they hadn’t announced themselves instead striking without warning.

Historians would probably label this the shortest war in Mobius’ history. …assuming, of course, her kingdom even existed after this.

The one day war, they’d call it. The winner? Well, it sure wasn’t her. She didn’t want to believe it, but she had to face facts. She’d lost her queendom twice during the same reign.

Vanilla ran in, followed by Longclaw.

“Milady,” the elderly owl said. “We need to get you out of here, you and the children. As long as you survive, so does Mobius.”

“...I hope you’re right about that, old friend,” Aleena said, pulling on an old traveling cloak. “I don’t like it, but there’s nothing I can do for my subjects if I’m dead. And without my children… there’s no future at all for anyone.”

“I don’t like it either,” Longclaw shook her head. “We need to regroup, assess the situation. If we can find allies, we might be able to retake the castle. But we can’t do any of that if you and the children are still in danger. The window to leave is rapidly closing.”

“I can’t believe this is happening again…” Vanilla said, sadly.

“I know, old friend,” Aleena said, seeing the small swell of the rabbit’s belly. “It’s a cruel irony, isn’t it? Winning one war, only to lose another in swift succession.”

For a moment, she briefly flashbacked to the moment the rabbit had told her she was pregnant.

“I decided that I wanted a child and well, I never found the right person so… I’ve opted to use in vitro fertilization,” vanilla had told her

“I see well if you need anything, I’m always here for you. My door’s always going to be open for you,” the queen had smiled sadly. She would have gladly been the source of Vanilla’s first child, if asked. “It’s a shame, really. You’re a wonderful woman, Vanilla. The fact that nobody’s seen that besides me, well, it’s their loss.”

“Oh, I am in love with someone, it’s just…” Vanilla shook her head, not quite able to meet her eyes. “They just never seemed to return my feelings, that’s all…”

“Well, they’re missing out. They’re a complete idiot.”

Her children were crying, hugging her legs and with everything going on around her, she’d never had a chance to catch her breath. To stop, and really think.

Closing her eyes, she accelerated her mind as everything else seemed to slow down. Time ground to almost a halt for her.

She remembered the seer’s face, she hadn’t thought much about it at the time but he’d been acting pretty strangely since the fall of Robotnik. And his predictions had always been accurate, but something about this one… She didn’t like it at all, it was frightening to think about the possibility that he’d been involved in bringing this one to pass. It chilled her right to the bone.

Maybe she was panicking, two wars making her too paranoid for her own good. Then again… what’d they say about only the paranoid surviving? And right now, that’s exactly what she needed to do.

Survive.

For her kingdom’s sake, for her children’s sake.

“Right… So what do I do about it? Either way, if he set things or motion or just predicted this would happen… it doesn’t matter how it happened, not right now. Just that it did. If I act now I could derail fate… but would that lead to a good outcome…? I can’t risk it, I’m a mother now. Right now, I have to play along, see what happens. The children come first.”

“My Grace!” the man of the hour said, the aardvark hobbling in on his cane. “It’s happening, just as I-”

Aleena took a look at the Seer, a good long look and how the terror didn’t quite meet his eyes. “I don't know what your role was in this. Or even what you're planning or why… But don’t underestimate my family, and certainly don’t you dare underestimate me. We’ll rise again, and when the time comes… I will reunite with my children, and restore order and peace to Mobius.”

She exhaled, slowing back down and looked down at her children. 

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” she thought, a tear rolling down her face before she looked back at Longclaw and Vanilla. “Alright I've decided I have no choice but to trust in the Seer’s prophecy.”

“Your Gr… Aleena!” Vanilla said. “Are you sure about this? Think about what you’re saying!”

“No, she’s right, the Seer’s never been wrong before,” Longclaw said, though to Aleena’s relief the old owl was giving the elderly aardvark an equally suspicious look. Side-eying him, daring him to speak out of turn. “We’ll just have to trust him.”

Longclaw looked back at her and the unspoken “For now…” hung in the air between them.

“Oh I'm so glad, your majesty, you've seen sense at last. I promise you when the time comes everything will be as it should be,” the seer said.

The Queen ignored him, kneeling down to her children.

“Mama, I’m scared…” Sonic said, holding onto her tightly like she was a life preserver in a stormy sea. “What do we do?”

“Me too… It’s too loud” Manic said, quivering.

Her daughter sniffled. “Please mama make the bad stuff go away…”

“It will be alright my children, I promise” she scooped up all three of them and started rushing through the halls. She wasn’t at anywhere near top speed  with Vanilla and Longclaw right behind her.

“You have to hurry, there’s an escape shuttle in the basement,” The Queen said, looking at them. “Go, now! While you’ve still got a chance!”

Vanila’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what about you?”

Longclaw put a feather on Vanilla’s shoulder “You know her majesty, even if she has to accept defeat today she won't let it be  too easy for our enemies. And… it will be easier for her to do what she has to if she can focus on anything but this…”

“I know, but still!”

“Mama, are we going somewhere?” Sonic asked.

“Yes sweetie you're gonna have a special trip with grandma Longclaw,” Aleena said. “Don’t worry, it’ll be… it’ll be fun.”

The queen handed Sonic gently over to Longclaw and then Sonia and Manic over to Vanilla.

“Mama, hey where are you going?” Sonia said starting to notice something was very wrong.

Sonic and manic picking up on her distress started struggling, Manic biting at Vanila’s paw. “Mama!”

A window exploded, as a black jackal with silver hair wearing a red beret swinging in via a rope. Aleena sighed, so it’d come to this. Mobians, selling themselves out for the highest bidder.

One eye was a piercing cold icy blue, the other burning molten gold. 

“Well, howdy! Oh, lookie here!” the jackal said. “You must be the queen, heard good things about you and your kids. Don’t y’all look like a happy little family, and well… I hate to make things awkward, but what’s done is done, understand?”

Two other jackals, looking similar to their commander, climbed in via grappling hooks. 

“Uno, Deux,” their commander said. “Box her in, make sure none of them have any chance to escape. I was paid to give you the real royal treatment, Queenie. I hope you understand.”

Her children were crying.

“No, it’s fair to say I don’t actually,” Aleena replied. “Why do you take up arms against your own country?”

The jackal commander threw back his head in a laugh.

“You don’t get it, do you? You really don’t. See, not all of us are as lucky as you. Not all of us have some fancy ass mansion that only fancy ass royals get to live in. Some of us, we had to fight tooth and claw for whatever we could get.”

“Yes, it is a failing of mine that not everyone-”

“Shut up!” the jackal snapped, pulling out a gun and aiming it at her. “I don’t have time to listen to any of us, so don’t you dare think you can talk over me! That’s all you ever do, talk over us! Once I slice your neck open, and watch you choke all over your own blue blood, who’s going to be laughing then? You won’t be worth anything more than that tombstone they’re gonna bury you under!”

Aleena sighed. “So be it, I was hoping we could talk this out, but if push comes to shove…”

Her hand glowed with purple magic, and she flung the jackal aside. She side-stepped a knife from one of the others, and turned away as the knife rocketed into the commander’s eye.

Longclaw had shielded the children’s eyes from the violence, small particles of chaos energy fluttering down from her feathers. The triplets’ crying slowed down, before they fell asleep in the rabbit and owl’s arms.

The queen grabbed three pieces of paper, quickly writing on each one, shoving the slips inside letters and sealing each with a kiss.

“Vanilla, please take Sonia to the Solarian Kingdom, as the eldest she will need to learn how to lead a kingdom.”

“And as for Manic, take him to the echidnas. Locke hates me but Tikal was my sworn soul sister and that makes the children members of the tribe by default. He would never break that.”

The Queen sighed. “As for Sonic… Longclaw, he’s yours, train him well. Like you did with me. Raise him as your own. Please… for me.”

Longclaw, with tears in her eyes nodded. Knowing no words of wisdom could ever make things better, she remained silent.

The queen then walked to a glass case, several red star rings inside of it. “I’d only kept these around for nostalgia, but now I wish I had collected more of these. Nowhere near enough for anything special… but I can use chaos control for a short burst of time with them…”

Absorbing each one, five red rings of magic formed on each arm. She took one last look at her sleeping children. “In time they will likely forget me and when they learn of this moment I hope they hate me. If they love me after all of this… I’d never be able to live with myself.”

The queen then takes a deep breath, and energy flows into her. Walking into the main hall, she became a blur of light as she smashed through one of the invader’s robots.

“GO!” the Queen shouted, as the rest of the Jackal Squad closed in. Vanilla sobbed but rushed towards the basement, with Longclaw stuffing Sonic inside her pack and taking to the sky…


-----

11 years later…

“Okay, quick stretch… and away we go,” Sonic said, as he leaped down onto his board and into the powdery snow of the Polar Ice Cap Zone. “So, going my way, dude?”

“Not you again!”

Sonic grinned at the hawk, the two rushing down a mountainside.

“Dude, bad penny is like my middle name, after ‘the extreme’ and ‘totally awesome’,” the hedgehog said, cockily. “Of course I’m going to keep turning up!”

“Don’t you ever have anything else to do?” the hawk snapped back. “Like… I dunno, some kitten to pull out of a tree somewhere?”

“Awwwww, I thought you missed me,” Sonic laughed as the two dodged and weaved between boulders. “Gotta say, I’m hurt!”

“Oh, you will be!” the hawk replied, pulling out two sharp fans of pure steel. Swinging, he slashed into the hedgehog’s arm only for the blue blur to spin and stand on one hand to avoid the attack.

“Dude, like seriously,” Sonic joked as he righted himself and pulled the board upwards over a fallen log. “Man, you need to loosen up. This is why you never have any friends. “Ooooh, my name is Jet and I’m such a badass, and I don’t need anyone because I’m just that cool.” Between you and me, girls don’t go for that. If you’re trying to score a date with someone, at least pretend to be interested.”

“I DON’T WANT TO DATE YOU!” Jet snapped, spinning his board as if to kick Sonic square in the face and knock him into the snow.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m a free spirit. I’d never let a pesky thing like romantic relationships tie me down,” Sonic said. “Besides, I’m never going to be into anyone who’s higher up the food chain.”

Jet settled for slugging him across the face.

“Now, let’s use our words!” Sonic said, wagging a finger. “Sonic sayz to talk things out, explain why you’re feeling so huffy.”

The two continued racing down the mountainside, a village below them. The whir of helicopters was right above him, the black choppers buzzing over them as they flew past and ahead of the duo.

“You know, it’s almost like they’re mad at one of us,” Sonic snarked. “I’m not sure, but I think it’s almost like you did something to tick them off. Care to share with the class?”

“It’s not their fault their security was so crappy,” Jet said. “Really, they were asking for their stuff to get stolen.”

“Uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah, I see,” Sonic said. “So, are you going to fess up, and tell me where you hid your loot? I mean, maybe it’s just me, but if you give it back, maybe all will be forgiven, right?”

“DO YOU EVER SHUT UP?” Jet squawked furiously. The helicopter from before flew back, circling around and locking into the two Mobians.

“I don’t mean to alarm you, but you’ve kinda got a little something there,” Sonic said, pointing to the red dot on Jet’s chest feathers. Missiles popped out of the helicopter, primed and all aimed at both snowboarders.

Jet didn’t say anything, instead leaping off his board and slicing clean through the helicopter with his fans. Explosions erupted from the helicopter’s engines as it went into a spin dive. Sonic swore to himself quietly, breaking off the chase as he pursued the falling aircraft instead.

Leaping off his board, the hedgehog spun into a ball, bouncing like a pinball off some trees. Propelled forwards, the teen grabbed anyone and everyone inside the helicopter. As the chopper went down, Sonic landed on a cliff overlooking the valley.

“...Right, next time I get the bright idea to do my good deed for the week,” Sonic muttered as he watched an airship fly towards Jet. Even from here, he could hear the hawk’s laughter. “Somebody slug me.”

He looked to see Longclaw, silently judging him.

“Oh shut up,” he said, walking right through her as she turned to dust in the wind. “It’s not like you’re even here anymore to give me a lecture about taking the moral high ground!”

Getting into a running stance, he looked back at the security guards slowly regaining consciousness. Rocketing off, the hedgehog left a wake behind him as he raced towards Jet.

“Hey, we’re not done here,” the blue blur said, leaping up into the airship, seeing a giant albatross carrying some very expensive portraits inside a bag. Jet rushed towards him, pulling his arm back into a punch only for Sonic to catch it a second later.

“Now Jet… don’t get me wrong, I love getting to show off how awesome I am. But we were having a perfectly nice discussion, and you were about to give all of that back,” the hedgehog said. “Now listen, I don’t get works of art. Well, besides me, and you can’t improve upon perfection. But I’m pretty sure the law’s clear on what belongs to who.”

“Yeah, well, possession is 9/10ths of the law, and what’s mine… well, everything’s mine,” Jet said as the two traded punches, countering and blocking each blow. “Everyone’s gotta make a living somehow, right?”

Jet then roundhouse-kicked his rival across the face, making him slide backwards.

“So sue a guy if he’s got sticky fingers,” the hawk said. “I thought all of those would look great on my wall.”

“I’m also thinking they’d also look great on their owners’ wall,” Sonic said. “They’ll keep chasing you forever, you know that right? And guys with big, fancy-smancy black helicopters that are 90% weapons aren’t really the kinda guys you wanna tick off just between you and me.”

“Speaking from experience?” Jet asked, as Sonic dodged a punch and kneed the bird in the gut.

“No, just seems like common sense, really,” Sonic said, spin-dashing him into the wall. “Like… you’d think it’d be pretty obvious, not stealing from someone who can turn you into a scorched, smoking smear.”

“I like the challenge,” Jet said, before leaping into another strike. “It’s how I get my KICKS!”

Sonic caught Jet’s boot with his hand before thrusting it forwards leaving the hawk on his back.

“So, got any other tricks?” Sonic asked, snarkily. “I mean, you’re fun to play around with, but I’m getting bored now. If you’ve got anything else, it’s time to bust it out. Come on, I’m waaaaaiiiting!”

“Well Storm,” Jet said, turning to the big albatross. “You heard him, give him what he asked for!”

Sonic’s eyes widened as Storm pulled out, and fired a big bazooka.

A net came flying at him and the next thing Sonic knew was he was wrapped up in it, laying in the snow as the Babylon Rogues flew off into the skies…

“Uuuuugh…” Sonic groaned. “That definitely went a lot better in my head.”

Then, he saw two heavily built Mobians in military gear walking up to him. He just sighed, and if he could facepalm, he would have.

“...what a day…”

-----

“Okay, so recap,” Sonic said, behind laser bars inside a dimly lit room. “Because that old owl told you to stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong, you’re all trussed up like a turkey for Christmas dinner and you’re probably about to be poked and prodded at by guys with no sense of personal space. I’m sure that’s someone’s fantasy, but it’s not mine!”

What to do, what to do? Deliberately make himself as annoying as possible so they’d want to get rid of him? Like, he had places to be, and none of them were here. Like there wasn’t even cable! What kind of host didn’t provide cable TV? He was a guest here, the least they could do was be gracious hosts!

“So, what, are you guys just gonna ignore me and pretend I don't exist here or something?” Sonic asked. “Because trust me, I get bored reaaaaaaaly easily and just between you and me, I don’t think any of you want to see that.”

The door hissed open, a cloud of steam floating into the room.

“Well, that didn’t take long,” Sonic said as crimson and violet robots with hulking shoulders and chest cannons filed into the room. “Points for your entrance, though I have to say… your designs? They could use a little more blue.”

“So you’re her daughter,” a platypus said, adjusting his glasses as he walked into the room. “You really should have done what your family does best, run from your problems and never look back. You’re definitely not her son, in some respect. Congratulations, I’m not surprised often but…”

The scientist, because he was clearly one by his lab coat clapped.

“You managed to do exactly that,” he said. “Bravah.”

“Hey, so what are you? Some sort of fancy pharmacist? Because, really, if you’re trying to be threatening, you’d have to do better than look like the guy in every small town drug store,” Sonic deadpanned.

“You’re certainly more talkative than your mother, that’s for sure,” the platypus said. “Your mouth runs a mile a minute, and everything that comes out of it is worthless drivel. Your mother, Gaia rest her soul, chose her words carefully and only spoke when she needed to.”

“Hey, I don’t know how you knew Longclaw, but-”

The platypus threw back his head and laughed for a good solid minute, before finally recomposing himself and wiping a tear away. “Longclaw? You think I seriously meant that worthless old feather duster? You seriously thought I care about her?”

Sonic’s eyes narrowed, as blue crackles of bio-energy infused electricity raced up his body. Sparks flew from nearby terminals, little jolts of lightning arcing towards him.

“What did you say?” the hedgehog growled, his spines standing on end as he got into a running stance as much as the small cell allowed him to. “Take that back, I dare you to say that again and watch what happens.”

“Ooooh, threatening,” Starline said. “Shame I’m over here, and you’re over there.”

“Oh, give it a second…” Sonic said, more arcs of electricity flying. Starline reached into his lab coat and pulled out a device, and pressed the button. Sonic let out a scream of pain as the bars shocked him, and he clutched his smoking side in pain.

“You were saying?” the doctor said. “I’d love to stay and chat, but well… ruling what’s left of your world… it needs my full attention. I’m a busy man, in case you forgot.”

“Did I say we were done talking?” Sonic asked. “You’re going to tell me how you know Longclaw!”

“And I said we’re done talking, now you can just sit there and look cute, ta-ta,” Starline said, walking off. “Be good, maybe I’ll send down what’s left in the kitchen cupboards. You’ll need to be at full strength the moment my ship comes for you. Oh, if your mother could see you now…”

He turned to grin back at the teenager.

“She’d be so disappointed, I’m sure.”

With that, the hologram flickered out of existence. Sonic wanted to scream, but slumped his shoulders in resignation. Starline had never been here in the first place.

Honestly, he didn’t remember a time Before. That madman had been ruling the whole country for as long as he could remember, having apparently taken the kingdom for himself. He’d turned it into an empire, his Swat-Bots sweeping across the nation and taking every last bit of it for the glory of the Starline Empire.

Honestly, Sonic had been trying to stay out of the man’s way, find a way out of the country. It wasn’t like there was anything left for him, not after… Well, he knew his mother would have been disappointed in him. But her bravery, well it had gotten the owl killed.

She’d told him to run, save himself.

So that’s what he’d been doing all his life.

Which was how he’d found himself here, in the Icecap Zone and more specifically chasing after that idiot hawk and his team of rogues. If he’d realized the chateau those three had stolen from had belonged to Starline… he probably wouldn’t have bothered.

Nothing good ever came from getting involved in that man’s business.

Electricity crackled as his frustration built up, and one arc struck the computer taking out the cell bars. As the humming stopped, and the red glow of the bars faded, he stepped out of his cell.

“So sorry to leave early,” Sonic said, as the Swat-Bots aimed their cannons at him. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m actually against being annihilated. Seems bad for you, really. Tell your boss that the service here is lousy. I’m going to leave a bad review. There’s not even any mints under the pillows! Like that’s basic 101, and somehow he failed even that!”

Spin Dashing through the robots, he bounced back and forth between the two spinning like a buzzsaw before their bodies finally gave out. Smashing through the door, Sonic raced through the corridors, up towards the beautiful, refreshing sunlight.

“Where does that guy even get off talking smack about Longclaw like that,” he wondered aloud. “Of course she was my real mom, I don’t know why he’s so convinced that my mom’s someone else. Longclaw raised me, and sure she was an owl and I was a hedgehog but none of that matters. Especially now, after she’s…”

His voice trailed off, refusing to say the word. As long as he didn’t say it, she was still by his side, right?

“Oh come on, didn’t the piles of wreckage I left behind give you guys any hints?” Sonic asked, as more Swat-Bots leaped down from the rooftops. “I gotta say though, for big clunky dudes, you score a ten out of ten in stealth.”

Others flew up onto the patio, glaring at the small blue hedgehog as they primed their weapons systems.

“Wow, I’m honored. It’s like a party,” Sonic mocked. “Seriously, all for little old me? Kinda makes a guy feel important!”

The Swat-Bots' only response was to fire a storm of lasers. The barrage of weapons fire raced towards the speedster who leaped upwards into a Spin Dash. Some of the laser fire ripped through some of the robots, even as Sonic spun like a buzzsaw through the others.

Running along a brick wall, Sonic pushed himself off it and spun back up, slicing through the hoard. Sliding along the ground, he grinned and bowed after grabbing some roses to throw into the air around him.

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Sonic said. “Shoutout to all of my fans who love me so much, you guys are just the best! You know that, right?”

Then he felt something grab him, and throw him into the ground. Moaning in pain, Sonic turned to look up at his attacker, and his eyes widened. His heart pounded inside his chest, his hands shaking as he looked up to see the metallic monstrosity standing over him.

Twin red burning eyes glared down at him, silver cables hanging off the robot’s eyes like spines. Razor sharp sterling silver claws, easily capable of ripping him in two erupted from crimson hands. The robot said nothing, as it grabbed him and tossed him across the patio, marching forwards step by step as it closed in.

Sonic couldn’t catch his breath, and beads of sweat rolled down his face as he went to another time, another place…

“Longclaw, look what I found!” he called out, as he raced towards his mother’s hut. It was tucked away, in the high mountains of Mobius, away from just about everyone else.

Just the way Longclaw preferred it, having always liked to keep her privacy. Besides, it added to her mysterious old mentor vibe, really, living near some old ruins. 

“Longclaw?” Sonic asked, as the young hedgehog dropped the daisy in hand. “Where are you?”

She had to be around here somewhere, she might be cooking dinner. Yay, bugs and worms. His mom said they were nutritious, but personally the pre-teen thought they were disgusting.

A war cry made Sonic leap to the left, a echidna jumping out of the bushes in full warpaint with a fearsome mask on his face. Beads hung from his neck, from his arms, a gold necklace embedded with jewelry. Blue feathers were a part of the warrior’s mask, even as he drew back his bow.

“So, you’re the blue one…” the warrior snarled. “You’re the one we were sent to find… Locke said we should be expecting a fierce warrior, an unstoppable force of nature. I’m looking, and I don’t see him anywhere. Just a scared young pup.”

“I’m not scared…” Sonic lied.

“Oh, you should be… That shortness of breath, that chill running down your spine? I can see you sweating, you’re saying one thing but I’m seeing another,” the warrior said. “Run, little hoglet, if you can. Run…”

“Just what I was thinking,” Sonic grinned cockily, before dashing off in a blur of motion. “LONGCLAW!”

More warriors leaped out of the bushes, with sharp spears in hand. One threw a bolo, knocking Sonic off his feet and as he tried to pick himself up and run again, spears embedded themselves in front of his path. The echidnas shouted amongst themselves, in their own language though he did understand one word.

“Aleena.”

Who was Aleena? Was that a friend of his mom’s?

Speaking of… a brown shape leaped down in front of him, a bo staff in her wings clutched tightly in her feathers. 

“Get away from my son,” his mom said, eyes narrowed. As strong and powerful as ever. One of her talons was raised to strike, daring the Echidnas to come closer.

They dared, launching themselves at the owl. Spinning her staff, she sent one flying while slamming it into the gut of another. Her talon ripped through skin, drawing blood as she lifted one of the warriors up, and slammed him into the ground.

“Run, Sonic, they’ll kill you if they capture you,” Longclaw said. “Run… survive. I’ll find you soon!”

But she never did…

-----

In the present, Sonic realized the robot was now scrap. Scorch marks covered the patio, and he realized what must have happened.

“...how do I do that? I mean, I know I did, but how did I…?” he asked himself, as if expecting an answer. None came. “...Then again, gift horse, mouth right?”

He sighed, maybe Longclaw would know. But she was… not here. Then he remembered something, something she’d told him to do.

“Sonic, listen… on the 11th year of Liberation Day… there’s this box, in the Mystic Cave Zone. It’s under the oldest shrine, you’ll know it when you see it. Don’t open it till then, and only then. Maybe one day, we’ll open it together. What’s inside, it’s important, it’ll probably change your life forever, but it’s a secret that can’t go untold forever.”

“What? Why…? Why can’t you come with me?”

“I want to, Sonic, understand? But… I may not be around forever.”

“Of course you will, mom. You’re Longclaw, you’re awesome! You’re invincible!”

“Yeah…”

Sonic fought back tears, even as he arrived at the shrine under a torii gate. Vines hung low, practically covering the old shrine, devoted to ancient owls. Zooming around the shrine, his speed kicked up dirt and dug a trench underneath it.

Under the shrine, a box. And like Longclaw had said, inside that box, a letter. 

Addressed to him.

“My dearest Sonic, I have no idea how much Longclaw told you but  this is something I hate having to write to you. By the time you read it, you’ll be a grown man. All grown up, I wish I could have been there to see it happen but alas, circumstances migate that. You’ve probably forgotten me, which is understandable since the last time you saw me, you were three years old. Allow me to introduce myself, or… re-introduce myself I suppose. My name is Aleena, the former Queen of Mobius and more importantly, your mother.”

Sonic paused, looking up as his hands shook, threatening to drop the latter. 

“...yeah, that figures. I’m… I mean, I’m a hedgehog and Longclaw was an owl, she… yeah, I knew she didn’t exactly hatch me from an egg or anything but she’s always been like mom to me…” taking a deep breath, he relaxed his shoulders. “Okay, yeah, calm down, you can freak out later, just keep reading right?”

“I was… forced to take drastic measures when Starline invaded… Stole my throne. I didn’t know it was him at the time, but it was obvious enough when I saw the badniks. He was always better at designing robots, compared to his mentor. I’d hoped to fight them back but in my heart, I knew I’d be fighting a losing battle. I had you to think of, there wouldn’t be any point in reclaiming my throne if you weren’t there by my side, my young prince. So with a heavy heart, I made the worst decision of my life. I followed through with a prophecy. It said that if I separated my children-” 

Sonic’s eyes widened. Children, as in more than one. He had siblings.

Siblings. 

“...How’d I forget about…” Sonic asked, remembering flashes of green and pink. “...how’d I ever forget about them?”

He steadied his breathing, forcing back the rising panic. He had siblings, they were out there somewhere and they may not have even realized the others existed. That creep, Starline, he could be looking for them and they wouldn’t even know why!

Like him.

“I tried to resist, like any mother should have. I didn’t want to give in, it wouldn’t have even been the first time I’d defied fate. But this time it came too quickly, I couldn’t do anything. Anything at all… They were unstoppable, relentless, they arrived in the capital overnight, before we even knew they were there.”

Deep in the recesses of his mind Sonic remembered explosions, and something else… in the back of his mind, there was something else he didn’t want to remember.

“So I sent you, and your brother, and your sister away…” Sonic read, only now just noticing the tear stains on the letter.

“Each to be trained for when we would reunite and stop those who separated us,” Sonic heard, in the back of his mind. He knew who that voice was, he knew it in his heart. He was reading her words, after all.

“I wish I could say more, about how much I love you and your siblings but I can’t. Not right now. Not… I just can’t. I’m running out of time as it is. I’m sure you’re faster than I was at your age. I'd love to run with you and feel the wind on our faces, that tranquil feeling of the world slowing as you speed through it, the quiet peace it brings” Sonic nodded, weakly. He was all too familiar with that. The fact that someone else knew it as well… Was it possible to miss someone he’d never even met?

“You don't have my strength or my stealth but you are the heir to my speed. You don’t need anything more than that. Fly, Sonic. Fly like the wind. Your siblings, you’ve got to find them. I’m sure they’re being hunted, Starline wants to wipe out any chance of him being overthrown, wipe out what remains of the kingdom. Of us. There’s an old resistance base of mine, you’ve got to go there. All of you. Your siblings, if they’ve found their letters, they’ll be heading there now as well… reunite. Stop Starline. I’ll know when it’s safe, nobody’s going to stop me from reuniting with my precious babies. Not even him.”

Then he could hear it. A song, in his heart, and he wondered how he’d even forgotten.

Aleena held her children close, humming to them, even as thunder roared outside.

“If you leap awake

In the mirror of a bad dream

And for a fraction of a second

You can't remember where you are

Just open your window

And follow your memory upstream…”

Sonic, in the present, gripped the letter tightly. For a moment, he allowed himself to wish for something he hadn’t had in years. 

“I know Longclaw, that she’s probably been more of a mother to you than I ever have been. I’m not sure I even have the right to call myself your mother, after what I did, even if it was to protect you. I’m sorry, my son. You have waited much too long and I will be your shining star if you’ll let me. Fly, like the wind. Love… Queen Aleena.”

Chapter Text

Then…

Vanilla, rushing towards the basement, looked down to the sleeping hoglets clutched in her arms. The castle shook again, and the young mother flinched. “Please, Aleena… don’t be reckless!”

“It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay, alright? You’ll be okay,” she said, partially towards the children but mostly towards herself.

Suddenly, a damaged robot flew through the window, Vanilla shielding the hoglets with her body as glass shards flew everywhere.

“TARGET IDENTIFIED AS VANILLA THE RABBIT. THREAT LEVEL ZERO,” the robot said, as it aimed its damaged gun at her.

Vanilla, despite never being much of a fighter, thought: “Only zero? I’m actually almost offended.”

“Help!” she panicked, looking like she was about to bolt.

“Negative, no help will arrive in time for you,” the robot said, still damaged and glitchy but more than enough to threaten her.

“Oh thank goodness, Aleena you’re here,” Vanilla said, looking behind the robot. 

The robot spun around.

“SCANNING… SCANNING… SCANNING,” the robot said. “QUEEN ALEENA NOT SIGHTED!”

Vanilla pushed the robot out the window, and it let out a cry before exploding as it hit the ground. “I have no idea who programmed that one, but if they fell for that old trick…? I’ve always been… let’s say difficult to capture, and I’m not going to suddenly stop now, not when the children are counting on me. Especially not when their mother is counting on me. …now more than ever.”

-----

Inside the basement, was a secret hangar which to this day was still full of old Resistance items. Things Aleena had wanted to keep but worried about displaying them in fear of them being stolen. Vanilla looked around the room, as she pulled a cord. Lights buzzed on, illuminating the room full of old memorabilia and for a moment, Vanilla allowed herself some reminiscence. 

So many adventures, she thought. Even if they’d been to save the world, she admitted if only in private that she’d had fun. She eyed a robotic piranha, with a large dent in the side and chuckled.

“...Surprised she even kept that…” the rabbit said, remembering the High Queen of Mobius flailing around, shouting to get it out of her hair.

“Get this thing out of my hair!”

Rosemary and Vanilla had been laughing, Longclaw eventually taking pity on her student and ripping the fish out of her hair and throwing it into a tree.

“Now die you evil thing, die!” Aleena had snapped, jumping up and down on the fish. “Nobody touches my hair and lives!”

“I… I think it’s dead now…” Vanilla said.

“So much for studying Robotnik’s machines…” Rosemary had muttered, rubbing her forehead. Smiling at the memory, Vanilla spotted a glass case. Inside, three gemstones, now void of color, a monochrome lifeless gray.

“Oh, now there’s a memory…” the rabbit said, hugging both Sonia and Manic closer to her chest.

“Let me get this straight, you want to start a band? We don’t have time for that, we’re organizing a resistance and we’re still searching for the chaos Emeralds. We… we don’t have time to devote to some flight of fancy,” Longclaw stammered out.

“It will inspire people, which will build our numbers. Hope is something people have precious little of, at times,” Rosemary was swift to point out. “After all, music is a universal language, so let’s use ours to speak of rebellion.”

Aleena nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking!”

Vanilla and Rosemary shared an equally pleased grin before Vanilla said: “That's our Queen for you, she’s always able to think of the most crazy things and yet… somehow they make sense in the end.”

“And you two are going to be joining me,” Aleena said, Vanilla nodding along before the hedgehog’s words caught up with her brain and it registered.

“Oh my…” the rabbit said, a paw over her mouth.

“...Okay, so, yeah, it’s your crazy idea and I know what you’re going for, but… but I don’t even know how to play an instrument, at least not since… Well, I don’t think playing a recorder in middle school really counts as, well music. At least good music anyways. Who ever heard of a flute being used in a rock band?” Rosemary stammered out.

Longclaw started laughing, the old owl smiling cryptically. “I understand now, and I fully agree with your plan. I’ll be back soon, I know of something that may help us.”

It was a day later when she returned with three grey gemstones, identical but each clearly humming with power.

“I mean, they’re nice, maybe I can give one to my future husband but…” Rosemary said. “I’m a doctor, not a Gemologist.”

“These are ancient chaos artifacts said to hold the power of Music,” Longclaw said. “Magic… Magic’s one thing, but Music? Music is a lot older than that, and far more powerful. Words can inspire, change the world. Words can start a revolution.”

As each took one, the stones changed colors, glowing as they turned into an instrument.

Aleena’s became lavender in color, changing into a crystalline guitar. Vanilla’s yellow, a bedazzling keyboard. Rosemary, an orange sparkling flute.

“...you were saying something about a flute having no place in a rock band?” Vanilla teased.

“Come on, let's try these things out,” Aleena said, strumming a chord on her new guitar. “And don’t you dare try to back out now, Rosemary. Come on, we sang together all the time as kids, so let’s all do it again!”

“When the war ended, they reverted to this state. I wonder if they could still work…” she grabs them, and then made her way through another door towards the airship which had a ridiculous paint job. Lavender, yellow, and orange, meant to represent each member of their old band. The Resistance, it wasn’t a particularly original name to say the least but it's what they used all the same. 

“Wish I had the time to reminisce some more… but, no time for that now,” Vanilla said and gently set Sonia and Manic down, buckling them up. “I… I really wish it hadn’t come to this, but… it’s the Queen’s orders, and I can’t… this is all I can do now.”

Sitting down in the pilot’s chair, she went through the motions slowly turning the airship on. “I’m not Rosemary, I’m not an ace pilot but… I’m all these children have now. They’re relying on me. I cannot fail them, I will not fail them.”

As the airship rose into the sky, Vanilla gave one last, longing look towards Aleena’s castle, and the desert sands surrounding it. In her heart, she knew she probably wouldn’t see it again for a long time.

Nor would she see Aleena again, for a long time…

-----

In spite of herself, Vanilla smiled, seeing the lights on the water. The ancient city rose up out of the sea, a sea of red rooftops creating canyons around canals. The stars twinkled in the sky above, and for a moment her troubles seemed far away.

Looking back at the children though, the rabbit sighed in resignation remembering why she was here. She tapped some buttons, sending her registration.

For a moment, no response came and Vanilla’s heart skipped a beat, wondering if anything was wrong. The Soleanna/Mobius was hardly a recent one, their kingdoms had been aligned in some form or another for centuries.

Finally, the clearance came and Vanilla landed the airship as gently as she could outside the castle. Still carrying the children in her arms, the rabbit walked through the halls approaching the throne room.

Two guards, overlanders, clad in silver armor, blocked her way forming an x with their spears.

“Pardon the late hour, but I request an audience to speak to the king,” Vanilla said. “My need is urgent, and my emotions are… very distressed.

“That won't be possible,” the guard on the left said, sadly. “We sympathize with your urgency, but the king has recently passed.”

Vanilla gasped, saddened by this she remembered he was a kind man. Aleena would be heartbroken when the news reached her. If it reached her, a nasty voice in the back of her mind said. Curtsying, the rabbit said: “I'm sorry to hear that… Poor Elise, she’s 15 right? She’s young, too young to bear the loss and be the last of her line.”

She sighed.

“But… I guess in which case, I need to speak to her all the same,” Vanilla said. “Alas, I come bearing more ill news.” 

As the guards shared a worried look, a voice came from behind her. “That will not be necessary.”

Walking up was a tall pale skinned red-haired overlander “Pardon me, I’m the current royal advisor. I’m in charge while Elise grieves, so please Miss Vanilla what can I help you with?”

Behind the woman, a 14 year old Coyote, dressed in a military uniform with a saber at his hip, sheathed but ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. Vanilla relaxed, remembering the coyote’s face. Antoine D'Coolette, another tragedy of Robotnik’s war, having been forced to become the head of his house only two short years ago after the assassination of his parents.

Vanilla stared at the advisor, her prey animal instincts telling her to run. Something was off, from the moment she’d arrived in the kingdom she’d had this bad feeling and it was only magnified by the look in the overlander’s eyes. Nor could Antoine meet hers, and the feeling only grew. “I really think it's best if I spoke to Elise directly, as this is a request from Queen Aleena herself.”

The advisor looked sad, though it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Oh the Queen, yes I'm sure it can't be good news, we have heard reports of the ongoing attack. Alas, if you’re here to ask for aid I'm afraid we can't give it at the moment. We’ve had… some issues with roaming bandits lately so our soldiers are spread a bit thin.”

“No that's not why I’m here, the queen wants Sonia, her daughter to be raised and learn the ways of royalty here…” Vanilla said.

The advisor's face was unreadable before she replied: “I see…. Very well, I’ll inform Elise of the situation.”

She clapped her hands.

“Antoine, take the child.”

“Yes mademoiselle,” Antoine had always been one for older speech patterns. Walking forwards, gently taking Sonia from her, Vanilla saw the look on his face. He looked downcase, either it be this from the loss of the king or something else bothering him…

“You can leave now, we are doing you this favor but the longer you stay here the more at risk we all are. If this enemy of yours finds out you came here you will be putting the kingdom at risk,” the advisor said. “Please, be off with you and be glad we’re giving you this courtesy.”

“Yes, but I have other things to-”

The guards weren’t having it, and Vanilla found herself marched out of the castle. Antoine followed the advisor's look, suppressing the shame on his face. He saw a letter gently clutched tightly in Sonia’s hands, and saw it was only supposed to be opened eleven years from now.

Quickly pocketing it, the young noble watched the advisor whisper into another guard’s ear.

Staying out of sight, he heard this conversation.

“What should we do with the brat?”

“Let’s actually hand her off to young Elise, raising a child will be a good distraction and easier to hide things that way,” the advisor said.

-----

Elise mournfully looked out the window, imagining her father by her side before letting out another sob. She had everything a girl could want, money, power, an endless library, but none of that would ever give her what she really wanted.

“Come in…” she said, sadly, hearing the knock at her door. She didn’t need to guess who it was, as Lady Lucia had been by her side since her father’s death.

“My princess, I apologize for more ill news. I know this is the worst time to say this but-”

“Then be out with it,” the young teen said. “After all, I’ve already received the worst news possible when you told me my father passed.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Lucia said. “But it grieves me to say that Queen Aleena has died, due to a rebellion in her kingdom.”

Elise gasped, she’d known the queen well, and even met her children a few times. She quietly swore, feeling fresh salty hot tears streaking her face. She was getting so tired of crying lately…

How many more people did she have to lose before Iblis was done with her?

“There is some good news, we met a survivor, her loyal companion, Vanilla the Rabbit. I don’t know how she did it but she managed to bring young princess Sonia here. She was barely alive and crashed her ship but made sure to shield the young princess who thankfully survived. Her last words where she wanted the king to take care of the poor dear but with your father gone… I’m sure we can find someone to take care of her in his stead.” the advisors said

Elise shot up. “No, there’s no need for any of that. I’ll do it, please!”

“But you’re so young, your highness!” The advisor said.

“I DON’T CARE!” Elise said, stamping her foot as she stood her ground. “First, I lose my father, and then I lose a woman who was almost like an aunt to me along with two of her children who would be my cousins. I just can’t, as it's my responsibility to take care of Sonia now okay? I stand by my decision, so please don’t even try and argue with me on this.”

“If that is your wish,” the advisor said, as Lucia gently handed Elise the sleeping Sonia. Already, the hoglet was beginning to stir, if only barely.

Elise looked at her, and smiled weakly. “I guess that’s it. I guess I’m your mom now. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be okay…”

Sonia yawned, and snuggled into her and Elise despite everything, felt a rush of hope. As long as they survived, so did their kingdoms. Now, Soleanna and Mobius would forever be united, in them.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to make sure nobody hurts us ever again…”

-----

Now…

11 years passed, Sonia lovingly raised by her adoptive mother. Now, she stood tall, and proud. While not quite the height of an Overlander, the purple hedgehog had blossomed into a beautiful flower and the envy of a fair few maidens. Every step she took was poise, refined, an almost mirror-image of the late queen.

Silver rapier in hand, the hedgehog struck like a bolt of lightning, her blade matching her master’s own. Antoine, now in his 20s, had shed most of his awkward baby fat and had grown into a handsome young man, many saying the coyote was doing his parents proud.

The two kept trading blows, Sonia able to keep up with the more experienced Mobian day after day. 

“Ah ha,” Antoine said. “Fair mademoiselle, you’re attempting to impress me, no? Well, alas, if you’re trying to pierce my heart, then know it already belongs to one and one alone!”

“I pity them, then,” Sonia snarked, as pink sparks covered her body. “Having to put up with your ego, day in and day out!”

“You wound me, Princess!” Antonie said, their blades meeting yet again. “But only just! If only your sword was as quick as your mouth! You’d be a fierce fighter, if you focused on the art of the blade, instead of the art of snark!”

“Watch my hands, not your mouth!” Sonia said, as she gained a bit of height, her muscles growing a bit larger as well. The young princess swings her blade once more at the coyote, who angles his blade just right so that it slid downward. He thrust his blade towards her, only for Sonia to flip over him, landing behind him.

“Ah, just as quick as ever,” Antonie said, swinging around to meet her. “But not quick enough!”

Sonia gave him an impish grin, the younger Mobian striking at him yet again. Antonie quickly blocked the strike, though his arms stung from the force of the blow. They couldn’t take more of this, the brutal strength of his foe was practically unreal.

“Ah, so that’s your game, eh?” the coyote asked. “I fear though, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment! I shall not go down easily!”

“Really?” Sonia asked, innocently, her blade grinding against his rapier. “Because I’m seeing things just a bit differently.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Princess!” Antonie said, before he stared eyes wide as a fist collided with his face. He stumbled back and when he regained his senses he saw the blade leveled at his throat.

“Haha, well my dear Sonia it seems you have finally bested me in combat,” the young lord said, bowing gracefully.

Sonia sheathed her sword, panting and then returned to normal size.

“Yeah, but I had to use my powers to win. I’d, one of these days, like to beat you without them,” the Princess said, dejected and groaning in frustration.

Antonie smiled. “Don’t say anything more, mademoiselle and stop chastising yourself. After all, my dear you’re still only 14. Already you're more capable than most knights twice your age. Your mother is going to be proud when we tell her what you have earned today.”

Sonia looked confused. “Pardon me, but what do you mean by earned?”

Antonia reaches into his pocket and pulls out a golden sun emblem with a sword on it, sticking it to his student’s vest. “This, milady? This insignia marks you as a fully trained swordswoman. You are one of us, now. The Knights of Soleanna are now your equals. If you ever need aid, we shall be at your side as fellow defenders of the realm.”

Sonia, hands shaking, gently squeezed the insignia. For years, she’d been training to earn the respect of her fellow knights, wanting to prove she was more than just a princess from another realm. And now, here it was, the object of her desires in front of her very eyes. This insignia marked all of those years of training, at an end. She was one of them now. “Are… are you sure?”

“As sure as I am about anything,” Antonie said. “I’ve never been wrong before, and I don’t intend on suddenly ruining my track record now.”

“I can’t wait to show Mom,” Sonia said, starting to dash off but skidded to a halt as her eyes looked up at the sky. “...and… Well, I hope Mama’s seeing this too, wherever she is.”

Antoine nodded, and Sonia missed how he didn’t quite meet her eyes as he patted his student on the shoulder.

“Mama, I don't know if you're up there… I don’t even know if you can hear me. But… I’m trying to make you proud, like… That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I know, I know, it’s silly because I’ve never met you. But… I want to be like you, I’ve heard all of the stories of your legendary skill with the sword. I’ve always wanted to honor you… I’m trying my best, Mama…”

The coyote, who’d trained her as soon as she could hold a sword, gave a sad little smile.

“I'm sure she knows, though she also probably had quite the fright when she saw you deciding to take up the blade. Even angels can have heart attacks, I’m sure!”

Sonia snorted. “...well, I stink and I need a bath. My outfit stinks, time to buy a new one… or several. Solaris knows I don’t have anything that goes with this insignia!”

“Already, one can hear the kingdom’s coffers crying!”

-----

Later that night, and several stores later, Sonia was talking to Queen Elise, or to her, her mom. “Then I punched him right in the face, almost broke his nose! Surprised I didn’t chip a nail. That's why I love a good bastard sword, you can use it two-handed or only just one!”

Elise nodded, still not entirely certain that her adoptive daughter wasn’t making that name up just so she could have an excuse to curse during family time.

“I’m happy for you, I know you’ve been working hard for this,” Elise said, gently playing the piano. “It’s been… admittedly I was at first, shall we say hesitant for you to join the royal guard but then you talked me into it.”

“I am who I am, and besides what use is there looking pretty if I stand around like a porcelain doll when trouble comes? I don’t want to be just a pretty face, mom…” Sonia replied, following her mother’s fingers on the keyboard, one eye on the music sheets and the other on her finger placement.

“And I couldn’t be more proud,” Elise said, now in her early twenties. Her once long brown hair had been cropped short, deemed too much work otherwise. “You really didn’t have to join the guard to make me proud though. I’m already that, and I always will be.”

“Thanks mom…” Sonia said, resting her head on her mother’s arm.

Elise wasn’t sure how to respond to that at times, because whenever Sonia called her that she felt a swell of such joy followed by the inescapable guilt. Sometimes she couldn’t get away from the fact that she was, basically, a replacement. She wasn’t Aleena, she was just… filling in and it hurt to know that.

Sonia sighed. “After getting… I… I looked up at the sky. It’s just and I know it’s silly, but sometimes I wonder… Is Mama watching me, or is it just wishful thinking? I actually feel closer to her when I practice… I mean, it's all I’ve got. I barely remember her,” she said, wiping away tears. “Sometimes I can vaguely hear a song, something she sang to me. And my brothers… Solaris, I don’t even have that for them.”

Elise pulled her daughter in for a side hug, holding her close as she ran a hand through Sonia’s pink mohawk. After a few minutes of quiet, they ended the embrace. 

“Well then, shouldn’t we be heading to bed? We have to get up early tomorrow to hold court,” Elise said, standing up.

Sonia groaned. “Thanks for reminding me, mom. It’s so BORING. I’ll probably fall asleep mid-court, I don’t care if it’s not ‘proper’ or anything like that. Nothing ever happens here. I swear to Gaia, if I have to hear one more person complain about cloudy days blocking out the sun when they are trying to sunbathe I’ll scream.”

Elise chuckled, ruffling her hair. “Now now, it's all part of our royal duties. And I’ve let you slack off on attending court enough lately.”

“Yeah yeah, I know” Sonia said, restyling her hair back the way she liked it. “And the kingdom having no real problems is a good thing. Heard it all before. Night mom!”

-----

“So the young princess joins us today,” Lucia said, disgusted as Sonia took her spot next to her mother. “I see you’re not trying to kill yourself while playing with the knights today or spending money on pointless frivolities.”

Sonia suppressed a groan and stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Lucia had never liked her, and the feeling was mutual but for whatever reason her mom trusted her so she held her tongue and fought back an acerbic remark.

“Of course I’m here, it's my duty as the princess after all,” she said, sweetly. If her mother wanted Lucia around, then there was nothing she could do about it.

Antoine sent her a sympathetic look, the coyote as ever at the Queen’s side. Part of Sonia honestly considered him the father she’d never known, even if he was a completely different species compared to both her and her mom.

And so it began, the day already looking out to be the same as ever even as a portly woman walked in. “Your Majesties, I want to talk to you about a very important issue today. We need more coffee shops as the youth today don't get out and socialize enough. With more shops, they will have more places to socialize  in, it's for the good of the kingdom's future.”

Elise smiled “I thank you for bringing this situation to my attention. We will investigate and if the problem has merit will resolve it swiftly.”

Sonia put on a fake smile and nodded in turn. “Coffee shops? Seriously? …I wonder if anyone will even notice if I slip out… Clearly, I’m needed here. Clearly.”

And so it went every second feeling like an hour.

“And that’s why I think we should paint the walls eggshell white rather than off white what do you…” some guy said, Sonia having honestly tuned out most of what he was saying and fighting to even stay awake.

“I, ah, yes I think you should resolve this one,” the queen said, Sonia telling even her mother only half-paying attention.

“Mhmmm?” Sonia said, doing her nails when suddenly from outside there was a commotion. She could hear shouting, from behind the big oak doors. Antoine moved to aid the guards, the young lord standing at attention.

“Hey, stop her!” someone shouted from the next room. “Don’t let her get anywhere near her Majesties!”

The noises get louder when suddenly the doors burst open. A squirrel, or maybe she was a chipmunk burst in, wearing a denim jacket and bike shorts, unable to take no for an answer. Her eyes locked onto Elise’s own, and she marched forwards, a woman possessed and clearly on a mission.

“Now, whatever this is, I’m sure we can-” Antonie said, only for the chipmunk to flip him onto his back. The other nobles gasped and Sonia covered her mouth in shock.

“Oh my,” her mother said. “Antoine!”

“Announcing, er… Announcing Sally of the Acorn Village!” the coyote said, recovering his wits a few seconds later.

“I can announce myself, thank you!” Sally said. The chipmunk’s boots left muddy imprints on the carpet, her eyes burning with a determined fire. “Your majesties, I demand to talk to you. This can’t go on!”

Guards moved to intercept her, not that the chipmunk/squirrel seemed to notice. As Antoine picked himself up off the floor, the coyote watched her every movement, ready to act if the angry young woman proved an actual threat.

Guards piled atop her, only for the newcomer to throw them off and squirm out of their grip. 

“Get off me, you fascist stooges!” she snapped before looking back at the queen and the princess. “My village is dying thanks to the poison being pumped from Starline’s factories. Our crops, our water supply, they’re destroying everything!”

Even as the guards tried to pull her away, Sonia stood up alert and to herself, said: “Starline… why does that name sound familiar…?”

“Monsieur Starline? Oh boy. Je ne me suis pas engagé pour traiter avec lui aujourd’hui.”

“Let her go!” Elise shouted. “Are we nobility, or are we simple barbarians ruled by our base instincts? Miss Sally is a guest in our house, so we shall treat her as such! It’s clear she has something to say, so let her speak!”

Lucia, stone-faced, nodded to the guards. You heard her majesty, let her go. She’s allowed five minutes with their Majesties.”

Sally, brushing off her jacket, cleared her throat and stood her ground despite all eyes on her. And Sonia, to her shock, noted not all of them were friendly eyes despite the woman being one of their subjects. “My name is Sally Acorn, I’m the mayor of a small farming village… Not that it matters much anymore, because ever since the factories were built our crops are dying. The water’s turned purple for Gaia’s sake, it’s not even drinkable and nobody… none of you seem to notice. Or care!”

Her gaze was venomous, as Sally’s eyes wandered around the room, glaring at anyone she met with her eyes. If looks could kill, half of the nobility would already be six feet under by now.

“What factories are you talking about, I don’t understand,” Elise said, quite confused. Though Sonia knew inside her head, her mother was already running through several scenarios, working out how to resolve such an immediate crisis.

“...well, I asked for something to happen, for someone to have a real problem…” the Princess thought.

“How can you not know, you’re the Queen for Solaris’ sake and you… I thought you authorized them being built on our land!” Sally hissed out, tears in her eyes. “Don’t play dumb with me!”

A guard grabbed her by the arm.

“Hey, hands off!” Sally said, trying to pull herself out of his grip. “You’re not my boyfriend, so keep those hands where I can see them!”

“Feisty, n'est-ce pas?” Antonie said. “I have to admit…  Il faut respecter une femme comme ça. Yes?”

The guard reached into the woman’s jacket, pulling out a dagger. Sonia’s eyes went wide, and Elise gasped. The guard displayed the dagger to the crowd, it was clearly expensive and far beyond what the mayor of a farming town could reasonably afford. Not that anyone seemed to care about that particular factoid, Sonia noted as the mood changed and the whole room turned against Sally.

“She had this, she was clearly here to assassinate them!” the guard announced. “She was here to kill the Queen and the Princess! Seize her!”

Sonia had noticed something else as well. Just before the guard reached into Sally’s jacket, he’d discreetly moved his hand behind his back.

“Mon dieu!” Antonie said, moving in front of Elise to protect them. “Quelle audace de votre part!”

“Wh-What that's not mine, I’ve never seen it bef-” Sally tried to argue, but she was cut off as the guard punched her in the gut.

“Silence, assassin!” Lucia said, as she stepped forwards. “Throw her into the dungeon! At once!”

“Hold on, I want to hear more. I must protest!” Elise said.

“I'm sorry votre altesse but I must insist that for your own safety, we must adjourn court for the time being,” Antoine said. “Just until things cool down, and we understand what’s going on, non?”

Sonia wanted to protest but her mom put a hand on her shoulder, and shook her head no.

-----

The two were swiftly hurried to the Queen’s bedroom for their own protection.

“Mom… That Guard… he planted that dagger, I’m sure of it!”

Elise nodded. “I’m inclined to think the same thing, the question is why? And how come I’m only now just hearing of Sally’s plight? This shouldn’t have happened, if what she says is true and I have no reason to believe it isn’t… It should never have gotten that far!”

“And I know I’ve heard that name before, Starline’s I mean…” Sonia frowned.

“Yes, you have. He was Robotnik’s old apprentice, but I was sure he’s dead now.”

“Evidently, he’s not,” Sonia said. “Ever think we’re being lied to?”

“We have to get that Sally girl out of the dungeon,” Elise said. “She’s the only way we’ll have any answers at all to any of our questions. But we can’t act, not yet. If we do, we risk tipping our hand too soon. Someone is acting against us, possibly within our own guards.”

“But the only one who might be able to do that is… no, I can’t think like that. I need more proof, before I ever suspect him!” Elise thought to herself. “It can’t be him, it just can’t!”

“For now,” Elise said. “We act as if everything is normal, we play our enemy’s game. Then… when their guard is down, we act but then and only then.”

Sonia wanted to argue but knew she couldn't. What was that old saying?

Oh yeah, be careful what you wished for because otherwise you just might get it...

Chapter Text

About a week passed, and Elise and Sonia played their parts. The dutiful Queen, subservient to the people and the princess playing a noble knight.

But no longer. Their guards had gotten suspiciously stricter, never letting them out of their sight. It was only after they’d ‘fallen asleep’ had they been given any chance to make their moves.

Antonie had been avoiding both of them, it was clear this incident had sparked something. As for why? Well, only Sally would be able to tell them.

“Sneaking around like a ninja, in my own castle at that,” Sonia said. “This isn’t rad at all, like this so isn’t okay.”

Down the stairs, was the dungeon. Problem was, in front of those stairs were two guards, unmoving at their post.

“...so, any ideas?” Sonia asked, peering out from behind a pillar. “...suppose the old ‘look over there’ move is too cliche. Like nobody’s dumb enough to fall for that anymore.”

“I never thought I’d have to sneak past my own guards,” Elise frowned. “I’ve always had plenty of personal freedom, though recent events have made me question how much truth there is to that statement.”

Elise swallowed, looking at a stained glass window depicting her figure, the moon light giving it an almost holy glow. She’d been called a graceful angel, heaven’s daughter, Solaris in mortal form. And all of that meant nothing if people refused to tell her what she needed to hear to care for her people.

“How… Just how long have I been lied to? Something’s rotten, and I feel my reign’s been built on lies,” she whispered, tears pricking at the corner of her vision. “And a house, let alone an entire kingdom built on them cannot stand as it’ll eventually crumble.”

Sonia nodded “I may have an idea but… I’m not sure you’re gonna be a fan. You’ve always detested violence and I don’t think those two are going to be in the mood to just sit down and talk to us, explain what they’re doing.”

“Yes, I’ve always felt violence should never be an option, that using it makes one little better than a wild animal,” Elise sighed. “But, I suppose… needs must.”

“Right, I need to reveal yourself to them, as a distraction,” Sonia said. “I’m going to probably break a nail, and utterly ruin this dress but oh well. Sacrifices, sacrifices. I’ll sneak around behind them, and knock them out.”

“A simple plan, and simple means not as many moving parts, less failure points,” Elise said. “I like it, though I’ll still do this under protest. Apologies, you two, in advance.”

Elise sucked in a breath, nodded and then walked out of her hiding place. Marching up to the two knights, with a stern look on her face, she ordered: “Guards, I demand you let me see the prisoner at once!”

The two guards looked at each other, in surprise. “Your grace, wh-what are you doing here?”

“We must insist you return to your room,” the second said. “We can’t let you anywhere near the prisoner, lest you put yourself in needless danger. She wants you dead, and we can’t allow that.”

Sonia while they are talking rushed forward, she didn’t have super-speed but she was far from a slow poke either. Her body swelled up again and she jumped up and over the guards and clanged both their heads together. Panting, she grabbed the guards by their armor and dragged them downstairs. “Hurry mom! Before they wake up!”

Elise nodded, grabbing her dress, hoisting it upwards before following her daughter down the stairs. Hedgehog and human descended into the castle depths, lit by torchlight. Water dripped down through cracks in the ceiling, and one of the canals rushed overhead, a distant thunder this far below the ground.

As they reached the bottom, another guard spotted them.

“Hey, what's going on here?” the guard -a female wolf- asked before Sonia tossed one of the other guards bodily into her, knocking her out.

They approached the cell, with Elise bowing in apology. In the corner of the cell, the chipmunk/squirrel hybrid was hanging by her arms. Sonia scowled. Elise flushed, looking decidedly embarrassed.

“Miss Sally, I apologize for the accommodations you've been receiving since your arrival. Everything is unfortunately rather complicated.”

“One word for it,” Sally scowled. “Complicated, that’s really the word you’re using?”

“Yes, quite. My own guards barely listen to me, if at all, and their captain is avoiding me,” Elise said. “It seems there’s someone else giving them orders, instead of their queen. I fear I’ve been reduced to a simple figurehead, before I was even born.”

Sally at first was glaring at the two, hanging from the wall in the cell. Her expression turned to disbelief.

“So then why’d you come all the way down here? It sounds like you have bigger concerns than an assassin like me,” Sally drawled, her voice as dry as the desert sand.

Elise trembled before finding her voice. “I know you’re no assassin, but I’m afraid I don’t know very much either. I wasn’t aware Starline was alive, much less his factories were still in operation. It seems a few crucial things have been left out of my personal textbooks. The reality and the blissful lie I’ve been told are two very different things.”

Sonia gently comforts her mom with soothing strokes of her arm, but left the diplomacy to her

Sally stared in stunned silence before finally finding her voice. “Do… okay, wow, holy crap… you’re not lying. You don’t really know anything at all, do you?”

“Please just tell us everything,” Elise insisted.

Sally laughed bitterly, and sighed. “I don’t believe it, and yet… It looks like all the rumors that call you a puppet are true. Alright, suppose there’s no way to be delicate about it. Starline’s alive, for the past 11 years he’s been conquering the world and your kingdom’s been allied with him.”

Elise couldn’t say a word, how could she when faced with such a horrible truth. Sonia clung to her, her knees shaking. Starline had only been alive in her darkest nightmares, she’d thought his reign of terror had been over for a decade. Except… apparently not. A specter from the past hadn’t been laid to rest at all. And for a decade, he’d been terrorizing Mobius.

Of course it was him who took over her mother’s kingdom, of course it was him who’d probably killed the Queen and her brothers. Fear was replaced by a boiling hot rage. This… this madman dared to sit on her mother’s throne after all he’d done?

He dared to ally himself with Soleanna? Did actions, in their and Mobius’ name? Horrifyingly, more things started to make sense. They’d never been allowed outside their kingdom, Lucia telling them that they were always needed in the capital. For over ten years, the outside world wasted away. People starved while they sat in halls made of gold.

What did they even look like to other nations? Well, Sonia supposed she had her answer, just looking at Sally. Soleanna had a long history of helping the common man. And now, their entire legacy was in ashes as their own nobility took command of their forces. They were superseding the queen. No… they had superseded the queen, launching a coup from the inside! While they wined and dined, people died.

Suddenly, Sonia didn’t feel much like a princess at all.

“Okay, so I’ve got your attention,” Sally said. “You’ve been funding his entire empire, raising our taxes to pay for it and robbing us of our bread. Recently, he’s started building factories here in Soleanna. Killing the land and poisoning the water, it’s hell. I came here in desperation to try and convince you to get the factories shut down and now I find out the two of you are only puppets!”

Sally sounded like she was choking back tears, her voice raw and her eyes red.

“All this time, you’ve lived in blissful ignorance,” Sally said, tears were now streaking her face. “I’ve hated you for years, but I swallowed my pride to come and beg you for help. I'd have done anything for my village, even become a concubine if I had to but… The irony is, I needn’t have bothered. You’re as powerless as I am!”

Elise was in shock. Sonia wanted to deny it. “N-No it can't be true. Can it? I’d have heard something, one of my friends would have…”

Flashing back, all became a little more clear…

Sonia, stepping out of a changing booth, wore a stunning suit, laden with jewels for buttons. Twirling, she struck a pose. “What do you think? Do I look suitably beautiful in this?”

“And they have the nerve to complain about the war?” one of her friends asked, clearly elsewhere.

“Shhhhh,” one of the other girls shushed her.

“Oh yes, you look great Sonia. You’ll sweep all of the princes off their feet!”

“I hadn’t been really paying attention, but…”

“Ugh, I can’t believe that maid ruined my good suit, I’m gonna give her a stern talking to for this,” Sonia said, as her fellow socialites enjoyed another royal ball. It seemed there was one every odd month or so. “I’m not going to have her fired, but she can’t be that careless again!”

Yes, high society truly was living life in the fast lane. No worries, just fun, drinking and fashion.

Nearby two of her fellow nobles were talking. Did you hear what’s going on in Station Square? The people there are protesting about poor worker conditions, the good doctor should just show a measure of force to make an example of them. How can anyone get any work done at all if they’re standing around doing nothing!”

“A measure of force...” Sonia said, preparing to ask what that is about when suddenly her friends came up and dragged her off

“Come on dance with us,” one said. “Just because you’re moody over getting to wear a fancy dress, leaves you no excuse to ignore us!”

Sonia, shakingly, walked forward grabbing the bars of the cell. “Is that really true?” she asked. Suddenly, all of the fancy vestments she was wearing… she didn’t feel like she deserved any of them at all.”

Elise gently puts a hand on her daughter before taking a breath. “I should be asking you for evidence but my own failures have all been thrown in my face. Everything, alas, is all too clear. I’ve never left the city since taking the throne and when Sonia came into my life I was so focused on her.”

She smiled at her daughter, nothing but love in her eyes. 

“A choice I’ve never regretted, she’s always come first but it seems I should have been looking a lot closer at all of my subjects, not just her.”

Sonia then buffs up and rips the cell door open, then ripped Sally out of her chains and shackles. 

“It seems we’ve been equally blind to one another,” Sally mused, rubbing her bare arms. “If we make it out of this, I owe you an apology as well. Princess, Your Grace, I suppose you’re worthy of your titles and my respect after all.”

“No… not yet,” Sonia shook her head. “Not until we fix this.”

She could see more than a measure of respect in Sally’s eyes, the Mobian quickly re-evaluating her opinion of them.

“Mon Dieu, what’s been going on here?” Antoine asked, arriving with more guards. His eyes widened. “Princess, get away from her. She’s dangerous, she’ll make another attempt on your life now that your guard’s down! Don’t worry, I’ll save you and deal with this troublesome miscreant!”

“Go on, get out of here,” Elise said, ushering Sally off. “I have some things to attend to.”

Sonia glared. “Did you know? Did you know? Don’t you dare give me anything trite, or play dumb. I’m not 3 years old anymore. Just tell me the truth.”

Antonie looked down in shame. “Y-Yes, quite. I knew everything, Princess. Everything. I’m afraid I’m just as complicant as the rest of your personal guard.”

Sonia felt her world shatter, and then in anger ripped off her emblem and threw it at him. “Take it, it’s yours. It’s as worth as much to me as yesterday’s garbage. I don’t want this trash anymore.”

The emblem, of course bounced off him harmlessly but Antonie looked like he had just been shot.

“I’m sorry… I…”

“Oh save it,” Sonia said, slapping him across the face. She put more than a bit of super strength into it, making the coyote crumple to the floor.

“Oh don't blame him too much,” Lucia said, as she arrived unable to keep a vicious grin off her face. “He was only acting on my orders after all.”

Elise only looked at her in sad resigned realization “I knew it. Disgraceful. You bring shame onto your house.”

“And you, Antoine,” she said, turning to the coyote who could only moan in pain. “What do you get out of this? She’s not really pretty, not enough to justify cheating on your wife. So, what then?”

“What he got was in the guards in the first place,” Lucia elucidated. She helped Antonie up, running her hands all over the coyote in a way that made Sonia want to be sick. Her lips were whispering breathy words across the man’s neck, one hand squeezing his waist. “After the war, well he needed a shoulder to lean on. Poor kid, having to take up his father’s position, at so young an age. I offered to help get him a good position in the guards if he would do me a favor. All he had to do was use his new position for… royal benefits. I got him to arrest someone who was to be cleared a day later. Nobody would have been hurt, I promised him that and I kept my word.”

“But well that person was the head chef so while he was unable to make your father a meal that day another chef…” Lucia paused. “...Hmm, how do I put this? Another chef, ahem, took care of it.”

Elise steps back in horror knowing where this is going. “You vile woman. I was told it was a heart attack, except… You traitorous worm. You wolf in sheep’s clothing!”

“Yes, that was what I told you after the fact, wasn't it?” Lucia grinned.

Antonie looks down, his eyes stormy. “After that, I kept him around. Figured he could be useful, and his guilt made him do… well just about anything as if the truth got out… well, it would destroy the only thing he has left of his family, their name.”

“MONSTER!” Elise shouted running forward but the guards grabbed her. “UNHAND ME, THAT IS AN ORDER!”

“Oh please these guards are loyal to me not you,” Lucia drawled. “And the people, well none of them view you as anything but a puppet so they won't mind too much when I take control while you're resting in bed. Being a ruler is exhausting after all, nobody would blame you if you stepped back after nearly being assassinated to spend time with your darling daughter.”

Sonia buffed up and charged forward, smacking the guards, bulldozing through them. Antonie stood there, lifelessly, as chaos erupted around him. Eventually though, fire returned to his eyes, and he shouted: “ENOUGH, I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!”

In one quick movement, he struck down one of the guards with his sabre. He leveled it at the traitors, daring them to attack their captain.

“I take no joy in any of this, but you’ve all betrayed your oath to the queen,” Antoine said before sighing. “...as have I…”

Lucia sighed. “A pity but you stayed a good lap dog far far longer than I actually expected of you.”

Antonie rushes towards a wall near where the prison guard was stationed, pulling a torch down and a wall slid upwards.

“I had no idea this was even here…..” Elise said, stunned.

“This castle’s still got plenty of secrets,” Antonie said, gesturing inside the passage. “One of these days, I always meant to take you two on a tour, and reveal a few more of them. But… alas… The two of you need to run, now!”

Sonia wiped away her tears. “I can’t forgive you, but… thank you.”

She bowed, and Antonie suddenly pulled a faded envelope out of his jacket before handing it to her with one hand. The other held back a guard’s sword.

“I always meant to give this to you, on this day. Your mother… your brothers… they’re still alive. They’re looking for you, they need your help. If there’s any hope of bringing true peace back, it’s with them, and with you. That’s my last order to you, RUN!”

The last Sonia saw of him was several more guards advancing on him. Ever the knight, Antonie stood his ground.

“Come,” he beckoned them closer. “I may have failed as a father, but I won’t fail as a soldier of the crown!”

-----

The passage was a maze, but eventually both the Princess and Queen made their way up, and out of the basement and into a courtyard.

“You should have ran while you still had the chance,” Elise said, seeing Sally.

“And leave you two behind to fend for yourselves?” Sally asked, shaking her head. “No way. That being said, you need to get out of here, I can’t guarantee how much time you’ve got left.”

“No, Sonia has to,” Elise said, with a shake of her head. “I can’t leave. Not yet.”

“Mom! What are you saying?”

“Some of the guards, they’re still loyal to Antoine. Not everyone is loyal to Lucia, but if I abandon the kingdom now that will break that loyalty. But if I stay… I inspire them. I have to, for both of our sakes.”

“Your majesty…” Sally said, in shock.

“Mom, if you're staying, so am I!” Sonia insisted.

“No, you heard what I said. This isn’t an order as your queen, this is a request from your mother,” Elise said. “I can’t be in two places at once, by your side. My place, at least for now, is here.”

“I don't care about that! You’re my mother, you’re more important than anyone else in the world to me!” 

Elise grips her hands in a fist, tears in her eyes. “And you’re my daughter and that's why I want you out of here. I need to know that you’re safe. Find Aleena, find your brothers and come back when you can. I’m not some damsel, I’ll be fighting to reclaim my kingdom in my own way!”

“But, I… mom…”

Sally grabbed Sonia, pulling her away. “Listen, your mother is doing this for you and for all her subjects so stop being selfish and COME ON!”

As the sun rose, Sally led the now near catatonic hedgehog out of the kingdom and into the wilds. Lucia had her prize anyways, they didn’t matter.

It was about a day later, around a fire, that Sonia finally spoke. 

“...you’re right, you know. I… I had to run, it’s just…”

“I know, it’s hard and there’s going to be even harder days ahead. You’re not going to be safe, not anywhere, not now,” Sally said, before smiling wearily. “But you'll be safer with your brothers. Happy Liberation Day… by the way.”

“Liberation Day?”

“It's what Starline calls the day his conquest began.”

After eating in silence Sonia, too drained to even care about the rather bland meal, remembered the letter. Shakingly, she opened it.

Being taught to look at documents carefully she noticed the tear stainings on it and knew this would not be an easy read at all.

“My dearest Sonia, I doubt the King would ever be able to tell you much, alas I didn’t have time to give him proper instructions. But I have faith he could figure out what’s happened. By the time you actually get a chance to read this you will be a young woman. Knowing you’re my child, you probably didn’t have any of the patience for any form of royal training whatsoever.”

Snort snorted weakly at that, before sighing. Her poor mother didn’t even know the King was already dead.

“I’ve wanted to be there for you, but circumstances sadly forced my hand. You’ve probably already forgotten me, beyond stories told to you by the King so allow me to properly reintroduce myself. I can’t do this in person, at least not yet, so this’ll have to suffice. My name is Aleena, the once and future Queen of Mobius and more importantly your birth mother.” 

Sonia paused and took a deep breath, tears starting to well up in her eyes. She steadied herself, sending a reassuring look to Sally and kept reading.

“I was… forced to take drastic measures when Starline invaded… Stole my throne. I didn’t know it was him at the time, but it was obvious enough when I saw the badniks. He was always better at designing robots, compared to his mentor. I’d hoped to fight them back but in my heart, I knew I’d be fighting a losing battle. I had you to think of, there wouldn’t be any point in reclaiming my throne if you weren’t there by my side, my young princess. So with a heavy heart, I made the worst decision of my life. I followed through with a prophecy. It said that if I separated my children-” 

Sally was curious but said nothing. 

“I tried to resist, like any mother should have. I didn’t want to give in, it wouldn’t have even been the first time I’d defied fate. But this time it came too quickly, I couldn’t do anything. Anything at all… They were unstoppable, relentless, they arrived in the capital overnight, before we even knew they were there.”

There it was, that echo of a memory. She’d had them every now and then. Explosions, and the sound of a woman’s heartbroken tears. She’d tried to force it before, but now it felt like the dam had broken completely.

“I sent you and your brothers to be trained in specific ways, you in the art of royal duties along with the sword. Favoritism? Perhaps. I wish I could say more, about how much I love you and your siblings but I can’t. Not right now. Not… I just can’t. I’m running out of time as it is. I wish I could say more, about how much I love you and your siblings but I can’t. Not right now. Not… I just can’t. I’m running out of time as it is. I'm sure you're already stronger than I was at your age…”

Sonia smiled weakly. “...you’re right mama, I hope I’ll get to show you just how strong I am soon.”

"I wish, Gaia I wished I could help you learn to control that incredible strength of yours. The feeling that courses from your very core and when you need it pushing yourself even further beyond. Never to hurt, but to help protect others.”

The tears were now flowing down her face in the present and she could hear an old song in the back of her mind.

Sonia remembered breaking things when she was younger applying too much force and the first time she pushed her strength to see how much she had and her body swelling up ripping a cute rather poorly made squire outfit. Her mother had made it for her, Sonia crying as soon as she accidentally ripped it even though tender words reassured her everything would be alright.

“You don't have my speed or my stealth but you are the heir to my strength and that is more than enough to break through any obstacles that get in your way. It’s more than enough to protect your brothers when you find them. The three of you, you’re being hunted and you need to stick together.”

“You don't know how right you are about me being hunted Mama,” she sighed. “I’m being hunted down by my own kingdom…”

“Starline wants to wipe out any chance of him being overthrown, wipe out what remains of the kingdom. Of us. There’s an old resistance base of mine, you’ve got to go there. All of you. Your siblings, if they’ve found their letters, they’ll be heading there now as well… reunite. Stop Starline. I’ll know when it’s safe, nobody’s going to stop me from reuniting with my precious babies. Not even him.”

Sonia took a few more breaths, unable to stop the tears falling down her face. Sally rubbed her shoulders, the mayor whispering soft comforting words to her.

Sonia remembered the song, and the faces of her brothers. She remembered her mother holding them close, one dark and lonely night.

“If you leap awake

In the mirror of a bad dream

And for a fraction of a second

You can't remember where you are

Just open your window

And follow your memory upstream…”

“I completely understand if you don’t think of me as your mom, frankly I’m not sure I deserve the title. The King, he’s got a daughter of his own. I hope she’s like your older sister, I’m sure the two of you are close…”

Sonia smiled weakly, her mother didn’t know how right she honestly was!

“Don’t worry, Sonia, the three of you? You can take on the world. Stay strong, and don’t lose hope. Hope’s like a drill that can pierce the heavens. Love… Queen Aleena.”

Sonia blinked back more tears, and smiled. She'd try, at the very least she'd do that. Her mother wanted her to be strong? She'd just get stronger...

Chapter Text

Then…

Vanilla’s airship was over Angel Island, the Master Emerald’s shrine directly below her. The island, floating through the clouds, had always drifted on its own course through the skies. Only someone who knew what to look for would ever be able to find it, the last bastion of an ancient age. Vanilla sucked in a breath, she hadn’t been looking forward to this at all. 

“Locke’s never been… friendly, to say the least. He’s always been… distrustful of outsiders, though after Tikal’s death it’s morphed into full on hatred,” she said, looking towards the still sleeping Manic. The little hoglet, a bundle of energy, fast asleep was a sight she still wasn’t entirely used to. At least… not like this. “But… all the same, I’m sure he’ll be able to look the other way or at the very least honor the old vows of his tribe, bud. Aleena is still Tikal’s sworn soul sister so that makes her and you members of the same tribe…”

As the ship landed, Vanilla put on a serene face, attempting her best shot at looking calm and composed. If she showed fear, they’d seize the opportunity. She stepped out and already multiple echidnas were approaching. Locke was with them, a burning hatred in his eyes.

For a moment, Vanilla wondered if she was really doing the right thing.

“Hello Locke,” she said, politely with a curtsy as every Proper Lady should know. “Apologies for dropping in.”

“What are you doing here?” Locke spat at her, and Vanilla to her credit barely even flinched. “I thought I made it perfectly clear that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of you. My wife is dead, all because she trusted your queen!”

“Yes, I’m well aware. We know that and she has honored your request, despite how much she wished to visit Tikal’s grave,” Vanilla said. “I just thought I should let you know that-”

Locke wore a truly ugly expression, something undoubtedly foul forming on his lips as he gave a nearly feral snarl. Before Locke had the chance for a nasty retort, a young echidna stepped out from behind him. Vanilla smiled, Knuckles truly the spitting image of his father. She hoped he didn’t inherit any of his… less pleasant traits.

“Father, Queen Aleena, is my aunt correct?” the pre-teen asked. “I’ve heard the stories, about how kind and graceful she is. Surely she isn’t all-”

“Be silent, boy,” Locke snapped at him. “That’s just her public face, the real her is a lying wretch who never keeps any of her promises. Trusting her is only setting yourself up to be stabbed in the back.”

Vanilla sighed, she supposed she really shouldn’t have been so surprised. Even if it’d been three years since the war ended, Locke could always be counted on to stay as stubborn as ever. Absolutely lovely, she thought sarcastically, biting back a snarky remark. With a sigh, she settled for explaining the current situation.

“Mobius has been attacked, the Queens’ children are to be raised separately to prepare for the future that our Oracle’s seen. Aleena had hoped you would take care of young Manic,” Vanilla started, though a part of her knew she was essentially talking to a brick wall here. “It was her last hope that you would honor the old tribal vows.”

“YOU THINK I WOULD EVER LET THAT WENCH’S SPAWN LIVE ON MY ISLAND?” Locke snapped, Vanilla taking a step back as his royal guard pointed their spears at her. “I SHOULD HAVE HIM THROWN OVER THE EDGE ALONG WITH YOU!”

Vanilla held onto Manic protectively, knowing she didn’t really have a chance to take even one of the guards on. Her best hope was to let Locke calm down, and hopefully then he’d see reason.

“Father, how could you even say that? The laws of our tribe say that-” Knuckles said before Locke glared venomously at him.

“Listen here boy, you’ll do well to stay quiet. You’re not a part of this conversation. The adults are talking, this doesn’t concern you,” Locke hissed out, turning back to Vanilla. A few of the other members of his tribe were clearly uncomfortable with the matter but were also too scared to say a word. “As for you rabbit, get off my island, and take that little rat with you! Leave, now, before I’m forced to ‘escort’ you off. I won’t give you another chance, you’ve got only a minute before-”

“Yes, I can see when I’m not wanted,” Vanilla said sternly, her expression softening at Knuckles. “I apologize for taking up your time, you clearly already have one child you’re struggling to parent as a single father. I suppose what’s best for young Manic isn’t having him live here.”

As Vanilla walked back up into the airship, she sighed. Well, that had been a complete wash. Now what, she asked herself.

“What now…? Who could I… the Wisps maybe…. No, perish the thought. I’m not having Manic grow up on another planet entirely, nor are they even equipped to raise a Mobian child,” Vanilla said before frowning. No, she wouldn't pawn her child off on anyone else. Well, if you wanted something done right…“Yes, it’s what my love would want me to do anyways. You know what’s best for the little one, and you’ll need the help around the house soon.”

The sleeping Manic yawned in his sleep and Vanilla smiled as she patted her growing belly.

“Mhmmm, that’s what I’ll do. You, me, and the little one,” she thought, buckling herself back in. “It’s been a while since I’ve lived in Pinewood Burrows, but I think a quiet life in my hometown is exactly the best environment for two growing children…”

-----

Now…

“Don’t worry mum,” Manic said, hanging upside down, about a hundred floors up. Down below, the streets of Station Square beckoned, cars honking below. “I’ll be home in time for dinner.”

“Where are you, Manic?”

“Oh, you know,” Manic said, drawing a hole in a window with his claws. “Just, ah, hanging out.”

The sun was setting behind him, bathing the concrete canyons in an orange glow. As he scraped the glass, a round section of the window fell inwards with the green hedgehog detaching himself from his harness and sliding inside the darkened room.

“I see,” Vanilla said, curtly over the phone. “I suppose this means I’ll be worrying I’ll be seeing you on the evening news again?”

“Well, no, because mum, the point of being a phantom thief is well, the phantom part,” Manic said. “I haven’t been caught yet and frankly it’ll be an embarrassment to my profession if I get caught now. Thievery is an art, and I’m Monet!”

“I know, it’s just not even my boy can pull off an orange jumpsuit,” Vanilla said with a sigh.

“Oh, I dunno,” Manic replied. “The ladies love a bad boy, they’re always into the troubled but cute guys.”

“Uh-huh,” Vanilla said, dryly. “And if that’s really what they’re into, how come you haven’t brought home a girlfriend yet?”

“Because I’m so good that nobody’s yet to steal my heart?” Manic joked, blowing a gentle bag of dust into the air and for a moment red lasers became visible. Committing the beams and their emitters to memory, the green hedgehog smoothed his spines back down his head. 

“Oh please, this layout's amateur. Come on man, I could sleepwalk through these,” the teen muttered. “Like I’m almost insulted, give me a real challenge.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you could have stuck to forging art,” his mother sighed.

“Nah, never had the patience to learn to paint,” Manic said. “Excuse me for a second, mum. Need something to dance to. Gonna have to put you on hold for a mo’.”

Pulling up his phone’s music app, the young teen switched on an old favorite and began tapping his foot to the beat. Humming the song under his breath, he moved through the lasers, sliding under one before twisting himself through another.

Stretching himself between another two lasers, Manic pushed himself off his feet and towards the other side of the room.

“See? Easy,” he said, taking a bow. “Hold your applause please, this show isn’t over yet. I’m taking requests though, so anyone got suggestions?”

Next to him, a glass case, and inside that, an expensive diamond necklace. The teen frowned, and made a sound of disgust.

“Okay, I’m not sure even Liberace would wear this much bling,” Manic said. “Like this is just tasteless, but it’ll fetch a lot of money, all of it green like me. But if you display something this… well, I’m not gonna call it fashionable as mummy didn’t raise no liar but if you’re gonna leave something like this out in the open then you’re just asking to get burgled.”

He sighed, well needs must. Had to support his family somehow, even if he wasn’t doing it in an entirely honest way. But, then again, he lived life on the edge. Granted, tonight had barely even been a challenge.

“Oh, okay,” Manic said, seeing the tiles near the case. “Audio sensors, now we’re talking. Finally, tonight’s actually getting interesting. I was worried I’d be in and out in a minute. This’ll make it take five, tops.”

Willing himself invisible, he muffled his footfalls as he approached the case. Couldn’t scrape the glass, lest he set anything off. Taking a few steps back, Manic pulled out a packet of gum, chewing on it before pulling the gum out of his teeth.

Lifting the case ever so slightly, he snuck the gum under it so the weight sensors would stay quiet as well. Carefully, silently, he lifted the necklace out of the case, the hedgehog quickly made his way back towards the harness.

Strapping himself back in, he gave a thumbs up. As he dropped his invisibility, his partner pulled him back up to the roof.

“Thanks little buddy,” he said, high-fiving the Chao who after several years of raising it looked rather like him. Grinning toothily at the little guy, he said: “It’s just like lookin’ in a mirror, right?”

“Chao chao!”

“Nah, you’re right,” Manic said, dismissively. “The real deal’s much more handsome. Let’s blow this popsicle stand, mom’s making brownies and mac ‘n cheese tonight. It’d be rude to be later for dinner, yeah?”

“Chao!” the little Chao said, excitedly as Manic tucked him under his arm. The Chao looked at the necklace around the teen’s neck.

“I know, not my style either. I feel like a rich git just wearing this thing,” Manic said. “Feel like I need several golden rings and big spinning rims now. Totally not my thing. Let’s jet, yeah?”

Manic then slid down a pipe towards the highway below, red and white arrows lining each side of the paved road.

“Radical…” he said, sliding across the roof of a silver sports car with a prancing horse on the hood. Slipping behind the wheel, Manic floored it, a howling V12 screaming through the night.

Streetlights flashed by him like fence pickets, the road twisting and curving as it led out of Station Square. Buildings became smaller, even as the sun set, a red sky turning violet.

Manic turned up the radio, thundering drums ringing through his ears. For a moment, however brief, he saw the vision of a purple-furred hedgehog looking over his shoulder as he played a bucket using two sticks. Banging his head to the beat, he chuckled.

“Looks like I was a bit of a Manic even back then, a little animal,” the teen thought. “...still, who was she? I mean, yeah she was mom, but… eh, suppose it doesn’t matter now. Mum is my mum. C’mon Mini Me, let’s not be the rabbit who’s late for a very important date!”

And he left the city behind him, his eyes on the road ahead.

-----

As he arrived back in Pinewood Burrows, the teenager stepped out of the car and took in a deep breath of forest air.

“Home sweet home, eh, little buddy?” Manic said, as his Chao companion floated after him. “Sure, the city’s nice, but take a whiff of all that fresh country air!”

For however long that lasted, the hedgehog knowing in the back of his mind that Starline’s factories would eventually make it here. The sky polluted, filled with choking smoke that blocked out the sun and turned the clouds black as night. The blue waters covered in toxic run-off, a miniature oil ocean. 

“Better hide this with the rest of my stash,” Manic mused, shoving the necklace into his pocket. “Least till the heat wears off, and then I’ll hand it off to Clutch and get short changed as always.”

“Chao…” his companion, Nacho said, sadly.

“I know, I know, but I can’t really look a gift horse in the mouth, y’know? …okay, no, bad comparison,” Manic paused. “Horses are majestic, well-groomed. Clutch isn’t either one of those things. He’s more like a… yeah, like a donkey. And about just as much of an ass.”

“Chao!” Nacho said, sternly.

“Whoops, right, sorry Nacho,” Manic said, running a hand through his quills. “You’re right, language. If mum heard that then she’d wash out my mouth with soap. Can’t corrupt sweet little Cream just yet! Or ever, if mum has her way.”

Up ahead, a hole in the ground. But for him, it was home. The burrow had been dug out in the side of the hill, a round wooden door already-half open as a little figure saw him through a window. A tan blur dashed out through the front door, barreling into him, clutching him tightly.

“Big bro, big bro, you’re home!” Cream said, dragging him inside. “Guess what? Go on, guess!”

Manic smiled, hugging his favorite person in the world.

“Hey squirt,” he said. “Yeah, I’m home, had to go out and get something but I’m back. I’ll guess as soon as a certain ball of sugar lets me go, okay?”

Cream blushed, smoothing out her orange dress. “Okay, you gonna guess or what?”

Manic, of course, knew what this was likely about. His little sister’s school had held a Chao race. But it was just way too much fun to mess with her, really. “Now lemme think, did they count the votes yet and you’ve been elected the President of Mobius? Should I get a nice suit to attend the inauguration?”

“No!” Cream said, puffing out her cheeks with a commercial honking sound and crossing her arms. “Don’t be silly brother dear! Be serious!”

Chocola and Cheese flew over to Nacho, the three laughing and chattering in their own language as they went off to play. “Oh, did you build the world’s first Chao-sized basketball court? Because it's high time those little guys got their own league.”

“No,” Cream said, stamping her foot. “Chocula won his race!”

Manic grinned, ruffling his little sister’s head fur. “I knew the little munchkin had it in him.”

“I wish you coulda seen it, but you’re always so busy,” Cream said, sadly. “I just wish you’d tell us what you’re doing, you’re always dancing around the subject…”

“Trust me kiddo, it’s nothing you’d find interesting,” Manic said. “It’s actually kinda boring half the time, no real challenges at all, man.”

It was a nice little half-truth, the hedgehog decided. He couldn’t tell Cream what he really did for a living, she didn’t deserve to know her beloved big brother was a petty thief. She had this image of him in her head, about him being cool and awesome and never being able to do anything wrong. 

If he ever told her, she’d never be able to forgive him. His mum raised her right, to be better than him. She’d go places, all he did was steal things for a living to provide money for the family. Sometimes, he felt like his mum took him in out of pity, just because he had nowhere else to go. 

Stealing things, selling them off to Clutch… that was his way of making up for that. His mum had taken him in, and she’d never been lucky with money. She had two kids to take care of, well 5 if he counted Cheese, Chocula and Nacho. 

She needed help, and she was too stubborn to accept handouts from the neighbors. She was a self-made woman, and Manic could respect that. But…

Five kids, one of whom had the ability to make sure his mother and his siblings led decent lives? Sure, what he was doing, he didn’t think his mum was proud of him for stealing to make ends meet. He knew Cream would be horrified, too. But he’d always had sticky fingers, and soft feet. He could put his kleptomania to use, and help his family!

He could be a good son, even if it meant resorting to petty theft. Even if Cream could never know what he got up to, he’d make sure she grew up happy. It was the least he could do, as her ‘responsible’ cool older brother.

“Don’t worry, tomorrow you can come down to the market with me and help me grab the groceries,” Manic smiled. “Maybe we’ll get something for the little guys as well, I know there’s those fruits they like.”

“Yay!” Cream shouted, hopping in place excitedly before frowning. “I know what big bro and Nacho are doing, I’m not stupid! Mommy raised me to be a smart girl, and I hate how big brother thinks he needs to protect me from the truth. He’s doing this for us, of course I won’t ever think badly of him! Even if he has to steal things! It’s all for mommy’s sake, and ours and Cheese and Chocula…”

Then, both siblings shared a look as Vanilla called from the kitchen. “Okay, that’s enough you two! It’s dinner time!”

“Coming mommy!” Cream said, hopping off. “Come along, brother dear!”

Dinner, if you wanted Manic’s opinion, was something of an awkward affair. His little sister was still way too curious for her own good, and he’d been forced to dodge questions from her all night long.

“I wish I could tell her, little guy…” Manic said, on the way back from the bathroom, meeting his Chao halfway. “But… the less she knows, the better. I know mum wouldn’t want her to know, lest I drag her into-”

“Chao…” the hedgehog-like Chao shook his head.

“That’s exactly why I can’t tell her,” Manic whisper-hissed back at him. “You know what she’s like, she’s a little girl and I know she loves mum but she loves me too and if she thought she could help me…”

He sighed. The way he saw it, he was up a creek and without a paddle by this point. He couldn’t turn back now, but he couldn’t exactly accept any help either. He liked the thrill, the challenge, but he wanted his little sister to be proud of him too. What would she even think, if she found out?

His mum had always raised Cream with a strict sense of right and wrong. Stealing was wrong, no argument, even if it was to help someone. What he was doing, it was wrong even if in the end, it more than paid the bills. 

“It’s not that I wish she didn’t exist,” Manic said. “Not that! It’s just… sometimes I wonder if mum is more proud of her than she is of-”

“Never say that,” Vanilla said, and Manic’s head shot backwards to see the older rabbit sitting her teacup down on a side table. Slowly, his mother walked towards him and embraced him in a warm hug. “Don’t you ever dare say that. I love all of my children, and that includes you.”

“But-”

“No buts,” Vanilla said, still holding him, and rubbing a soothing paw on his back. “Yes, it’s true, what you’re doing… I don’t exactly approve of it all the time, but that’s only because some of those times? Well, you’re putting yourself in needless danger, and for what? An adrenaline rush? The challenge?”

Manic knew he couldn’t lie, never to her. That stool in the shed had seen a bit of use, and he was 14 now true. But that didn’t mean his mum wouldn’t make him sit in it and think about what he’d done if she thought she had to. Lying was a huge no-no in her eyes, which was why the hedgehog settled for half-truths with his little sister.

“Please don’t throw yourself into this because you’re bored, and you need your next rush. There’s more legal ways to do that, like bungee jumping,” Vanilla said, still holding him tight and kissing his forehead. “Your reputation, I know that you want to get one. But that only lasts as long as you’re not in a cell. One of these days… I’ve got nightmares of seeing you on the news and having to tell Cream why. Please… don’t you ever make me do that.”

She sniffled and now Manic felt really terrible, hearing his mother start to cry. When she cried, he cried and he was supposed to be all macho right? Real guys didn’t cry!

“Why ya always gotta be so hard-headed about everything, mum…?”

“Better a hard head than one full of mush,” Vanilla said, using a handkerchief to dab at her eyes. “I can’t stand it whenever you get reckless. You’re bound to get hurt one of these days, or worse!”

She was right of course, Manic knew. His mum was always right about everything. As the hug ended, the young hedgehog nodded. “...right…”

“Don’t you mumble your words, young man,” Vanilla said, disapprovingly. “Speak up, just so your mother can hear.”

“Y-Yes ma’am,” Manic stammered out.

“Yes ma’am what?” Vanilla arched an eyebrow.

“Yes mum, I won’t throw myself into danger again!”

“That's better,” Vanilla said, before looking back to the dining room. “Now, considering you have such sticky fingers, you’ll easily be able to help me clean the table up, won’t you?”

“You can count on me, mum!”

-----

“Brother?” Cream asked, as Manic bathed the young rabbit, rubbing his hands through her scalp and covering it with warm soapy water. 

“Yeah?”

“You’re really cool, you know that right?” the young rabbit said, with a yawn.

“And you’re really tired,” Manic replied. “You’ve had so many adventures all day, you’ve worn yourself out. Right, after this, you’re off to bed.”

“I… I just wish you were around more,” Cream said, with Cheese fluttering about her head, and holding the sponge in his tiny little hands. “I… I know you’re doing… very important things, but I miss you! The house feels lonely without you and Nacho. Feels wrong.”

“Don’t worry, tomorrow, it’ll just be you and me, like old times right?” Manic said with a fang-toothed grin. “I don’t have any… ah, things coming up. My business associates are, ah, busy right now, yeah?”

“You mean that shady Clutch guy?”

“How’d you even hear his name?” Manic said, his voice growing a bit nervous.

“Mommy mentioned it, she really doesn’t like him,” Cream said. “Called him a few words that would have her mouth scrubbed out with soap when she thought I wasn’t listening. I didn’t think Mommy even knew those words!”

“Well, let’s pretend she doesn’t, okay?” Manic said, dumping a cup of water on the little rabbit’s head. “It’ll be our little secret, right?”

“I am curious what some of those words mean though, I thought one was just in reference to the farmer’s donkeys!”

“Yeah, well, Clutch is a bit of a donkey himself,” Manic snorted. “Stubborn as a mule, even if he is an opossum. Now, let’s get you dried off, right?”

“Brother, promise me… if you’re in danger, you’ll get yourself out of danger too, yeah?” Cream said. “I… I know you’re quick, and people have a hard time catching you, but… Mommy’s very worried.”

“Trust me,” Manic said under his breath. “I’m worried too…”

After helping Cream change into her pajamas, Manic tucked Cheese in and then her. Pulling the covers up over her, the hedgehog kissed her forehead before pulling a random book off the shelf. 

He snorted, seeing the book he’d picked out. It was actually something of an inspiration for yours truly. Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp of Erazor Djinn.

“Aladdin, like the guy from the movie?”

“Yeah, sorta…” Manic said. “A bit wilier though, and even cleverer… And of course, always one jump ahead.”

“Really?” Cream asked, stars in her eyes.

“Yeah, really,” Manic grinned. “There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play ball all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself…”

-----

“And… in we go,” Manic said, dropping his invisibility as soon as he hit the ground. His voice barely higher than a whisper, the hedgehog ranted to himself. “I swear, people, seriously, lasers inside your vents! Like if you want to hire me as a security consultant, I’d have so many complaints!”

“Chao?” Nacho chirped, floating down from inside the vent.

“Yes, of course I can criticize how dumb people are, I’m actually almost offended it’s been this easy so far,” Manic said. “Like… you’re just asking to get your shit stolen by this point. Everyone always goes for the air vents. Rule number 1, block them off!”

“Chao!” Nacho said.

“Wait, what do you mean most people can’t fit inside the air vents?” Manic said, still whispering. “Still no excuse, really. If there’s a hole in your security system, people are gonna come through that hole. I’m not saying I’m an idiot, because like yeah chicks dig the genius but you gotta idiotproof your systems. Like… a real idiot swiping everything from this house before I got a chance to get inside… That hurts, that really hurts. Takes all the fun out of it.”

Entering the next room, Manic cracked his knuckles as he saw the sensor on the wall.

“Temperature sensor, now we’re talking. Room gets too cold, the cops get a silent alarm,” Manic said as he approached the safe. “Huh, might actually be here for a bit.”

The safe itself, he recognized the model and it was nothing he hadn’t seen before. But he also recognized the lock on it, and he sucked in a breath, his hands trembling.

“Oh boy…” he sighed.

“Chao?”

“Yeah, that kind of oh boy. Little buddy, this has got to be one of the most intricate locks I’ve ever seen. I mean, kudos, I appreciate proper security but… Yeah, I might have to come back tomorrow. Promised mum I’d be back before midnight, didn’t we?”

“Chao, Chao!” Nacho chirped.

“Yeah, it sucks, Liberation Day isn’t really something I wanna celebrate either. But mum said she had something important to tell us.”

“Chao!” his partner in crime said, with a nod.

“A promise is a promise after all,” Manic said, going for his phone. “Just gonna text her, and then grab a few photos. Make it a weekend project.”

That’s when he heard it, the flap of wings and the clack of heels against the floor.

“Oh my, that sure is a fancy lock,” a voice said from behind him. “A DOM TwinStar IX, oooh I’m flattered they pulled out all the stops for little ole me. They must be really spooked, I might actually chip a nail breaking into this one.”

“Mushroom pins, false gates, yeah, it’s the real deal alri…” Manic started to reply before it hit him. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh,” the sensual voice said and Manic turned to see a bat-woman with a purple spandex suit, and a silver heart for a belt. He swallowed, trying not to drool before smacking himself. “Usually they’re a lot louder than that, of course in my line of work that usually gets you arrested.”

Manic backed up, before he felt the pillar behind him wobble and he quickly grabbed the vase on top of it before it hit the ground.

“Nice reaction time, though your situational awareness needs work. Your hearing isn’t the best either, though at least you didn’t scream. I mean, I don’t mind waking the neighbors but time and place, y’know?”

Manic settled for whisper hissing: “Who are you?” at her.

“Why I’m the owner of this mansion of course,” the bat said. “Didn’t you see the self portrait of moi in the front hallway?”

“I’m a thief, I don’t exactly just stroll through the front door.”

“Some do, it’s actually incredibly hilarious to do it actually. An extra little middle finger to the poor sucker you’re robbing,” the bat said. “I prefer to wave on my way back out, thumb my nose a bit at them.”

“And you are… again?” Manic deadpanned, with Nacho facepalming.

“Kids these days have no respect for their elders,” the bat said. “And here I thought about being nice, and teaching you how to pick that lock.”

Manic was getting irritated, this woman was incredibly annoying with how flippant she was. Any moment now, the cameras would turn back on. He’d just been expecting to get in, and out. “Look, if you’re here to rob this place, I got here first but I’ll split it with you 50/50, deal?”

“Seems like you were about to call it quits for the night,” the bat snarked. “But you’re cute, you’ve got a thief’s code. Oh it’s been a bit since I’ve seen anyone with a sense of honor. I didn’t think thieves had those anymore, ah-ha. I heard you coming, refastened the locks, thought I’d give you a bit of a lesson on breaking and entering from a real master of the craft. But since you’re so rude, well maybe I’ve changed my mind!”

“Listen, I need this, like… This isn’t me doing this for a thrill, I need this badly. 70/30, and that’s my final offer!”

“70% for me, I assume?” The bat woman said, filing her nails. Nacho was looking at her, with big watering eyes trying to look cute.

The woman threw back her head in a soft laugh. “Oh kid, I like you. I was planning on playing with you more, but I guess you caught me on one of my good nights. Name’s Rouge. Yes, the Rouge, and no I’m not doing autographs. Don’t press your luck, kiddo.”

Manic bit back a swear, of course he knew who that was. What thief didn’t? The twenty something year old was a living legend amongst the community, he didn’t even think she existed!

“Now then kiddo step aside, let Auntie Rouge show you how it's done, m’kay?” Rouge said, and eyed Manic’s kit. “Cute, I remember having a kit like that when I started out though you really need the upgrade. Watch this.”

She pressed her phone to the safe, and Manic watched in awe as the phone went through every possible combination all in the space of 30 seconds. The safe swung open, and before the cold air inside could set off the alarm, Rouge cracked open a burning red glow stick and tossed it inside.

“Now about your offer sorry kiddo, I don’t even want that 70% cut” She said, even as Manic started to open his mouth. “Most of these jewels don't interest me, I’ve seen them in just about every store I go to. Boring! I only go after the most valuable of jewels, I just want this!”

She pulled out a paper from inside the safe, an old map.

“Come to mama, oooh yes so the rumors were true. A map right to one of the old Chaos Emerald shrines,” Rouge said. “Yeah, I’m going to be treating myself tonight. Cracking open a bottle of the good stuff!”

Manic sat in stunned silence, he’d heard the stories of how the late Queen had saved the world with those emeralds.

“You can have the rest of it, kid, alright? You take care of that family of yours with it, alright?”

As Rouge flapped her wings, Manic’s brain caught up with him. “Wait, how’d you know who I was?”

“I didn’t,” Rouge winked. “Thanks for confirming it though. But word of advice, get yourself free from Clutch alright? He’s not worth it. You didn’t hear this from me, but that guy’s the real thief in our line of work. Toodles!”

-----

Manic checked his watch as he strode back towards his house, and sighed in relief. After stashing his loot, he’d managed to get home with an hour to spare.

“Evening mum,” he said, as he walked inside, shutting the door. “Is Cream already asleep?”

“Has been for several hours, she’s wondering just where her big brother has been all night,” Vanilla said, though not disapprovingly. More exhausted, from the sigh that left her mouth.

“I know mum,” he said. “I was out too late again.”

“Oh honey,” Vanilla said. “I love you, and I… I’m grateful that you’re only looking out for the family, but the longer you stay out the more worried I actually get. Like… any number of things could've happened!”

“Yet nothing did, aside from me realizing I’m probably going to end up into dominant women,” Manic said. “Yeah, ah, I’m definitely not going to be wearing the pants in any future relationships, ah ha lemme put it that way.”

“Pardon?”

Manic rubbed his forehead, blushing. “...never mind!”

“You okay?”

“Just… it was a really wild night, met up with a living legend who’s apparently not just a legend and who’s going after the Chaos Emeralds and-”

This time, the tea cup slipped right out of his mum’s hands, shattering as the liquid spilled all over the floor.

“Oh dear, I guess that’s it for this cup. Shame, it was one of my mother’s,” Vanilla said before sighing. “I suppose I’ll get the broom. Continue, honey.”

“Yeah, ah, met this bat, she’s really into the Chaos Emeralds. Don’t know why, they haven’t been seen in… what, a decade?”

“Yeah, a decade,” Vanilla said, with a nervous swallow. “It’s probably nothing to worry about, not just anyone can find them. And use them. Not since…”

“The Queen?” Manic asked, bringing the broom out of the pantry. “I’ve been meaning to ask, the way you talk about the Queen… It’s like you…”

“Had a serious crush on her?” 

“I was going to say you knew her,” Manic said, as he swept up the porcelain shards into the dustpan. “I mean, yeah, of course you knew her, I’m her son. Thanks for telling me, by the way.”

“I figured you had a right to know,” Vanilla said. “And… it wasn’t a crush, not exactly. It was… something a little more than that, I’m afraid.”

“Wait, really?” Manic turned to stare at her. “Way to go, mum!”

“Sadly, it wasn’t entirely mutual,” Vanilla sighed, fiddling with her ascot with a paw. “Sadly, it was with hilarious irony I could never raise you in quite the way I wanted. I’ve been doing the best I can, under the circumstances, but… alas, I never did quite work up the courage to confess to the Queen. I suppose it’s for the best, really…”

“Yeah, since she’s…” Manic sighed. “Wish I coulda known her.”

“Well, ah, that’s actually why I wanted to talk to you,” Vanilla said, pulling a letter out of her pocket. “We agreed to tell you when you were old enough. I’m sorry if I kept this from you, but… I knew if I told you the full story, you might do something drastic. Rash.”

Manic opened the letter, his claws ripping through the envelope and his eyes widening as he understood exactly what Vanilla was trying to tell him. He swallowed, and said: “I think I need to sit down for this one…”

“Here,” Vanilla said, pulling up a chair. “Before you read it you should know things did not exactly go to plan. Your mom expected you to be raised by the echidna tribe but… I’m glad you weren’t. I'm glad that didn’t happen, because I got the best son in the world out of it.”

Manic wiped his eyes, with a shaky: “T-Thanks mum…”

“My dearest Manic, I’m sorry for the fate I condemned you to. I’m sure you hate me, I’m sure it was hard for you. I can only imagine how harsh Locke was but his wife was my sworn soul sister so you're a member of the tribe. Even he can’t argue against that. Your brother and sister were easy to place, but you? My little trouble maker, you were always going to be tricky to properly teach.”

Manic paused. He wasn’t sure who Locke was, but it didn’t matter. He’d learned all that he needed to.

“By the time you read this, you’re going to be a handsome young man-”

Manic smirked, she didn’t even know how handsome. Ladies loved him.

“I doubt you even remember me, and I doubt Locke would have cared enough to tell you anything about me. But I do love you, so allow me to properly reintroduce myself. I can’t do this in person, at least not yet, so this’ll have to suffice. My name is Aleena, the once and future Queen of Mobius and more importantly your birth mother.”

Manic sighed, the more he heard about this Locke guy the less he liked him. From the sounds of things, he dodged one hell of a bullet.

“I was… forced to take drastic measures when Starline invaded… Stole my throne. I didn’t know it was him at the time, but it was obvious enough when I saw the badniks. He was always better at designing robots, compared to his mentor. I’d hoped to fight them back but in my heart, I knew I’d be fighting a losing battle. I had you to think of, there wouldn’t be any point in reclaiming my throne if you weren’t there by my side,my young prince. So with a heavy heart, I made the worst decision of my life. I followed through with a prophecy. It said that if I separated my children-” 

Manic didn’t realize it, not until his mum pulled him in for a hug but he’d been crying.

“I tried to resist, like any mother should have. I didn’t want to give in, it wouldn’t have even been the first time I’d defied fate. But this time it came too quickly, I couldn’t do anything. Anything at all… They were unstoppable, relentless, they arrived in the capital overnight, before we even knew they were there.”

Manic knew that memory, he’d had flashes of it from time to time.

“I sent you and your siblings off to train, I knew the echidna were masters of stealth. They’d never let our enemies find you, and if they did… they’d make sure you’d know how to defend yourself,” he read. He didn’t need the echidna, he was already a badass. Nobody had, or would ever catch him. “ I wish I could say more, about how much I love you and your siblings but I can’t. Not right now. Not… I just can’t. I’m running out of time as it is. I wish I could say more, about how much I love you and your siblings but I can’t.”

Manic fought back another sob. “You really did, didn’t you mom?”

You’re likely far better at invisibility than I was at your age. I hope you’re using it in a responsible manner, and not just to spy on people you like, young man!” 

At that, Manic actually laughed. Mum would have grounded him for life if he even tried!

“The feeling of just fading away, just to get a moment to yourself is incredible. You can’t hide from your problems forever, but sometimes you need a breather.”

Manic snorted, he could already see the Queen using her abilities to sneak away some cookies.

“You don't have my strength or my speed but you are the heir to my stealth and with that you can sneak past your enemies and make utter fools of them. You can use it to protect your family.

Manic really didn’t want to think about it, but… yeah, one day he'd have to fight for his family. Starline would find him one day, probably sooner than he thought. Nacho rubbed against his face and the hedgehog took a deep breath before continuing to read.

“Starline wants to wipe out any chance of him being overthrown, wipe out what remains of the kingdom. Of us. There’s an old resistance base of mine, you’ve got to go there. All of you. Your siblings, if they’ve found their letters, they’ll be heading there now as well… reunite. Stop Starline. I’ll know when it’s safe, nobody’s going to stop me from reuniting with my precious babies. Not even him.”

Manic could now see them. The faces of his mother and siblings and the song was crystal clear in his mind now.

“If you leap awake

In the mirror of a bad dream

And for a fraction of a second

You can't remember where you are

Just open your window

And follow your memory upstream…”

“I completely understand if you don’t think of me as your mom, frankly I’m not sure I deserve the title. Hope you could at least find your family in your cousin, knowing Knuckles he’s already taken to the role of your over protective big brother.”

“I have a cousin?” Manic gasped out.

“Don’t worry, because the three of you? You can take on the world. Stay strong, and don’t lose hope. Hope’s like a drill that can pierce the heavens. Love… Queen Aleena.”

Chapter Text

Manic sucked in a breath, his whole world having changed in an instant. He’d known, of course, where he’d come from. His mother had never hid that, but… he’d always thought the idea of him still being royalty, it’d be forever in the past. Yet, here it was, crashing back into his present. “Mum… What now? I’m… Sorry, this is just a bit much for me right now.”

“It’s okay,” Vanilla soothed, holding him close and running a comforting paw through his spines. “Take all the time you need, son.”

He nodded, even if his birth mother was still alive, she wasn’t his real mom. Not really. And… he had Cream and Cheese sure, but was having two more siblings really so bad? They, for all he know, thought he’d been dead for years and probably needed to know he was still alive.

“It’s just… things are gonna change around here, aren’t they?” Manic sighed. “I… I want to meet them, but… what about moth… Quee… Is she going to be there too?”

“I don't know,” Vanilla admitted. “Prophecies are complicated, maybe Aleena wants to let fate play out, or maybe she’ll come rushing to pull you back into her arms again. I’ve seen enough to know that fate will want your reunion with your mother to be grand. Get some sleep, okay?”

“Thanks…” Manic smiled. “Mum. I’m still the coolest though, right?”

“Of course you are,” Vanilla said, kissing her son’s forehead. “I’m sure Sonic and Sonia are going to be super jealous of their cool triplet.”

“You think they’re into music too?” he asked.

“They’re Aleena’s children,” Vanilla said. “I’d be more surprised if they weren’t.”

A glass shattered on the floor, as Manic heard a gasp.

“I’m going to have two more big siblings?” 

“Cream?” Manic asked. “What are you doing up?”

“Sorry, I had… I had a nightmare of that creepy Starline guy capturing you and…” Cream sniffled. “I went to go get a drink of water and…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna let Starline ever catch me,” Manic said. “Nobody’s caught me yet, right?”

“Of course not, I was being silly,” Cream said, even if she was still holding him tight. “The police haven’t caught you yet big brother! And they’re not gonna!”

“The… the police? I’ll have you know I’m a perfectly law-abiding citizen!”

“You shouldn’t lie, brother, it’s wrong!” Cream said, with a little giggle. “I know what you’ve been doing for years, and you shouldn’t pretend to be something you’re not. Grandma Aleena, she’s been living life on the run too, it sounds like. Maybe you should steal her away from Starline’s forces, just so she doesn’t have to worry anymore!”

Manic blinked in shock, before laughing as he patted his little sister on the head. “You know, that’s why you’re always the smart one in the family, Cream. Now I feel dumb, trying to hide all this from you.”

“I’m a big girl, you don’t have to protect me from everything! Besides, I’m not scared of Starline. Like I said, he’ll never catch you!”

Manic grinned. “You’ve got that right, now back to bed with you. I don’t want you to be tired in the morning. Not when I’m going to steal Sonic and Sonia away from a life on the run and introduce them to you!”

“Yay!” Cream said before yawning. “I… I’ve got the best family in the world…”

Manic looked back at his mum, and imagined his brother and sister next to her. It felt right. Yeah, she really did. 

-----

Sonia stood trembling, holding the tear-stained letter grasped tightly in her paws. She was only faintly aware of Sally’s gloved paw on her shoulder, the fallen princess openly weeping.

Sonia, after crying for a while, finally spoke up. 

“My brothers are alive. I’m going to meet them. I feel like someone’s playing a cosmic joke on me, after being separated from my mother and… and my master,” she refused to call him her father, not right now.  “I thought they… Gaia damn it, it was easier when I thought they were dead! But… This is just messed up!”

Sally nodded. “It’s… yeah, it’s definitely a cruel irony but think about it this way, your family just got a lot bigger. And right now, well, you’re gonna need all the help you can get if you’re going to be able to help-”

“Yeah,” Sonia said, her voice hardening, as cold as a glacier. “I think it’s time I regained control over my life. It’s mine, not anyone else’s.”

Her head turned back in the direction of her former kingdom and she tried not to think about what her adoptive mother had to be going through right now. “Just hold on… I’ll be back, as soon as I can, okay?”

Sonia ruffled through her suit, and pulled out a broach. She smiled sadly, it’d been given to her by her… Master. It was worthless now. “I hate to ask, but I still need your help. I need to sell this quickly, I need to buy something for my brothers as an apology. And I need a bike.”

“Pardon?” Sally blinked. “A bike? Do you even know how to ride one?”

Sonia smirked. “Course I do. Rode one around the castle grounds. Mom freaked of course, and the advisors said a Princess shouldn’t be blah blah blah. Utter crap, all that yadda yadda. Now that I think about it, they probably didn’t want me riding out of the castle, seeing what was really going on.”

Sally snorted, at the thought of Queen Elise’s expression. “...very well then, though you weren’t going to be rid of me anyways.”

“Yeah, but it’s gonna be dangerous.”

“I’m already a wanted woman, might as well stick with you. Plus, you’re my only hope anyways to save my village.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be a mayor?” Sonia raised an eyebrow, Sally couldn’t have been more than 19 at the most.

“Queen Elise was 13 when she was crowned,” Sally shrugged. “Me being the mayor of Acorn at my age isn’t that weird, really. Besides, I’m only 16.”

“...huh, really? I thought you were…”

“Daddy always said I was mature for my age.”

“...eh, fair. Right, let’s be getting on with things then,” Sonia said. “I’ve got a decade’s worth of hugs to catch up on.”

----

Sonic crumpled the letter up in his hands and sighed to himself, he couldn’t deny there’d always been a part of him that felt like it’d been missing. But had it really been two siblings he hadn’t even known existed?

“...so why didn’t you tell me Longclaw?” he asked. “...then again, it’s not like you have been able to stop me if I’d known. I get it, I do, you wanted to keep me safe. And yet, here I am… You should have been here, mom, explaining all of this.”

His ears twitched, hearing something just out of sight. His feet reacted, leaping backwards as red, metallic ‘skin’ burst through a wall.

“Yo, didn’t I beat you up before?” he asked, seeing the metal echidna from before, slamming its spiked fists together. Sparks flew as it made its intimidation display, the robot marching forwards with optics clearly trained on him. “Wasn’t one beat-down enough for you?”

Every sense of his was screaming run, run, run. A voice, sounding exactly like his mo… Longclaw was yelling in his ear to do what he did best.

So he did, never looking behind him and ran only too late the ground was giving out from under him.

“You… wow, you really eat your wheaties, don’t you?” Sonic said, spin-dashing up and out of the crevice. “I gotta ask, who’s your personal trainer? Because dude, I’m actually kinda jealous.”

The robot leaped towards him, meeting him in mid-air and slamming him into the ground. Sonic broke away, spin-dashing the robot right in the face, its head flying off somewhere deeper into the cavern. Sonic heard it splashing into a lake.

“And that’s two points, and game!” Sonic said with a cheer, the robot looking hopelessly lost as it wandered around in a circle. “Dude, call yourself a cab. You’re in no condition to drive. Anyways, gotta split! Don’t text me, or call me, let’s not make this a thing m’kay? Kay, gotta juice and jam!”

Rushing out of the cave, a forest replaced the stone-gray cavern walls. The forest itself was soon replaced by flat grasslands, and then not even that. Massive musical instruments rose up out of the ground, every step a musical note.

“...huh,” Sonic said, skidding to a halt realizing he was atop a giant keyboard. He tapped his foot against the floor, just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Blinking at the repeated note, he grinned as he leap-frogged across the keyboard, playing a little ditty atop the massive keyboard.

“Yeah, okay, cool,” he said. “I’m more a guitar guy myself, but right, mental note, come here more often. Okay, you, whatever eccentric billionaire designed this place for a laugh, nobody can ever call you mad ever again. You’re officially really cool.”

Big musical notes floated up out of a nearby saxophone and a giant hammer came down atop xylophone planks, Sonic racing across the rainbow ground and still utterly bewildered by the sheer existence of this place.

Just… how? Why?

Well, why not he supposed. He chuckled, he definitely wasn’t in Green Hills anymore. Sliding down a hill lined by stained glass musical notes, he fell into a golden pipe only to be shot out of a huge tuba and fell into an equally big clarinet. Spin-dashing up, and out of the woodwind, he spotted a steel building on the far end of the orchestra. 

“Gotta be that old base the letter mentioned,” Sonic said, grinding down a rail and leaping off it to slide down another pipe. The evening skies had turned pink, the sound of constant piano keeping pace with him. 

Spin-dashing upwards, the hedgehog bounced between xylophone planks like a pinball before leaping onto what passed for regular ground around here. The kingdoms had long been divided up into various ‘zones’ for lack of a better word. That’s how he’d always heard them called, though he wasn’t about to start questioning the name. Not when one minute you could be in the polar ice caps and the next being scorched by the desert sun.

Though a giant music plant was probably the most out-there of the planet’s various zones by far. Sonic’s eyes widened, seeing a lake rapidly approaching. 

“...great, and I forgot to pack my swim-trunks,” he joked, trying not to remember how he couldn’t swim. It wasn’t like it was something Longclaw had gotten around to teaching him to do.

…that could probably be said about a lot of things, after her… Well, she wouldn’t want him to turn back now. She’d want him to just keep running.

“Is anyone watching, I’m about to defy the laws of physics here!” Sonic laughed, as he zipped across the lake leaving a wake behind him. The door to the old base was rapidly approaching, and he grinned. “I know you’re supposed to knock, so… Knock knock!”

Spin-dashing into the door, it buckled and folded slightly inwards but didn’t break. Pushing himself off a spring, the hedgehog then went in for another attempt, only to be sent flying backwards.

“Wow, die-cast. Bit of a lost art, actually,” Sonic said, deciding on giving up on the door. “Hello, is anyone home? Like, yo, calling all hedgehogs! This is your cooler, handsomer brother!”

He didn’t get an answer, even as his voice carried across the hills.

“I mean, come on, no need to be shy,” Sonic said. “There’s enough room for all three of us here! Like I know, I know, I’ve gotten all the glory so far, but now’s your chance!”

Still no reply.

“Mhmmm, maybe I’m fashionably early,” Sonic said with a shrug. “Maybe I can raid the kitchens and find a chili dog or something. …I wonder if my siblings like those… Should probably see if there’s enough to go around!”

He tapped at the door, expecting a reply.

“Come on, I’m waaaaaiiiiting!” he groused after several seconds. “Like come on, where’s the hospitality? Well, if you want something done right, gotta do it yourself!”

He grinned. 

“Now… what’s the code again?” Sonic asked, before pausing as it hit him. He flinched. “I… Oh come on man, seriously? Stupid Sonic, stupid! I gotta just… yeah, just gotta retrace my steps, that’s all!”

And then he was gone.

-----

An old airship descended from the skies, lowering to the ground above the Music Plant Zone. Landing a short walk outside the bunker, the airship’s engines coughed and sputtered, the paint having faded over the years.

Manic pulled a fish from out of one of the engines, turning to look at his mom. “So, I gotta ask, why a lake?”

“Admittedly, it wasn’t one of my better ideas,” Vanilla said, pocketing the remote activator. She looked up at the craft, with a wistful expression and ran a hand down it. “...so many memories…”

“It's okay  mommy, I'm sure we can get it fixed up and give it a new paint job! I'll even help paint it," Cream said, climbing out of a crate.

“Yeah, kid, we’ll give it a brand new lease on life. Ever heard of pimp my ride? Well here’s pimp my airship. Steampunk it up.”

“I’m not an expert, but I think it’ll take a little more than hopes and dreams and a new coat of paint, Cre…”

Vanilla paused, Manic following as they realized.

“CREAM!” both shouted, and Vanilla rushed over to her daughter. “What are you doing here, young lady? I told you to stay behind with Mayor Rufus!”

“This isn’t a game kiddo, you can’t be here!” Manic scolded. “This isn’t like one of your fairy tales! This is real, and really dangerous!”

“I know that, but we’re family and we need to stick together. Besides, won’t I be safer with you than in an unguarded, undefended village?” Cream said, rather matter-of-factly.

Cheese and Chocula, flying out of the same crate, nodded along.

Vanilla pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. “You’re not exactly wrong, I admit, even if you pulled this stunt. But you’re still grounded for a month.”

“Awwwwww…” Cream sulked, hanging her head.

Walking over to the front door, Vanilla beeped in the code on a nearby keypad. 010699, her fingers went. “Well children, it looks like we’ll be meeting your brother soon.”

As the hanger bay opened, Vanilla smiled. 

“Help me get the ship inside, it’s certainly beautiful, but it’s also as obvious as a neon sign in the desert. Come along!”

-----

He’d been running all his life, it was what he was best at. Leaving the Music Plant Zone behind him, Sonic finally skidded to a halt where grass met rock. In another Zone entirely, he felt like he’d covered half of the continent at lightspeed.

“It’s probably better that way, really,” he said. “I’m a solo act, can’t have anyone else cramping my style!”

He sat on a rock, with a pair of glasses, taking on a really bad foreign accent. 

“Did you ever stop to think you’re afraid of letting other people get close you again?”

Then he ditched the glasses. “What, no, that’s crazy talk! I mean, yeah yeah, you’re a therapist and you’re supposed to help me unpack all my shit but I’m me! Positively perfect in every way. I just don’t need anyone slowing my roll, that’s all!”

His ‘therapist’ seemed skeptical.

“Mmhmm-hmm,” he said, with a nod. “Still, I think you’re afraid. After what happened to mom…”

Sonic growled. “Don’t… Just don’t. Don’t you ever bring her up again you hear? What happened, happened. It’s in the past, and I’ve dealt with it. Just gotta keep moving forward. New day, new hedgehog.”

“And yet,” his ‘therapist’ asked. “Who’s there to enjoy the ‘new you’ with you?”

-----

A couple hours later, Sonia and Sally arrived, the bike coughing and sputtering and leaking oil. “Well, we’re here.”

“Where? The afterlife? I think I left my stomach somewhere behind a few miles back,” Sally said, staggering out of the sidecar. “Can we go find it first?”

“It’s a bit of a fixer upper, but I think with a bit of love…” Sonia said, eying the bike. “It’s got character!”

“Mhmmm, that’s what they say about old houses too,” Sally deadpanned, walking over to the keypad, illuminated by the moonlight. “What’s the password?”

Sonia re-read through the letter several times before shrugging. “Mama forgot to write it down.”

“Do we knock then?” Sally said.

“I don’t see any security cameras, and… I don’t think my brothers have arrived yet,” Sonia said. “And if they’re anything like me they’re far from subtle. You think they liked smoked salmon?”

“Boys will eat anything if they’re hungry enough,” Sally shrugged, before looking at the door. “Ladies first!”

Sonia then buffed up, and punched the door down.

“After you,” Sonia said. “Madame Mayor.”

Sally stared, blushing at Sonia's buff form.

“Well, at least we won’t get billed for that…” she snarked, after recovering her wits.

-----

Inside, Manic let out a low whistle seeing the boxes of records and old maps. “Looks like I’ve got a new stash for my loot, this place is a totally cool place to kick it, it’s def becoming my new crib.”

Vanilla flicked on a light switch, the lights buzzing to life before sneezing. “It could do with a good dusting though, it’s not quite homey enough for my tastes. Needs more throw pillows, and a rug or two.”

“Hey uh mum, I just realized,” Manic said. “The Quee… mo… Aleena didn’t put the code in the letter.”

Vanilla facepalmed. “That sounds like her. One minute she’s an inspirational leader to us all, and the next she’s forgetting about the remote control even when it’s in her hand.”

They then hear a loud crash down the hall, and Manic’s eyes widened. “Did Starline find us? Mom, sis, get behind me!”

Vanilla sighed. “No. Actually, I believe that's your sister.”

-----

Sonic was still talking with his ‘therapist’. “Okay, look maybe you're right but I don’t even have the door code. How can I even get in, when I’m such a screw up and lost it?”

In reply, he was told: “Yes, that is a problem, but you’re simply making excuses for yourself. You can wait until they arrive.”

“But that will make them think I don't care unless… Aha! I’m a genius. I've got it, I'll arrive late, but I’ll… drumroll please, I’ll bring a gift! You think they will like chilli dogs?”

“Of course, what person doesn’t like chili dogs? Aside from lame-os, of course.”

“Thanks doc, you’re right,” Sonic said. 

“Better grab a few vegan ones, just in case!” Therapist Sonic said as his patient ran off.

“Thanks, and oh your payment’s gonna be in the mail!”

Therapist Sonic then faded away, shaking his head and muttering: “I swear, that guy has to be my worst patient. I feel like I’m talking to myself!”

Sonic then returned back home and grabbed all the rings he’d saved up. Throwing back his head in a groan, he said: “Gaaaaaaah, this isn’t nearly enough. Gonna have to earn some rings, gotta go fast!”

Some time later, he returned to the bunker with six boxes of chili dogs.  He takes a few deep breaths, then trips with chilli dogs flying everywhere. Acting fast, aka the only way he knew how, he grabbed them back in his hands kissing each one.

“There we go, added some love from Sonic the Brohog now they will taste even better,” he said, reaching for one with one hand and then swatting it away with the other. “No, nope, we’re not doing that. Bad boy! No Sonic, your siblings probably eat as much as you and this won't be enough but you gotta make the sacrifice and save them for your siblings.”

Darting back across the water, he continued rambling to himself.

“Ok the base is coming up you got this Sonic just show them how cool you are and they will have to love you then we can play some baseball or maybe some video games… Or, I don’t know, chess I guess,”  Sonic went on before groaning audibly. “No man, no. Please don't tell me they like chess. That would be so BORING. But man, you gotta suck it up and play it. I'm pretty sure the horsey thing can move like a M. Right yeah that’s right so okay you remember how to play chess so your good if they want to play chess.”

He then noticed the broken door, and his heart stopped. No, no, not again… No, stop, this wasn’t like before. It couldn’t possibly be like before, he hadn’t seen an echidna in years! They were all gone, right?

“Okay, just play it cool…” the hedgehog said before saying: “Hellllllo? It’s your bro, I brought chili dogs!”

That’s when two red eyes blinked open, in the darkness, glowing like flames.

“Terminate!” the robotic echidna said, before pouncing…

-----

Sonia, as she walked inside, was greeted by a tiny rabbit girl in an orange dress.

“Hi…?” Sonia said, nervously. “Oh wow, you’re adorable.”

“Thanks, big sis Sonia!” the rabbit said, with a curtsy.

“Wait… I’m your…?”

Manic then pulled her into a tight hug. “SIS! It’s so good to see you again, dudette! I’m Manic, your brother!”

“Yeah… you too…” Sonia said, returning the hug. “So, wow, you’ve gotten-”

Before she could finish, a shout cut through the hallways.

“Not you again!” they heard a male shout.

“Later,” Manic said. “Looks like we’ve got party crashers.”

Sonia grinned. “Then let’s crash them instead!”

-----

Sonic flashed back to Longclaw’s death, seeing several echidna leaping towards her. No, not echidna, monsters. And now another one had pulled itself out of the grave. Unstoppable, unrelenting, unapologetic. The thing wearing an Echidna’s coat let out a horrific screech, fangs flashing and embers burning as razor sharp-claws sliced through the air.

It sliced through steel, ripping up part of the wall as sparks flew. One fist rocketed by his head, the other charged with crackles of electricity.

“Exterminate!” the monster said, and Sonic let out a cough as he felt the fist jab into his stomach with the speed of a pro boxer. He couldn’t help himself, his feet stayed glued to the floor, still stuck in that one moment in time.

He saw a rocket on the robot’s back igniting, and before Sonic knew it he was smashed against, and then through another wall.

The echidna continued advancing, metallic feet clunking against the floor. It raised its fists above its head, before bringing them down with a wave of red electricity rushing towards him.

“Hey!” another voice called, a green hedgehog suddenly appearing out of nowhere, drop-kicking the robot. The air in front of him had shimmered, like a mirage in the desert sun, before there he was. “You sure you don’t need directions?”

The robot slid backwards, the hedgehog landing in front of him like a superhero right out of a movie.

“Namaste, dude,” the other hedgehog said, bringing his hands together and bowing at the robot. “Cause… Oz is the other way, no yellow brick road here!”

The robot made what sounded like a growl to Sonic’s ears, before rocketing forwards. The new hedgehog grabbed him by the arm and threw him into a wall, leaving his claws stuck, buried in steel.

The robot’s whole head turned a complete 180 degrees to glare venomously at him. Then, pulling its arms out of its own sockets, the robot turned its whole body the same direction. Cables then pulled the arms out of the wall, and back into place.

It lurched forwards, little rockets on its boots making it pick up speed.

“GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHERS!”

And that’s when Sonic realized. He gasped, looking at the female hedgehog holding back, grappling with the mechanical menace.

“Sonia…? Manic…?” he asked.

“Yeah, dude, it’s me,” Manic said. “Sonia, it’s just a robot! I don’t know where you got those gains, but don’t hold back!”

“Right!” Sonia said, drawing back her fist as her arm swelled up to gargantuan size. “You’ve been excused, sir!”

“Careful, I-” Sonic started, even as Sonia punched the robot’s head clean off. “-did that too, and it still kept on ticking!”

“Yeah, but do you have these?” Sonia asked, flexing.

“Uh, Sonia…?” Manic asked, tapping her on the shoulder.

“Oh for the love of…” Sonia said, as the robot retrieved its head, placing it back on its shoulders. “Could you stay down, we’re kinda having a moment here! I haven’t hugged my brothers yet!”

“Hugs later, after we somehow scrap this thing!” Sonic said, vibrating in place. “And you guys owe me so, so many stories. Embarrassing ones, about each other, especially. I promise I won’t use them for evil.”

For a moment, just a moment, he felt whole.

“Let’s juice and jam!”

“You've got a catchphrase?” Manic asked. “Sweet!”

“Yeah that's right new hedgehogs. Thought of it myself. Copyrighted, trademarked! You’re gonna have to come up with your own, no freebies!”

The robot flicked its attention between the three of them, and then looked at the door.

“Is everything alright, you’re getting along alright, you and your…” Vanilla trailed off seeing the robot. “Brother?”

The robot glared right at her.

“Vanilla the Rabbit detected, traitor must be eliminated, by order of Emperor Starline,” it said in monotone. “Prepare to be destroyed.”

No no no, it was happening again. Sonic felt like he was a kid again, watching his whole world end for the second time. And then, he snarled. No… it wouldn’t happen again. It’d never happen again.

One second, he was there. The next, he was round-house kicking the robot’s head a full three hundred and sixty degrees.

“Get away from her,” Sonic said, his eyes glowing a sharp red, his fur a darker tint of blue. “Don’t ever touch my mother again, Echidna. Or you’ll regret it.”

Sonic then ran around the room, dashing into the robot one after another. Each hit came faster than the last, the robot’s critical endo-skeleton exposed underneath as red shards littered the floor.

“Had… had enough?” Sonic asked, sweating.

“There, on his back!” Manic said, after a moment of stunned silence. “I see the power core, I just need to get to it!”

As the robot charged towards Sonic, its attention completely on him, Sonia buffed up, grabbed it and pulled it to the floor with one arm.

“Now watch a master at work,” Manic said, pulling out a lockpick and shoving it inside the robot. “Thievery isn’t just an occupation, it’s an art!”

“Thievery?” Sonia gaped. “What kind of a rogue has my brother turned into?”

“Actually, I play Bard,” Manic said. “I’ve always been a musician at heart. Now… hold your applause please, I know. I know, I’m awesome.”

Pulling out the power core, the robot then fell motionless. And didn’t move again.

“What… Don’t tell me that was one of Starline’s,” Sonia said, kicking it. “Like… I mean…”

“Course it was one of Starline’s,” Manic said, glaring at the mechanoid. “He’s a genius, absolutely mad, but a genius. I almost respect him for it.”

“He almost killed Sonic’s mother and you’re saying you almost res-” Sonia said, looking furious.

“She’s not his mother, she’s my mum,” Manic said, getting heated, only for Sonic to dash in front of the two.

“Okay, so, alright. Listen, I think we all need to settle down for a minute here,” Sonic said, taking a deep breath. “Inhale… exhale, alright? We’re all a little bit on edge here, so let’s all take a breath, right?”

“Right…” Sonia said, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “Apologies, it’s just been… a week. I think it’s pretty clear we’ve lived all remarkably different lives here. So, Manic, brother dear, how’d you grow up?”

“I grew up in a hole,” Manic said and at the looks given, he clarified. “Me and mum, and Cream -that’s my baby sis- we all grew up in a burrow in the countryside. Course, wasn’t the plan, but as it turns out, the guy who was supposed to take me turned out to be an utter-”

Vanilla coughed.

“Butthead,” Manic quickly corrected himself.

“I like your mother,” Sonia said. “Honestly, a foul mouth implies a bit of a foul persona. I won’t have my brother swearing like a sailor.”

“Well, if Cream learns any new words, it won’t be from me,” Sonic admitted. “I’m not sure if old Longclaw ever even swore in her life.”

“Well,” at this, Vanilla giggled into her paw. “She used to, and the royal court was aghast at the thought of her teaching the Queen what they called ‘deplorable language’ so they started to keep bars of soap around her.”

“And Longclaw let them?” Sonic asked, staring in disbelief. “I didn’t think anyone told her what to do! Not even her own mother!”

Vanilla could only smile serenely, before stepping out of the way as Cream barreled past and tackled Sonia in a hug.

“Big sis Sonia!” the rabbit girl said. “You went off in such a rush, and oh wow… Did you beat that bad robot up? Like boom, pow, zam! You look like you took it for its lunch money!”

“Cream, really!” Vanilla said. “Must you put it like that?”

“You’re soooooo strong,” Cream went on, stars in her eyes. “Can you teach me to get as strong as you? Mommy says I need to drink my milk, is that all there is to it?”

“Well…” Sonia said, bashfully. “Ever wielded a sword before?”

As Sonic cracked up, he looked at the looks on the other two Mobian’s faces. Manic looked panicked, while Velvet wore a face of quiet despair.

Well, the blue hedgehog thought to himself, this was gonna be a ride!

Chapter Text

“So, uh…” Sonic paused, looking around the room and running a nervous hand through his quills. “...suppose I should go first? Hi, I’m Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog, you’ve probably heard of me?”

His two siblings shared an awkward look.

“...right, I understand. It’s the speed right? You wanna know how I got this good,” the teenager said, stretching. “The secret is, I just started running and never looked back. Never made the track team, not sure why.”

“Did you even attend school,” Sonia asked, somewhat nervously. “Because I am not having my brother turn out to be nearly illiterate. It’s embarrassing!”

“I was homeschooled,” Sonic said. “Got the best education money could buy! I was the only student in the class, which meant Longclaw could devote plenty of time to moi.”

Vanilla let out a gentle cough. “Speaking of, where is she? I assume she’s right behind you, and we should expect her soon?”

Sonic flinched, and his quills flattened against the back of his head as he let out a hissing sound. Vanilla immediately understood, and dabbed at her eyes.

“Oh, bummer…” Manic said before Sonia gently smacked him over the head.

“Really, that’s all you can say?” she whispered to him. “Bummer? Have some tact, and some class!”

“The echidna…” Sonic said under his breath, angrily. “Raiding party. I didn’t see how it ended, she told me to run. Run and never look back. I… I thought she’d be right behind me. I guess I was kidding myself, really…”

“Oh Locke…” Vanilla muttered to herself, looking at an older picture with a happy, smiling Tikal. A window back to the past, when the fivesome thought they’d be together forever. “What did you do, you old fool…?”

Before either sibling could walk over to their new brother, it was tiny Cream who walked over and hugged Sonic. “It’s okay big brother, I used to have a third Chao, Berry. I loved him very much.”

Sonic fought back a sob, even as Sonia and Manic joined in the tight hug with Vanilla soon to follow. 

“Longclaw was…” Vanilla explained to a confused Sonia, after pulling away. “She was like a mother to all of us, she raised Aleena since she was a child and mentored Rosemary, the Lady Tikal and I.”

Sally watches awkwardly, not sure if she should join in or not, before deciding against it. She’d been hanging back, in a corner of the room, politely nodding along but not really a part of the group.

“Hearing she’s gone…” Vanilla said. “It feels like… oh Gaia, I’m going to have to tell Aleena… Please excuse me for a minute, I need to gather my thoughts.”

Sonic then sped out of the hug, pulling Sally over. “Hey, you’re my sis’ girlfriend right? Come on, get in over here!”

Sally choked. “Excuse me?”

“Wait, I thought you were…” Sonic blinked. “Wow, I thought you too were pretty tight.”

Sonia’s face was turning pinker. “I barely know her! She helped sneak me out of the castle, and needs my help, but we-”

Manic looked back and forth between the two. “Okay, I’ve gotta be honest here. I thought it was like a political marriage, given you were like a princess. Which is pretty sweet, by the way. Means Cream’s not gonna have to worry about her college funds!”

Sally buried her face in her hands, still blushing.

“I'll have you know Soleanna does not do arranged marriages, and has not for its entire history!” Sonia all but shrieked. “Mother always said I should have a choice in a potential wife, not have one thrust upon me!”

“Oh I like her already,” Sonic said. “No rush for any of us to get married, I’m a free-spirited guy and honestly I’d hate to have that ball and chain.”

“So you’re the girl in every town type then?” Sonia raised an eyebrow.

“Ewwww, no!” Sonic groaned, looking positively revolted by the idea. “Gross! I mean sure I’ve got fangirls, but no! Do you know how much of my life I’d have to give up if I wanted to settle down? No can do, sis!”

“That being said,” Sonia said. “Mother did somehow seem to notice I was into the fairer sex from a very young age. Gently asking if I thought a woman was pretty and such. I thought she was looking for a wife for herself, not a girlfriend for me!”

Manic just laughed his head off.

“My brother has plenty of fangirls too,” Cream piped up, hopping in place. “Mother’s waiting for the day he brings one home for dinner! Everyone seems scared of mommy though, not sure why!”

-----

Vanilla, outside, choked back tears hearing the four siblings start to get along. It seemed in spite of everything, the whole world trying to tear them apart, they were laughing and joking like they’d known each other for years. Her heart stitched itself back together, starting to slowly heal.

“We should never have listened to that old aardvark,” she mused. “Though our children have all grown up to be healthy teenagers, Aleena, they shouldn’t have had to grow up without one another. Not alone, no, they’ve never been alone. But they should have been aware of one another from the start. Aleena, please, I can’t do this alone. Longclaw’s dead, Rosemary’s dead, and that stupid prophecy's forced you out of their lives.”

It wasn’t right, she mused. It wasn’t right at all. Finally, she gave up on holding back the tears and just let them flow, crying for old friends and what might have beens in another, kinder world.

-----

“Oh, cr… crumbs, I forgot,” Sonic said, correcting himself mid-sentence seeing Cream was still in the room. In a blue blur and a crackle of electricity, he rushed off, returning only but a moment later. “Sorry, I had to grab these. I brought Chili dogs!  Sorry if I didn’t really bring enough, I’m not sure if you're vegan or not so I had to think about that and I don’t have a full wallet of rings right now. Maybe I can like run off, do some more chores. I’m an idiot, I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about you bringing friends.”

Sonia gently swatted him on the arm, chiding him, saying: “Please don’t depreciate yourself like that. I’m not having my brother call himself an idiot in front of me. Sure you didn’t receive the same higher education I did but you’re no idiot.”

“T-Thanks…” Sonic stammered out in shock. “...Like, wow, is this what having a sister is like?”

“Not sure, is this what having a brother is like?” Sonia asked. “I’m not sure myself, I was always an only child.”

“Not now, you’re not!” Sonic grinned.

“Breath Sonic, it's fine,” Vanilla insisted, upon returning a few moments later. At some point, Sally had excused herself, to go scout the rest of the bunker. “I made sure to bring plenty of food along with us, and your sister’s brought some smoked salmon as well.”

Sonic nodded, taking a gulp of fresh air. “...sorry, it’s just, it’s all new to me.”

“Don’t apologize,” Sonia soothed. “This is all new to me too. I wasn’t expecting things to change for me so quickly. My brain’s still playing catch up, I wasn’t gifted with your speed.”

“Yeah, but you got swol!” Sonic grinned. “I’ve seen gorillas less jacked than you! Someone drinks their milk!”

“Speed, strength, and stealth,” Manic said aloud. “It sounds like something from a cartoon. We make the perfect trio!”

“Just try and keep up,” Sonic said. “I don’t want to leave you in my dust, but I will if I have to!”

“Speaking of keeping up, was that mom’s old bike outside?” Manic asked. “I mean… I don’t mean to assume, but… it’s kinda a junker. Was mom cheap or just planning to fix it up at one point?”

“You mean Miss Vanilla, or like Aleena?” Sonic asked.

Sonia groaned. “Actually, sorry, that’s mine. Had to make do, not all of us have airships or can go a mile a minute.”

“Wait, why didn't your mom just buy you a good bike before you left?” Manic asked before grinning. “Oh, did you sneak out? I’m proud of you sis, I thought I was supposed to be the sneaky one!” 

Sonia snorted. “So you think I’m here out of an act of teenage rebellion?”

“No, I’m just wondering if we should be worried about your entire kingdom coming down on top of our heads. Locking us up for kidnapping and throwing away the key, that’s all,” Manic went on, before realizing his sister wasn’t laughing anymore. “...okay, what’d I say?”

“You okay, sis?” Sonic asked, cautiously.

Sonia hugged herself tightly. “No no, it’s not okay. I’m not okay. In fact, I’m far from as okay as I can be. There was… well, I’ll just come out with it. There was a coup d'etat back home. My mother’s advisors had been slowly taking power for years. What’s worse… the man who trained me? He went along with it. He, of course, made the right choice in the end but… I saw him as a father. Now I might never be able to, ever again!”

Now Sonia was the one crying, and like before Cream was the first to embrace her in a tight hug. Then Sonic, then Manic, then finally Vanilla.

“Oh, I’m so sorry…” Vanilla said, running a calming hand through the girl’s quills. “I wish I could have been there to help you, you might not be my child by blood but I’ve always thought of you as one of my own kits.”

The group shared in the misery, and loss, comforting one another before finally Sonia explained everything.

“...And that's how things ended up this way…” she sighed.

Manic looked ashamed of himself, and said: “...And I was thinking you’d be able to help my sister with her college fund.”

“It's fine, you didn't know,” Sonia shook her head. “And there’s nothing wrong with wanting your little sister to have a better future. Rest assured, when all of this is over, I’ll happily set aside college funds for not just her, but all of my siblings.”

“Thank you…” Manic said, with a tear in his eye.

“Suppose we should hear your tragic backstory too, right?” Sonic asked.

“Sonic!” Sonia hissed.

“No, dude’s got a point, since we’re all sharing here,” Manic said. “Thing is, I don’t actually have a tragic backstory. I mean, mum took me in, raised me with Cream and Cheese and Chocula and Nacho and-”

“Hold on, Nacho?” Sonia asked.

“It’s a thing in our family, we keep the theme going!” Manic said. “If I have a kid, I’m probably gonna name them something cool like… I dunno, Pumpkin Pie! Or Pound Cake!”

“Awwwww…” Sonia cooed. “You’re right, that is cool.”

“I mean… we didn’t have a lot of money, and I had to resort to grand theft larceny to make ends meet but-”

“My brother’s the best,” Cream bragged. “He hasn’t been caught yet!”

“Wait, sorry, you’re a thief?” Sonia asked, while Sonic grinned.

“My brother’s a thief, that’s awesome,” he said. “Hearts and minds, or gold and jewels?”

“Depending on who you ask? Both, dude,” Manic said. “Why, you have something you’ve got your eyes on? New suit, new shoes? I’m your man. Er, kit, I suppose.”

“...my brother’s a thief…” Sonia said, repeating the words.

“Right, sorry, suppose you’re worried about all your royal regalia,” Manic admitted. “Probably shouldn’t have said anything, though I don’t steal anything that can’t be replaced. Oh, and the nails too, usually. Can never have too many of those.”

“No, I’m not mad or disgusted, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Sonia said before breaking out in a grin. “You’ll just be able to help me steal back my kingdom from those wretches, that’s all!”

“Well, since you’re asking…”

“I’ll pay you anything like you like,” Sonia said.

“Nah dudette, I do this for the thrill of it,” Manic said with a dismissive wave. “Besides, you’re my sister. I’m gonna do this job for free!”

Sonia nearly broke into tears again.

-----

“So, Longclaw was like an owl wasn’t she?” Sonia asked over dinner. “Aren’t longclaws like passerine birds or something?”

“The name was well earned,” Vanilla smiled sadly. “Her talons were as sharp as knives, I don’t know if it was ever her real name but it’s what everyone called her.”

“Yeah, cause it sounded-” Sonic said, and Vanilla narrowed her eyes, looking towards Cream. “Awesome, it sounded awesome. That's how it sounded!”

“Yeah, it did…” Vanilla said, with a mournful expression.

“If you don’t wanna talk to us about her, like we totally understand,” Manic said. “We’re not gonna press dude, like this should all be in your own time.”

“Thanks,” Sonic said, before biting off a piece of his chili dog. Mid-chew, he said: “You haven’t touched any of your chili dogs, oh well I guess that means more for me. Gotta keep my strength up, right?”

“Kinda hard to eat with you sitting across the table acting like you’ve never learned table manners in your life,” Sonia said as some spittle hit her in the face. “Like, ewwwww… Gross!”

“Don’t talk and chew at the same time, please,” Vanilla said. “It’s incredibly rude and quite unsanitary.”

“Mother would be appalled,” Sonia agreed, thinking of how Elise would act if she saw this. “Have some class, and attempt to at least show better table manners. She’d ban you from the table if she saw you right now. You’re making a spectacle of yourself, and not the good kind.”

“Sorry, it's been a bit since I’ve had dinner with anyone,” Sonic said, after swallowing. “Well, anyone not named Longclaw and she was always like eating rats and voles.”

“She didn’t pass that onto you, did she?” Manic asked. “I mean, I’m not gonna judge, but I just wanna know ahead of time so I won’t freak out if I see you devouring a rat whole. You do that creepy 360 head degree spin or something too?”

“That’s a horror film, Manic,” Sonia said. “Owls only rotate their heads 180 degrees.”

“It’s still freaky!” Manic said. “What, is their head on a swivel or something?”

“It does take some getting used to, I admit,” Vanilla mused. “Longclaw has… Well, had great hearing. She could hear naughty children plotting how to sneak away from royal etiquette lessons from across a room.”

“Yeah, she always seemed to know when I was coming home, a minute before I actually got there!” Sonic snorted. “She said I shouldn’t sneak out, I never knew why since she could always find me wherever I was anyway. Besides, guy needed to stretch his legs, instead of running around the garden. Those ruins freaked me out, it was like all those creepy owl faces were watching me.”

“They probably were,” Sonia said. “I’ve heard legends that owls never really pass on, they watch over their descendants. I thought it was just like wishful thinking, a nice thought but only fiction. But… then again, maybe it isn’t…”

“I know you’re just trying to make me feel better,” Sonic said, frantically scarfing down another chili dog. Swallowing, he went on: “Stop, you don’t have to. Longclaw’s gone, and if she was a ghost, I woulda seen her by now. She’s not haunting me, she just can’t be.”

“She could be, and you’re just too stubborn to listen for-”

“No, I know what I’ve heard, and what I’ve heard is Longclaw going radio silent on me,” Sonic said, tensing up, gripping the table tightly with gloved hands. “She hasn’t said a word, because she can’t. Because she’s-”

“Alright, that’s enough of that,” Vanilla said, Sally having been watching this whole exchange with an awkward expression. “Sonia, please don’t pressure your brother. Let’s change the subject, towards something a bit less depressing, alright?”

“Yeah, no, you can talk about whatever you want,” Sonic said, getting up from the table. “I’ve got to take a leak, I’ll be right back.”

Manic shared a look with Cream, neither clearly believing him given the previous events. The little rabbit mouthed: “Go on! Talk to him!” to her brother, gently shoving him after Sonic.

Manic nodded a little thanks to his little sister, pushing his chair back in. He’d only known his brother for about half a day, but even he could see that Sonic was clearly carrying a lot of baggage.

He probably hadn’t had anyone to really talk to about any of this for years, the other hedgehog thought suppressing a wince. As in, talk to about it, not just talk around the subject. It wasn’t healthy, sure okay he didn’t really have a tragic backstory or anything like that and maybe that meant he was being a busybody. But Manic didn’t want to see his brother suffering alone like this.

His only family up until now had been an owl, and from the sounds of it they’d been living on the fringes of civilization. Sure, his hometown was pretty quiet and not exactly a bustling metropolis, but at least he had neighbors. From the sounds of it, the nearest neighbors his brother had was miles away. He couldn’t exactly blame his mum, or Aleena or Longclaw for any of that.

Starline wanted all three of them dead all to secure his place on the throne. A bit of paranoia was justified, right? All the same…

“I’ll be right back,” Manic lied. “I need to get some air, this place is almost suffocating. Might need a potted plant or two.”

With that, he followed after his brother, not to the front entrance.

“...okay, who wants salmon?” Sally finally said after a few moments, breaking the silence. “If none of you are gonna eat it, I’ll poach it for myself. Any takers? Going once, going twice…”

“Fine, I’ll have some,” Sonia said, eyes on the door. On her brother’s retreating form.

“Would you like me to feed it to you, Princess?” Sally grinned and laughed at the shy look on the hedgehog’s face.

-----

He’d been seven, at the time. He’d gone out for another run, come home with bruises and cuts. Just kid stuff, really. Gotten into some scrapes, and managed to find his way back home despite wincing in pain.

“...uh, sorry,” he’d laughed at the time. “This is probably the point where you say ‘I told you so’ right?”

She just smiled and shook her head, the ancient owl hopping off her perch and kneeling down at his level. “Well I suppose you learned a lesson today after all. Even if it was not the one I’d originally planned.”

“You're not mad?” Sonic asked, sniffling.

“Oh I’m mad alright but I figured you’ve already been punished enough today,” Longclaw said, and sonic winced as she put the stingy stuff across a scrape on his knee. “I think… the experience will probably teach you more than words from me ever will.”

“...right, sorry mama,” Sonic said. “I just, I saw those mean looking birds creeping around the ruins again.”

“Jet, Storm and Wave?” Longclaw asked, before sighing and rubbing her head with her wing feathers. “Yes, I know who they are.”

“You do?”

“Yes, they’re descended from the same ancient civilization as I am,” Longclaw mused. “Alas, they seem to have turned to a life of crime, over tutoring the next generation. Arrogance, pride, that was the downfall of the Babylonians. Listen well, Sonic-”

“Is this gonna be another one of your lectures?” he groaned out.

“I suppose it is, yes,” Longclaw said and the young hoglet let out another groan. “And just for that, tomorrow you’re getting another.”

Sonic could only sulk.

“In any event, never forget, there’s always going to be someone more powerful than you,” Longclaw went on. “A bigger fish, you might say.”

“Nobody’s more powerful than you, momma!”

“That probably used to be true, but I’m getting older, Sonic,” Longclaw said. “I’m not as young as I used to be, I’ve got a few creaks in these old bones now. Old age comes for us all, not even you’ll be able to outrun that.”

“I can try!”

“I’m sure you will,” Longclaw said. “Now where was I?”

“That jerk, Jet?”

“Ah yes, him. I suppose I can’t fault him, not entirely, the world’s a harsh place. Aruru forgive me for wanting to lie to you about that.”

“I’m not dumb momma, we’re hiding in the mountains for a reason,” Sonic said. “You said you had enemies.”

“Powerful ones, and I’m not asking you to become my champion. You shouldn’t have to fight for me, my son,” Longclaw said, holding him in her massive, graying wings.

“But I’m your son, of course I’m always gonna protect you, mama!”

“You shouldn’t fight my battles, Sonic,” Longclaw said. “My problems should be my own, not yours.”

“Jet has enemies too, right?”

“He’ll make them on his path,” Longclaw admitted. “Nobody’s free of enemies, there’s always going to be someone standing in someone else’s way. Pride goeth before the fall, as they say. Jet’s gonna have to learn that one fast, if he wants to… Well, I suppose that’s neither here nor there. There used to be 40 thieves, passing their mantles down from one generation to the next. Now there’s only Jet and his two young friends.”

“He seemed like he was bossing them around, he didn’t seem very friendly to me…”

“He’s led a harsh life, and those two are true companions if they’ve stuck by his side for this long,” Longclaw soothed. 

“Can’t you help him, like you’re helping me?”

“If only…” the old owl replied, looking out across the mountains from their hut. Outside, the whole world, an adventure calling out to them. To Sonic.

He felt like the whole world was waiting for him, even if his mama didn’t want him to go just yet. She said it was still too dangerous for him, that he wasn’t fast enough.

…so when was he going to be fast enough? When?

“Sadly, Jet and his two companions don’t want to be helped,” Longclaw admitted, tending to his quills. “I can’t do anything, alas, not if they don’t want me to.”

“They’re idiots then,” Sonic decided, as Longclaw plucked out several stray quills with her beak. “You’re always so wise and seem to have an answer to everything!”

“I’m not all knowing, as much as I’d like to be,” Longclaw sighed, and yep there was that sigh again.

She seemed to beat herself up a lot, losing herself in her head and sometimes he’d caught her saying how she wished she could have helped her. Helped who? 

Longclaw hadn’t told him everything, she kept secrets from him. For his own good, she’d probably say. For his safety, he knew she’d tell him. 

He was the fastest thing alive! He could do anything! Outrun anyone! Nothing could stop him!

“If you spot Jet or any of his companions around here, come tell me and do not go after them,” Longclaw said. “Whatever you do, don’t let them see you again. I’m thankful that even they know to respect my privacy. Honor amongst thieves, really.”

“You stole something, mama?”

“Something of great value,” she replied, and for a moment, he thought she was looking right at him. Maybe he was imagining it. “Something someone would do anything to find.”

“...That makes sense, I guess… Should I be worried?”

“No, don’t worry, I’ll protect you with my life wh… if the time comes,” Longclaw said.

Sonic wished he’d picked up on the slip of the tongue, then.

He wished he’d questioned her more, in general. Maybe then he wouldn’t have felt like he got her killed. Maybe he could have urged her to run with him.

They could have outrun anyone, with his speed! Fastest thing alive, right?

“Just… not fast enough…” he muttered, feeling a hand on his back. Black eyes met blue, a flicker of angry blue electricity running through his own.

“Why, do you want to know so we can run again?” Sonic asked. “It’s not the first time we’ve moved, just what are we running from? What enemies do you have?”

“Believe me Sonic, it’s-”

“For my own good that I don’t know?” Sonic groaned. “That’s what you always say. You say I’m supposed to be a secret, why? It’s not like anyone could see me, not with how fast I move!”

“I’m just being cautious,” Longclaw replied. “Only the paranoid survive, I suppose. Maybe I’m too paranoid in my old age.”

“No mama, you just want to protect me…”

“And I always will.”

Lies! She’d lied to him! She wasn’t here now, she should have been! She should be meeting the rest of his family!

“But I suppose after I finish patching you up we can play some of your video games, just to get my mind off my past mistakes. How about that racing game with the plumber you like?”

Sonic grinned then paused. “Hey, you always cheat at that one!”

“I do not cheat. You simply mash buttons rather than actually learn the controls.”

Sonic rolled his eyes “Yeah, well I just gotta keep mashing buttons and I’ll win!”

Longclaw chuckled and gave a wistful smile. “You’re so much like she was at that age…”

“Like who was?”

“That's a story for another time, I’m afraid,” Longclaw said as she got up and stretched.

“I'm gonna pick my favorite character!”

“No you won't as the space princess is for good children who don't skip their lectures and seeing as I was there, I get to play as her.”

“No fair…” Sonic whined.

The two then spent the rest of the evening playing games, with Longclaw giving a frustrated squawk.

“Blasted Blue Shells,” the owl hooted, gripping the controller.

“Hahaha I may not be able to beat you, but I sure can still make you lose to the PC!”

In the present, Manic wrapped an arm around his brother.

“She sounded like such a great mom.”

“She was…” Sonic admitted. “The best.”

“I’m sure she’s proud of you.”

“I… you think so? I wish I could agree with you…”

“Don’t worry man,” Manic said, looking over his shoulder apparently seeing something he couldn’t. Or maybe someone, Sonic dared to hope before brushing it aside. Longclaw was dead and gone. There wasn’t any way to change that.

“I’m sure she is, dude.”

-----

“So does anyone want this last chill dog or…?” Sonic asked as he returned to the table. His fingers twitched, hovering over the greasy food. “Because if there’s no takers, I'm gonna steal it for myself.”

Everyone just nodded, giving him the go-ahead. 

“Sweet, I’m just gonna save you for later then,” Sonic said, rocking the dog like a swaddled baby in his arms. Sniffing the food, he let out a happy sigh. “Gotta savor it. Now none of you touch my boy here, I’m gonna go explore. Didn’t get much of a chance to, not when I was getting thrown around by that metalhead.”

“...if that’s his boy, does that make it cannibalism if he eats it…?” Manic wondered aloud. “Like is that familicide?”

Sonic then let out a shout from a nearby room, and rushed back in.

“SONIA CAN I BORROW YOUR SWORD PLEASE? Trust me! Oh this… THIS IS GONNA BE SO COOOOL!”

“Uh sure?” Sonia blinked, handing him her sword even if she wasn’t entirely sure why. 

Her expression was one of almost immediate regret as Sonic rushed off and returned with a green pillowcase fashioned into a hat. Pulling on some old green coat, he ripped the arms off, wearing it like a tunic.

“... I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I’m still disappointed,” Sonia deadpanned.

“THE LEGENDARY HERO IS HERE!” Sonic said, as he pointed her sword forward. “With this blade, I shall smite Dr. Starline and restore peace to the land! This blade is every evil’s bane!”

Manic laughed while Sonia gained a twitchy eye looking about ready to commit murder, saying: “...I thought legendary heroes were all actions speaking louder than words…”

“Hmmmpf, he’s supposed to wear blue,” Cream harrumphed, the rabbit crossing her arms.

“Well, excuuuuuse me, Princess,” Sonic teased. Cream just blew him a raspberry in response.

“Hey, if you ask me, green’s totally the best color,” Manic said, with a grin.

Sonia, finally having had enough, marched up to her brother and ripped the sword back out of his hands. “I will not have you continuing to insult swords like that. First off, he used a LONG sword, which combined with his shield makes for an elegant and beautiful style. That is not the art I practice.”

“She’s like that one ‘art of the blade’ meme, but for real,” Manic joked. “And instead of inner strength…”

Sonia’s eyes were sparkling, as she held up her blade.

“This is a bastard sword,” Sonia explained, Cream gasping. “Not a-”

“You said a bad word, now you’ve gotta put five rings in the jar,” the little rabbit said, holding up said jar. “Fork ‘em over!”

“You little scam artist…” Sonia said as Manic and his brother laughed their asses off in the background. “You sound like my mother, it’s not a curse word. It’s exactly what the sword’s called.”

Cream puffed out her cheeks. “Nuh-uh! You're just trying to get out of trouble, just like Manic did when he got caught!”

Manic blushed, the loss of 5 rings was the least of his problems that day. He could still taste the soap!

Vanilla walked in, pinching the bridge of her nose and under her breath she said: “...Aleena, this is definitely your fault. I’m blaming you for this one. She had to inherit your love of the blasted things.”

“Mom, Sonia said a bad word!” Cream said.

“Cream she is not wrong in this case, as that is the proper name so she can't be punished for it,” the mother rabbit said, seeing the mischievous scheming only a child could have right on her daughter's face “Also, Cream you are not to say that word outside of the context of swordsmanship and even then ONLY when talking directly about it.”

Cream pouted. 

“As I was saying this kind of sword is designed to be wielded with either one hand,” Sonia said, and swung it going through some training stances. “Or when you need extra power!”

This time, another series of swings, with more weight behind them.

“And something I can do when I really want to put some heft into it…” Sonia said, bulking up, cutting through the air with mighty muscles.

Cream stared star struck, as Sonia then tossed her blade up in the air and it landed in the sheath on her back in one single maneuver. Sonia bowed, as her brothers clapped.

Sonic swore Sally was drooling.

“Like mother, like daughter, right down to the showing off,” Vanilla said, with a fond smile. Snapping her fingers, she then said: “Ah, now I remember why I came in here. “I’ve got something for all three of you. Now, I’m not sure if they still work or ever will again but they’re powerful artifacts used by Rosemary, Aleena and myself once upon a time. Now I’m passing them to you since you’ve come of age.”

The triplets came forwards as she opened the box in her hand. Three gray stones floated out of it, color returning to the gemstones as they latched themselves around the trio’s necks. One green, one blue and one pink and there was a Sound echoing through the room.

A single guitar chord, a single Note played cutting through the stunned silence. Then, drums and piano followed after it, a single note becoming a song.

“And now our power… is yours.”

Chapter Text

Starline frowned, drumming his fingers on the computer console, rewinding and watching the footage again. Just before the feed went dark, and his mecha echidna was destroyed, he saw all three of the royal siblings, standing united after a decade apart.

“So… that old aardvark told the truth,” the man frowned. “The prophecy’s coming true after all. Well now, we can’t have that, can we? Alas, prototype 1 is an apparent failure, at least in some respects. But in others…”

He chuckled, getting up off his seat and heading back into his laboratory. He chuckled, remembering how he’d turned the seat of the former queen’s power into his personal palace. Oh, he’d kept most of the interior, but any reminders of its former resident had been stripped out, and given the torch. It was a shame that so much history had to be lost, but he’d never really cared about the past.

The future, now that bore more consideration. History was called that for a reason, and the former queen’s rule was ancient history. One lineage, ruling over an entire country? It didn’t seem fair at all, nobody got to choose for themselves who ruled them.

The Queen had to go, simple as that. His… former partner may have been completely mad, and a terrible failure, but he had the right idea. Aleena’s rule simply had to come to an end, just not by his hands.

It took someone with real vision to lead Mobius into the future, an age of steel. Mobius didn’t need to be ruled by someone who used cheap magic tricks, no it needed a more… scientific approach to bring it into the modern era before the rest of the world left it behind.

“Their abilities are within the parameters that I’d calculated for their age,” the scientist grinned, his lab coat billowing behind him almost like a cape. “With that in mind, I believe it’s time to resume that little project of mind. Robotnik dismissed it, he said machines were the way forward. I believe otherwise. An entire robot army couldn’t handle one woman!”

He scowled, one woman who had far too much power. Giving up the Chaos Emeralds, he hadn’t seen that coming and apparently neither had his mutual acquaintance.

His mind drifted, memories briefly returning to the past. He’d been working tirelessly in his lab, seething in anger and continuing his research out of pure spite.

“So Robotnik dismissed me, it doesn’t matter. He’s been defeated, all because he gave up right at the 30 yard line. He was so close to having it all, and he just surrendered. That coward, I bet on the wrong horse it seems. If you want something done right…”

Behind him, a flash of light and a crack of smoke.

“You’re Aleena’s Oracle. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Are you here to gloat? I thought something like that was beneath you. Listen up, I refuse to submit to whatever fate you see for me in your tea leaves or whatever it is you use,” Starline growled out.

“No no, I’m not here for that,” the old aardvark shook his head, tapping his gnarled wooden staff against the floor. “I thought you might actually be interested in hearing about one possible future, that’s all. You might find it… interesting.”

“One?” the doctor asked, quirking an eyebrow. “You’re not doing yourself any favors, failing to convince me you’re here to do more than just gloat.”

“I’m only here to offer some simple advice,” the seer said, his eyes seeming to glow under his hood. “I am, effectively, a neutral party. I only see futures, the blame for them not working out can’t be laid at my feet. That’s down to incompetence on the subject’s part.”

“Such as Robotnik’s?”

“Indeed,” the seer said, his eyes flashing.

“I’m listening,” Starline said. “But you’ve got five minutes, I’m a very busy man after all.”

“So I can see, already forming plans in your head on how to pick up where Robotnik left off. Such a shame, really, I told him what awaited him, a potential path to victory and at the last moment… Oh well, one future came true, it just wasn’t the one I told him about.”

“So you pit Aleena and Julian up against one another, all to see which future won out?” Starline asked. “I didn’t know you were a gambler. Oh, if Aleena knew, she’d have your head. Queens don’t tend to take kindly to high treason.”

“Nothing like that, I assure you,” the seer said. “I want what’s best for Mobius, in the end. I simply saw two potential paths into the nation’s future.”

“Get to the point,” Starline growled, about tired of the old coot’s riddles. “Your five minutes are nearly up, you’ve only got about two left.”

“Oh well, patience is apparently wasted on the youth of today. In any event, I can assure you that victory will come from your planned first attack but if the queen and her children were to die it will not lead to your rule,” the Oracle said, his eyes seeming to look right through him. “Not for long, anyway. You’d have countless resistances popping up, for decades to come, all in their name. Endless variables you could never account for.”

“And if they live?” the doctor asked, already way past annoyed with this old fool

“They will be separated, and bide their time lying in wait. I admit, I’d never thought I’d see Aleena willingly giving up her family but I didn’t see her giving up the power of the gods either. In 11 years the triplets will reunite and follow in their mothers footsteps and build a resistance to your rule. That’s where the path splits in two.”

“I assume you’ve already told Aleena this? You’re not stacking the deck in my favor,” Starline said. “No, you’re playing both sides, so each of us have a fair shot.”

“I tried to tell her,” the Oracle sighed. “She dismissed me. She wants to defy fate, run and hide from the future. Alas, that’s something you can never do, no matter how powerful you are or how strong your convictions might be. Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same.”

Starline actually laughed. “I’m not sure who’s more arrogant, you or her. Still, might as well get on with it. What should I expect?”

“In one path the triplets reunite with their mother and successfully defeat you. They bring back peace to the land and having successfully saved the world twice now the kingdom of Mobius becomes the supreme power of the world. All bow down to it, a tiny kingdom ushering in 1000 golden years of peace, all due to the power of Chaos. Chaos is power, enriched by the heart and the controller unifies it.”

“And the other future? The one you believe I want to hear?” Starline said, slouching and sounding utterly bored.

“In another the triplets gather all who would oppose you together and you wipe them all out spreading terror across the world. None would dare oppose you ever again, and the age of steel rules the world. Mechanical might, replacing the old with the new.”

Starline grinned, sitting up in his chair as he suddenly became interested. “You’re right, I did want to hear that. But what’s in it for you, aside from knowing how infallible your visions are and patting yourself on the back for a job well done?”

“As an oracle, it is my duty to offer advice on the future to all important figures who have the ability to shape the future,” the Seer said. “I’m only doing what the gods ask me to do, I’m their voice so I speak for them.”

“Ah, I see how it is,” Starline said, waving him off. “Go on, off you pop. I’ve got plans to enact, and things to do. Very well, I’ll let those multicolored menaces escape, run and hide like the rats they really are. But if I see a chance to wipe them out before the decade’s over, I’ll take it.”

The Seer started to fade away, with a sigh, saying: “That’s your choice…”

Starline had to resist the urge to do a little jig, and clack his heels together as he let out a triumphant laugh. Rushing around the room, he flipped on a computer, his mountain chateau becoming his war room. 

“Aleena’s banking her kingdom’s future on her children,” Starline said, his fingers clacking away on a keyboard. Onscreen, several photos of young Mobians appeared and a grin slid across the platypus’ bill.

“Maybe I should take a page out of her book, and get children of my own. I’ve never been interested in women, and I wouldn’t want to put them through the ‘joy’ of childbirth. So, that leaves adoption!” he said, with a snap of his fingers. 

Leaning back in his chair, he put his boots up on the console and took off his glasses to clean them.

“War always leaves behind plenty of orphans, and… well, I’ll be making more of those soon,” he laughed. “I’ll need to enhance them of course but the materials for that are… expensive and hard to acquire, even for me. I’ll have to use them wisely, and not waste them. I have some tests to do, and I guess I’ll have to see who passes them. As for the failures? Well, I’ll do what everyone else does with bad product, dispose of them…”

Back in the present…

“Mhmmmmgh…” the mad doctor frowned. “I’ve only got about five left, everyone else has been… less than satisfactory. Oh well, I guess there’s nothing for it. I’ve got to keep tasting. As irritating as those little runts are, I have to break Aleena’s stranglehold on the world somehow. The future is calling!”

A robotic voice spoke over the intercom, and he sighed. Speaking of irritations…

“Sir, Locke is here to see you.”

“Let him in…” the platypus groaned. “Prepare him a cup of tea, he’s a guest after all. There’s no need to be rude. We’re taking over the world here, we should at least have a little bit of civility!”

-----

“...have to say, gonna miss her,” Manic said, looking back at his mum’s zeppelin. Little by little, the air was slowly let out of the blimp, the massive cloth falling from the frame. “But, well, it is what it is, right?”

“You only took, what, one flight in her?”

“Two, actually, though okay yeah I don’t even remember the first one but still!” Manic said to his brother. “It’s a zeppelin, like my dude how many people can say they’ve ridden in one of those?”

“Didn’t they stop making them, because of their tendency to self-destruct and go crashing to the ground in huge fireballs?” Sonic replied. “I mean, I dunno about you, but I like my quills the way they are! Blue, and not covered in ash. The only time I wanna look like a mummy is on Halloween!”

“You’re just afraid of heights, aren’t you?” Manic said, teasingly and smiled. So this was what having a brother was like. It was… yeah, it was nice.

“No, I’m afraid of someone reading my obituary. I can see it now, Sonic Maurice Hedgehog, died in a huge flaming fireball after flying in a creaky old zeppelin.”

“She’s not creaky,” Sonia said. “She had character!”

“Had, as in past tense, as in once upon a time,” Sonic was swift to reply, like everything else he did.

“He’s just afraid of heights,” Sonia said, tapping the side of the zeppelin with a hand. “Don’t you listen to him, old girl, okay?”

“Tooooootally,” Manic agreed. “Don’t worry old girl, we’re not trading you in for a better model or anything. You’re still numero uno in my heart. Cross my heart.”

“I’m not afraid of heights!” Sonic said. “I’m a thrillseeker, a daredevil. I can, and will go hog wild! Name a time and place, and I’ll be down for whatever you wanna do. My dudes, I’d stand on top of a biplane if I could, because I’m that awesome.”

“In flight, or when it’s still on the ground?” Manic said, unable to resist.

“Oh you shut up!”

“Boys,” Vanilla said, chiding them. 

“Sorry ma’am/mum.”

Manic gave a sad smile to his brother, knowing he wasn’t quite ready to call Vanilla his mom. Not after, well. He’d just have to give it time.

Crapbaskets, it seemed both of his siblings had it rough. Sonia, even though she’d been the only one of them still living the high life as actual royalty, had been stabbed in the back and forced to leave it all behind.

Not that there was anything wrong with being a filthy commoner! It was just… Well, for her all of this was completely new. She hadn’t spent time with the lower class, not like he had. 

Guess it was up to him to show her how the cool kids lived it! 

Manic paused, seeing an older Mobian in a robe standing in front of him, between two cars. The Mobian held up a bag of chips, biting into one of them and Manic shivered. It looked like the old aardvark was looking right through him and he blinked instinctively. 

“I’ll be seeing you soon…” he said. Then, he was gone.

Like he’d never been there to begin with…

“...hey, did you guys see…?” the hedgehog asked. “Like you guys saw that, right?”

“Saw what?” Sonic asked. 

“Creepy old guy, like he was right here eating a bag of chips. I swear, he was looking right at me,” Manic said. “It was totally freaking me out!”

“Uh, what guy?” Sonic asked. “I don’t see any creepy old guy. You sure the heat’s not getting to you? Maybe you should go lie down.”

“But he was just…” Manic trailed off, his voice going into a low disbelieving whisper. “He was right there, I swear!”

He rubbed his eyes, and shook his head. Maybe Sonic was right, maybe he had imagined him.

“You sure about this, mum?” he asked, looking back at the zeppelin now hidden away amongst the trees. “I know you’ve got a lot of memories related to the old girl. Can’t be easy, leaving her behind.”

“No, it’s not…” the rabbit smiled sadly. “But… she’s too recognizable. Starline, he knows exactly what she looks like and we’d never get clearance to land her anywhere. He’s got his claws everywhere, we need another mode of transportation.

“And you’re sure we’ll find it here?” Manic asked skeptically, looking down at the used car lot as it came into view. “I mean, I’m sure they’ve all got character but if you want, I can totally sneak into somebody’s manor and y’know… I doubt they’ll miss their motorhome when they can just buy another.”

“Too risky,” Vanilla replied. “That mecha echidna, it had the time to send everything it saw back to Starline. He knows who we are, we shouldn’t take unnecessary risks.”

“Pffft, yeah, risks. I haven’t been caught before and I’m certainly not gonna just ruin my rep now,” Manic said. “But… you’re the boss, mum.”

As they approached, a pig walked out dressed in a suit that Manic immediately pegged as fake. He’d seen enough knock offs worn by Clutch to discern them from the real deal by this point. The man wore an eye-patch over one of his eyes, and a fez atop his head.

“Ah, customers! Just call me Waddles, and yes the eyepatch is real!”

Sonic's eyes lit up and he started to dash forwards, shouting: “This guy is so cool!”

“Uh, no,” Sonia said, pulling him backwards. “I mean, come on, that suit clearly isn’t even off the rack. Like, it doesn’t even fit him and it’s sooooooo last season.”

“It’s worse than that sis,” Manic leaned in to whisper, and behind his back was making hand signs. Two chao nodded, and two flew off out of sight. “That’s not even a designer brand suit, it’s a cheap knock off of one.”

“Oh, ewwww, by Gaia you’re right,” Sonia shuddered on a second look. “I didn’t know you had an eye for fashion, brother dear.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that. I just know what something’s worth,” he replied. “Between you and me, that suit? It’s worth way less than what that dude paid for it.”

“So he’s not just shady as hell, he’s cheap,” Sonia said. “Double yuck!”

“So what can I do for you lovely people, hmm? I know what you want, I can see it in your eyes. Something nice, something affordable for all those family camping trips in the summer right?” Waddles said as he grabs sonic and pulls him towards a van that's got a sun roof hanging off the side. “Now this baby, she’s perfect for that and just in your price range!”

Sonic, as if on cue, let out an ‘oooh…’

“Or maybe you need something for that long cross-planet road trip when you take a year off from college,” the man said, guiding the blue blur over to another van on the lot. “Trust me, we’ve got something for everyone, even when they didn’t know they needed it!”

“Enough!” Sonia finally shouted, putting her foot down. “Let’s not do that whole thing where you keep showing us things we don’t need. Stop giving us the runaround, what we want and what we need is a tour bus. We’re an up and coming rock band.”

“Well why didn't you say so?” Waddles grinned, his eyes already going ‘ka-ching’ and seeing dollar signs. “Here, right this way, miss!”

“No, don’t do that. We will look them over, and decide for ourselves. Capiche?” 

The pig looked suitably cowed and Manic could very easily imagine his sister using the Royal Voice when holding court.

“The royal We even, nice…” he said, high-fiving his sister.

“Sis, why are you being so rude to this guy, he’s got a fez and it’s a universally known fact that fezzes are cool,” Sonic said. “Like, he’s even got an eyepatch! That’s hardcore!”

“...have you ever watched any TV in your life? Used car salesmen are always super shady as fu… as fudge,” Manic corrected himself, seeing the glare from his mum.

Waddles, going ignored, was seething.

“...actually, no?” Sonic admitted, with a shrug. “Lived with an owl, in some temple ruins, remember?”

“Oh right. My bad,” Manic said. “But yeah, this dude? Totally not on the up and up. I haven’t seen something this oily since that time there was that spill in the gulf.”

“Alright, I see what we’ve got here,” Waddles said, his fingers miming rubbing two coins together as he nodded at a particularly worn out bus. “You think you’re pretty smart, huh? That you know the game? 500,000 rings!”

Vanilla gasped and Sonia looked appalled.

“Hmmm, let’s see, I’ve got… oh, ooooh oh yeah, that is pricy,” Sonic muttered, checking his wallet. “I’m 10 rings shy of…”

“500,000?” Sonia asked. “Please say you’re secretly loaded? I can’t even access my monthly allowance right now!”

“Actually I was going to say I was 10 rings shy of, um, well, 10 rings,” Sonic said. “But I can lie about it if it makes you feel any better.”

Sonia moaned in pain like she’d been shot.

“Just curious sis, but what’s your monthly allowance? Maybe we can give him an IOU,” Sonic said. “Hear that, we can give you an IOU and call it a solid!”

“Nah, man, everything’s negotiable,” Manic said, having tuned out his siblings’ argument. “500,000 for that hunk of junk. Come on dude, who do you think you’re fooling? It’s not even worth half that. 250,000.”

“Do we even have 250,000?” Cream whispered, pulling on his fur. “I don’t think anyone has a piggy bank big enough to have that much.”

Manic heard his mum give out a sigh, before finally saying: “We don't have that many rings but… I’ve got something that’s worth that much.”

Vanilla reached into her clothes, unclasping something and fishing it out. Manic’s eyes widening, seeing the choker made out of pure platinum and authentic jewelry. He suppressed a gasp, he didn’t even know his mum had something like that lying around.

But then… given how valuable it was, Clutch would probably do anything to have it. The craftsmanship wasn't exactly stellar but the materials alone had to be worth a King’s fortune. 

Or a queen’s… he realized.

“Oh, it’s beautiful…” Cream said. “Wowee!”

“Mum, are you sure?” Manic stammered out.

“Well, I don’t really have any use for it now, do I?” his mum admitted. “I’ve been holding onto it all these years, but… well, I’m sure she’d understand.”

Manic didn’t have to ask who ‘she’ was, just by the sad look in her eyes. He suppressed a growl, his quills flattening against his back. No, this wasn’t acceptable! Aleena, she’d given that to her because… No, that wasn’t Waddles’ to just buy off her!

“Never did find out what she wanted to tell me…” the rabbit mused to herself.

Waddle's eyes sparkled brighter than the jewels, snatching the choker out of Vanilla’s paws. “Yes… yes, I see. This looks valuable but it’s going to be hard to find a buyer. I sell cars, not jewelry but… mhmm, yeah, give me some time.”

“We’re on a tight schedule,” Vanilla’s expression hardened. “Make time.”

“NOW YOU LISTEN HERE YOU BIG MEANIE!” Cream shouted, stamping her foot, and marching up to the now sweating pig. “My mother is offering up, to her, the most cherished thing in the world and you… you’re saying that’s not enough? How cheap are you!”

“Well I, uh…” Waddles stammered out

“My brother even said this thing is not worth what you're charging so you're getting more than it's worth already. So now you want even more?”

“300,000,” Manic piped up. “For the bus.”

“Manic, please, I’m sure that…”

“No mum, that’s your choker. I’m not letting this guy just steal it from you.”

Vanilla’s eyes shone with tears as Manic and Waddles went back to haggling back and forth.

“300,000,” Waddles said, the pig stroking his chin. “You’re right, you got me. I’m overcharging you. But I’m a reasonable sort of man, I’m willing to lower my price. One time only offer though, because I feel sorry for you.”

“300,000? That doesn’t include a full tank of gas and the key, so get out of here. 250,000, for a full tank of gas and a new key and I’ll owe you a solid! Just between you and me, I’m secretly royalty, so…” 

Manic paused, letting the sentence hang in the air and waited for the pig to see even more dollar signs.

“Oooh, okay, that’s tempting but,” Waddles paused, getting himself under control. “The last I heard, Queen Aleena’s kids are dead and the kingdom itself was sacked so there’s no royal family, no royal court to even owe favors to. You’re gonna have to try again kid, with a better lie.”

“Ooooh, damn you caught me. I’m a terrible liar, I admit,” Manic said, miming an exaggerated shrug. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t actually even trying. By the way, how much did that safe in your office cost you?”

“Huh?” Waddles asked. “What are you trying to pull, kid?”

“Because,” Manic grinned. “I bet it wasn’t enough. Nine times out of ten, people tend to go for the safe they can actually afford, not the one they need. Ooooh, yeah, always a costly mistake.”

Nacho flew past, holding a bag of rings with Cream right behind him. The second chao tossed the hedgehog a random key fob, and handed it off to Sonic.

“You know what to do, bro!”

“Try everything?” Sonic nodded. “Pffft, yeah, I got this. Be back in a flash!”

In a blur of motion, the speedster raced around the lot trying the key fob with every bus and motorhome there.

“Found it,” Sonic said, returning a few seconds later. “Let’s juice and jam! Everybody on the bus! Next stop, I don’t know where but it won’t be here!”

“When did you even…?” Vanilla turned to her eldest as the group hurried into one of the largest buses on the lot. “You’re a bad influence on Cheese, teaching him to break into safes.”

“Actually, Nacho was the one who broke into the safe. Cheese just grabbed the key,” Manic said. “Big difference, really.”

“We had the money to…”

“No, we didn’t. Not without you having to give up that choker, it was a gift from Aleena right?”

“It… it was,” Vanilla admitted. “A birthday gift.”

“Exactly,” Manic said. “It’s not for sale. Besides, I only steal from creeps who can afford it and that guy? He’s gonna con some other poor sucker out of their rings. This is just karma. What goes around comes around, y’know?”

“He makes a great point,” Sonia added. “I’m not gonna lose any sleep over it.”

“Sorry mum, but I don’t have my license,” Manic admitted sheepishly. “So uh… Can you drive?”

“Now you’re worried about the law?” Vanilla said, heading to the driver’s seat. “You’re having us commit larceny and Grand Theft Auto!”

“Grand Theft Bus, if you wanna be pedantic. But, eh true, you caught me,” Manic admitted with another shrug. “You’re the only one who can reach the pedals actually.”

“Don’t forget to buckle up, mommy!” Cream said, finding a seat. Waddles ran up in a rage, only to have the door slammed in his face.

“...so uh, about that IOU,” Manic grinned as he and Sonic shared a laugh. “I guess I owe him a bus!”

“He tried to rip you off,” Sonic said. “Turnabout’s fair play, right? Besides, when we’re rich and famous, we can pay him back. With interest!”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Manic trailed off, looking back at Waddles who was swearing up a storm outside.

“Mommy, he’s saying so many bad words,” Cream said as the bus pulled out of the lot. “I think he needs to throw a few rings into the swear jar.”

In spite of the situation, Vanilla couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“Oh my, such language,” Manic said, jokingly. “You think he kisses anyone with that mouth?”

“You think he’s ever kissed anyone?” Sonic said, before making a face. “Blech!”

“You mean anyone he hasn’t conned into thinking he’s more attractive than he really is?” Sonia deadpanned. “Not really, no.”

“Actually, kissing in general,” Sonic said, pulling a face. “Gross.”

Leaving the lot behind them, Vanilla pointed the bus towards the nearest highway. The world was ahead, and the future beckoned…

-----

Green fields turned to gold, wheat rising from farmer’s fields as endless rows of gleaming crops blowing gently and swaying in the summer wind.

“Another mile and…” Manic mused, holding up a roadmap as the bus rumbled underneath, under the afternoon sky. “It’ll officially be the farthest I’ve ever been from home.”

“Yeah?” Sonia asked. “Which home?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, turning to her.

“You know what I mean, don’t play dumb.”

“I’m not playing dumb, I’m legitimately confused,” Manic said, sheepishly. “Do you mean like home-home or the kingdom of Mobius?”

“Of course I mean Mobius, Manic,” Sonia said. “You remember it too, don’t you?”

“I mean, not really?” Manic admitted, looking out the window as the miles passed them by. “Sure, yeah, I’ve had brief flashes of Mobius, but… they’ve only been flashes. I don’t remember it super well. Does anyone remember anything from that age?”

“...I suppose not,” Sonia sighed. “It’s just… I was hoping you could remember what it was like, y’know? Maybe it’d be easier if you could tell me what I missed.”

“Missed, as in growing up with the Queen?” Manic asked. “I’ll be honest, I’ve wondered myself but… it hasn’t bothered me like too much. If that’s what you’re worried about.”

He slumped into his seat, sun shining through the windows with the hedgehog stretching out in it.

“I suppose that’s probably a good thing,” Sonia said. “Hard to be sad about something you don’t even really remember.”

“You grew up in the lap of luxury, didn’t you?” Manic said, pointedly. “Probably wouldn’t have been that much different.”

“I grew up in a gilded cage,” Sonia nearly snapped, Sally squeezing her hand as it formed into a fist. Clenching the fabric beneath her, the fallen Princess tried to keep her voice even. Hold back the bubbling rage underneath. Her eyes flashed as she said: “I grew up thinking everything around me was paradise. I didn’t know how many people were suffering, dying because the nobility had sold their souls to the devil! They were my subjects, and I failed them!”

She sounded like she was near tears, Sally offering her a handkerchief. Dabbing at her eyes, the hedgehog blew her nose and glared furiously at her brother.

“So don’t pretend that everything was alright for me, don’t lie to me like everyone else did.”

“Hey, woah, cool your jets,” Manic. “Totally not my intent sis, and as long as we’re comparing living situations… I had to steal to make ends meet, to keep that creepy possum out of our house.”

“Creepy possum?” Sonic asked. “Woah, was this guy trying to score a date with your mom? Like if you want, I can be there and back, go beat him up. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“Ewww, no, Clutch was never like that,” Vanilla pulled a face. “He was, ah, overbearing, but never…”

“He was, mum, you don’t have to lie to me,” Manic said. “I saw him making eyes at you when he thought you weren’t looking. He didn’t just want the land, he wanted you. He thought you were his, another prized possession for him to drool over.”

“...you saw that?” Vanilla asked. “I… I’m sorry if you had to see that, son. You didn’t have to resort to stealing to keep him out of our house. I would have showed him the door, his charms-”

“Or lack thereof!” Sonia added, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“-Or yes, his lack thereof,” Vanilla said, with a nod, looking back to the road ahead. Little white lines on the highway crept up on them, orchard trees framing the roadside. “Simply weren’t going to work on me. They never were going to work on me.”

“Because he’s a creep?” Sonia asked.

“No dear, because he’s a man,” Vanilla explained, clenching the wheel tightly before sucking in a breath and letting it out. “I’ve never held much interest in taking anyone male as a mate.”

“Oh, you’re…” Sonia’s eyes widened. “Cool. …wait, no, wait, stop. The way you talk about Aleena, oh… oh no way.”

“Yes way,” Vanilla said, sadly and Sonic turned to stare at her. “Sadly, I don’t think she ever… Or, if she did, she hid it pretty well.”

“...Oh,” Sonia said. “That’s… oooh, oof, yeah that’s pretty sad. It’s like something out of a romance novel, except…”

“More real?” Sonic suggested.

“...yeah,” Sonia slumped, dabbing at her eyes again. “It’s so tragic!”

The bus, eventually pulling over to the side of the road at a nearby gas station, let off its occupants.

“Okay, everyone grab some food to go,” Vanilla said. “That means especially you Sonic, I remember your mother having the exact same metabolism. You don’t have to worry about gaining a few extra pounds with how fast you run. Actually, you might even be faster, so…”

“Really? …man, now I just wanna race!”

“Not now dude,” Manic said, squeezing his arm. “We may be in the middle of nowhere but…”

“Nowhere?” Sonic laughed. “Look around dude, we’re some of the only Mobians for miles around. We’re basically in the boonies.”

“The boonies?” Sonia asked, blinking in confusion. “I’m not sure that’s a word that I’ve heard before.”

Both Manic and Sonic turned to one another with grins.

“Boonies, boondocks,” Manic said. “Same thing. How does it go again? Oh… Oh yeah. Da-da-da da da da da da da…”

“Da-da-da da da da da da da,” Sonic mimed picking a banjo. “Da-da-da da da da da da da…”

Sonia just turned and stared at the two of them.

“...are you two sure that you’re my brothers?”

“I mean, do you see any other hedgehogs awesome enough to be your sibs?” Sonic bragged.

“I’m just going to pretend I don’t know either of you for a bit.”

“You know, Manic, I think she likes us,” Sonic said, stage-whispering it to his spikier brother. “Don’t you think, less handsome brother of mine?”

“Don’t kid yourself,” Manic teased. “I’m the only handsome one here, keep dreaming!”

Cream meanwhile turned to her new older sister and said: “I think both of my brothers are very silly.”

After buying some snacks and heading back to the bus, Sonic was holding a large chili dog practically spilling over onto the floor. “Ah, chili dogs. It’s been an hour, and that’s been way too long.”

“You sure we don’t need to stage an intervention, bro?”

“Ewwwwww, really?” Sonia groaned as chili sauce flew out of her brother’s mouth. “Didn’t Longclaw teach you any table manners?”

“Hey, just be glad I’m not eating worms.”

“Hey, you heard your mom, she said I’ve got that crazy metabolism thing right?”

As Sonic prepared to take another bite, a bright flash knocked him to his feet and sent the chili dog flying.

“Dude! Seriously? Did you have to get between a man and his dog?” Sonic groaned out.

The Seer emerged from the light, with a warm smile. “Hello your highnesses, we have much to discuss. The day of your reunion has arrived. It’s so glad to see all of you reunited, the whole family back together.”

“Well… almost all of us…” Manic muttered.

“Uh, yeah, uh I’m seeing the creepy old guy now,” Sonic said. “Maybe the heat’s getting to all of us, and we’re having a mass hallucination now?”

The Seer laughed under his cloak.

“Hello again, Oracle,” Vanilla said, though she sounded far less pleased to see him. “I can guess why you’re here. Honestly, I kind of expected to see you again soon.”'

“Mhmm, now who’s the one seeing the future…?” the Seer chuckled.

“Listen well, because I’ve seen your future…”

Chapter Text

“Now listen well, children of Queen Aleena, for the future is at stake,” the seer said, practically gliding across the ground like a spectre. “It was I who guided your mother-”

“No, Vanilla’s my mum,” Manic said. “I’m sorry, my dude, but Aleena? I barely remember her.”

Vanilla, instinctively, put an arm around her son and drew him close while keeping a wary eye on the ancient Oracle.

“Uh, yeah, hold up, you’re the reason I grew up eating worms and frogs?” Sonic put in. “Dude, not cool. If the Queen was some great hero, why’d you have her split us up? If she was so powerful, why couldn’t she stop Starline in the first place?”

“The future demanded-”

“Yeah, so far? Not impressed,” Sonic said, crossing his arms. “It’s a really sh- crummy future you’ve wound up. Longclaw’s dead, because of m- you screwing up. Did you predict that happening too, huh?”

The Oracle ignored him, continuing on.

“You must build a resistance, unite the-”

“Hey, I’m talking to you here buster!” Sonic said, speeding in front of him only for the seer to pass right through him like a ghost. “...dude, seriously? Rude!”

“- people against Starline’s forces, and grow stronger. Then, and only then in one year’s time you can reunite with your mother and return the Kingdom of Mobius to its rightful ruler.”

“So, no pressure, huh?” Sonia joked, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “So kick his face in, and get the Queen back on the throne.”

“Your mother-”

“Again, reality check,” Sonic said to the Seer. “Did you miss the part where the Queen didn’t raise us, dude?”

“She’s missed you greatly, I’m sure,” the Seer said. “But she knew she couldn’t endanger you, and draw Starline’s attention to you.”

“Yet here we are, on the run anyways,” Sonic drawled. “See how well that worked out, huh? What’s stopping me from running into Starline’s castle, and dragging him out by his fancy coat, huh?”

“Aside from the heavy security?” Manic asked. “Like I’m not sure even I could get past all that.”

“Rhetorical question, man,” Sonic said, eyes on the Seer. “If you can see the future, you can tell me where all the security is tomorrow.”

“The future is rarely so easily read,” the Seer said. “I can only interpret…”

“Basically, you mean you coulda got it wrong, that it?”

“What my brother means is,” Sonia said, gently pulling Sonic back and holding him in place. “Are you sure you’re 100 certain of the path we need to take?”

“In this, at least, quite,” the Seer said. “If you fail Starline’s rule will be forever cemented and bring about a mechanized revolution upon the world. However if you succeed a golden light will envelope the world leading to a thousand years of peace.”

Sonic looked back at Vanilla, and noticed her expression. Solemn, and serious.

“So do you mean exactly a thousand or is that just rounded up or down?” he said.

Sonia elbowed him. “This isn’t the time for jokes!”

The seer chuckled, before he said: “It’s alright children.”

“You’re talking about the Chaos Emeralds,” Vanilla knew. “Once again, you’re asking my family to face the trials and harness their power.”

Sonic’s heart refused to settle at the way she said it, she'd called him a part of her family. He hadn’t even known her for basically a week and she was already… No, he couldn’t get emotional again. He had to keep it together. He’d already had his chance to be a part of a family and he’d screwed it up.

“You must face those trials, and gather the seven emeralds,” the Seer’s eyes narrowed. “Or your world is doomed.”

Sonic heard the way he phrased it. ‘Your world’, not his. It was almost like he thought he wasn’t a part of that world.

“And where do we even find them?” Sonia asked. “Like… we’ve got a year to find the most powerful objects on the planet so could you like… give us a hint?”

She batted her eyelashes cutely.

“That… I can not tell you. The Chaos Emeralds are an ancient and mythical source of power. Power, older than time itself. Even I’m not as old as they are. Your mother was the first in history to gather all seven of them and when she relinquished them they  were moved to places all over the world, to be found again. Where, I cannot say, as it is beyond even my knowledge. Perhaps the first trial is finding them. I’m sure there are people in the world who have the knowledge, seek and find them.”

Sonic saw a look pass over his brother’s face, and knew he knew something they didn’t. …he was a thief, maybe he’d been asked to steal one of them once? 

“Now children I must be off, and so should you,” the Seer said. “Remember, a year’s time, and the clock’s ticking.”

With that, his body shimmered in the air and then vanished. Sally, returning from the fuel pump, had heard everything and looked utterly stunned.

“So uh… yeah, that was a thing,” she said. “I’ve heard legends of the Seer’s power, his wisdom but I didn’t know he was so… so…”

“Mysterious?”

“I was gonna say unhelpful,” Sally said, her jaw setting itself into a grimace. “So let’s recap, you three have to travel the world, build up an army and find seven mythical gems without even a hint where to find them all in the space of a year otherwise we’re all doomed.”

“Well, when you put it like that…” Sonic said. “It does sound impossible. But aren’t we supposed to be impossible? Super speed, stealth and strength, we’re not your average Mobians remember?”

“Oh, if only I had your optimism,” Sally said. “What’s it like, blind ignorance?”

“Excuse me?” Sonic said, his quills raising and crackling with electricity.

“You’re an optimist, I’m a realist,” Sally said. “And realistically, doing all that in a year is… well there’s several words I can think of to describe that but I can’t say any of them with Cream present lest Miss Vanilla wash my mouth out with soap.”

“I can go get a pillow for you to scream into if you want,” Sonia offered. “I won’t tell anyone what you scream into it. Woman’s honor. …uh, Manic, why are you looking so happy?”

“Because, my big bro always has a plan!” Cream said, hopping in place.

“Well dudes, and dudettes, I know where we can find a map to one of them! Though… finding it and getting it are another matter.”

“What, but big bro you're the best thief in the world you can just steal it!” Cream said

“Wish that was true Cream, but not compared to this woman. She? Yeah, she’s the best.”

“Careful brother,” Sonia teased. “I think we can see you drooling.”

“Shut up!” Manic said, shoving her away playfully.

“Manic dear, who is this woman?” Vanilla asked her son.

“Rouge the Bat,” Manic said, admiringly and in Sonic’s opinion really not doing himself any favors trying to dissuade Sonia’s opinion that he was crushing hard.

Sonia gasped. “Oh, wow, her? She stole a scepter from Mom’s royal vault once. My mom, Queen Elise. Not Queen Aleena, should clarify.”

Sally put in: “I’ve seen stories of her on the news. They say she can steal anything but only takes rare one of a kind gems.”

“...so, you both got crushes on her, then?” Sonia said, seeing Sally blushing. Cream giggled next to her.

“Well, she is really rather pretty…” Sally admitted. “But totally out of my league. Not to mention, a grown woman. But yeah, that’s your plan huh? So, you know her because you were in the same thieves guild, huh?”

“Better actually,” Manic said. “She stole something of mine.”

“...if you’re leading up to ‘your heart’ I swear… Gag!”

“...No?”

-----

Starline watched as his robots -well, Robotnik’s, but they were his now- dragged the elderly echidna into his throne room. His fur had started to gray, and he’d walked with a cane. Honestly, the scientist had admired the man once upon a time, with his incredible resilience and refusal to let Angel Island fall into anyone else’s hands.

Now, looking at the old man, trembling, quaking in front of him? He wondered why he’d even bothered. Everyone had their time, and Locke’s was up.

“Well now, this is a surprise,” the platypus sneered. “I thought even you wouldn’t yield to the ravages of time. I guess I was mistaken. A shame, really, you’ve been ever so useful.”

“What is it you want, Starline? I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me. I've upheld my end of the bargain, you copied the fighting data of the best echidna warriors and then even my son using him as the model for your machines. What more could you possibly want now?” the old echidna rasped out.

Starline chuckled, before taking a sip of his tea. He wondered what Locke was thinking right now, seeing his old ally’s throne room the way it was now. Aleena, for whatever reason, had played nice and hadn’t seized the Master Emerald for herself. She’d made alliances, concessions, with the Echidna tribe, and welcomed them in as friends.

Progress required a different approach. Oh well, it wasn’t like there was anything she could do about it now. Her time was over, and the future was calling.

“Why Locke, can’t I just compliment an old friend? The stories told of the Echidna tribe’s combat ability aren’t just stories. They’ve certainly lived up to the legends, I must say. I just wanted you to know the prototype performed to expectations. Your son is quite the warrior but please, don’t say I simply copied their data,” he sighed. “Alas only one machine has ever had the ability to copy data, and neither I nor Robotnik could ever replicate that again. We were lucky, even we geniuses require a stroke of that. No, what the mecha echidnas do is mimic and calculate the best attack to use in a given situation.”

He smirked.

“Though I suppose to your feeble mind, there’s hardly any difference.”

Locke glared at Starline, clearly angered at the indignity of being spoken to like that. But the scientist knew at his age, there was little else he could do. He wasn’t the warrior he used to be, and even then one echidna couldn’t take on all of his forces at once.

If he even attempted to make a move, the entire Imperial Guard would burst in and strike him down before he could escape.

“So, is it over? Are they dead?”

“Oh, Gaia no. I knew the prototype would never manage such a thing. Nor did I want it to try. It’s purpose was to let me analyze the children and ensure the mecha echidnas can perform up to task. Now that I know they can, I can move to mass production.”

He rose from his throne, walking towards Locke with his cup of tea in hand.

“Do you want any?” he asked. “It’s rude to refuse your host.”

“Years of paranoia have told me to never drink anything I haven’t prepared myself,” Locke said. “You’ll have to forgive me if I decline.”

“There’s caution, and then there’s you. Oh well, more for me then,” Starline said. “Come, there’s something I wish to show you. It’s really quite marvelous, you’ll be impressed!”

Starline motioned, and Locke followed. His eyes were never on him though, looking at the halls of the old palace. Starline wondered if the man had regrets, betraying Aleena. Betraying a friend, and long time ally.

“Starline, I’m growing tired of these games. Just come out with it. You promised you would insure the echidna tribe could be left alone if I helped you. And I have!”

“All in due time,” Starline said, and both of their eyes drifted outside. Skyscrapers were starting to rise from the old kingdom, cranes rising high above the old buildings. The city had risen from the desert sands, and was rising further still.

“Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“You’re a hard man to please. Tell me, look outside, what do you see?”

“Change,” Locke said, sourly. “Is the rest of the world like this?”

“It will be. I admit, Mobius has a certain… rustic charm to it, but it has to catch up with the times, rather staying static,” Starline went on. “I want what’s best for it, even if Aleena would have disagreed. I simply had to… ahem, deal with any potential future objections she might have had.”

“By deposing her.”

“No, that’s not how I like to think of it. She deserves a nice retirement, she has children to raise. Ruling a kingdom, and becoming a mother of three?” Starline shook his head. “Even she can only do so much. She should have gracefully stepped aside, I’m sad I had to force the issue but it had to be done.”

“Mhmmmm,” Locke said. “Quite.”

“But you’re right, I’m getting off topic. Your tribe has never had large numbers. Then you lost some in the war with Robotnik because your wife got them to be involved. My sympathies for your loss, Tikal was a light that I’m sad to have seen gone out.”

“DON’T SPEAK OF MY WIF-” Locke said before letting out a hacking shaking cough, using his cane to steady himself.

“Be careful, you’ve got to mind your blood pressure. Mind your temper, you wouldn’t want your son to lose his other parent. I’m just stating the facts. Now, you lost too many in the war and then lost even more when you sent them to attack Longclaw. She… did not go down easily, as we both knew. Had things been different, she might have sent them running home with their tails between their legs.”

“Something I did for you,” Locke snarled.

“Hmm yes I suppose we do share a modicum of responsibility for that one. Is that regret I hear in your tone? She was your ally once, my my I should watch my back with your track record!”

“Get. To. The. Point,” Locke said, his voice a raspy hiss.

“Oh sorry us geniuses love to monologue, and say how great we are. I figured, since I won’t get a chance to share this one with others, I might as well share it with you. I suppose I could share it with your son one day if he seeks revenge or allies himself with the triplets,” Starline mused aloud.

“Revenge for… r-revenge for what?” Locke trailed off, realizing what he’d just said.

Starline led the old echidna into a room of monitors, all displaying Angel Island on fire. Massive silver robots, each with a single red eye strode through the burning village, cinders rising high into the night sky as a rhinoceros beetle-styled tank bulldozed through what used to be the market square.

“It took a bit, I admit, sacrificing time and resources” Starline went on, sitting in a nearby chair. “But the Mark 4 Death Egg Robot being sent into mass production is… well, it does yield results, doesn’t it? I think I’ll keep them, what do you think?”

Locke’s cane dropped from his hand, the old man falling to the floor with a gasp as he clutched his heart. “What… What is this? What have you done?”

He tried to tackle the platypus to the floor only for Starline to snap his fingers. From out of nowhere, a green, caped version of the standard Egg Pawn appeared and held a silver blade to Locke’s neck.

Starline grinned sadistically. “I told you a bit of a white lie, I began mass production before I even sent out the prototype. And they  just finished their first mission. Wiping out the entire echidna population, save for you. Oh, and your son, but I knew he’d survive. I expected nothing less, after all.”

Locke was hyperventilating, stammering out: “B-But…”

“Oh, right on time. It seems the package has been delivered,” Starline said, taking a sip of his tea as four mecha echidna flew in carrying the Master Emerald.

Locke’s eyes started to shine with actual tears. “But you promised me you would leave my people and the Master Emerald alone.”

“Yes and I haven’t the faintest idea why you believed me,” Starline said, steepling his fingers and spinning his chair around to face him.

Locke finally seemed to find his strength, flipping the ninja-themed Egg Pawn onto its back in one surprisingly swift motion for a man his age. 

“Oh my…” Starline said, surprised.

The ancient echidna leaped into the air as high as his old bones would allow him and gilded towards Starline with eyes red with rage. Angry, hot tears fell to the floor, two spiked fists rushing towards the not-so-good doctor.

“So you do have some fight left in you after all these years,” Starline said, drawing a rapier. “I suppose I should humor you, it’s the least I can do for you… old friend.”

“Don’t you dare call me that!” Locke snarled, Starline easily side-stepping the attack and drawing blood with a swipe of his sword.

“That’s a point for me,” the platypus quipped. “Still, I suppose I should give one to you for effort, if nothing else. You’re an old warrior, you should die on your feet! Come on, show me what you’re made of. If you can!”

Locke let out a war cry that was probably at one point probably quite fearsome in Starline’s opinion. But now? It just sounded like he was tearing his own throat out.

Sidestepping the next punch, Starline used his free hand to grab the echidna by the wrist and twist his arm. He let out a horrific scream of pain, as Starline smiled mockingly.

“I thought you echidnas were supposed to be a challenge,” he said, sitting atop him and kicking his feet up. Locke managed to throw him off, but Starline was swift on the rebound and said: “Damn, you’re making me work for it, then? It’s been fun, but…”

A menacing, evil smile crept over his face. Locke looked for mercy in those cold calculating eyes, but found none.

“I’ve got better things to do,” Starline said, raising a heel, poison dripping from a venomous spur. “Your gods are a bit too busy to claim you, I might as well send you along as a favor.”

Then, he brought the heel down.

“Some people… live for way too damn long.”

-----

As the group headed back to the bus, the hot summer sun beat down on their heads. Sally had tied her jacket around her waist, beads of sweat rolling down the squirrel’s arms as she headed up the stairs towards the driver’s seat. 

“Mind if I drive? With all due respect, Miss Vanilla, I feel like I’ve just been taking advantage of your kindness and I need to pull my weight around here.”

Vanilla smiled. “Of course! Have you driven a bus before?”

“Not one this big, but I used to drive the school bus for the daycare back home.”

“Then, here you go,” Vanilla said, taking her seat and handing off the keys to Sally. Catching them, the squirrel plopped herself down on the driver’s seat, switching on the radio.

Before Sally could start the bus, Vanilla spoke up: “Alright has everyone gone to the bathroom? We won’t be stopping again until we reach our destination.”

“Sure did mum.”

“Yes ma’am!”

“I went!”

Sonic dashes off, out of the bus then back in “Yep!”

Vanilla stared at the hedgehog. “Did you wash your hands?”

Sonic then dashed off, returning a second later. “Yes…?”

“Okay, let’s hit the road,” Sally said, the bus lifting off the ground and returning to the highway, the route sign displaying ‘99’ as they passed it. “Next stop, ah… actually where is our next stop? Manic, where are we going?”

“Yeah…” Manic said sourly. “Cleansweep Enterprises.”

“Clea…” Sally started before it hit her. “Isn’t that owned by Clutch? Rumored gangster and all around freaking jerk Clutch? That Clutch?”

“Yep,” Cream nodded, looking oddly not terrified at all “He’s a real meanie but totally scared of making my mommy angry.”

“Yeah, that Clutch. Criminals know criminals, pretty sure he’s hired Rouge to steal something for him once. If anyone knows where she is…”

Sonia groaned audibly, the back of her head sinking into her seat. “Wonderful, it’s been only a few days since I left my home and I’m already making deals with the freakin’ mafia. Oh my mother’s gonna kill me.”

“I’m the mayor of Acorn Village, can you imagine how corrupt I’d look if I’m caught making a deal with a gangster?” Sally said. “I’ll probably be impeached!”

“Hey, we’re not terrorists yet,” Sonic said. “But wait, I can see it now. Two mysterious hedgehogs capture Princess Sonia and the Mayor of Acorn Village and-”

“Oh no, my brother’s a wanted criminal,” Sonia swooned dramatically. “However will I cope?”

“You’re laughing now, but sooner or later…” Manic said. “Like it’s only a matter of time before Starline declares us public enemy number 1.”

That little dose of reality soured the group, before the radio crackled out an announcement.

“This is an emergency broadcast,” a woman’s voice said over the airwaves. “We’re here live from Studiopolis Zone, where we have breaking news that a large island has come crashing down near Station Square’s Mystic Ruins. It is believed to be the legendary Angel Island that was believed to have fallen during the late Queen Aleena’s attempted coup against Emperor Starline’s forces…”

Vanilla’s fist tightened, squeezing her seat at the propaganda so clearly thrown out over the airwaves.

“At this time, it is unknown what is going on, but Station Square’s been quarantined by order of our beloved Emperor Starline… Repeat, this is an emergency-”

“Turn it off,” Vanilla said. “Change of plans, we’re heading for Station Square.”

“But it’s quarantined,” Sally said. “There’s no way nobody… ah, right, nobody without superpowers anyway. But… Angel Island, falling from the sky? What’s going on?”

Vanilla sighed. “Angel Island’s always roamed the skies, due to the mysterious power of the Master Emerald. But if what’s happened is what I think has… time’s already run out. Starline’s made his move.”

“The Master Emerald?” Sonia asked.

“It’s impossibly powerful, Robotnik’s gone after it before. After he…” Vanilla sniffled. “It’s always acted as a counter to the Chaos Emeralds, and if Starline has it… I need to know what’s happened, and… Gaia, I hope Knuckles is alright.”

“Knuckles?”

“Tikal’s son, which would make him your cousin. If he’s anything like his father… well, actually I hope he’s better than his father ever was,” Vanilla sighed again. “Locke was always impossibly stubborn, I hope Knuckles didn’t inherit that from him too…”

All three triplets shared a look, a mix of emotions passing across their face before Sonic squeezed Vanilla’s paw.

“Hey, if he’s our cousin, we can’t just ignore him. I can’t wait to meet him!”

-----

Perfectly calm waters reflected the city like a mirror, skyscrapers rising up like a modern jungle of concrete and glass. Waters that were perfectly calm, until a minute ago, that is.

The bus flew over the waters, creating a wake behind it as it hovered over the lake pointed like a bullet towards the city center. Having left the highway for a more alternative route, Sally could see clouds of smoke rising up from somewhere just north of the city. 

She could also see the advance guard, a good hundred or so modified jetpack-equipped Egg Pawns wielding rifles all trained directly on the bus. Behind them… larger robots, resembling platypuses, with heavier weaponry.

“Oh,” Sally said. “There they are, rolling out the red carpet just for us. I’m almost flattered.”

“Gee, he sure likes the look of his own face, doesn’t he?” Sonic snarked.

“Never met a mad scientist who hasn’t,” Vanilla said, rather bemused. “Robotnik had a giant robot with his own mustache.”

“His own what?” Sonic stared.

“He had self-image issues, mixed with an annoying amount of narcissism.”

Sally slowed the bus down, rolling down a window as one of the larger robots hovered next to her. 

“Can I help you officer?” Sally asked, lowering her sunglasses to look at it. “You want to see my lease?”

“Halt, this area is a quarantine zone,” the robot said, and Sally was very well aware of how the robot’s right arm was completely a gun as it hovered in front of the door. “Please turn back now.”

“Oh but it's an emergency! Our little sister here is sick and we need a doctor,” Sonia said, a weak cough following her words.

The robot leaned inside the bus, seeing Cream swaddled in a blanket, coughing a thermometer out of her mouth while Cheese and Chocula fretted over her.

The robots canned her, blue lights moving up and down her body. “Irrelevant, the city is off limits and scans display this child is in full health. I recommend grounding her for a month with no cookies after dinner.”

“Oh well… worth a shot,” Sally mused to herself, as everyone exchanged glances before she tased the robot.

Sonia bulked up, shouting: “Floor it!” as she punched the stunned robot across the lake. Ripping off its gun arm, she tossed it to Manic as the bus launched forwards, throwing her back into her seat.

Other robots swarmed the speeding bus, laser shots firing everywhere and shattering windows. Sally jerked the wheel, the bus’ side slamming into another robot and knocking it into several Egg Pawns.

“Window integrity compromised,” the dashboard said.

“Gee, you think?” Sally said, ramming a robot with oil splattering the windshield. Turning on the wipers, the squirrel muttered: “I’m definitely footing the bill to Starline’s account. His robots, his fault.”

Manic hid under an open window, firing out it with laser shots ripping through more of the robots. The rifle arm shook in his hands, forcing Sonia to hold it in place to deal with the recoil. 

Sonic had a rope tied around his waist, the other end tied to a seat.

“Can I just say, I really don’t like this part of the plan?” he said, as Sonia picked him up and threw him out the open door.

“I thought you loved living on the edge!”

“Yeah, except the part where I can’t swim!” Sonis shouted back, spin-dashing through a robot as parts flew everywhere. “Bleagh, I think a bug just flew into my mouth…”

He wasn’t really running, not really. Instead he was rapidly tip-toeing over the water back and forth. Sonia stifled a laugh at her brother’s antics.

Sally took a hard swerve, smacking into another robot and the rope snapped in two. Sonia gasped, only for his brother to spin-dash through one robot, and pin-balled off another to land on top of the bus.

He took a bow, and tapped the amulet as a double-necked v-shaped crimson guitar appeared in his hands. Strumming a powerful chord, he quickly started playing a heavy riff as robots shattered and sparked from the sound.

Sonia tossed a new gun to her other brother, even as Sonic played a face-melting guitar solo. Over the squealing guitar, she shouted: “How are you doing that?”

“I don’t know!” Sonic laughed. “But it’s awesome! I just suddenly know how to play! It’s like magic!”

Sally jerked the wheel again, the bus spinning like a top as another one of the S-Series robots smashed into the boardwalk and exploded into a tiny mushroom cloud.

“That seems… hazardous,” Manic noted. “Should we call someone about that?”

“Nah, that’s not nuclear radiation, that’s chaos energy from my scans,” Sally said, holding up a personal computer to scan the explosion. “N.I.C.O.L.E says…”

“Nicole?” Sonia said. “Awwwww, that’s so cute. You named your computer!”

“No, not Nicole,” Sally said to clarify. “N.I.C.O.L.E, it stands for… oh, it’s not important! Just hold on!”

Sally jerked the wheel again, the bus sliding towards another battalion and tilting slightly so the roof would crash right into them. Sonic leaped upwards, before rebalancing himself and strumming another power chord causing several more robots to glitch out.

One exploded, and Sonic laughed. “Talk about a real Sonic BOOM!”

“That was bad, and you should feel bad,” Sonia groaned. “Stop taking all the glory for yourself, you egomanic.”

“Just showing how awesome I am, that’s all!”

“Yeah?” Sonia said. “Watch this, then!”

Pulling out her own medallion, it changed into a keytar and she played a quick little solo on it before a laser scythed through some of the robots. Manic, inspired, activated his own medallion, a marching band’s drum appearing. Rapidly hitting it with his drumsticks, visible rings of sound pushed the oncoming swarm back.

“Look out!” Cream said, one of the robots having managed to escape the magical music and locking onto Sonia. “Cheese, get him!”

“Chao!” Cheese said, in an attempt at a battle cry before headbutting the robot.

“Take that, you bad robot!” Cream said as the robot exploded.

“...how did…?” Sonia blinked. “But he’s just a…”

“Cheese is a very good Chao! He’ll protect me!” Cream said, hugging the little fairy close before kicking the Chao at another robot.

“Chao!” Cheese said, flipping back into her hand.

“Now say you’re sorry, Mister Robot!” Cream chastised the Egg Pawn. 

“I’m sorry…” the robot glitched out before falling into the water with a splash.

“...okay, I guess she’ll be fine,” Sonia said, doing another keyboard solo and shooting the head off a robot. 

“Yeah, you don’t need to worry,” Manic said. “My sister can take care of herself. She’s just the best, isn’t she?”

“Awwww, thank you big brother!”

Sonia climbed out of a window, atop the bus and shared a look with Sonic. He curled into a ball, and let Sonia toss him, the blue blur ping-ponging between several more robots before they heard the distinct sound of a helicopter’s rotors.

Another Egg Pawn, this time painted blue, was at the controls, with two overly enormous missile launchers attached to what was originally a police patrol chopper.

“There’s a comment about police brutality here somewhere…” Sonic said. “Hey, blue’s my thing! If you wanna copy perfection, at least try to get it right!”

The missile launchers fired, heat-seeking missiles flying right towards the bus.

“Sonic…” Sonia swallowed. “Do something!”

“Don’t worry sis, I got this,” Sonic said. “If you thought what I did before was cool, watch this!”

Sonic was off like a bolt of lightning, landing on one missile and kicking it skywards. He had their attention, and springed off a buoy into another of the missiles. Pushing himself off that one, he leaped over the helicopter with the missiles still tracking him. 

Curling back into a ball, he homed in on another missile and smacked into it and leaped onto another. Running down it, he spin-dashed into another and then into another.

Leaping back atop the bus, he winked as all of the missiles flew into the helicopter. As it exploded like fireworks in the sky, he saw the egg pawn parachuting out.

“See, I did something.”

As the bus drove into the city limits, Sally cut the engines as she pulled into a parking space.

“Hold it!” Sonia said, as several egg pawns trained their weapons on her.

“Are you surrendering?” one of them asked.

“No, but we don’t need to,” Sonia replied. “Your orders are not to let anyone in or out of the city, right? Well, we’re in the city now, so you can’t make us leave.”

The robots stayed silent for a moment, processing the information before one said: “Affirmative, please do not leave Station Square. We’ll bill you for your parking space.”

“...so, did you know that would work?” Sally asked, letting out a sigh of relief before looking over the bus. “...yeah, definitely going to bill Starline for the repairs.”

“Eh, don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll all buff out,” Manic said, before Cream retched and threw up all over the sidewalk. “It’s okay sis, just let it out. Happens to all of us, car sickness isn’t anything to be embarrassed about yeah? Let’s go see if we can get you some ice cream, kay?”

“Yaaaay!”

Chapter Text

Car horns honked outside the diner, something from 100 odd years ago that had probably been an old train car in a previous life.

“Okay… so, we’re here. We snuck into Station Square,” Sonia said, resting her head on her knuckles. “That’s the easy part done.”

“Ea-” Sally nearly shouted, before catching herself. Biting her tongue, she whisper-hissed out: “Easy? We’ve been shot at, our bus is full of bullet holes. Our chao are probably traumatized and we’re going to get billed for parking to boot! Sure, easy.”

“In my experience, yes,” Vanilla said, briefly looking up from her menu. “That was the easy part.”

Sally made a weird little sound, like something was caught in her throat.

“Get a drink of water,” Vanilla said, instinctively. “Don’t force your food down.”

“I’ve lost my appetite…” Sally muttered, mostly to herself. “So, oh, lemme think for a moment. Give me a sec, and I can think up a plan to get us past the next wave of security.”

“Pffft, who needs stealth when we can just zap, zippy, zap, be there and back in a flash,” Sonic grinned. “If you’ve got time to worry, Sal, then run! I may not be a thinky person like you, but who needs brains when you’ve got all this?”

He flexed his muscles for emphasis.

“...oh dear Gaia in heaven…” Sally said as her head hit the table. “The worst part is, you actually can back all of that boasting.”

“Ok so how about this for the next part of our infiltration mission,” Sonic started. “I just rush in at top speed, get as many of those whatever they called Z400 robots to follow me. Sonia, so okay sis, when I’ve a bunch of them on my tail you do that warrior princess thing you do and smash ‘em all up. After that, Manic, you can hack into their systems and make them all go boom!”

Collectively, the table turned to stare at him.

“I know, I’m awesome like that,” Sonic said. “Hold your applause.”

“...uh, dude, little flaw in your plan. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

“But you’re supposed to be the greatest thief ever, bro!”

“Okay, yeah, fair, I admit that’s life goals, right there but I’m not good with computers. I’m actually kinda the opposite?” Manic flushed, his green fur turning pink. “I mean, I know how to turn one on, but I don’t speak their language y’know what I mean?”

“Ah.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence though, bro!”

“You’re welcome, bro!”

Sally and Sonia shared a look, the final of the triplets saying: “Oh brother.”

“...so we just beat ‘em all up then,” Sonic said. “Then rescue our cuz. It’s not complicated.”

“It… yeah… ah…”

“Are you amazed, yet?”

Sonia rolled her eyes at her brother. “...well, okay, it’s not complicated I’ll give you that, but there’s also about a 1000 ways for it to go wrong. Those robots are like Pintos, yeah, but there’s still a lot of them. 1000 possible ways to get pierced, stabbed, shot… All pretty painful. I’m a Princess, I look anything but gorgeous covered in blood!”

“Even if it did work, and that’s a big if…” Sally said. “We’d have the entire city guard on top of us and we’re actually trying to avoid that sort of attention, remember?”

Sonic laughed nervously. “Well, okay, obviously my plan would never work but see now that I've given a bad plan I’m sure someone’s got a good plan as well! …anyone? …feel free to share.”

“Those S-Series robots… they’re not your usual Egg Pawns…” Vanilla said. “Egg Pawns are stupid, those robots… I don’t know.”

“Mum, what would the Queen do in this situation? I’m sure between the two of you, you came up with some awesome plans.”

Vanilla, though looking flattered, smiled sheepishly. “...admittedly, Aleena’s plans were only plans in the bare minimum of the word. She preferred to, ah… improvise.”

Sonia and Manic looked at their brother and nodded in unison, saying: “...yeah, that tracks.”

“My mother always said not to make important plans on a empty stomach so let’s eat first and then we can plan our next move,” Sonia said.

“Your mom sounds like a wise woman,” Sonic said.

“She is,” Sonia smiled fondly, before her expression saddened. “...yeah…”

“Hey, don’t worry, we’ll free her kingdom next, okay sis?”

“Thanks…”

Eventually, an Overlander walked up, dressed head to toe in a very pink uniform. In monotone, she said: “Welcome to this capitalist symbol of mediocrity that drives local restaurants out of business. I’m your server, Wednesday. Now can you hurry up and give me your orders so nobody I know can see me in this?”

“Pssst!” another waitress, who looked like a veritable rainbow of color compared to Wednesday, whispered: “The ears! You’re supposed to wear the ears!”

“No, that might be construed as racist, and it’s certainly inappropriate for a workplace setting.”

“But they’d look sooo cute!”

Feeling rather awkward, the group quickly placed their orders to save the girl and what was left of her shattered dignity.

-----

After finishing up, while walking out of the diner, Sally spoke up. Her fist met her palm, knocking against her open hand as she said: “Well, I think I have… Well, I’m not sure I can really call it a plan, that might be being generous. It’s more of a concept, honestly.”

“Well, spill,” Manic said, his hands resting behind his head. “You need help planning infiltration and exfiltration, I'm your guy. So maybe I can help iron out some of the kinks, dude. Er, dudette.”

“Like I said, I can only come up with the bad plans so that leaves you to come up with a good one. I know my limits,” Sonic said, though everyone could tell he was just saving face from before.

“Mhmmm-hmmm,” Sally said, clearly not believing him at all. 

“Yeah, what Manic said,” Sonia said. “Spill, girlfriend!”

“Oh, you’re dating now?” Sonic teased while his sister went an interesting shade and sputtered. Manic just laughed.

“I’ve got a good memory, and while you were eating, I had N.I.C.O.L.E look up city plans and old survey maps,” Sally said, pulling out her personal pad. Tapping on it, the screen automatically brought up a map of the city and zoomed in on a particular spot.

“Sunset Heights?” Manic asked. “Isn’t that the really ritzy neighborhood?”

“And you would know this how?” Sonia raised an eyebrow, playfully.

“...no reason…?” he replied, playing innocent before Sally coughed. “...right, sorry. Continue!”

“Well yeah, but more to the point…” Sally said, tapping the screen again. “I found an… ah, let’s call it a water pipe we can…”

“You mean we’re using the sewers?” Manic grinned. “Been a while since I did that!”

“...yes, we’re using the sewers,” Sally admitted, looking less than thrilled.

“Ewwwwwwww!” Cream said. “My dress is going to get all dirty!”

Sonia just stared, blankly, off into space. Sonic snapped his fingers several times, before turning to his brother.

“Well, you broke her,” he said, before joking: “Now we’ve got to find a new one!”

Sonia, after a moment, returned to Earth. Taking a deep breath, her brothers could hear her calmly counting down from 10 under her breath.

“Alright, let me make this perfectly clear. I don’t like this idea, but unless anyone else has a better one,” Sonia said. “I am going along with it. But let me be understood, after this I am going to take a nice, long bath and if anyone disturbs me I won’t be held responsible for the consequences. Have I made myself clear?”

“Crystal!” Manic said, as he and Sonic nodded in terrified unison.

“...so after that, what next? I mean, besides rescuing our cousin?” Sonic asked.

“Once we reach the Mystic Ruins, we’re going to put our faith in these,” Sonia said, holding up her amulet. “Sonic, you used yours earlier to blow up a bunch of those bots so if we combine our powers…”

“Boom,” Sonic said. “Lots of big booms. Yeah, I get the picture and it’s awesome.”

“...boys,” Sally said, sharing a look with Sonia. “Am I right?”

“...no, actually, yeah, explosions are cool. Each one, it’ll be revenge for my stolen kingdom.”

Sally looked appalled, before sighing. “...so, what if this doesn’t work?”

“If it doesn’t, well we won’t be around long enough to argue about it, will we?”

“...and on that note…” Manic said. “Let’s get moving, yeah?”

-----

Trudging through the sewers, Sonia was in hell.

“Just keep thinking of swords, and cute girls. Cute sword girls,” she repeated, like a mantra. A drop of water, from a low hanging rusting pipe splashed onto her forehead and she suppressed a scream. “Remember, cute girls and swords. You’re not in a sewer, you’re in a museum full of swords. Over there, is a case and inside, an authentic Masamune. There’s a cute tour guide telling you all about it. You’re listening, enraptured, and there’s nowhere you’d rather be.”

“Wheeeee!” Cream called out, carried piggy-back style by her brother. Her brother, who was sliding down another pipe like it was a rail over some very disgusting looking water.

Metal creaked, and groaned, somewhere above them and she could hear the sound of running water. Where, she couldn’t really figure out. Hopefully, nowhere near her. The last thing she wanted, or needed, was to be swept away by sewage like sand on a beach at high tide.

“Race you to the other side!” Sonic said, leaping towards a platform. Spin-dashing atop, it creaked and then fell down a slope with her other brother riding it like a snowboard down an alpine race course.

He hit water, the makeshift snowboard becoming a surfboard as it kicked up water behind it. Sonia shuddered, and side-stepped the wave as her brother raced after Manic with a gleeful cry that echoed through the tunnels.

“...Indoor voice, please,” Sonia said, not sure why she was even bothering. After all, she knew perfectly well even if her brother could hear her, he wasn’t really inclined to listen.

“Heh,” Sally said, from beside. 

“What?” Sonia asked. “What’s so funny?”

“They’re… different from what I was always expecting from royalty. They’re…” the chipmunk/squirrel/Sonia wasn’t entirely sure which said, trailing off as the proper words for it escaped her for the moment.

“Kinda dumb? Total adrenaline junkies? No impulse control at all?” Sonia said, fondly, fighting a smile. Failing, at that. 

“To be fair…” Sally mused aloud. “Neither of them was raised as royalty.”

“I kinda, and don’t you dare tell them I said this, envy them actually,” Sonia said. “No royal responsibilities at all. Sonic, he’s a free spirit. He just goes and does whatever, because he can. He’s always running.”

“Sounds terrible,” Sally deadpanned, no malice in it. “Terribly irresponsible. He makes a terrible prince.”

“You said terrible three times,” Sonia said. “You sure you don’t need me to teach you any new words?”

“Is that a study date?” Sally flirted back, before bringing up her personal computer again. “Okay, we’re going to have to make a left at this next junction.”

“Yeah, I heard you, but what about my idiot brothers?”

“You could yell, but you said to use our indoor voices,” Sally said, teasingly. “So… I guess you’re going to have to stay respectable.”

Buzzing came from somewhere above them, hopefully somewhere far from here and the echoes were just carried throughout the maze of pipework.

“That, and avoid risking attracting…” Sonia looked upwards. “Attention.”

“Assuming, of course, your brothers haven’t alerted pretty much every patrol for miles,” Sally said, pulling out a grappling gun and firing it.

The hook wrapping around a pipe, Sally readied to swing across a roaring torrent just below their feet.

“Assuming that, of course,” Sonia sighed, feeling Sally wrap an arm around her waist. “...we’re getting pretty intimate for our first date, aren’t we?”

“Is it really our first?” Sally teased. “I wasn’t aware. I was thinking we were further along than that.”

“True,” Sonia admitted, feeling her feet leave the ground and she tried so hard not to look down as she swung across the gap…

-----

Sonia refused to look back, helping Sally up, and out of the drain pipe and into the ocean. The tides pooled at their feet, and just a short swim -or run- away was Angel Island. It was still that, though… it rested in the waves instead of the skies above. It’d settled amongst some old ruins. Ruins, Sonia vaguely remembered, that’d been part of an older civilization. Which, she wondered, had they been the echidna tribe? It didn’t feel like a coincidence that the paradise had chosen to rest here of all the places in the world. It could have been just a coincidence, but…

Her mother had said something about those. That they rarely, if ever, existed.

“Milady,” Sonia said, feeling her cheeks heat up as she took her friend(?) by the paw.

“Oh my, how chivalrous,” Sally said sweetly with a giggle.

Sonic made a gagging noise. “Okay, sorry, there’s just a little too much sugar around here for me.”

Sonia rolled her eyes. “Oh shut it. You’re not diabetic, you’ll live.”

“I see your sister’s charm doesn’t run in the family.”

“Hey, I’m plenty charming!”

“Ya know, sis I’m a ladies man but even I could never pull off getting a girlfriend in the sewers. It’s usually a turn off, dudette. Sally’s something special. You’ll wanna hold onto that one, sis. She’s something else!”

Sonia went red, from fury or from embarrassment she wasn’t sure. Maybe, well, probably both.

“I think the two of them should have a proper first date first, at least,” Vanilla chimed in. “Before you start patting your sister on the back.”

“Thank you,” Sonia said, flattening her hair after getting this close to pulling a few strands free.

Looking inland, Sally nodded and gestured for them to follow as she leaped up the rocks. “This way, try to keep up!”

“Oh, that sounds like a challenge! I’m game if you are!” Sonic grinned, before spin-dashing up the rocks and bouncing from boulder to boulder in a blur of blue. 

“Oh good, you can draw aggro, and laser fire!”

“Pfft, you’re giving them too much credit, Sal!” Sonic said. “They’d never be able to catch me!”

-----

“Oh boy,” Sonic said, quickly dashing behind the cover of a fallen house. “Big oh boy. We have a bit of a problem, well I say a bit I kinda mean a large problem.”

Sonia looked up, and saw what he meant. A large, silver robot, with spinning drills for hands and a red mono-eye was stomping through the ruins. Behind it, more of the S-Series robots, not a lot but enough to give her pause.

And there wasn’t a single Egg Pawn to be found anywhere.

“I did a quick dash around the ruins, those things are everywhere,” Sonic said. “I mean… I could probably take ‘em but… I don’t wanna have to worry about you.”

“Well, tough, bro,” Manic said. “Where you go, we go. And where you’re going… is not with them. Lemme put it this way, you’re better off if I don’t tell you the odds. Ignorance is bliss, really.”

“...yeah, thought that’s what you’d say,” Sonic said. “Okay, so new plan. And that is, we don’t get ourselves blown full of holes. And by we, I meant you. I’m fast but you’re… uh, ah, crap, how do I say this without sounding rude?”

“Don’t worry, we know,” Manic said. “Didn’t think you knew how to back off though, bro. You’re always bragging about how you’re unstoppable.”

“Untouchable, there’s a difference,” Sonic said. “I don’t wanna have to slow down for you to catch up. I already lost Longclaw, I’m not gonna lose you too…”

Manic nodded, before smiling. “Ha, as if you’d ever even be able to get rid of us, bro. We’re family, and family sticks together.”

“Mind…” Vanilla said, lowering a pair of binoculars as Chocula floated back to her and chittered in her ear. “We’ve got a bigger issue. Chocula, he was a dear and did a bit of scouting himself.”

“Because, of course,” Sally deadpanned. “It gets worse. When it rains…”

“It pours,” Vanilla smiled sadly. “Believe me, I’m very familiar with that sort of thing. As I was saying… those badniks, they’re far too spread out. Trust me, when I say that I know the range on the Amusulets is not near enough to cover this whole area.”

She received a few strange looks, the rabbit blushing.

“Oh right, I guess I never told you that's what your mother wound up naming them as the ancients never named them,” she went on. “Your mother had a… unique sense of humor.”

“The sewers,” Sonic snapped his fingers.

“...sorry, didn’t we just leave them?” Sonia asked. “I’m already covered in gunge and it’ll take so many hot baths to clean myself after our last trip and now you wanna go back there? Don’t make me come over there and slap you silly!”

“No, hear me out,” Sonic said. “The sewers, they’re pretty cramped. We’d be like, oh… oh come on, what’s the words I’m thinking of? Like, I dunno, boxing them in? There’s a phrase for this right?”

“Choke points?” Sally asked. “They’d work as perfect choke points. So there is a brain in there somewhere!”

“What’d I say?” Sonic preened. “Perfection! Gotta love it, right?”

“...well, at least you’re not lacking in confidence…” Sally muttered, clearly not loving it. “...thing is, if we’re not careful, we could do some serious damage to the sewer system and I don’t have to tell you how bad that’d be for Station Square.”

“So? The city is under the Doc’s control anyways? Wouldn't that count as our first big blow to him?”

“Do you even hear yourself?” Sally asked, moving to smack him on the head. “Who do you think has to rebuild if we flood the city?”

“Oh, right…” Sonic winced. “So we’ll be careful, then!”

“...I hope your definition of careful is the same definition as mi…” Sally started before seeing Sonic dash off. Her hair, blown in his wake, covered her face. Fixing it, she muttered: “...why do I even bother sometimes…?”

“Where did he even…?” Manic started, before he forced down a laugh as he saw his brother throw blue paint all over some of the patrol.

“Hey guys, don’t you think you look better that way?” Sonic laughed, atop some rubble. “I mean, you’re not me, but blue is definitely your color!”

Sonia couldn’t understand a word of the robots’ garbled speech, but she figured ‘slag him!’ was probably universal. 

“And now, we run,” Sonic said, blowing a raspberry to tick off the robots further. “Try to keep up, scrap for brains!”

Her brother, Sonia decided, had no sense of self preservation. At all. 

Maybe she’d imagined it, but she swore she saw a red figure jump out of sight. Given she had very little time to do so, she couldn’t consider the matter really any further.

“...oh well, this dress was so last season anyway…” 

-----

“I hate you so much right now!”

“I know you mean love, sis!” Sonic replied with a fanged grin, the two running directly down a wall with a hoard of S-Series right behind them.

“Ball up!” Sonia said, to her brother, who didn’t waste a second to do as he’d been commanded. Sonia, grabbing him, bulked up briefly before tossing her brother like a football. He’d already been spinning in her hand the moment she’d grabbed him so what happened next was entirely predictable.

“Go long!”

Sonic flew through an S-Series like a high speed, flying buzzsaw blade and sliced it in two down the middle. Both halves exploded a few seconds later, as police sirens wailed.

Robotic monkeys, driving little egg-shaped police cars flashing red and blue flew past him. Sonic pushed himself off another S-series, kicking it away before diving back down towards the squad of badniks.

Landing on the wall, Sonic carved a path through the concrete before pushing himself off it. Slicing through the badniks, some of the hoverpods went flying off in various directions. Uncurling, Sonic jumped from pod to pod and flashed peace signs before tucking himself into a mid-air dive.

Sonia landed on a pipe, and drew her sword. In several quick slashes taking less time than a blink of an eye, more of the hoard went down. Something chittered behind her, and Sonia backflipped over the source of the sound.

Gracefully, on her feet again, she stared down the bright green robot which looked like an oversized praying mantis. It probably would have been comical, or cute, at literally any other size in her opinion. And at this size, the two sickles it wielded looked just deadly enough to have her full attention.

Sparks flew as she blocked the mantis’ attacks, with her blade but it was unyielding. Unrelenting, and unlike her, would never tire. It struck again and again, seeming to pick up speed with each strike. 

“Okay, so… I admit it, you’re good,” Sonia said. “You’re fast. If I had the time, I’d give you the duel you’re after. Sadly, I don’t. I hate to cut and run, but another time?”

She slashed downwards, the pipe giving way. As it fell, the Kamakiri badnik fell with it. She jumped on top of an S-Series, and thrust her hand inside the robot’s shell. Grabbing ahold of the first wires she could find, Sonia pulled. 

The robot began to spin out of control, and she knew it was her time to leave. Leaping off it, she landed on another pipe and drew her sword. Slashing clean through another mantis badnik, she cut it in half before it’d ever had a chance to retaliate. 

She jumped, landing on a catwalk and kicked open a door leading herself into a very large room. It was full of pillars, taller than even some buildings and seemed to stretch on for a mile. Her brother landed next to her, and wiped a bead of sweat off his face.

“Where’s Manic?” she asked.

“Oh, catching up,” Sonic said.

There was a crash and a clatter, their brother leaping out of one of the Kiki’s police pods from earlier. Said pod was smoking, after it’d crashed head-on into one of the pillars below.

“See, there he is,” Sonic said, before wincing. “And apparently in need of some more driver’s lessons. Dude, did you even get your license?”

“You mean subject myself to official government standardized testing?” Manic shot back.

“Good point!” Sonic said. “Stick it to the man! …er, platypus.”

“...remind me never to get into any car you’re driving,” Sonia said. “And if you’re ever driving the bus, I’m walking!”

“Fair,” Manic admitted with a shrug. Then, his eyes widened. “Look out!”

An S-Series was racing towards them, not that he really should have worried. Sally swung in, and roundhouse kicked it in the face. The robot, dazed, stumbled backward and Sally grabbed it by the arm.

She pulled, and tugged the arm as laser shots flew. Laser bolts ripped through several of the S-Series’ comrades, and they fell one by one.

Sally tugged, and the robot’s gun -and arm- was ripped free of its socket. Sonia’s eyes widened, and her jaw went slack as Sally tossed the arm aside with a clang.

“What?” the former mayor asked, Sonia having apparently lost the gift of speech for the moment.

“She’s apparently realizing just how awesome you are,” Sonic laughed. “Well, you’ve already met her mom, so you don’t need to worry about her liking you.”

Sonia just punched him across the room.

“Worth it!” Sonic said as he slammed into a badnik.

Vanilla, during all this, she’d been walking through the chaos with a serene smile on her face. Then again, Sonia figured, she’d probably seen worse. 

What really shocked her was the book in her hand. On it, a rather… endowed barbarian woman in furs, stride atop a wyvern with a sword graced the cover. Leather in Heaven, it read, as the title.

“...Miss Vanilla, why are you…?”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” the rabbit said. “I don’t really ever have the time to pick up a good book.”

“But you’re in the middle of a battle!” Sonia gaped, as a robot raced towards her.

Suddenly, it sparked, and crashed to the ground as Manic became visible behind it.

“Don’t worry,” Vanilla said. “I’ll be fine.”

“SURRENDER AND BE EXECUTED!” another of the robots thundered, his voice echoing off the pillars.

“Well, we’ve brought the party to us,” Manic said. “What’s step 2, or were you just making this all up as you go along then?”

“What’d I say?” Sonic said. “I’m not the plan guy.”

“So, it falls to me, as ever then,” Sonia sighed. “Well, I'm hoping we can concentrate our powers into a beam, and like fire them?”

“...oh, I’m so glad you've worked out your powers then,” Sally said, snarkily. “Anytime now. Now would be good.”

Sonia grinned back at her. “Think of it this way, our second date can’t be any worse than this?”

Sally smiled and let out a soft little laugh. “Well, you’ve got me there…”

“Hey can you two flirt later when we are not getting shot at by killer robots thanks?” Sonic said, dashing between laser fire and slamming into a robot. Posing stylishly, he did a brief little moonwalk as it exploded.

Sonia then took a deep breath, to calm herself.

“Alright Sonic, here’s what we’re going to do. I need you to get to the other end of this hoard. Manic, now you need to get over that way,” -she pointed to the right- “So when I give the signal, do your thing.”

“Okay, I’ve got it,” Sonic nodded, dashing off and skidding to a stop as a thought occurred to him. “...wait, what’s the signal again?”

Sonia sighed. “Chili dogs.”

“THAT IS THE BEST SIGNAL EVER! THANK YOU OH GREAT SISTER OF MINE!” Sonic said, hugging her before rushing off again.

“So uh you picked that signal because you were worried he’d forget anything else, didn’t you?” Sally snarked.

“I plead the fifth!”

Manic had already gone invisible, to sneak off to his position.

Sonia led the charge through the soon to be scrap, tossing robots aside. Her eyes narrowed as some got a little too close for Sally for her liking.

(In a more rational state of mind, she’d have realized she was just fine. But she’d had a day, meaning she was at her wits end.)

One shot grazed her arm, leaving a scorch mark as she clobbered the robots. She’d been so focused on Sally, she’d briefly forgotten how well armed the squad was.

“Sally!” 

“I’m fine, I had this handled,” Sally said, mid-kick. “Your arm!”

“I… oh,” Sonia said, only just now noticing. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me!”

“...but I’m alway worrying… worrying’s what I do…” Sally muttered, grabbing a pistol off the ground.

Sonia, having arrived in her position, started tapping her foot against the ground to an unheard beat. Snapping her fingers in time, she then let out a shout as she went for her amuselet. Turning towards her brothers, she said: “Chili dogs!”

In her hand, her amuselet glowed bright pink and morphed into a keytar. Her fingers danced over the keys, her feet still tapping against the floor. Inexplicably, her clothes changed as well, becoming louder, flashier as sunglasses settled over her face.

Pink energy bolts flew from the headstock with each key pressed, Sonia apparently lost in her own little world. And the beat played on, energy sparking all over her body. A new power surged through her. Not chaos energy, something else.

She felt invincible.

“C'mon say that you will… C'mon say that you will!” 

She then thrust her keytar forwards, a bolt of pure energy cutting through the air. Her hair went wild, flying everywhere. By now, her brothers had joined in, a symphony of the old and the new rippling outwards from the triplets.

As the song came to a close, and the last notes left her, Sonia suddenly felt very exhausted. Her strength seeming to leave her, she slumped forwards, nearly dropping her instrument.

Panting, she realized her fur had lost some of its sheen. Eyes widening, she stumbled only to nearly fall forwards.

“I’ve got you, Sonia…” Sally said, catching her in her arms. “Are you ok? No, wait, dumb question. You look like you just ran a full marathon, nonstop.”

“Yeah, I’m just… Solaris above and Mephlies below, I feel so drained.”

“Yeah, using these things… They wipe you out, don’t they?” Manic said, carried by his mother. Cream was right behind him, fretting and frowning.

“Sorry, I’d forgotten how much it wiped us out the first time we did that,” Vanilla admitted. “It takes a lot of you, but the more you do it, the more your bodies adjust and the less energy it takes. It’s like a muscle, you have to train it.”

The triplets, panting, all looked less shinier and colorful than usual.

“...still, we got ‘em, didn’t we?” Sonia said.

Sonic groaned. “...sis, did you really just have to jinx us there?”

“Oh come on, this is real life. Not a TV show, there’s not suddenly going to be…” Sonia started, before there was a crash. Dust flew everywhere as a part of the ceiling caved in.

Vanilla pulled her children close, shielding them with her body before the dust finally cleared. Eight glowing green eyes flashed, above them and little by little a massive tarantula of a machine lowered itself down on a web line

It’d looked hastily repainted, red spots still visible under the new violet and white paint. The abdomen had a massive silver star on it, sorta resembling a giant spring. The head had been partially replaced with a screen, fuzzy static giving way to…

“My my,” Starline said. “We are in trouble. I’d detected life signs, and wondered what was going on. I’m not surprised you came out of hiding, though I didn’t think you were stupid enough to-

Whatever he had to say next, he didn’t get the chance to as a scarlet form climbed down a pillar. Slid down it, actually, spikes digging into the concrete. The figure turned to look at the robot tarantula, and glared at Starline through the screen.

“Oh, now things are getting interes-”

“Be silent,” the figure, and Sonia felt her breath escape her. He was an echidna. No, an echidna warrior, she realized. “You think this machine is a match for me? I will shatter its bones the way you shattered my family’s honor. For my clan and kinsmen!”

With a roar, he launched himself off the wall, and at the spider as it charged up an energy ball between its mandibles. He headbutted the machine’s abdomen, and sent it flying off its web line into a wall. The machine exploded, the echidna landing on its fallen head. 

The ground cracked beneath the echidna with every step, before he tossed his mask aside. His voice, a deep baritone, reverberated off the walls.

“Welcome, friends,” he said, arms crossed, muscles rippling, his body covered in body paint, colorful feathers and associated tribal jewelry. “I’ve been waiting to meet all of you for a long time…”

Chapter Text

Sonic froze, his quills going rigid and flattening against his back. Sonia sucked in a breath, seeing her brother start to hyperventilate. He was always in motion, never sitting still for more than a few seconds so seeing her brother completely grind to a halt…

It was different, and different felt wrong. Her brother was incredibly animated, and as frustrating as he was at times… right now Sonia knew something had been bothering her brother. She hadn’t really managed to drag the circumstances of old Longclaw’s death out of him. She’d known better than to pry, and knew he’d explain the full story when he was good and ready.

Though, at a guess, seeing his reaction to the echidna warrior who’d just saved all of their bacon? She… had a really bad feeling about just what had gone down, even if she wasn’t going to be the one cruel enough to voice it all aloud really.

Sonia raced up to her brother, gently squeezing his shoulder not to startle him. The last thing she needed to do was spook him even further. By her side, Manic did the same with his hand on her brother’s opposing shoulder.

“Right, you’re uh…” Sonic started, caution in his tone and looking towards Vanilla for help. He squeaked out: “You’re our cousin then?”

“Yes, so I am. It has been far too long since I’ve last met any of your clan. That being said… Apologies,” Knuckles said, his voice a deep rumble, making him sound a little older than he really was. There was something of an accent about it, a little bit more posh than she’d been picturing in her head.

“I didn’t realize that…” the echidna said. “I’d been hoping any previous interactions, if any, with my tribe had been altogether positive ones.”

He didn’t quite meet their eyes, in shame.

“I can see now,” the echidna said. “That hasn’t quite been the case. My wayward brothers have stained their tribe’s honor, and cast shame on all of us. Come, let us get topside. A sewer is no place for a family reunion, is it?”

And that, Sonia thought, had been the best thing she’d heard all day.

-----

They were led upwards, Knuckles climbing along the ceiling, his spiked gauntlets digging into concrete and then earth and stone. He’d led them out of the sewers, into a forest clearing some distance from the city.

He’d respectfully kept his distance, not saying anything more on the matter. However, Sonia noticed how the red-furred warrior hadn’t quite been able to meet her brother’s eyes. Grateful as she was to him for that, she couldn’t stop herself from wincing. Oh, this was just going to be terribly awkward.

They’d emerged under the evening sun, an orange glow cast across the glass spires of Station Square. Sonia realized no, they weren’t in the middle of a forest. Instead, they’d emerged into a massive park, natural green breaking up the concrete jungle.

The setting sun filtered in through the trees, light rays filling the dappled grove. Overhead, a zeppelin slowly drifted through the skyline. Sonia winced seeing the holographic ‘wanted’ poster of her, and her brothers displayed for the whole city to see.

“That’s a new one,” Manic said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a wanted poster that big before. Still, I think they’re underselling how much I’m worth. They need to at least double the reward money!”

Sally facepalmed, as Cream nodded at her brother’s words.

“Yeah, you hear that, you tin cans? My brother’s worth twice what you’re selling his life for!” she shouted and Sonia hoped nobody had heard her.

“...maybe we can turn ourselves in for some quick cash,” Manic said, in thought. “...or wait, cause more havoc, and see if the reward money goes up then.”

“In what universe would they ever give you the reward money for capturing yourself?” Sally asked, dryly.

“Uh, because I’m technically capturing myself?” Manic replied. “Sometimes I amaze myself with my genius.”

Sally facepalmed. Again.

“...wait, if this is Knuckles, and he’s here…” Cream said. “Did we really have to wreck all of those robots? I feel bad for Mister Starline, he’s going to have to replace perfectly good henchmen now…”

“No sis, don’t feel bad for the dic- the jerktator,” Manic said, pausing to correct himself. “I bet he’s throwing a tantrum right now about how we escaped him again!”

“Ooooh, mommy always says throwing tantrums is bad,” Cream said. “...doesn’t that mean Mister Starline needs to be put in time out?”

Sonia snorted at the image the little rabbit conjured up, and had to bite her tongue to stop herself from breaking down into a giggling fit. She was a princess, she was never so undignified! 

“We smashed some bots, we came, we saw, we kicked scrap,” Sonic said. “Don’t say you didn’t like it Sal, seeing my sister get to be so awesome?”

Sally blushed, hiding herself in her jacket. “W-Well y-yes but that's besides the point. And don;’t you dare call me Sal!”

“Right, sorry, that’s a privilege reserved for you, Sonia.”

“Is it now?” Sonia grinned at the chipmunk.

“Don’t you dare!” Sally argued, her cheeks flushing hotly. “And don’t you dare encourage her, Sonic!”

Knuckles had a sad little smile at the group squabbling amongst themselves. Sonia winced, she didn’t have to guess what he was thinking about.

“Damn it… we were too late… That’s another kingdom we didn’t save…”

-----

“Yes, this looks safe enough,” Knuckles finally decided a few moments later. “It’s not as well fortified as I’d like, but from the trees we would be able to spot Starline’s forces coming long before they see us. We’ll take watches in shifts, throughout the night.”

He cast a glance towards Sonic and frowned.

“I shall be the one to seek out the firewood,” the echidna said, still not meeting the hedgehog’s eyes. “Rest now, all of you. You’ve had a long day.”

“Actually, no, I’ll go get it,” Sonic said, dashing off. “I… I need time to think over a few things anyways.”

And then he was gone.

“This isn’t going to be easy at all, is it?” Vanilla finally said. “I apologize that things are, well, this awkward between all of us. This isn’t really how I’d envisioned our big family reunion…”

“Nor is it how I did,” Knuckles said, with a weary sigh. “Still, it fills my heart with warmth to see you again after a decade of us being apart.”

“...Uh dude, I’m not sure that’s exactly how you’d phrase that to your aunt?”

“I…” Knuckles said. “I fail to see what the issue is, I’m just expressing my glad tidings towards our family reunion. I’m feeling all of the love. It fills me with such great fondness.”

“Wow, and I thought my sis was the only one who spoke all fancy like that.”

“Excuse you,” Sonia teased. “I’m speaking as befitting a proper lady. Someone has to act if they’re royalty, after all. Considering neither of my brothers seem to be bothered.”

“Yeah, well, we’re not exactly princes of anyone’s empire anymore, are we?” Manic said. “Just seems kinda pointless to act like royalty when we don’t even have a kingdom.”

“We will again…” Sonia said sadly, looking off towards where, miles away, she knew her birthright still sat. “One day.”

Vanilla used a soft cloth to dab at her face, wiping off beads of sweat out of her creamy fur. “...Oh, I think I’m starting to show my age. It’s been a while since I’ve walked anywhere this much, actually. Let alone ran from robots.”

Eventually, Sonic returned, though Sonia realized he’d taken far longer than he’d actually needed to when getting the firewood.

“So,” Cream said. “Are you going to tell us where you come from, Mister Knuckles, sir?”

“Not yet.”

“Awwwwwww…”

“Not until we have a campfire,” Knuckles said. “After all, everyone knows the best stories are told over smores. And it’s going to be one of those long stories.”

“Yaaaaaay!”

Everyone, but Sonic, laughed.

Soon, a cool wind rushed through the trees as the blanket of night covered the city. Like a million little fireflies, the city lit up yellow under midnight blue skies. Even after dark, Station Square was still living, breathing, with car horns honking and sirens wailing.

“Disgraceful, they’ve forgotten about the very planet they’ve built their city on,” Knuckles said. “They think they’ve tamed it, while building a jungle of glass across mother Gaea’s earthy skin.”

At the group’s stares, the echidna frowned.

“Apologies, I… have not seen much beyond Angel Island,” he admitted. “The world has changed, moved on, while my tribe floated care free through the skies above your own.”

“Yeah, as you were saying…?” Manic waved a hand. “So, what happened?”

Knuckles stood before the roaring fire, little embers dancing in his eyes.

“Yes, I suppose I should get on with it, as you say,” he said. “Be warned, my tale is hardly a pleasant one.”

“Well, you’re pretty much in similar company,” Sonia winced. “If you’re looking for happiness in misery, you’re in luck. None of us have exactly had pleasant months either.”

“...that’s one way to put it…” Sonic muttered to himself. “You two got lucky…”

Knuckles’ expression said more than words ever could. He reached out to touch his cousin, only to think the better of it. He flinched, and gazed into the fire.

“I suppose you want to hear of how I escaped capture. It was a glorious tale, to one day be sung by our descendents,” he went on. “I fought with the valor of a true echidna warrior, and my clan shall be avenged! Death, before dishonor.”

“Your clan?”

“Not just my tribe,” Knuckles said. “My family. Before I tell you how I escaped their honorless slaughter, I have to tell you about them. Their history.”

He paused, looking towards Vanilla.

“Assuming of course,” he said. “Aunt Vanilla hasn’t already informed you of our long, proud, storied history.”

“Sadly, I haven’t had much of a chance, yet,” Vanilla admitted. “I’ve avoided it actually, I’ve wanted to wait until my children were together again. But, well, things have been…”

She paused.

“Chaotic.”

“Yes,” Knuckles. “I’ve gathered. You’re apparently very popular.”

“Yeah, except kinda not the sort of popular we were really hoping for?” Sonic tried to laugh.

“So it seems, young hog of the hedges,” Knuckles replied. “Forgive me if my story isn’t entirely 100% accurate. My nanny may have… embellished how our families met.”

Vanilla smiled sadly. “She always loved spinning a good yarn.”

“Yes, Ixchel always wanted me to know my history, and more importantly…” Knuckles smiled fondly, in place of his usual grim expression. “Our family’s history. Gather, round and listen well…”

Cream’s eyes widened, bouncing in place. Knuckles chuckled, and wrapped an arm around his youngest cousin. The flames danced, and in them, images seemed to form offering a window into a time long ago…

-----

Some years ago…

“My mother, she’d been doing her daily training… Father would never admit it, but that’s how she won his heart. He was the strongest warrior in our tribe, nobody else could best him in combat. Until my mother, that is!”

Tikal wasn’t sure what to think of her warrior’s garb, it was what every echidna of age dreamed about. Defending their tribe, and bringing honor and glory to their clan.

Personally, she thought it essentially senseless. Even as she ran through her drills, she’d wondered if her heart was really in it. It’s what her father had wanted, and of course she loved making him happy but…

Tikal let out a shout, thrusting her spear forwards, and pivoting on her heel. Her dreadlocks fell in front of her face, beads of sweat rolling down her tangerine fur. Her eyes drifted upwards, hearing the roar of an airship’s propellers.

“Outsiders…” she breathed out, sliding her mask down in front of her face. “I’d better warn father…”

The airship was, well, incredibly garish, in bright colors that she’d only seen on some jungle birds. She supposed she would have been impressed, had she’d been a hen. 

“...wait,” she said. “I need to have a look at this myself, maybe I’m getting worked up over nothing.”

Chao chirped at her feet, and she smiled, reaching down to pet one of the little fairies.

“Go, hide yourselves. If I’m not back in five minutes, tell father everything,” Tikal said, before grabbing her shield and sliding down the hillside. “Now, let’s just see what’s going on here…”

Her father, he’d probably disapprove of her recklessness. He’d think she was taking an unnecessary risk. Once, he’d probably been like her, young and throwing caution to the wind.

She’d heard from the village elders that he’d once been more open to outsiders. Age had made him ‘wise’, so she’d heard. She scoffed, more like paranoid.

Angel Island was already isolated! The world went on without them, and she thought that was a shame. They were a part of Gaea too, even if the council didn’t want to acknowledge it…

The airship loomed over her, bathing her in shadow. An anchor dropped to the ground right next to her, and she didn’t even flinch as a second slammed into the ground after it a few seconds later.

The side door opened with a hiss, and Tikal leaped up atop a rock to greet the new arrivals. Stones floated in front of her, and in front of the airship door, hovering into place. Tikal jumped to one stone, and then another.

“...right, probably should at least let them see my face,” she mused. “Don’t wanna freak them out…”

She heard a voice, followed by another and another.

“Cannonball!” the first voice yelled, a female hedgehog leaping out of the side with a fox and a rabbit hanging onto her screaming for dear life.

The lavender hedgehog jumped right past the stepping stones, into the lake below.

In the present…

“Wow, mum. I didn’t think you were scared of anything.”

Sonia stared, slack jawed and appalled.

“Yes well, I was young at the time and still not… entirely used to your mother’s shenanigans,” Vanilla admitted, blushing. “Queen Aleena had always been… a unique sort. I was only just learning how unique.”

“You mean how awesome she was, right?” Manic grinned.

Knuckles coughed.

“If I might continue…?”

“Ah, yeah, sorry mate.”

“Mate? We have not mated, or performed the sacred ceremonial vows of marriage!”

“...right, gotta teach you slang, otherwise we’re all just going to be lost in translation.”

“I thought we were understanding one another just fine?”

“Metaphors too, so nothing flies over your head.”

“Nothing flies over my head without me noticing! If something did, I would catch it!”

In the past…

Tikal hopped down to the lake, atop the stepping stones, spear tied to her back. She saw three twinkling amulets, worn by each of the threesome.

“There were,” she said, teasingly. “Stepping stones. You didn’t have to jump.”

Despite her nonchalant demeanor, Tikal knew better than to drop her guard completely. The hedgehog radiated pure Chaos energy, in its finest form. No, it wasn’t just her natural innate powers, she had a…

A twitch of jealousy rushed through Tikal, though she quickly suppressed it. She’d wanted to take the trials herself, connect with the very nature of the world. Feel close to the power of her gods. She’d been forbidden, told it wasn’t for the inexperienced. That for her own safety, she shouldn’t go looking for the Emeralds.

And now here one was, right in front of her.

“Oh, there was?” the lavender hedgehog asked, with a dopey grin. Casting a glance upwards, she said. “Oh, so there was. But my way was more fun. Sorry to drop, haha, in.”

The fox groaned at the bad pun, shaking herself dry. Her brown fur poofed up, before she smoothed it out with her paws.

“And you’ll be a queen one day,” the fox muttered in disbelief. “I fear for Mobius under your rule. She’s got no sense, Vanilla! And somehow here we are, following her. Good grief, maybe we’ve lost our sense too!”

“Chin up, Rosemary,” the hedgehog replied, patting her on the back. “Where’s your sense of adventure? You only live once!”

“And what a short life it’ll be!” Rosemary groaned, her hair tied up in a lavender hair band.

“Now, I’ve always wanted to say this,” the hedgehog grinned, bouncing in place. “Take me to your leader!”

Yeah, Tikal doubted she really had anything to be worried about. This woman was too stupid to be dangerous.

In the present…

“...yo, sis, you okay?” Sonic asked, waving a hand in front of a stunned Sonia’s face. “You alright? You haven’t checked out on us, have you?”

“Lies and slander!” the hedgehog finally sputtered. “My… the Queen could never be that foolish! Your nanny made her sound like a complete- She’s not! She can’t be!”

She turned to Vanilla, pleadingly.

“Tell me our mother had more sense than that!”

“Mhmmm, I could, if it would make you feel better,” Vanilla mused, turning her marshmallow over the fire. “But it wouldn’t really be truthful, exactly…”

“My mother had no common sense at all,” Sonia said, slowly. “She was the future queen of her country and…”

She turned to her brother.

“...well, at least I know for certain we’re related, then,” she said to Sonic. “...because that means your daredevil/stupidity streak didn’t come from nowhere.”

“That means you’ve probably got some of it too, sis!” Sonic crowed, gleefully.

“...I refuse to even entertain that as a possibility and you won’t say anything more on it if you know what’s good for you!”

“I’m sorry about her,” Manic leaned towards Knuckles. “Something crawled up her as.. her butt and died.”

“Perhaps you should get that looked at,” Knuckles said, still somewhat oblivious. “That sounds concerning.”

Sonia let out a huff, and crossed her arms.

In the past…

So, she led her to her village. Suspicious eyes followed their every move, and her father hobbled out on his can. His red fur was graying with age, and he wore the finest jewelry in the village.

“Ahlan!” the apparent queen waved to her fellow leader. “We come in peace! Just wanted to talk to you about something. Chaos Emeralds, amIrite?”

Likely, her father had sensed the hedgehog long before she’d made herself known. In… very loud fashion.

“Aleena…” Rosemary said, rubbing her forehead with a finger. Clearing her throat, she said. “I guess it falls to me to be the proper one, seeing as how you cannot be bothered. My apologies, honored one. Excuse the idiot queen here, but we do indeed come in peace.”

“Wassup, party people?” the queen said, flashing peace signs.

“This feels like we’re going to be in hot water,” the rabbit said. “Potentially hot, literally, with us trussed over a boiling cauldron.”

Tikal eyed the other two Mobians. They were scrappy for sure but hardly fighters. Leaning to her father, she whispered: “The one they’re referring to as a Queen, she’s the one with all of the power. Her… retainers are probably just that.”

“Agreed,” Pachcamac said, tapping his bejeweled cane against the ground. “Please, follow me, visitors. We, obviously, have much to discuss. Tea?”

“Don’t mind if I do!” 

“I’m going to need it,” Rosemary agreed. “To calm my nerves. And yes, she’s always like this. Day in, day out. Well, life’s never boring with her around, I suppose.”

Aleena grinned, and turned to Tikal. “You look super strong, I gotta ask if we can spar later. Been a while since I beat up anyone who wasn’t a robot.”

“A…” Tikal blinked. “...what’s a robot? Is that some sort of slur? Should I be offended? Explain, please!”

In the present, Knuckles chuckled. Little did his mother know it at the time, but this had been the start of a lifelong friendship…

-----

“Mother didn’t know it at the time, but introducing your parents to her own changed the fate of the tribe. For better, and for the worse…”

“Father, they’re from the outside world. I… forgive me, but should we even trust them? The council of elders… If they have their way…”

Her father, as they walked, said little, and stroked his beard.

“OUTSIDERS!” Locke snarled, thrusting his spear under Aleena’s chin. It stopped just short of piercing her flesh and to the queen’s credit, she didn’t even blink. “Tikal, have you gone mad?”

Tikal gently pushed the spear down, and away from Aleena’s chin. “Peace, Locke. First impressions matter, and stop spitting in their faces. We’re not savages, especially not savages with bad breath.”

Aleena and her retainers stared in awe as their eyes landed on the village’s beautiful architecture “Oh… wow. The craftsmanship… it’s amazing, I’ve only seen stonework this detailed at the royal palace!”

The carvings depicted an ancient battle, the echidnas and the ancient bird tribes of the Babylonian empire at war. The carvings ended at the Master Emerald raising Angel Island high into the sky, ending the war.

“So, you’re too uncivilized to even have simple art? Tikal, we shouldn’t even entertain these outsiders,” Locke snapped, gripping his staff. “They’ve seen too much, we should let the Guardian judge them!”

“Locke,” Tikal said, quietly, but sternly. “They’re our guests, and we’re going to treat them as such. They were complimenting our tribe’s artwork, so take that in the way it was intended. You’re calling them backwards, while you’re the one acting uncivilized.”

“I’m looking out for you, love,” Locke said. “Once you drop your guard, they’ll jump you! We should be rid of them now!”

Aleena, if she’d been affected by Locke’s remarks, didn’t show it. 

“Right, I suppose I’m supposed to bow…?” the hedgehog said, before doing so at Pachacamac’s feet. “As-salaam ‘alykum. My name is Queen Aleena, the 1st, of the Kingdom of Mobius.”

“Well, at least she remembered the royal greeting,” Rosemary said. “I suppose enough lessons in etiquette and it’d stick even in her mind.”

Aleena extended her hand.

“Greetings, young queen,” Pachacamac said. “I admit I’m… unfamiliar with this greeting, so my apologies if I don’t return it.”

Aleena smiled, and gently closed her hand into a fist. For a moment, Tikal’s breath caught in her throat. Was she going to punch her father? Then, the hedgehog gently bumped her fist into the elder’s own.

“See? It’s just a fist bump,” she said. “Cool, huh?”

“...cool,” Pachacamac said and Tikal let herself relax, a sigh slipping past her lips.

“I know why you’re here,” the elder said. “The chaos emeralds.”

“Yep!” Aleena chirped, holding out her other hand, with the Emerald appearing in it. It shined, sparkled, as blue as the sea and skies. “I’ve already got one, piece of cake really.”

“That’s a fake,” Locke said. “It can’t be real, there’s no way the Emeralds would ever find an idiot like you worthy of their power!”

Aleena smiled as she set it down on the table. “Oh, really? If it’s fake, you should be able to pick it up.”

Locke grinned, and tried to pick it up. The emerald pulsed, and zapped him, knocking the powerful echidna warrior off his feet.

“Right, up you go,” Tikal giggled, helping him up. “If you’d bothered to sit still for five seconds, you’d have been able to feel the chaos energy in the air. That is the real deal, there’s no faking it.”

“Hey, it’s possible he just doesn’t have the gains to pick it up, and that was just some simple static electricity,” Aleena teased, and while Vanilla giggled, Rosemary straight up laughed.

“I refuse to be humiliated like this!” Locke snapped, and if looks could kill…

Pachacamac held up a hand. “Be silent, Locke. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough. Your behavior reflects on all of us, and I won’t let your temper cause an international incident.”

“Apologies, Elder,” the younger of the two men said, still scowling.

“Now tell me young Aleena, why should I, as an elder of the Echidna Tribe, and lorekeeper, allow you to enter the Temple of Chaos? If you pass the trial, the Emerald would be forever bound to you, the bond only severed by choice or via your death. In either event, it’d spawn elsewhere in the world and one of our greatest treasures would be lost to us perhaps forever,” the elder stated, his expression grave, and his eyes darkening. “Furthermore you already have one Emerald. That much power should be enough to accomplish your goals. If you were attempting to prove yourself as a Chaos Warrior, then you need not worry. Finding, and bonding to one Emerald alone, is an accomplishment most will never achieve in their lifetimes. Seeking all seven, many have tried, and failed, and none have succeeded.”

And Aleena’s cheery expression dropped, the queen looking several years older. The crown seemed to weigh heavily on her, her shoulders slumping and her body language tensing like a coiled spring.

“My kingdom, my people, they’ve been taken from me by someone I thought was a friend. Doctor Kin…” Aleena caught herself. “Doctor Robotnik, as he’s calling himself, wants to expand his empire to the entire world. Cover the world and usher in a new age of fire and steel, built on the backs of my people. I can’t let that happen, and I need the power to stop him. He’s not just going to stop with my kingdom, he’ll come after yours, Soleanna, and everyone else. I’m not asking, I’m begging. Please… This isn’t your people at stake, your tribe and traditions don’t mean anything to the Doctor. He doesn’t care about how old your tribe is, or how peaceful Angel Island is. He’ll come after you, and make your people his slaves, and then he’ll do the same with the next kingdom and the one after that.”

“I…” Tikal watched her father look the weary queen in the eyes, searching for any sign of a lie. She’d heard he had the power to gaze right into your soul, to see any falsehood.

Right here, right now, Tikal believed those stories.

“I believe you,” Pachacamac said. “You’ve come all this way, and sought us out, despite how hard we’ve tried to hide ourselves from the world. We, long ago, made a pact to never get involved with the affairs of others. I thought that was a mistake, and madmen like this Robotnik are why. The council of elders would probably call their paranoia justified, but I think it is better to stand and fight, rather than run and hide.”

His expression hardened.

“We Echidnas are the guardians of the Master Emerald, but before that…” his eyes, and Tikal’s, drifted towards the old carvings. “We were warriors.”

“You used that word, robot, before,” Tikal questioned. “What is a robot?”

“A mechanical lifeform, well calling it ‘life’ is being generous. It’s an automaton, designed to carry out a specific task. In Robotnik’s case, that task is to destroy anyone standing in his way,” Aleena said, still scowling. “He doesn’t have subjects, he has servants. Slaves.”

The elder spoke again. “I have two more questions to ask of you. First, do you think he can find us? You can, but you're Chaos sensitive. You could have tracked the Master Emerald.”

“If I can find you, Robotnik definitely can. His badnik robots are searching the whole world,” Aleena said. “Sooner or later…”

“And our Emerald?” Tikal’s father probed further.

“I doubt he knows you have one. I didn’t, we only came here to warn you what’s coming.”

“Finally…”

“That’s three questions.”

“So it is,” Pachacamac said, amused. “So it is. But it’s this, where did you get those amulets? They’re obviously creations of the ancients, tools of the gods.”

Tikal snapped her fingers in recognition. “That’s why I thought they looked so familiar!”

“My master, and adoptive mother, Longclaw of the Owl Tribe, gave them to me.

Locke had finally heard enough, as his temper once again got the better of him. “LONGCLAW? Her tribe is our enemy, and you dare to speak her name, and claim her as your master?”

“Sit down,” Pachacamac said, shoving the younger male back into his seat. “If Queen Aleena had tried to deceive me, I would have known it, and turned her away. But she’s offering such information freely, despite knowing the owls are our enemies, knowing it might jeopardize diplomatic relations. That tells us she’s trustworthy, and a wise queen.”

He chuckled.

“Despite her dopey demeanor.”

“Hey what do you mean dopey?” Aleena whined.

“Well, if the boot fits, Milady…” Rosemary teased.

“Still, I think we look dashing with our amuslets,” Aleena preened.

“Amuslets, that’s genius!”

“Well, I can’t just be the boring wise queen,” Aleena replied. “Gods forbid I have a sense of humor!”

Rosemary facepalmed. “Please don't tell the wise elder what you called those things. We might just get executed for sheer sacrilege.”

“You dared to name artifacts of the ancients something as stupi” Locke started, but his voice was cut off by the elder letting out a deep belly laugh.

Wiping tears from his eyes, Pachacamac nodded. “I’ll be sure to update our records. Now, before I let you pass, I have an extra trial for you. I’ve seen your strength of character, but now I’ve got to see your physical strength. My daughter, Tikal. Take her.”

“I mean… I’m not saying no, but isn’t she engaged?” Aleena asked, uncertain.

“She means take her in a fight, you fool,” Rosemary said, smacking her over the head.

“Oh,” Aleena said. “I can do that too! Won’t be as fun, but I can do it.”

Tikal nodded. “Likewise, I was wanting to test your merits as a warrior myself.”

Locke scoffed. “Prepare to be crushed, outsider, Tikal’s the best warrior our tribe has produced in a generation.”

“Well, at least you’re a feminist,” Aleena said. “But if you’re so sure of your superiority… why don’t we make this a threesome?”

Rosemary choked, Vanilla facepalmed.

Locke grinned, his expression bordering on sadistic. “Very well, if that’s what you want… I’ll fight you too!”

-----

Knuckles didn’t even realize how heavy his breathing had gotten until he’d stopped speaking.

“My apologies,” he said, his tone heavyset. “It appears I didn’t realize how… emotional telling this story would be.”

“You don’t have to continue it, not if you don’t want to,” Vanilla soothed, walking over to rub his back. “It’s still fresh for you, your loss.”

“My tribe failed to conduct themselves with any dignity or honor,” Knuckles said, his voice near a snarl as he walked towards a boulder. Drawing back his fist, he slammed it into the rock.

A crack raced up the boulder, racing outwards like a spider-web before the boulder shattered. Knuckles was still breathing hard, his temper at a boil.

“They betrayed your family,” he said. “Fell in line behind the ‘good doctor’ all because he offered an olive branch. He promised my father something, I don’t know what. Safety, the prospect of revenge? A place at his side?”

He turned to look backwards, no that wasn’t accurate Vanilla realized. He wasn’t looking at them, he was looking at who was supposed to be with them.

Aleena, and Tikal.

“We should have been together, united as a family. Instead…” the echidna hissed out. “We’ve never been further apart, all because my father couldn’t be satisfied.”

“Woah, wait, dude, you’re saying…” Sonic finally found the courage to speak. “That’s nuts.”

“He didn’t say he’d gone to Starline, but… I could see it in his eyes. He wanted revenge, he blamed your family for his wife’s death. Haha! And then he goes to work with Robotnik’s pet scientist!” Knuckles laughed bitterly. “And now look at us, our tribe’s naught but a memory. Just like mother.”

He looked tired, exhausted.

“I’m going to bed, a warrior needs his rest. I might be the last of the echidna,” Knuckles said. “But I’m going to make sure we’re remembered, and Starline… that he’s never going to forget.”

Chapter Text

Morning came, bright and early, though not without some hesitation on Sonia’s part.

“...just five more minutes… a Princess needs her beauty sleep,” she mumbled from inside her tent.

“And a Princess,” Manic drawled, peeking his head in. “Is also representing her kingdom and as a Princess, you’re supposed to give everyone else the best impression. What does it say about the Hedgehog kingdom if their first Princess is late to every meeting?”

“Alright, no need to rub it in…” Sonia muttered. “You can’t let a girl dream, can you?”

“And here I thought bro was the lazy one…”

Sonia tossed a slipper at him for that.

“Alright, I supposed I deserved that!”

She pulled out another slipper in warning.

“Okay, I’ll be going now!”

Eventually, she emerged from her tent. Her hair was a tangled mess, her quills having looked better. Her brothers shared a look, both wisely deciding against saying a word about it.

Sonia, running a brush through her hair and through her quills settled herself down next to the Rabbit family. 

“Now where were we?” Sonic asked. “We were just getting to the good part, about the Queen being a ba… being awesome?”

“Good, we didn’t even have to reprimand you for your language that time,” Sonia said. “We’ll make a proper prince out of you yet!”

“Chickens, hatching, don’t count them yet, y’know?” the Blue Blur shrugged. “Anyways…”

“Sonic, be nice,” Sonia chided him. “This is about the fall of Knuckles’ tribe, could you at least pretend to be patient? This has gotta be hard for him too, you know.”

“It is alright,” Knuckles said, sadly, and clearly lying.

“No! No, it's not alright. Not alright at all,” Cream huffed and walked up to Sonic, hands on her hips and tapping a paw against the ground impatiently. “Now you apologize to Mister Knuckles right now!”

Sonic mumbled an apology, Vanilla looking at her youngest with pride.

Knuckles let out a boisterous belly laugh at the sight. “I see the small one is the strongest of your group! Small, but mighty!”

“Yep, that’s my little sis for you!”

“You’re an unusual tribe, not bound by blood. But,” Knuckles said. “Clearly your bonds were forged in fire! Blood isn’t the only way to identify one’s family, after all!”

Cream giggled, beaming with pride. “Does this mean I can train with Sonia and learn to use a bastard sword now?”

Looking at Knuckles, she asked. “Did you know her sword is called a bastard sword? I’m allowed to say that word as long as I say bastard SWORD!” 

Vanilla facepalmed, muttering “Damn it, Aleena…”

Cream’s excellent hearing picked up on that, and she gasped “Mama you cursed, you said a bad word and you gotta put  money in the swear jar!”

Vanilla let out a sigh, suppressing a twitchy eye. “Right, that’s a good catch honey. We’ll just discuss your training to fight later.” 

Knuckles let out another belly laugh.  “If your mother permits it, I will also give you some combat lessons.”

Watching him jab at the air, none of the siblings had forgotten just what the warrior had done with Starline’s bots the day before.

“I will teach you our tribe’s boxing techniques! All of Starline’s bots will crumble before you!”

Cream jumped for joy, let out a squeal and did a few quick mock punches. Cheese and Chocula, behind her, mimicked her movements.

Seeing Nacho’s expression, Manic reached over to rub his head. “Sure buddy, we’ll teach you some moves too. And if those fail, you can just bite someone!”

“You sure you’re not just going to make him sick?” Sonia asked. “Villains never bathe! Nacho could end up catching some weird disease!”

“So he’ll only bite the ones with good personal hygiene then!”

“...do they even exist?”

“I’ll bite them first, that way we’ll know!”

Sonia facepalmed as Knuckles cleared his throat.

Both of the hedgehog siblings looked embarrassed, and settled in to listen.

“Now then where were we…? Oh yes, our mothers were just about to engage in a sparring match…”

-----

Outside of the village, was a clearing. In that clearing, an arena and now in that arena were Aleena and Tikal. Two royal heirs, set to clash in a contest of strength. Oh and Locke too, though he barely counted.

“You’re going to be eating your words, challenging me to a match. I’m the pride of the tribe, and you’re only an outsider. An arrogant one, at that. Pfft, I probably won’t even have to use my full strength for this.”

“Really?” Aleena asked, serenely and looking actually rather bored. “Well, don’t hold back on my account. It’s not going to be two on one anyways. You’re going to need all the help you can get.”

“So, it’s going to be your band against us then?” Locke asked, with a dismissive look towards the party. “Don’t tease me like that, they’re not even going to have me work up a sweat. Foxes and bunnies should stay in their burrows.”

Rosemary’s eye twitched, and she went redder than ever. She looked about ready to storm into the arena. Vanilla, before the fox could do anything she’d regret, gently pushed her back down. 

“You heard him!” Rosemary stammered and sputtered. “He’s a sexist pig! He’s not an echidna, he’s a pig! I should make him go flying!”

“He’s not worth it, Mary,” Vanilla said. “Besides, he’s in the arena with Aleena. He’ll be eating words, and dirt, soon enough.”

Off to the side, Pachacamac leaned over to Longclaw.

“Your daughter has interesting friends.”

“That she does, and they sure keep this old bird on her talons. Even if she winds up with a few more gray feathers.”

Pachacamac raised his hand, before slamming it down. “Begin!”

Aleena was on top of Locke before he’d even realized what was going on, pummeling him across the arena. She punched him into a tree, snapping it in two before hitting him again and again. Shoulder-checking him as if to only add insult to further injury. She was so fast, he barely realized what just happened before he was on the groan moaning in pain.

“See, swine, and he went flying,” Vanilla remarked, if she was only commenting on the weather.

“I’m not going to be jealous,” Rosemary said to herself like a mantra. “I’m not going to be jealous. …oh who am I kidding? I wanted to be the one to do that…”

Her voice came out as more of a whine.

“Told you it wouldn’t be two on one. It was actually 247… on one. 247 punches, to be exact,” Aleena said. “Oh and one shoulder check too. So… two hundred and forty eight then?”

“You’re still technically only one person,” Vanilla said. “...granted, Locke’s probably seeing three of you now. I’d feel sorry for him, but he brought it on himself.”

Locke just moaned in pain.

“Eh,” Aleena shrugged. “Semantics pedantics.”

She spared a glance to the man’s father, who didn’t look quite as angry as she’d been thinking he would. Instead, he was running his claws through a silvery beard, murmuring: “Interesting…”

“Good, I’d been worried-”

“So you do care,” Aleena teased. “I’d been worried you didn’t!”

“I thought, not worried, you’d given me an opening but you never took your senses off me. I’m not sure why you’d lied to Locke about-”

“Because he’s a douche,” Aleena said, with a warm look at her. “You can do way better, y’know. He’s a five, if I’m being honest.”

“Out of ten?” Rosemary asked, behind her before Aleena turned back to her and mouthed ‘out of a hundred’.

“You hit him 273 times, not 247.”

“Oh, I uh was just testing you to see if you could track my movements, that's all” Aleena said, laughing sheepishly and running a hand through her hair.

Rosemary didn’t look convinced, before deadpanning: “She lost count, she totally did. Arithmetic was never her best subject. The future queen sucks at math, I fear for our future and our coffers.”

“Well that’s what you’re around for, innit?” Aleena said, trading blows with Tikal. “You’re the genius, I just look cute and rock hard.”

Aleena was catching and throwing rapidfire punches. Tikal tossed her spear upwards, throwing up her arms to block the river of blows. She then grabbed Alena's hand much to the queen's surprise, and pulled her forwards. Yanking her into a tight hug, Tikal smirked.

“Are we flirting or fighting?” Aleena asked.

Tikal pulled her backwards, bending and slamming Aleena into the ground. Catching her spear, she pointed it at the queen’s throat.

“Mhmmm, which do you think?”

Aleena groaned, catching the spear with a paw and wrenching it out of Tikal’s grip. Righting herself, the hedgehog tossed a flippant grin back at her.

“Mhmmm, could be both, really.”

“Sorry, I’m taken.”

“Sure I can’t convince you otherwise?”

Tikal rolled, recovering her spear and thrust it forwards. Aleena parried it, the Juste creating sparks off shining silver.

“Okay, let’s play with our toys then,” Aleena said. “Careful, we might get grounded if we damage them too badly.”

Tikal laughed. “That’s my plan, glad you picked up on it. I was worried I might have hit you in the head a little too hard there.” 

“Don’t worry, she doesn’t have that much of a brain to damage!” Rosemary teased. Aleena, maturely, blew a raspberry.

Aleena charged, ducking under Tikal’s spear as she coated her blade in pure chaos energy.

“...It can’t be…” the echidna gasped. “You know how to use Chaos power in that way?”

“You’d better believe it!”

Tikal leaped, spring-boarding off Aleena’s head. She just narrowly dodged the spinning sword, a wave of chaos energy rushing out of the Juste’s tip.

“Chaos Spinner!”

Aleena, stumbling from the momentum of the attack, blinked as she realized what’d just happened.

“Using my head as a trampoline! Rude! You coulda asked first!”

Tikal was floating above her, slowly descending like an angel from the heavens. “That was an interesting move, I didn't expect you to have and learnt the power of Chaos. I didn’t realize it was possible for anyone in this day and age to use it like that. The secrets of those techniques… I thought they’d been lost to other tribes.”

“Thanks, I learned it from a video game,” Aleena said. “Well, okay, so Longclaw says it's not very practical but hey. It’s fun, and it makes Rosemary swoon.”

“I do not swoon!” the fox said, clearly lying by how red she was turning again. “Stop kidding yourself! I do not swoon!”

“You okay?” Vanilla asked. “You look a little faint, actually.”

Rosemary muttered something indecipherable from gibberish.

“The ways the youth learn to use the teachings of the ancients is truly fascinating,” Pachacamac said, still rubbing his beard.

Longclaw tried to look annoyed, but her fond expression betrayed her.

“I’ve heard of these video games, we don’t get them on the island as magic and technology tend to… not mix well. But we’re not one of those lost Ark of Civilization tribes, I hate those idiots who keep thinking we need to be ‘shown the light’. One of these days, I swear!”

Rosemary and Vanilla gave twin sighs, sharing a look.

“I didn’t know when we were quite so well off,” the rabbit said. “There’s two of them now. I can feel Longclaw’s headache already.”

“I can feel one as well, namely mine…” Rosemary moaned.

“You can put your head in my lap when I’m done, then,” Aleena flirted. “Don’t worry, I’ll be done in a jiff!”

“Careful, don’t make promises you can’t keep!” Tikal said.

Her fist glowed, and she punched the ground with chaos energy erupting around the two like geysers.

The dust settled, Aleena leaping out and knocking Tikal into a tree in a blur of motion. The queen pulled herself out of her ball-like form, skidding along the ground.

Hearing Tikal groan, she didn’t drop her guard as the echidna burst out of the ground beneath her. Leaping back, Aleena’s paws crackled with more chaos energy.

“You’re fast.”

“I know, I’m awesome like that,” Aleena said, ‘humbly’. “What was that last attack by the way? What do you call it?”

“I don’t really name my attacks? I just do them.”

“Booo, that’s boring. It’s your special moves, they have to have names! Special moves are 3 times stronger when you know their name!”

“...really? I guess… Chaos Eruption then.”

“Awesome!”

-----

“So what you're saying is our mothers were both idiots?” Sonic blinked, stunned.

“Well it seems you inherited more than just her speed then, bro,” Sonia quipped. 

“Yeah, well you clearly inherited her terrible flirting habits with the ladies,” the Blue Blur said in kind.

Sonia glared at him before the two broke down laughing.

“Hey hey all three of us inherited her stupidity in some way,” Manic said. “...the more I learn about her, the more I wanna meet her but at the same time… never meet your heroes right?”

“I’d heard stories of Queen Aleena, but I’d never imagined she was so… so…” Sonia waved a hand vaguely. “So!”

“So everything?” Sonic teased. “I thought you were more gifted when it came to gab, sis.”

“You’ve sucked out braincells, brother dear.”

“So where’d they go then?” Sonic said. “I thought I didn’t have any. Or did you just change your mind, and make an about-face then?”

“Well, now we know why I get better grades,” Cream said, not bragging but just speaking facts. 

“Not my fault half of the stuff I’m learning isn’t really relevant to me,” Manic said. “In one ear, and out the other. Still, you’re right. That you do lil sis.”

Cream giggled as Manic rubbed her head playfully.

“You’re the brains of this family, not me. I just look cool.”

Vanilla just smiled as she set out some food for everyone that she’d prepared mid-story. One that she’d remembered all too well, glad Knuckles had finally learned the full story of his family. Not whatever Locke had fed to him. She tried not to let a frown show. Tikal should have been here, to help raise him properly. Instead…

“Hahaha well my grades are as mighty as my muscles” Knuckles said, flexing and then he leaned to the side and whispered to Sally: “What are these ‘grade’ things?”

Sally just shook her head and groaned into her hands.

Knuckles grabbed a sandwich, thanking his host before taking a sip of grape juice. Clearing his throat, he continued…

-----

“That battle between our mothers… the way I was told, it waged for hours…”

Tikal thrust her spear at Aleena, the hedgehog using her full strength to deflect it. The spear flew out of Tikal’s hands, flying out of sight.

Tikal, quickly recovering, sent a punch into the Juste’s blade and it slipped out of Aleena’s paws. Both weapons, now deprived of their owners, were out of the fight.

Tikal’s eyes briefly drifted over to the fallen sword, as it slid along the ground.

“Back to basics then,” she said, turning back to her opponent and cracking her knuckles. “Good, I don’t need a weapon to beat you. My whole body is one.”

“Good! It lets me get up close and personal with you,” Aleena said with a smirk knowing exactly what she was doing.

Aleena was off like a shot, rocketing off at super speed running around the arena as a whirlwind kicked up. Tikal stood in the center of the storm, unflinching and eyes trained on Aleena this whole time.

Her hands glowed with chaos energy, aimed right down at the ground below.

“Oh no you don’t,” Aleena said, leaping out of the whirlwind. Too late, she realized this was exactly what Tikal had been hoping she would do.

She jabbed at the queen, fists alight with a crackling teal flame.

“Chaos Knuckle!” Tikal cried out, a gust of wind ripping through the air and bursting out from her flaming fists.

“Eeep!” Aleena yelped, quickly sliding under the attack. Her eyes widened and she bit back a curse realizing yet again she’d played into Tikal’s hands.

“Chaos Eruption!”

Her fists slammed into the ground, dirt and dust flying as the ground cracked.

Aleena quickly jumped up, curling into a ball just as the blast went off propelling her high into the air above. Tikal followed her movements, and winced as the hedgehog slammed into the ground HARD.

Aleena groaned, uncurling her body, now covered in small burns as she staggered to her feet.

“I think this match is about over,” Tikal said.

“About time you put this outsider in her place, Tikal,” Locke grumbled from the spectator stands. Someone, probably Rosemary, blew a raspberry at him.

“Alas, you’re probably right,” Aleena said, dusting herself off and giving a defiant expression. “Shame I was having so much fun though. I haven’t been pushed this hard in a while.”

“Likewise,” Tikal nodded. “But you know what they say about all good things…”

Aleena drew back a fist, and lunged.

“Going out with one last fast one, then,” Tikal said, ready to defend against her speedy blows.

“Hmmm, your student is very well trained and it seems my daughter, despite her training, still has a few lessons to learn…” Pachamachac said, with a nod.

“Don’t sell your daughter short, she’s well-trained and gave the Queen an actual challenge,” Longclaw said, sipping her tea.

As soon as the final blow was stuck, Tikal’s expression changed. Shock, awe, fell over her as she barely held back the blow.

“Speed… strength… you can use both at the same time?”

“Astounded, amazed?” Aleena said. “I never have just one trick. Gonna call it quits?”

Tikal's arms could not take the pain from the rapid fire blows, and they fell limp. Their owner followed, and Tikal landed hard on the ground.

“I yield…” she said, with a laugh. “By the gods!”

Aleena then collapsed, panting and laughing as well.

Tikal's father stepped forward, as Longclaw helped both young women up off the ground. “Tikal do you know why you lost today”

“Yeah. Aleena's the better fighter, that just means I gotta train harder for our rematch one day. That’s all,” Tikal said.

“No you two are about even in terms of skill and training,” Pachacamac said with a shake of his head.

Tikal stared at her father, stunned, and confused.

“You lost for three reasons.” he said, holding up his fingers and counting down. “First of all you made an assumption about how her abilities worked. A mistake entirely of your own fault.”

Tikal looked down, embarrassed.

“The other two reasons are not your fault, however,” Pachacamac said, seeing her expression. “The second reason is Queen Aleena has had actual combat experience while all your fights have been training matches. She, unlike you, has had to fight for her life. Finally, Queen Aleena is able to draw from her experiences in the modern world to find creative ways to adapt and improve her abilities. This, more than anything else, cements my decision. It's time the Echidna tribe finally rejoins the world.”

Locke glared at Aleena, but wisely said nothing. Aleena, for her part, quickly motioned Rosemary and Vanilla into a bow by her side.

“So you do remember your royal etiquette,” Rosemary whispered. 

“When it counts!”

“Now then once you're all rested…” Pachacamac smiled. “I believe we had an agreement. When you’re ready, I’ll lead you to the shrine. Your next step is just ahead. Be ready.”

----

“After that, my mother led them to the Chaos Shrine wherein your mother underwent her first trial for a Chaos Emerald,” Knuckles said, with a wistful expression. “And what a tale that is!”

Everyone but Vanilla leaned in, hanging on the echidna’s every word.

“But I will not be sharing that tale,” Knuckles said, and the siblings either groaned or fell to the ground in perfect synchronized pratfalls.

“Why not?” Sonic asked, stunned and tapping his foot repeatedly.

“Simple. While the trials will be different when you three take them, I feel it would still be against the spirit of the trials if you knew what was ahead of you,” Knuckles said, crossing his arms. “I, by right, cannot divulge what you’ll be facing even if the trials were the same as your mother’s.”

“That's not fair,” Sonic whined. “If you tell us you can have one of my last two chili dogs. …well, maybe half of them.”

He held out a particularly messy, sloppy dog and gestured to the half-way mark.

“...no, wait, maybe just a quarter. No, how about a single bite or maybe just a lick. Okay, I’ll let you sniff it but stay away from my chili dog.”

Sonia facepalmed. “Gee, with negotiation skills like that, maybe we don't need to fight Dr. Starline. You can just negotiate an end to the war with him.”

“Hmm, I don't know. I think his negotiations were rather lacking” Knuckles said. “He did not even give me a chance to decline his stinky cold dog. It’s a very bad name by the way. It does not even look like a dog at all and it seems to be rather warm. Not cold at all.”

Sonic laughed. 

“Okay, first of all chili dogs don’t stink. They smell heavenly. Secondly, its chili dog as in chili put on top of a hot dog. It’s not even made from a dog its actually made from pork and the reason its called a hot dog is-”

“Knuckles, bro. Sis was using sarcasm.”

“Ah yes. Sarcasm! I’ve heard of this lightning verbal weapon” Knuckles said. “Though, I admit I have not been trained in its usage. Lady Sonia, perhaps you can give me lessons in it once we are through reclaiming angel island from the Doctor’s forces.”

“Yes, the ‘good’ doctor has got to go,” Sonia said, slamming a fist into her outstretched hand.

“I do not think there is any part of him that’s ‘good’ in any way,” Knuckles blinked, confused before nodding. “Oh. That is the sarcasm again, isn’t it?”

Sonia blinked before nodding slowly. 

“...Uh, sure I can help with that…” she said before quickly leaning over to Sally and whispering: “...so, wait, how do I even teach sarcasm?”

Sonic finally pulled Manic’s hands off his mouth. “Hey, I’m an expert. Why not go to me? I’ll teach you everything you need to know!”

“Simple, you are very loud, whiney even and have no concept of patience. I doubt I could learn anything in this most sacred art from you,” Knuckles said, his tone bordering on deadpan.

Sally snorted and whispered back: “...you won’t have to teach him much. He’s halfway there already.”

Vanilla politely coughed, clearing her throat and drawing all attention back to her. “Getting back on topic… Sonic I’ll tell you about each of the trials your mother went through for the Emeralds when you find each of them. One story, for one Emerald each.”

Sonic sulked briefly before sighing. Cuddling his last chili dog, he sat and listened. “Okay, continue the story and ill eat this little baby once the story is over,” -here, he made little kissing sounds to it- “Yes, mama Sonic is gonna treat you well.”

“...I wish I could unhear that…” Sonia said, disgusted.  “There’s things a sister wishes she would never hear. That’s one of them.”

“Now then after the trial was over,” Knuckles went on. “Your mother was the proud owner of the blue Chaos Emerald but then… Doctor Robotnik arrived. It seemed he wanted the Emeralds for himself, and this very battle would forge a bond in fire. Our races would forever be-”

Before he could say anything else, a loud roar cut him off. Winds picked up, whipping through the trees as a turbine engine’s howl filled the air.

An armored attack helicopter rose up from behind the treeline, lights flashing red and blue as a series of red dots covered the group. Egg Pawns rose up out of the bushes, high-powered rifles at the ready.

A door swung open, and a green woodpecker peaked out of the helicopter’s belly. In his hand, a lit stick of dynamite.

“Sixty seconds to midnight,” the woodpecker said, with a mad look in his eyes, drool dripping from his beak. “Sixty seconds to nowhere, baby! Sixty seconds till you all go BOOM! AHAHAHAHAHAH!”

Chapter Text

“Sixty seconds, huh?” Sonic grinned, and for him time seemed to slow down, space bending and warping around him as a missile raced forwards.

He took a running stance, electricity crackling as the air reeked of burnt ozone. 

“That’s more than enough,” he said, pushing himself off the ground. He was atop the missile in a blur of motion, kicking it off-course and pushing his feet off it. 

It raced past Knuckles’ head, the echidna barely looking bothered at all from the ensuing explosion behind him. Sonic, for his part, was leaping from Pawn to Pawn, kicking the last one’s head to the attack helicopter.

It bounced off the cockpit, cracking the glass as Sonic swung from the landing skids. Bouncing off the ground, he rebounded like a pin-ball back towards the helicopter and kicked himself through the cargo door and knocked the woodpecker out the other.

“...to change your world for the worse, give you a different perspective,” Sonic said, skidding along the ground. “Now, didn’t you say we were all going boom? The only thing going boom…”

Behind him, the helicopter swirled out of control and fell towards the ground. 

“...was your chance at victory,” the hedgehog grinned. “Sorry, did you say anything? I didn’t catch any of that.”

“I said…” the woodpecker said, launching himself at the Blue Blur. His beak was like a drill, pecking away at Sonic’s head as the hedgehog tried to throw him off. “Sixty seconds until…”

Sonia let out a shout.

“Look out, Sonic! He’s got a-”

“BOOMTIME!”

In one of the woodpecker’s hands, a grenade. In the other, a successfully pulled pin.

“Oh, this thing?” Sonic said, kicking the woodpecker in the knee. He felt the grenade drop into his glove. “Yoink! That’s dangerous, you know. You really shouldn’t have it, not when you can’t use it responsibly. Go long!”

Sonic threw it as hard as he could, and like a fast ball it flew out of sight.

“And the crowd goes wild!” he said, doing a mock bow and adapting a certain accent and pulling out some sunglasses from… somewhere. “Thank you, thank you very much, uh-huh.”

The woodpecker was on top of him again, still pecking away. Sonic reached behind him, and tossed him to the side.

“See, I appreciate the help but you really don’t need to. My quills are perfectly clean, no ticks. Go find a tree, man,” Sonic said. “Like, my dude, I don’t even know your name!”

“Bean…” the woodpecker snapped.

“Sorry, did you say you want beans?” Sonic mocked. “Lemme get clear, they’re just bad for your stomach you know right?”

“My name… is BEAN THE DYNAMITE!” Bean snapped, going for another grenade. Sonic knocked him out with one punch before he had a chance to pull the pin.

“...wait, the dynamite? I thought you were a woodpecker, chucking grenades,” Sonic said, scratching his head. “You’ve got a real branding issue there, buddy.”

“Bro,” Manic said, looking torn between laughing and facepalming “Don’t encourage the wannabe supervillain, especially as he tried to blow you up.”

“Uh yeah,” Sonic said, rolling his eyes. “Tried. And failed. Either work hard or you might as well quit because you know you can’t touch this.”

“Hehehe well, I may have a branding issue baby but I know how to bring the BAD BING BOOM BOOM YEAH!” Bean giggled, his beak clacking as he laughed.

“...you sure he’s a woodpecker? He sounds more like a kookaburra,” Sonia said, narrowing her eyes. “Emphasis on the kook.”

She, with a sigh, walked up to the still giggling birdbrain, and looked back at her brothers.

“He needs work, as a songbird. I prefer another type of music actually. Wham, bang, ouch.”

“Never heard of it,” Sonic said.

“No?” Sonia asked. “It goes like this, actually.”

She brought down her fist atop Bean’s head. Wham, bang, and the woodpecker let out an ‘ouch!’ clutching his head before fainting dead away.

“Look, I know you two were playing with this idiot but I don’t give a sh… care, I want to hear the end of Knuckles’ story and maybe then we can get to work on I dunno, saving my kingdom, free Knuckles’ home and beating up some actually competent bad guys, y’know?”

She glared venomously at the now unconscious Bean.

“Not this guy,” she said. “This guy is LAME!”

“I see the wisdom, though I was enjoying the rather eccentric way this one spoke,” Knuckles said, scratching his chin. “But yes, we must get on with freeing cousin Sonia’s homeland!” 

Sonic let out a groan, slumping his shoulders. “But I was just getting warmed up, I had about 12 jokes about beans and explosive gas.”

“And much to my horror,” Sonia said with a sigh. “I’m sure you’ll still find a way to use them.”

“I want to hear your jokes,” Cream spoke up.

“See sis, you’re depriving her of some quality jokes here!”

“She’s 11, her sense of humor’s about as mature as yours.”

“You mean well aged,” Sonic playfully jabbed back. “Like a fine wine.”

“I didn’t know whining aged well at all.”

“She puns!” Sonic grinned. “So you are my sister!”

“Sometimes regrettably.”

From the wreckage of the attack helicopter flew out a drone, projecting a shimmering blue image of one ‘Doctor’ Starline.

“Well well, destruction of public property. That’s going to be a rather sizable fi-”

Knuckles reacted instantly, punching straight through the hologram to no effect. It flickered, but stayed solid. Well, as solid as a hologram could get anyway.

“G-G-Ghost!” Knuckles stammered, hiding behind a calmer Vanilla who patted his head. “Be gone, foul spirit! Before I am forced to vanquish you!”

“Yes, I’m sure you could,” Starline deadpanned, more concerned with his nails than Knuckles. “Sadly, to qualify as a member of the recently deceased I would have to join their ranks after being deceased. Unfortunately for you, I’m not quite there yet and I don’t intend to have that status change any time soon.”

Starline put his hands behind his back, and strolled around the clearing inspecting the damage. His eyes drifted briefly to Bean’s unconscious form, before looking back at the group with a bored expression on his face.

“I see you’ve dealt with the hired help. Well, ‘help’ might be pushing it, as the idiot’s a loose cannon. I didn’t expect him to do much,” Starline sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I assume he spent the entire time ranting like a lunatic and acting the part of a blithering, babbling fool. He forgot to deliver my message, didn’t he?”

“I mean, it seemed pretty clear to me,” Sonic said. “You wanted us dead to secure your path to the throne, right?”

“Hardly, listen I’m a forgiving sort. As long as you live and let live, I won’t bother with you three. I’ve got more important things to do, such as improving the country and our way of life,” Starline said. “Still, if you’re intent on proving yourself an enemy, I’ve got to see how much of a thorn in my backside you’re going to be before I figure out a way of dealing with you. I can’t afford distractions, like you three. Apologies Miss Vanilla, but if you keep pushing, I’ll just have to push back. Harder, at that.”

Vanilla’s only answer was a scowl.

“Right, yes, sorry, I’m rambling. I’m here to challenge you to a game, of sorts,” Starline said. “Not chess, I’d never waste my time playing chess with any one of your limited intelligences. I doubt you’d be able to solve this simple puzzle.”

He waved his hand, a hologram of a half-played chess match appearing.

“Queen, to B7,” Cream answered, after a few seconds of thought.

“No, child, that is…” Starline trailed off, as he realized. “Oh, interesting. You’re absolutely correct. I see you’ve inherited the intelligence in the family though your mother… She never had the patience for chess. Such a shame, I’ve never had an actual challenge.”

Sonic and Manic were both mouthing the man’s words with mocking expressions. Starline glared at them before clearing his throat.

“Now then. Our explosive happy friend, he’s planted bombs all over Station Square,” and at this, the whole group looked at him in fright. “Now, before your speedy idiot rushes off…”

Sure enough, Sonic was ready to run before Sonia held him in place with her super-strength. Albeit, he was squirming to try -and fail- to get out of her grip.

“Sonic, wait till we know what is going on,” she hissed at him.

“Listen to the pink one, she’s correct. If you’d grabbed any of the bombs, or worse… actually moved them… Well, let’s just say Station Square’s property values would plummet sharply.”

Sonic froze in horror, unable to speak as the image drifted into his mind.

“Now then, I’ll allow you to run into the city and I’ll be fair and tell you there’s only 13 bombs to worry about,” Starline said before pausing with a smirk. “Oh, no quip about how that’s an unlucky number? I suppose I really did break your brother, then.”

Starline opened up a golden pocket-watch on a chain that he pulled out from his labcoat, checking it.

“You have six hours, starting… well, now actually,” he said. “Oh, and if you even think about getting help from Miss Sally, Mrs. Vanilla or Knuckles… the game’s forfeit. You lose. This is sibling bonding time, after all. Have fun! Ta ta, for now.”

The hologram vanished, the drone crashing to the ground.

“I… I could have…” Sonic stammered, before his sister pulled him into a gentle hug.

“It’s okay, you didn’t do it, and all you were worried about was the people of Station Square. That’s why Starline planned this, he knows how to get to you.”

Manic soon joined in the hug. “Don’t worry, we got this. There’s three of us this time. Let’s go stop those bombs, alright?”

“What I don’t get, is why?” Sally said, leaning against a wall, arms crossed and brow furrowed in thought. “What does he get out of this?”

“It’s an experiment,” Sonic frowned. “I bet if we lose, he’s going to announce to the nation that we failed and our reputation goes down the toilet. We win, he knows just how well we work together and he’ll be able to plan around it. Either way, he wins.”

“Well, we can’t just let him blow up the city, can we?” Sonia said, fist slammed into an open palm. “Come on, let’s show him just why you don’t mess with this family! We can do this! Like Manic said, there’s three of us!”

Sonic flashed a reassuring, almost cocky grin at the nervous looking Cream.

“Don’t worry little sis, your big sibs have got this! Be back in a flash! Let’s juice and jam, we gotta go fast!”

-----

Station Square, for most people, continued on as normal. Overlanders walked the streets, blissfully unaware of the looming threat. Another busy day, for the busiest city on the islands, the rumble of foot traffic and the honk of car horns made up the soundtrack to daily life.

“They don’t even know,” Sonia said, before being shoved aside by a businessman on his way to work. “Ow, hey! I’m walking here! Don’t ignore me! Seriously, I’m a princess!”

“We gotta warn them,” Manic said. “Like… they gotta know.”

“Okay, sure, lemme just yell there’s a buncha bombs planted everywhere. Get everyone running and screaming. You see the problem? No, bad idea. Like super bad,” Sonic said. “Mass panic, y’know? People are gonna get trampled, while everyone rushes to get out of the city. There’s probably a bomb or two underneath the monorail lines anyways. Boom, derailment, crash.”

“You really think Starline would do that, bro?” Manic asked, wincing at the resulting imagery.

“You think he wouldn’t?” Sonic said before deadpanning: “Or did you forget about the time he took over Aleena’s kingdom by force with a robot army. Pretty sure he doesn’t care about accidental casualties, or he would have invited Aleena to discuss everything including her forced retirement over tea.”

“I… yeah, I see your point.”

The three siblings realized how alone in the crowd they really were. Sonia sighed.

“Nobody would believe us anyways,” she said. “We’re nobodies, we don’t have a reputation. That’s what Starline’s doing, he wants us to fail before we’re even out of the gate.”

Sonic tapped his shoes against the pavement in agitation. “...could just zip everyone out of the city and… no, that’d never work. I’m fast, but I’m not that fast and Starline would probably consider that cheating. Boom, bang, we lose.”

He let out a groan, pulling at a few of his quills.

“I guess you can think things through then,” Sonia said.

Sonic was ready to fire back a retort before thinking better of it: “Yeah, I’ll let you have that one considering what I almost did earlier.”

“You’re learning,” Sonia said, booping him on the nose. “Okay, we have six hours to find, and dismantle every bomb in the city. The trouble is, we don’t even know what they look like. Plus, bomb disposal wasn’t exactly part of my royal training.”

“Hey, nobody look at me. Yeah uh when it comes to electronics, my experience is plugging in a Saturn and operating a microwave,” Sonic said.

“I mean, I think I can do it, I know my way around wires after years of disabling security systems,” Manic said. “Like anything that looks important, and I know what important looks like, I can cut. It’s usually a red wire, isn’t it?”

“They could all be red, and if you cut the wrong one,” Sonic trailed off. “Boom, bang, we all lose, remember?”

“Don’t remind me,” Manic said, rather sourly. “Okay, think… first thing we need to do is actually find the bombs. Bro, you know what to do, right?”

“Yeah, be back in a flash,” Sonic said. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch anything. Gotta jet, fam!”

Then he was gone, leaving only the crackle of electricity in his wake.

“Okay, time for a bit of a crash course,” Manic said, opening up Sally’s personal datapad tapping away at the keypad. “Starline didn’t say anything about N.I.C.O.L.E did he? Thank Gaia for speed reading, eh?”

“That’s a manual from a video game,” Sonia said, flatly.

“A bomb disposal simulation game,” Manic said. “Same thing, really. Segata Sanshiro is probably gonna come out of nowhere and headlock me for not playing the Saturn enough but I’m sure he’d understand the urgency.”

“He’s a character from advertisements!” 

“Are you sure about that?” Manic asked. “Like, 100%?”

“Well, no, but…” Sonia blinked before it dawned on her what exactly she was arguing about. And failing. “...wait, why are we discussing this? Bombs, remember?”

Sonic returned about then.

“Found one!”

“That was…” Sonia said before she remembered. “Right, forgot. You can really move. Fastest thing alive.”

“Now you’re catching on!”

-----

The triplets found themselves in front of what would have been just another convenience store chain had it not been for the eye-catching logo. A neon jester, in varying shades of purple, the sign flickering and buzzing. Or at least it should have been.

“This is a Nights Dream, they’re never closed. They’re not supposed to be closed,” Sonic said, crossing his arms in annoyance and quirking an eyebrow. “Yet this one is. Isn’t that weird?”

“Please tell me,” Sonia said, dryly. “You’ve got better evidence of something being wrong here other than that.”

“Well, that and Starline’s big ugly mug peeping out at us,” Sonic said, gesturing to the back of the store. 

In the back, an animatronic of the man with a count down timer in his eyes.

“You really should have just led with that,” Sonia said before shivering at the animatronic. “...wow, it’s creepier than the real deal, which is honestly pretty impressive.”

“Nobody look away,” Manic said. “It’ll start moving when nobody’s watching!”

“It’s a bomb, not a slasher villain, bro,” Sonic said. “Unless it’s a kamikaze bot.”

“See, did you have to put that image in my head?” Sonia said. “Manic, just pick the lock and we can get onto the next one. If we’re lucky, they’ll all be this obvious.”

“I don't know sis. No one’s ever successfully picked one of the locks on a Nights Dream convenience store before,” Manic said before he just reached over and opened the door. “Mostly because they don't even have locks. It's a store policy to always be open even if there is a disaster of some kind. Okay, sure the employees need to get to safety but if people need supplies during a disaster then they should have ease of access to anything inside. Sonic’s right, a store being closed is like… I dunno, a unicorn farting rainbows out of its butt. Technically impossible and yet here we are.”

“...so, keep an eye out for unicorns,” Sonic said. “Got it.”

“Farting unicorns,” Manic corrected him as his sister made a face.

“My brother was right about something,” Sonia said. “Nope, just said it aloud and it still doesn’t make sense.”

“Hey!”

“Anyways, how was I supposed to know? I’ve never been to one actually, the tabloids would never let me hear the end of it.”

The timer read 5:50:00 and falling. Manic went around the back, and gestured to a panel welded to the back. With a sigh, Sonia approached it.

“You owe me a manicure,” she said, and with a bit of effort ripped the panel right off. Behind it, dozens of wires, all red. Because of course they were. Something Sonia couldn’t resist snarking at, with a: “It’s usually a red wire, huh?”

“I’m technically correct, the best kind of correct!” Manic said. “Gimme a minute. Bro, go around and see if you can find any more of them.”

Sonic did a little jaunty salute, before dashing out the door in a gust of wind.

Sonia’s ears twitched, hearing muffled shouting from behind the counter. Climbing over it, she found an Overlander now bound and gagged. He was dressed in an employee’s uniform, terror in his eyes.

Ripping the ropes in half, she turned back to her brother. “Manic, I found someone back here!”

Manic focused on the bomb snipping a wire, clearly tensing up as he did so “Huh, that's great, maybe he can tell us something useful.” 

The man got up and dusted himself off. “Thank you! I’m Paul, Paul Anderson. Are… are you with the police? You’re awfully short for cops…”

“Err… yeah, something like that,” Manic said. “So, the bomb. What did you see?”

“I’m not sure how much help I can even be. I got jumped by some maniac,” Paul sighed. “I’m not even supposed to work the register anymore. What's the point of getting promoted to manager if I still have to do this crap? But my employees called in sick. Fine day to do that, looks like they’re actually having a better day than I am.”

“Hey sis, can you come over here, and get rid of the left leg for me, will ya?” Manic asked.

Sonia with a nod, hopped over the counter and next to the animatronic. Blowing a raspberry at Starline’s face, she turned back to Paul. “You’re rather calm for someone in the same room as a bomb.”

Grabbing the leg, she ripped it off, exposing more wires.

“Thanks sis,” Manic said, as he looked through the wires between the leg and rest of the body. 

Paul laughed. “Yeah, I was in the military when I was a younger man. Part of a covert ops group that fought robotnik back in the day, we learned how to keep calm under pressure.”

“And now you’re working at a 24/7 convenience store,” Sonia said sadly. “So much for veterans being treated like heroes.”

“I don’t mind, it’s usually a fairly calm job most nights,” Paul said. “Most nights.”

Sonic returned about them, the gust of wind following him as it blew through the store.

“Okay, found three more, two of them down in the sewers and…” he wiped a tear from his eye. “One’s manning an abandoned chili dog stand. Oh, it was so young…”

“Excuse me, how many bombs are there?” Paul asked in a start. 

“Oh sorry we have 12 more bombs to find after this one” Sonic said before pausing in place. “Wait, uh who are you? I didn’t catch your name.”

“Sonic this is Paul the store manager, and Paul this is my brother Sonic.” Sonia said, making the introductions.

“The fastest thing alive,” Sonic said. “Accept no substitutes.”

“Yes,” Sonia deadpanned. “As you can see, he’s very humble.”

“A pleasure. I see. Well, I think I know where a few are, come to think of it. I heard that lunatic ranting about it. I believe he said something about an amusement park, the casino and the subway,” Paul said. 

“Wow seriously you're a life saver” Sonic zipped over and shook Paul's hand. “Be back in a flash, gotta juice dude!”

“That young man is very fast,” Paul trailed off, his voice turning wistful. “He kinda reminds me of the late Queen…. Not that I ever fought with her in any official capacity but I’d met her a few times. What a wonderful woman, and it’s a true tragedy what happened to her and her kids.”

Sonia and Manic shared a look, a rapidfire silent conversation passing between their eyes.

“Aleena, she’s our, well she’s our biological mom. She’s alive too,” Sonia said. “And she’ll be back on the throne if we have anything to say about it. We just need to evict Starline, that's all. He’s overstayed his welcome, and he doesn’t even pay rent!”

“I’m so glad to know the kingdom, and its children, they’re still alive,” Paul said, wiping away a tear. “I thought the only thing alive was the dream, in the hearts of all.”

“Well-”

“I’ve almost got it!” Manic said, with a snap of his fingers. “Sonia, the head. Take it off, don’t rip it off, just unscrew it. Like you’re unsealing a medicine bottle. There’s a cylinder inside, get it for me.”

Sonia carefully unscrewed the animatronics head, and rummaged around inside the body before pulling out the cylinder. More wires hung off it. Red, of course.

“One the count of 3, crush it. Ready?”

Sonia nodded, bulking up slightly.  “Ready!”

“And a 1, and a 2!”

Manic snapped his fingers.

“And 3!!!”

Manic cut 5 wires at the same time his sister crushed the cylinder in her paw. Both braced themselves, as the timer turned off with the animatronic crumpling to the ground lifelessly.

“We did it!” both siblings said, with a high five. Sonic returned, panting a little.

“Found more of them. One’s at the amusement park, just like Paul said. Another’s inside Casinopolis, and three in the subway. That’s seven so far.”

“Six,” Manic said. “Just finished up here.”

“And only 5 hours to go for the rest of them…” Sonic said. “I mean, I know I’m fast, but we’re gonna be cutting it close.”

“Less time talking, more time walking,” Sonia said. “Sorry Mr. Anderson, but we’ve got to be going. We’ll catch up later!”

“It was a pleasure, say hello to the Queen when you meet her again. It does my heart good to know she’s still alive and fighting the good fight.”

The two grabbed Sonic’s hands and were gone in a flash of lightning.

Paul was waving them goodbye.

“Such sweet kids,” he said, his eyes turning obsidian. “And just as foolish as their mother…”

He opened a closet, the real Paul falling out with a knife in his back.

“So that’s them, huh,” ‘Paul’ said as his disguise fell, replaced with something more octopi. “Oh, we’ll have plenty of fun… Won’t we.”

With that, he vanished into the shadows and his form shifted once more becoming just another man in the street…

-----

35 minutes till detonation. 4 bombs remaining.

“Almost done with this one!” Manic said, the dripping of liquid matching up almost perfectly with his beating heart. 

They’d finally found the last of the bombs down here, nestled deep within an abandoned subway station amongst rotting wood and rusting metal.

“And there’s still three to go,” Sonic said. “You think you can be faster than me, bro?”

“Yeah, no, nobody's as fast as you and while I hate to say I’ve gotten the hang of disarming these things… Yeah no, not even I could do 3 in 30 minutes. I can barely do one of them with that time. I’m not a miracle worker here. If anyone’s got any other suggestions…?”

Sonic was pacing nervously, as his brother snipped the last wire in two. Sonia, for her part, clenched and unclenched her fists before steeling herself. Finding her resolve again, nodded. This could work.

It had to work.

“Okay, I’ve got a plan. It’s not a good one, but it’s a plan,” she said. “It’s a little risky, probably certifiable but…”

“Just tell us, we don’t have much time!” Sonic said, pulling out a few of his quills.

“Do not, and I’m asking you to listen to me, do not do anything until I finish with the plan. First things first, drop Manic off at the bomb in the central park,” Sonia said. “Next, get me over to the one at the playground with… oh Gaia, with all those kids around.”

“Got it, super sonic taxi services, no fare required. That leaves me with…” Sonic swallowed. “The one in the harbor. Cool, I can handle that. Cool. So what, are we all suddenly becoming bomb disposal experts?"

Sonia shook her head grimly. “No, Manic’s doing his but us? We’ve got the hard part, I’m throwing mine and hoping it doesn't hit anything on the way up. You, well, you’re…”

“Yeah, I get the idea,” Sonic said. “Gotta go fast.”

“Better hope you can swim as fast as you can run,” Sonia said, noticing her brother’s expression. “Don’t worry, you got this. All that energy I use for thinking, you use for speed. Fastest thing alive, remember?”

“Yeah…” he said, still a little uncertain. “Like a bolt from the blue, here I am to save you!”

He then grabbed his siblings, and did what he did best.

Run.

First the park, Sonia ripping off the back paneling of the bomb as her brother got to work. Then she was gone, on the other side of town, to the next bomb.

“Better make it up to those kiddos,” Sonic said, seeing the children playing with the animatronic. “Better you than me, right?”

He was gone, and already across town. The harbor was in his sights, and he was there in the blink of an eye. Pacing in front of the bomb, his thoughts were running as fast as his feet were.

“Okay, 28 minutes, to think of a way to not die, and suddenly know how to swim. Ducks do it, fish do it, so you can do it. I mean, you’ll be a world first. A swimming hedgehog!”

So, he set to work. 28 minutes later, he was still going nowhere fast. 

50 seconds remained.

“...guess there’s nothing for it,” he said, getting ready to run. “If I swim, I swim. If I drown, I drown. Sorry sis, but don’t worry it’s not your fault. Hope they find the note.”

40 seconds remained.

Sonic took a running position, crackling blue energy coating his body. “Gotta max this, go faster than I’ve ever gone before.”

35 seconds remained.

Memories flooded his mind.

Jet was up first.

“Guess we’ll never see who’s really the fastest, man.”

34.

“Knuckles… Okay, Knux, you seem like a good guy. Bit stiff, but that just makes you easier to mess with right?”

33.

Longclaw’s face drifted into his mind. 

“Might be seeing you soon ma, sorry if I rushed this but I do everything quickly.”

32.

Next, Cream.

“Sorry kiddo, I was looking forward to showing you all kinds of cool stuff… Maybe I will, here’s hoping right?”

31 seconds.

Then, his two long-forgotten siblings.

“The missing pieces of myself that I’ve just found again, after so long. Don’t worry, you’re not gonna lose me just yet.”

30 seconds.

Then, Aleena. The mother he’d never met.

“So, so many complicated feelings when it comes to you, mom. This phantom face I keep seeing I hate you and yet I still want to know you. Gaia, maybe I never can….. I doubt you would have lost like this though the great hero ….. Probably at least knows how to swim… I’m sorry.”

And then he was off like a bolt of lightning grabbing the animatronic and rushing along the water with it. The raw momentum was helping him to carry the weight. No thoughts in his head now beyond running as far away as possible.

Into the wind, and into the storm.

-----

Manic, across town, had just finished disarming the bomb and let out a sigh of relief.

“There, it’s up to you now!”

-----

Sonia rushed out just as the timer hit 35, grabbing it and shaking some kids off the animatonic. 

“Sorry kids, but you’ll thank me in a second.”

As parents yelled at her, she tossed it skywards and shoved the crying kids to the ground.

Thunder rumbled above her, no not thunder. Just the sound of an explosion, mid-day fireworks igniting the sky.

The sensors in the bomb noticing the momentum trigger  its explosion, sent out a signal to the two remaining timers. They counted down, all the way to zero.

Sonia fell to her knees panting, exhausted as the crowd looked up in horror. 

“Yeah, just gotta… gimme a second guys, be with you in a bit.”

Off in the distance, she could see another explosion out at sea. She smiled, not seeing any others.

“They did it… we did it…”

Then unconsciousness took her.

------

Sonic heard the explosion behind him as he rushed along the water. The shockwave blasted hard into him, sending him into the water. It felt more like concrete, pulling him under into the deep dark.

He could see the sky, rapidly filled with the bay waters and everything went dark.

A ghostly hand touched him, and pushed him upwards. The sun, filtering through the waves, brushed against his quill. 

Next thing he knew, he was gasping for the air, smelling the stink of raw fish. Coughing and hacking, he realized he’d wound up on the deck of a fishing boat.

And then he gasped for air smelling raw fish all around him  he coughs up water onto the deck of a boat surrounded by fish

“Well, gee, you’re about the weirdest fish I’ve ever fished up,” one of the crew said. 

He was a rotund purple cat, about the size of some overlanders wearing suspenders and smelling of tuna. A frog rested on his shoulders, croaking.

“I’m not a fish,” Sonic coughed out as the rest of the crew parted. “I’m a hedgehog! Seriously, what part of me looks like a fish?”

“Well, okay, that makes sense. Need a towel? You chose a weird spot to go swimming,” the big, big cat said. “Lotta sharks in the bay, and not even the living kind. Been hearing stories of robot sharks, from that scientist type, Starline. Not sure why we need them, they’ve been scaring off all of our livelihood.”

“...robot sharks?” Sonic asked. “With lasers, right?”

“Well gee, I don’t know about that, because I’ve never gone swimming to go look for them,” the cat said. “I like my fur where it is, namely attached to me. Froggy would be so sad if I got eaten!”

‘Froggy’ ribbeted, a purple quill blowing in the wind and out to sea…