Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A gale, howling wind flowed through the mountains of the Southern Tundra. Three figures trudged through the impossibly tall mounds of snow, seemingly growing deeper with every step they took. One would struggle to see more than a few inches before themselves, yet they continued unperturbed. For a week straight, they barely managed even a few hours of sleep, constantly on the run and the lookout for danger. Grit and determination were the only things holding them in one piece.

“If I never see another flake of snow, it'll still be too soon…” Monkey Khan groaned, draping his cape around himself in a vain attempt to stave off imminent frostbite. His extremities and ears glowed red with irritation, painful to even the slightest of touch. Were he an overlander, he was positive we would have keeled over by now. His cybernetics ached in the face of such adversity, clearly not having been made with arctic conditions in mind- or, more likely, without the COMFORT of the unwilling cyborg given the slightest concern. He used his staff to pierce the ground for stability against the wind. It glowed with awesome power, warm enough to provide the slightest of relief to the touch, and the same could be said of the power ring crown adorning his head.

“Mate, if we make it home, I’m retirin’ to big cat country. And no wolf pack or cat tribe stands a ghost of a chance in stoppin’ me!” Geoffrey bantered, placing his hands behind his head, only to immediately regret doing so once he felt the underside of his arms frost over, frozen, stiffened hair sagging off his limbs. On top of his normal bandolier, a brown cloak engulfed him. Not nearly enough to be called warm, yet just enough to knock his misery down from a 9 to an 8.

“You’d have every right to, Saint John, but I would hope you’d stay in the kingdom with us after all this time?” Elias spoke with jest, though he wasn’t entirely convinced that his skunk companion was joking. His voice was somewhat muffled as a result of him pulling the hood of his parka taut over his face, leaving only his snow-goggles revealed to the elements. The would-be king was used to such survival scenarios, having been an adventurer in the days before he was considered a ruler for the Kingdom of Acorn. He warned his bull-headed allies that at least 4 layers would be needed on this trip, but it would seem apparent they both assumed their fur counted as two layers itself.

“Appreciated, highness. But I have to wonder if I’d even be welcome in your kingdom, given all I’ve done…” anguish flooded Saint John’s eyes. He was the cause of all this, after all. 6 years ago. 6 fateful years…

It was Geoffrey who gave Ixis Naugus the power that all but destroyed this world. The civilized world, at least. Mobians and Overlanders still survived, but you could hardly call their existence living. During the battle against Sir Connery, Naugus was overcome with a lust for control, managing to betray and defeat Mammoth Mogul, and when cornered by the Freedom fighters leading to his capture by Robtonik, demanded that Geoffrey submit to him and obey his contract. It was not the right time, it was so transparently clear that Naugus on the throne would never work. He needed only to let Geoffrey work his magic and set the stage for him for another year or two. Instead, Naugus had him retrieve Ixis’ Ruby. Such a gem was heretofore an unknown factor to the secret service member. Given the cavalcade of hyper-powered gemstones this planet had seen across the years, he thought little of it. And yet, this one single crystal brought calamity on the level the Xorda invasion threatened.

Snapping out of his daze, he heard Elias reply, “It is my opinion, one I think you respect, that you have more than atoned for your sins. These last few years, you have done nothing but think of everyone else. Citizens of Acorn, the Echinda Brotherhood, and all those who have known suffering. Beyond that, that damnable wizard unleashed that demon from the ruby. You could never have known what would happen.”

The Demon, a beast who was the source of all ills on this hellscape that was once home. Sealed by the Order of Ixis, released by the Order of Ixis. The only outcome everyone could be thankful for after all this was that the order was down to one member, and that member refused to teach another living soul a single incantation from their dark tomes.

“Speaking of the brotherhood…” Monkey Khan interjected, “I think we’re finally here.”

The trio leered closer to Khan, spotting a dilapidated place of worship. Statues of echidna encircled a small pond, teeming with green water that paid no heed to the weather around it. Occasionally, a spark would emit from the pond. Raw, unfiltered chaos energy resided within. There was no doubt about that.

A shrine hidden away in a mountain was certainly the Echidna modus operandi. They could never have anything built next to a convenience store, no. It was always a secret with them. Or, rather, it was. They were more of a public servant organization these days. Tragedy brought people together, even those sworn not to interfere with the rest of Mobius. Try to ignore it as they may, shutting the world out never benefits a group in the long term. Whether or not the guardians learned this lesson too late was yet to be seen.

From his pocket, Elias revealed a small, golden ring. Tossing it above the pond, it expanded in size, eclipsing the stature of a mobian, creating an entry more than large enough to slip through. An image formed inside the ring, revealing the very mountain they were on. And yet, it was no mere reflection. They would be visible were that the case- no, this was an entry into another world, another Mobius. A Mobius that was in a better spot than theirs.

Geoffrey placed a hand on Elias’ shoulder, uneasiness eating away at him. “Highness, are you sure you want to do this alone? I’ve heard of the Cosmic Highway, but a one-way trip like this…What if you get stuck? Who knows what could happen to you?”

“Geoffrey, if I were to be stuck in that world alone, I would still be in a much better spot than the citizens of my kingdom. I need both of you here to help protect those who remain. Both of you are far better fighters than I. Let me do this. It's all I CAN do. Please.” He offered a warm smile to his knight, taking his hand with his own for a moment before letting it go. His touch was gentle, yet firm, as was his tone. Monkey Khan’s face softened. Sacrifice for one’s people, he was more than familiar with that. His home had no survivors during the first year of terror; no matter how hard he tried, he was never fast enough, never strong enough, clearly brave enough, yet not quite able enough to save even one person. He was with the Kingdom of Acorn because the only people he still had alive called it their home. It had become his, as well.

“He’s right, St. John. We might not be best pals, but there are few others I’d trust to watch my six. Leave the diplomacy to the royalty. In turn, let him leave the fighting to us.” Gripping his staff tightly, a cocky smirk creeped upon Khan’s lips. Through this display, a sense of trepidation washed over him. A pit in his gut formed. Looking at Geoffrey, he saw his companion gripping his head in pain. His smile went as quickly as it came.

“He’s close, isn’t he?” questioned Khan.

“Not just close, mate. He’ll be here any moment. There's no time to dwaddle.” As he finished speaking, he shoved his monarch through the portal, watching as the chipmunk prince fell bottom-first into the snow, his first steps into a new dimension lacking any grace whatsoever. “Find the Sonic of that world- The Echnida say that universe is the closest to ours they could find. If their Sonic is half as brave as ours was, then maybe we can pull through this. Good luck, your Highness. “

Shambling to his feet under threat of being buried under snow, he called out to his loyal protectors. “Do not linger! If he is close, then you cannot aff-” Elias was cut off by the closing of the ring. The golden trinket fell into the pond, losing its luster instantly as it faded into a pale grey, before dissolving away into a mass of energy, rejoining the chaos that permeated the shrine.

“Well, you get the gist of what he was saying. We gotta get outta dodge.” Saint John asserted. He turned around, ready to begin the long journey back to New Knothole. Suddenly, though, he collapsed to his knees, his splitting headache from moments ago returning, agony writhing through his body for a split second. That second felt like an eternity, and left behind a dark anxiety that seemed to pierce his very soul. It was too late to abscond. The snow ceased around them, parting around the mountain itself. It continued to fall, yet never seemed to reach the ground. Visibility increased, revealing a path of melted sleet and mush.

“Why leave so soon?” a twisted, booming voice echoed, seeming to weigh the air down as he spoke.

Helping the skunk to his feet, Monkey Khan launched a beam of lightning from his staff using his free hand, hoping to catch their assailant off guard. A deafening whir responded back, a round ball of spines slicing through the attack, stopping just short of Khan’s face, who leaped backward. He knew all too well he would already be dead if the twisted being before them didn’t love to play with his food so thoroughly. Unfurling, the demon presented himself. He was a pale blue hedgehog, his whole body spattered with scars hastily healed. His eyes were completely white, lacking any iris or pupil and melting into a single orb. Flashing an enormous smile at his prey, he revealed gnawing, gnashing black teeth, framed by grey, diseased gums. He held out his hand, pointing at Geoffrey. His gloves were tattered, fingers exposed at the tip to reveal sharp talons, yellow with faint stains of blood baked into them.

“Disciple of Ixis, are you finally ready to serve me? Naugus is dead. Mogul is my personal pet. There is no one but me worthy of your loyalty. I have been patient because I see value in you.” Lashing out, his head twisted and his neck stretched from his body, vile sounds of bones snapping and muscle tearing as he swirled his skull towards him, stopping his face just shy of the skunk’s. “But I grow bored of you…If you won’t be reasonable, then I’ll be forced to stop playing with you!”

Missing no beats, Saint John raked his hand across the Demon’s eyeball, a wave of black magic boring deep as it cut into the soft tissue. Blood spurted from the wound, and the demon’s head spiraled back to his body as he recoiled in pain, gripping his face as he wailed with rage. He slammed his fist into the ground, cratering the soil beneath his feet. “Worthless guttersnipe!” he hissed, shaking his head as if he could shake away the searing agony.

“Ixis Exeus, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. I serve the king, not a tyrant. I’d die before I answer to you!” Finally standing up, he did so with defiance towards Exeus. Aiming the crossbow upon his wrist, he fired a shot at the dazed abomination. As the bolt closed in, the demon’s smile returned.

“How right you are!” The gash in his eye began to close, bubbling and hissing with a green fire, leaving a clean stitch down the rake marks left behind. Without warning, he appeared behind the twosome in a dazzling display of speed, clasping his hands together overhead before crashing them down into the skull of Geoffrey, who barely had time to comprehend his shot missing its mark.

“Saint John!” Monkey Khan bellowed, twirling his staff before swinging it at the ankles of Exeus, who merely leaped into the air, landing on the rod and wagging his finger dismissively at the enraged primeape. His discolored tongue lolled from his mouth as he grinned at the Monkey. Lifting one of his legs, he delivered an axe kick to the monkey’s shoulder, sending a sickening crack through the air, causing him to drop his staff, falling to the ground as he howled in pain. Floating in the air as the perch beneath his feet clattered on the dirt and slush, Exeus turned his attention back to his disobedient disciple.

“And that’s another thing. Why can’t you call me by my real name, boy? I’m Sonic! It is his skin I wear, it is his blood you spilled just a moment ago! Exeus…he died the moment he received a suitable vessel. Accept it. Your friend is gone, and I am the one to fill that void.” Leisurely descending to the ground, he took a step forward, planting his tattered sneaker on his victim’s chest as he continued. “At the very least, you could be less formal! Just X will suffice. Your little Freedom Fighters have taken to that nickname, after all.” Pressing his foot down, Geoffrey gasped for breath, spit and bile being forced out of his mouth as the pressure mounted on his abdomen and upper ribcage. An ounce of force from this devil was enough to feel as if his organs would rupture any second.

“You could never replace Sonic. Not in a million years!” A bolt of electricity shot through the body of Exeus, convulsing and spasming as 10,000 volts coursed through his veins. A wave of relief washed over Geoffrey, who rolled out from underneath him, limping back to Khan, who was still nursing his broken and battered shoulder. Metal clamoured under his flesh, forcing bones back into place and holding cracks together as best they could. Burdensome though they may be, times like this made Khan almost want to thank Eggman for his “upgrades”

“Thanks for the save!”

“Don’t thank me yet, Le Pew!” Khan ribbed, leaning his weakened limb on Saint John’s shoulder for support.

“Right you are. Should we do that thing we talked about, Mate?” Saint John questioned, steadying himself, eyes shimmering with Ixian Magicks as he spoke. A bead of sweat dripped down Monkey Khan’s face, unsure of how to reply. His indecision was quickly remedied when he noticed that Exeus was no longer recoiling in pain, but rather beginning to cackle. At once, the spasms ceased, and he stood upright as he mocked and sniggered at Khan, before fully losing himself in hysterics.

“You should see the LOOK on your FACE! That is TOO good!” Wiping tears from his eyes, the demon became deadly serious. “Did you think that would stop me? You know better than that, you ape. I’ll admit, it let you live a few more seconds!” Extending two fingers, he lifted them towards the sky, and the ground under the pair began to heave and shake. Chains of stone and earth burst from beneath them. Geoffrey managed to roll out of the way, but his ally’s exhaustion was catching up to him. Khan felt the chains squeeze and bind him, his arms held wide apart on either side of his body, legs and chest constricted, pinching and pushing at his insides as they held tighter and tighter still.

“Yeah, okay, I think we should do that thing!” He winced through gritted teeth as the figurative noose pressed into his flesh. He heaved a bit of blood from his mouth, and could not help but shake the feeling that something inside him was little more than paste. His breathing became laboured, a brave facade plastered upon his face as he endured this suffering. Green flames surrounded Saint John’s eyes, and the same fire lit within Khan’s. Nothing seemed to change, but Khan nodded in understanding, grinning at Exeus. “You can do better than this, X! Crushing me to death? How passé!” Even in dire straits, he refused to go down without getting his licks in.

Exeus neglected to grace him with a response. He held an open palm in front of himself. Snow gathered in the center, melting instantly, forming an orb of water. Flicking the sphere, it engulfed Khan’s head, who hastily began to hold his breath. He did not consider himself a particularly strong swimmer, and the stone that threatened to pierce his abdomen made keeping his mouth shut a struggle.

Saint John fired another bolt at Exeus, this time seeming to find its mark. The tip pierced the skull of the hedgehog, driving itself into his brain. Unflinching, he gripped the wooden bolt, ripping it out of the groove that it bestowed upon his head, flecks of grey matter dripping down his face and off the arrow. Lunging towards Geoffrey, he managed to nab him by the neck, talons digging into his throat on either side, enough to draw blood that ruined the white streaks of his well maintained coat. “Last chance to join me alive. I value your brains, but if you’d rather be killed like your friend over there, I am happy to oblige. No matter what you choose, you are MINE, and MINE alone.”

This seemed to be the end of the road. 6 years was longer than thousands of mobians and overlanders got to see. It wasn’t such a bad run. He saved some lives, made some friends. And if he was right, he and Monkey Khan could even be the savior of people post-mortem. He was ready to accept his fate. Just as the king was doing all he could, they had done all they were able to, as well. He spit in the eye of his former friend, succinctly answering his previous statement. It never occurred to him that one day the thought “I wish I had been better friends with Sonic” might ever cross his mind.

Not ready to submit yet, the dexterous tail of the monkey prince gripped his staff, swinging it into the earthen chains, freeing himself. No longer constricted, he fell to the ground on his knees, gasping for air as he escaped the water that threatened to drown him, sputtering as blood and water dripped down his lips.

“Why aren’t you saying anything, Geoffrey?! Are you ready to give up already?!” rage coursed through his voice like venom as he lifted his staff one last time. He fired another bolt at Exeus. Responding in turn, he held out his hand, reflecting the lightning back at him. Khan fell to the ground, his own attack shorting his bionic enhancements. Exeus dropped Saint John, and wandered over to the brave warrior.

“This is why I’ve always liked you, ape. The fun never seemed to end with you. But you’ve run out of tricks. Your novelty is gone. Don’t worry. I will give you a second chance at life.” The beast drove his hand through his chest, piercing his heart. Life slowly left Khan’s eyes. He tried to curse Exeus with the last of his breath, but all that escaped his lips were a hollow whisper, devoid of even a single sensible word. His body went limp, a puddle of his own blood and viscera pooling beneath him.

Before he could revel in his hunt, Saint John chuckled. Then he laughed, and he laughed and he laughed. Tears filled his eyes as he saw his friend battered, beaten and destroyed on the ground of a mountain where no one would ever find them, but still he laughed.

“What is wrong with you?! What is funny, boy?!” Exeus was clearly annoyed. His moment of victory was spoiled by a runt who didn’t know when he was utterly crushed.

“Nothin’, mate. Nothin’ except the fact that you were too slow! That’s how I know you’re not the real Sonic. The king is gettin’ help from another dimension, one were you probably don’t even exist. You’re done. Game over. I bet you in just a week-”

He was cut off by a flurry of spines ripping and tearing at his chest and throat, nearly cleaving him in half. The shock of such a blow sent him unconscious nearly instantly. At least, then, his suffering was momentary. Heaving with rage, Exeus was finally free to gloat and galavant to the air, with no one to listen, and no one to interrupt.

“Nothing but roadkill now, you trash. I could have made you someone. Now you’re nothing but a slave.” he spit onto the mangled corpse, before looking at the well of chaos energy behind him.

“But you did say something that intrigued me. Another dimension? Feh! Let the king find his allies. The more the merrier!”

He approached the pond, hand placed over the water. The ring that had disappeared began to form once again, this time shining with the brilliant ruby luster.

“In the meantime, my livestock is running a bit scarce these days. But with this little beauty…new prey will bring itself to me. Today was most interesting indeed.”

The bodies of the two recently slain already began to rebuild themselves in the same way that Exeus’ own body had healed. In just 2 short days, they would be resurrected, and in this life, they would finally obey their rightful master.

END OF PROLOGUE

Chapter Text

Early in the morning of the Great Forest, nary a sound could be heard, save for the gentle chirps of crickets hidden betwixt tall blades of grass. Everyone knew of the now destroyed village of Knothole, but the forest was once home to many towns and settlements
Few survived the initial takeover by Dr. Robotnik, and fewer still during subsequent attacks by the Eggman.

One such village was Poppyseed Bluff, a riverside location home to perhaps 200 mobians. Those villagers were now all gone. Many robians, robotic mobians created by Robotnik, had their free will restored, returning to life as an organic mobian. Members of this village were shipped off to the far corners of Mobius, and never seen again. When the planet was deroboticized and not a single person returned home, their fate was clear. This fate was shared by all but one member of the village; Momoko Shiba, who herself only evaded capture by hiding within the great river, using a bamboo pipe as a snorkel.

Taking a pull off her pipe, Momoko exhaled a ring of smoke as she squatted in front of the abandoned schoolhouse. Her tight grey fur was still damp from her morning bath, and her brown hair was folded within a towel. Leaning back, she swung her feet forward to sit down, arms spread on the staircase behind her as she blankly peered towards the sunrise. It was a time of celebration for the Kingdom of Acorn, yet she barely managed to roll out of bed this morning. Why should she be happy? Her life hadn’t changed, only now it would be considerably harder to find badniks to pummel to dust.

Letting out a sigh, she mumbled to herself “...Guess I should put on some real clothes.” Lazily scratching at her hip, she managed to pull herself to her feet by gripping the staircase railing. This, of course, was after much deliberation and a few failed attempts at lifting her heavy, weary arms. She was still in her pajamas, a midriff-baring top and loose, ill-fitting pajama bottoms she had put back on after her bath, not ready to start her day quite yet

Kicking at the entryway, she entered the school, swiftly walking to the first classroom on her left. The building was creaking and looked to be ready to collapse, but this room, in comparison, was well-maintained and kept Spic and Span. The back wall had sewing equipment of all varieties, as well as some work tables and chairs. All along the other 3 walls were racks, hooks and hangers packed to gills with outfits- dresses, shirts, jackets, you name it. Hundreds of ensembles she would never wear, and likely would never be seen. Occasionally she sold her work, traveling to nearby towns and cities when she was strapped for cash. However, she didn’t care much for being around other people frequently. She wouldn’t say she hated people, but perhaps one might call her anti-social.

Despite the abundance of options, she grabbed her clothes without a moment’s consideration. A light brown blazer with no undershirt, a large puff of fluffy fur from her chest poking out of the collar, acting almost like an ascot. The elbows exposed, she wore dark brown bracelets that acted as disconnected cuffs to her shirt, matching the color of her knee-length skirt. She wore tabi-styled sneakers, fitting the same colors as the rest of her outfit, with white ankle socks poking out of them.

It was the first outfit she ever made for herself, albeit a few sizes larger than the one she made when she was a little girl. To her, it meant everything, it was the defining moment in her decision to be a fashionista. At the same time, she felt like nothing she made quite topped it. A blessing and a curse in one fashionable package.

After getting dressed, she walked to the center of the room, hunching down onto her hands and knees. Lifting a loose floor tile, a safe was revealed underneath. A twist or three later, and the door swung upon, a lustrous yellow glow illuminating her face. The yellow chaos emerald rested within- a token she managed to nab from the Special Zone. At some point, she was certain that the Royal family and the council would call for a search for these beauties. Staying ever ahead of the curve, she figured she’d just sell it to them for a small fortune. Though she was a bit remiss to do so- the emerald granted immense power. But they were about to enter a time of peace, it was better to have the money.

It was a four hour walk to New Mobotropolis; Making haste, Momoko slid the emerald into her shirt, leaving the schoolhouse and wandering into the forest. As she passed through the front door, she grabbed her bamboo sword for good measure.There was a vague path, but years of overgrowth overtook most of it. It was instinct and a good memory that guided her through. On her way, she came to a clearing- a shrine she made herself, fit with a simple stone plaque, polished and sanded as smooth as she could muster. The names of everyone in her village were inscribed. Lighting an incense from a box she kept next to the grave marker, she kneeled, hands clasped near her abdomen as her eyes shut tightly in prayer.

“Please…just one more time, I want to see them.”

It was her daily affirmation, her wish that could never be. Knowing it was impossible didn’t matter. Until the end of days, this prayer would continue to be spoken. Her eyes remained closed, thoughts coursing in her mind. Her concentration was broken by the sound of a metallic jingle. An ominous red aura washed over her back. Whipping around, she drew her wooden blade. Greeting her was a warp ring, crimson in color- the negative space in the middle was obscured by a purple static. Momoko’s bangs fluttered for a moment, as if a calm breeze rolled past her ear. Then, a vacuum force tugged at her- nearly ripping the dog off their feet. Digging her fingers into the dirt, she steadied herself, planting her sword into the ground with her free hand. Gripping for dear life, she felt her legs leave the ground, upper body tossed up and down, skirt and blazer whipping about as the portal attempted to draw her within it.

“What the hell is this thing?!” She cried out, fangs bared in frustration. Her fingers began to slip, slowly coming off the hilt one at a time. Soon enough, she felt the last finger slipping.

“Damn…!”

Her world went dark for a few seconds, an intense pressure setting in to every inch of her body. The dog soon found herself spit back onto the ground. Rubbing her backside, she groaned as her head began to spin. Her sword was launched from the portal shortly after, eliciting a yelp as the bamboo conked her square on her dome. Standing up, she surveyed the surroundings. At first glance, she ended up exactly where she had started- the cleaning outside her village. The sky was dark, moonlight gently illuminating the trees, which were now barren of all foliage, twisted and dead branches littering the ground below. The shrine she had created was gone, too. Unease and anxiety pulsed within her.

“Did I hit my head or somethin’?” she mumbled, pulling her pipe back out from shirt, trickling the tobacco into the bowl, she lit it and took a long, slow draw. As the smoke left her mouth, her back and shoulders untensed a bit. Sighing as she cleaned the pipe of any residue, she resolved to walk back to her village. This was all far too strange, and she lost an entire day’s time somehow. But she swore she stayed conscious the whole time she was in that warp ring. Momoko gripped her skull. “This crap is too complex for me…”

Twigs and branches crunched underfoot as Momoko traversed the familiar, yet foreign, forest. Her fur stood up on its ends the closer and closer she inched toward her home. A malign presence was near. Gripping her weapon, uncertainty about her decision began to take hold, but the delinquent dog refused to back down once she made a plan of action.

Soon, she found herself stopped dead in her tracks, feeling her face turn ghost white- her village, her home since she was a child…was gone. Decimated. Completely leveled. Only a few shacks and run down hovels remained. The schoolhouse, the church, her family’s former manor, every landmark once held sacred was stripped away, with vines and nature reclaiming the wood back into itself.

“How the hell?” she shuddered as her ears flopped limply on either side of her head. She took a step backwards, and then another, nudging her heel into a vine and falling backwards. Lip quivering, she gathered her emotions, repeating a small prayer to herself as she stood. There had to be an explanation. This place looked as if no one had lived here for years. While she didn’t make major repairs, she made sure to prevent dilapidation of this degree! Before she could continue to ponder the conundrum, she spotted a figure ambling to the town squad, staring blankly into the desiccated water fountain.

“Hey, who are you? This is my home, so you better get the hell outta here!” snarling as she inched closer to the figure, they slowly came more into frame. Their shape was familiar- it was certainly a hedgehog, and though it was dark, she was able to make out that they were blue. Was it possible they were…?

“Sonic? Is that you? Real creepy for a hero like you to come and invade a girl’s stomping grounds!”

The hedgehog offered no response, still gazing longingly into the empty fountain. Momoko soon found herself mere feet away now, growing ever more aggravated at the continued cold shoulder being given to her. Weapon drawn, her voice raised to a shout.

“Are you even listening?! I don’t care who you are, if yer gonna come into MY village, you better at least talk to me!”

The hedgehog’s head snapped to attention, gaze no longer pointed downward, lifting up to a neutral position as they stared straight forward now. Momoko prepared to speak up again, but her ill mannered guest abruptly spun around, moving unnaturally as if they turned on a swivel.

His face was distorted and exaggerated- strong cheeks, a powerful chin and a Cheshire smile that revealed a set of perfect teeth. All a strange shade of purple. It was the face of an overlander or a human, no mobian looked the way this creature did. He wagged a finger slowly, a deep laugh escaping his lips as he took a step toward Momoko, sunken black eyes locked with hers. Momoko matched his step forward, not backing down from his feeble intimidation attempts.

“Yeah? Think you’re tough, you blue blur wannabe?” Smirking, she slung her blade over her shoulder, lifting her other hand toward her chest and beckoning the creature toward her with a single finger. Accepting her invite, the fake hedgehog sprinted toward her, clawing her face with his hand. Leaning to the side, she felt a claw graze her cheek, a small amount of blood dripping down onto the corner of her mouth. With a quick spin, Momoko crashed the bamboo sword into the back of his head, rocketing his face into the dirt. Rubbing the cut with her thumb, she inched away, creating space. The beast stood up, a smile still plastered on its face. It charged again, attempting to tackle the girl. Leaping above its head, she kicked off the top of his spines, turning toward him midair and reaching into her socks. Three bo-shuriken needles rested between her fingers on each hand, fanning them out as she tossed them at her foe. 4 found their mark, digging deep into the flesh of his back as she landed back on the ground.

“How’d that feel?” she taunted, confident she had just won this little encounter. To her dismay, the beast bent all the way backward, spine curving sharply to stare at her, laughing in her face as it charged backwards at alarming speed, tripping as it arrived next to her. Attempting to dodge, she pivoted away, but was too slow as she felt his giant teeth dig into her ankle. Luckily, his teeth weren’t sharp, but they were crushing- if she didn’t bust free it would leave more than a bruise. The bite left a large gap between his teeth, and she abused that fact. Shoving her sword into his maw, she pried him off her leg, which pulsated in pain from the encounter. Foot freed, she drove it into the lips of the hedgehog, dislodging several of its teeth as a result. She leapt away, shocked to see that he didn’t recoil, merely turning his head back towards her, still grinning like an idiot. The sound of a door slamming open rang out. Daring not to take her eyes off her opponent, she jumped onto a nearby roof to attempt to gain an overview of the battlefield.

What she saw made her heart sink. Two more hedgehogs emerged from one of the few remaining buildings, faces also distorted much the same as the enemy she was already preoccupied with. Yet, through the distortion, she knew their faces. It had been so long, but she still remembered.

“...Mom?...Dad?...”

She snapped back to reality- her parents were dead. These were nothing but monsters, clearly ones wearing the face of the dead and damned. She wouldn’t fall for such callous, evil and heartless deceit.

“No…Yer monsters, and nothing more!” Diving down from the roof, she brought the blade down upon the original hedgehog, as if attempting to split his brain in two. He dodged the telegraphed attack, wrapping his arms around her as she hit the ground. He squeezed her, holding her taut as the others approached.

“Momoko, baby, why do you act up like this? Do you like making mommy sad? Do you like making mommy sad? Do you like making mommy sad?” The female hedgehog repeated that phrase over and over again. She had stolen her mother’s voice as well. Rage filled Momoko, struggling against the creature restraining her.

“You have no right to use her voice like that! Yer dead, ya hear me?!”

Her threats held no weight. The female hedgehog wrapped her arms around Momoko’s neck, putting her in a chokehold.

“Do you like making mommy sad?” she chirped sadly, voice growing more pathetic each time she echoed that same phrase.

“It’s time you came home, Momoko. I’m so disappointed in you. I’m disappointed in you. Disappointed in you.” the voice of her father chimed out from the hedgehog who stole her father’s face. He stomped his foot into Momoko’s leg, kicking at her repeatedly and roughly. Each blow made her tense up, and each time she did, her false mother tightened her grip around her neck. She couldn’t talk, the grip around her throat was too tight. She ran her thumb across the hilt of her blade, caressing the bottom of it. She pressed a small button hidden upon it. The bamboo shot off on either side, revealing a genuine katana blade that had been hidden underneath it. She wasn’t one for deadly force, but it was clear that it was her or them now.

With the first slash of her blade, she swiped at the legs of the overlander-faced hedgehog, causing him to loosen his grip as he cratered to the floor. Shaking free of his hands, she slammed her head back into the face of the female hedgehog, breaking her nose and knocking her onto her back. With another horizontal swipe of her blade, she landed a shallow cut on the one who looked like her father.

“I’m so disappointed in you…”

“Do you like making mommy sad?...”

Hearing those same phrases said again, even as blood poured out of them, snapped something inside Momoko’s mind.

“I’ve had enough of this!” she stormed. Remembering she had a Chaos Emerald with her, she decided she wanted to end this battle right now. Hand held in front of her with two fingers pointed straight up, she shut her eyes.

“Shuriken Storm.” she whispered softly, summoning a volley of yellow light behind her, creating a wall of shuriken spinning in the air. Straightening her hand, she swept her finger across the three targets. The throwing stars rained upon each victim, sticking into their skin, wiggling deeply into them upon impact. This alone wasn’t enough to stop her opponents, but it was only half of the technique.

“Shuriken Blossom!” she ordered. At once, every blade erupted into a purple explosion, ripping and tearing away at flesh and bone as they did so. The original hedgehog had its neck split open by the force, and finally heaved its final chuckle as life faded quickly from their body. The hedgehog who resembled her father had several shuriken in his chest, and so the explosion blew his chest open, destroying his heart. Despite believing that it wasn’t really him, the very sight of his blank, dead eyes made Momoko sick to her stomach. Lastly was her dear mother, who still was clinging to life. She was missing both an arm and a leg, but still she attempted to crawl towards Momoko to finish their battle.

“Make…mommy…sad…?” she wept pitifully, grabbing her daughter’s ankle. She had half a mind to let the monster bleed out and die on her own, but something about letting anything with a family member’s face on it suffer more than needed simply did not sit right with her. Looking upon her mother’s face one last time, the weight of the battle caught up to her all at once. Was this the answer to her prayer? Was this to finally shut her up? To let her know once and for all her loved ones were dead and gone? Tears began to stream down her face, softly dripping onto the creature beneath her feet. She lifted her blade and plunged it into the back of its neck, finishing it off. Kicking its hand off her feet, she rubbed at her neck, welted from the grip marks of the formidable demons she had slain.

She dropped to her knees, hands clasped so tightly that she thought they might fall off. The tears continued to pour out, only increasing in volume by the second as she prayed to the heavens. After a minute, she opened her eyes once again, whimpering and sniffling to herself.

“Why am I even upset? They weren’t real. Just some kind of creature. I need to tell someone at the capital about this. Maybe times aren’t going to be as peaceful as we hoped.” She stood up, ready to carry out her originally planned trip. Whatever was going on, it was bigger than just her. She couldn’t afford to rest on her laurels.

“Oh you poor, sweet little mutt. Forced to kill your own parents! You know, I had no idea there was any relationship between. It was dumb luck that you were the quarry that I pulled in from the other Mobius.”

This was unbelievable. A fourth Sonic was now accosting her in her hometown. This one was even more gruesome than the last. Especially the disgusting stitches on his single white eye.
“Another faker? What the hell, man!” she groaned. She wasn’t going to catch a break today by the looks of it.

“You can drop the act, those weren’t my parents! They weren’t even dogs, genius! Are you the one behind this?!” She demanded an answer from the new Sonic on the scene, wiping blood off her blade with a cloth before holding it toward him.

“Faker?” he scoffed, scorn in his eyes as he floated above his new friend. He took a deep breath, calming himself. “That’s right, you aren’t from this world. Let me make this simple for you. I was once Ixis Exeus. But now, I am the REAL Sonic. Should you ever call me faker again, I’ll have your tongue lashed out of your mouth, is that understood?” His tone was deadly serious. So serious Momoko felt her knees wobble. No, it wasn’t just his voice, it was his entire presence. Just being around him made her heart race and clouded her mind. She felt like she couldn’t even think properly right now. Ixis…Ixis…that wizard, Naugus! Dark magic such as that explained perfectly what was going on. Just as she thought, nothing but tricks.

“I don’t care if yer Sonic, the princess or anyone else! Yer name is mud!” She blurted, charging him with her blade. Flickering behind her, he kicked at the back of her ankle, causing her to stumble over onto one knee. He continued to rant at her, ignoring her snide remarks.

“From this day onward, you are my prey. You will live each day running from me. If you continue to entertain, you will be allowed to live. If you bore me? You die!” licking his lips hungrily, he landed on the ground, cackling to himself. “What do you think, little doggy? Doesn’t that sound fun?”

“Let you use me like some kind of toy? Forget it, freak! I don’t play cat and mouse!” Momoko replied, balling her hand into a fist, she quickly swung her sword at Ixis Exeus, who blocked the slash with his wrist. Sinking into the flesh slightly, all momentum of the attack was lost, leaving Momoko staring wide-eyed, pulling her blade back away from him. She didn’t pull any punches there, and all he walked away with was a scratch? This guy really was some kind of monster. Repaying her aggression with some of his own, Exeus winded up for a punch, aiming straight for the girl’s right temple. Intercepting with her blade, his knuckle bore down onto the katana, forcing Momoko on the backfoot.

“So you do have some skill…” he said smugly.

Body leaning close to hers, he lifted his knee up to her chin, making hard contact and dazing her, sending her reeling which caused her to turn her back to him. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed her by her hair, forcing Momoko to look at the corpses of the hedgehog she disposed of.

“Let me show you something, brat.” He snickered, forcing her head up. “You didn’t take what I said seriously, did you?” The corpses began to shimmer, light refracting off them as they changed shape. One of them became an overlander, a handsome looking man, but otherwise unremarkable. The same could not be said of the other two. Momoko, previously wriggling and writhing to escape her captor’s grasp became deadly still, tears falling from her face anew.

The two hedgehogs that bore her parents' face lay before her. There was no doubt, those were her parents’ bodies. But there was no theft. There was no trick. She killed them. She had to have killed them. They were right in front of her, dead.

“No….no, no, no, no! It’s a trick! More of your magic, you overgrown rat! I bet Naugus put you up to this!” she sobbed.

Eyelid twitching at the mention of the wizard Naugus, Exeus slammed her face into the dirt, covering it in small scrapes and cuts. He tipped her onto her back with his foot. He gripped the collar of her shirt, roughly forcing her upper body up to look at him. “That MORON could never dream to be my master, and I have never taken a single order from him. “ he snarled. Seeing she struck a nerve, the distraught Shiba distracted herself from her pain by prodding at his insecurity.

“Are you sure? His magic is more impressive than yours, so I just assumed.” she spoke through sobs, and despite her pathetic state, it was clear her words dug into the demon’s skin like needles. “A pathetic fake like you should obey a genius like Naugus.” she forced a smile on her face, refusing to back down. She may have killed her parents’ body, but she knew their hearts, and they would never raise a hand to her. He killed their spirits long before she arrived. She wouldn’t let him break her psyche. She refused. Unfortunately, her body was another story.

A hand wrapped around her neck, lifting her off the ground and leaving her in the second chokehold of the day.

“I told you to watch your tongue! I change my mind, you don’t get to live. You aren’t worth hunting. I’ll kill you and make your corpse dance, you worthless mongrel!” Hand covered in a pure black fire, he drew it back, aiming to pierce her abdomen with a meaty blow. Momoko closed her eyes, pleased with herself. Dying with honor was far more preferable than capitulating to his twisted proposal of a game. Then, a shot rang out, the sound of plasma leaving a metal barrel. A red beam pelted Exeus on his back spines, causing him to let out a grunt of pain, dropping Momoko to the floor. The blast did more than just scorch his spines, it left the possessed hedgehog momentarily paralyzed. Glancing behind him, she saw her savior; a badnik, black and gold in color. By the shape, he looked like Metal Sonic, but the color was obviously off. One of his arms was a built in cannon, still smoking from the blast he just fired. His chest had a red power gem embedded within it. Next to him was a more familiar badnik, the Metal Sonic most residents of the kingdom knew; the classic blue one, who was shooting daggers at Ixis Exeus as he leaned forward, feet planted into the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Momoko drove her blade into Exeus’ stomach, this time finding her blade capable of piercing his flesh, driving it through the front and out of his back, causing him to wince in pain.

“Hey, good job new chick! Way to sock it to him!” The Black Metal Sonic joked.

“Shard…I’ll turn you into a trash can, you worthless bucket of bolts!” cursed Exeus.

“Yeah yeah, I get it. Thorn in your side, yada yada. Get em, Metal!”

“I do not take orders from an inferior model. I am only doing as you say because Dr. Robotnik previously ordered me to destroy the target: X” retorted the original Metal, disdain for Shard clear, even through his robotic voice codex. His rocket boosters ignited, and he charged at the demon. Exeus turned to face his new opponent, and faster than light, Metal sonic was upon him, hands placed square on either of his shoulders as he tackled him backwards.

“Meddlesome badniks…! I’ve destroyed you once, don’t think I won’t do it again!” He slammed his fist into the head of the bot, denting the metal chrome dome, static shooting through his eyeball screen display with each blow. “Let go of me, you lummox!”

“Command accepted. Letting go of the target.” Metal Sonic complied, releasing his death grip suddenly. The demon continued to fly backwards, unable to stop himself even by digging his feet into the ground. Reaching the edge of town, he slammed into the lone tree by the cliff overseeing the great river, bouncing hard against the bark. Momoko’s katana pierced through the tree and skewered him into it. Gripping the blade, he tried to pry himself free. This left him rather distracted. So distracted, that he noticed too late that a certain pink hedgehog’s hammer aimed straight at his face.

Amy Rose leaped to action, having concealed herself while the two Metal Sonic engaged the target.

“I’m REALLY sorry about this Sonic!” she profusely apologized, swinging her hammer onto his skull. The impact was sickening, flattening his face into a pile of red mush and viscera. His arms went limp, his legs bending unnaturally as his body tried to slide to the floor, the katana in his belly slowly slicing upward as his body continued to fall downward. Swiping sweat from her forehead, Amy refused to look at the mess she had made, almost vomiting in her mouth from the quick glance she had already taken.

“It doesn’t matter how many times I see it. I can NOT get used to doing this.” she gagged as she spoke. By this time, Shard was helping Momoko to her feet, and her other two saviors regrouped with him.

“You okay, lady? You’re lucky we were on a survivor search today. But we should thank you, too. If he wasn’t so preoccupied with you, that would have been a lot messier. True blue over there might have been wrecked again.” Shard gestured to Metal Sonic 3.0 with his thumb and a grin on his face. Metal Sonic refused to grace such comments with a response.

“Two hours, HQ. I repeat, Two hours until X heals from his injuries. Over” Amy spoke into a walkie-talkie. A voice replied shortly after.

“Roger that. Return with the survivor- you got lucky today. I don’t wanna think about what he’ll do to you if he catches you…over.” Momoko recognized that voice. It was Sally Acorn, princess of the kingdom. She always preferred him to Elias, but with royalty you don’t really get a say in who sits on the throne.

“Thanks for the help…” Momoko managed to utter, recovering from the shock of all that had happened.

Momoko looked at Amy Rose, surprised by her appearance. She had grown a few inches, but much more importantly, her entire outfit had changed since she last saw her. Her spines had grown out, reaching the middle of her back. She had to tie the wild spikes into a loose ponytail, with two spines framing either side of her face as well to form bangs. She wore a white tank top that had roses embroidered into the hem. She had a tight pair of pink athletic bottoms, leading neatly into a pair of white sneakers with two pink stripes on the sides. Most shockingly of all, she was missing an arm- grafted at her shoulder was a metal upper arm that ended at about elbow length. Currently shoved into the socket was her Piko Piko Hammer, acting as a surrogate arm, though one had to doubt the practicality of that. Amy seemed to notice the staring, removing the hammer from its slot in her prosthetic.

“The hammer arm is weird, huh? And not at all cute! A girl has to make due, though.” She said, offering a small smile to Momoko. The hammer shrunk itself, and Amy tucked it away in a pocket. “I’m Amy Rose! Who are you?” she questioned, finger pressed to her chin. Momoko’s eye twitched in annoyance. It was just like those big shot freedom fighters to not remember someone.

“As if you don’t know! I sold you a skirt last month, Rose! It's Momoko, remember? And here I thought you said I ‘made the best stuff!’ “ she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest as she puffed her cheeks.

“Ehhh?” Amy fretted, hands raised as if trying to hold back Momoko’s emotion. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t bought anything in years! No one has…did you hit your head?” Amy gave Shard a look, tilting her head towards Momoko, who began to inspect her for injury. Placing her palm firmly on his face, Momoko shoved him away as she continued. “What are you talking about? Years? You know what, forget that. Next question, where is your arm?!” she said, a million thoughts dancing in and out of her mind.

Amy was especially confused now- someone who claimed to know her, but didn’t know about her arm. Someone who thought people still used money, when every day was just a struggle to survive, and any trade was purely bartering. Realization dawned on her, and a slightly pained expression formed. She pointed to the tree where Sonic’s body lay, green flames already sealing shut the injuries he sustained. “He took my arm. 6 years ago. Look. I think I know what happened here, but we can’t talk right now. We need to leave. I know we made that look easy, but Sally is right. We’ll die if we stay here. He only let us win because it's more fun when the battle ebbs and flows.” Amy tossed Momoko her sword, which she had ripped from Exeus’ corpse after killing him.

A voice filled the air, a sinister laugh tickling the ears of the listeners. It was Exeus’ voice. “Oh Rosey, you know me so well. It IS fun when you lambs think you can run from the slaughter. You better get moving- I’ll be seeing you soon!”

“Alright, that’s enough chatter. He sounds cool and collected, but he is STEAMED.” Genuine fear permeated Shard’s voice. He lifted Momoko off her feet, carrying her bridal style, Metal Sonic doing the same for Amy. Momoko wanted to complain, but she could tell it was hardly the time to make a stink about personal space.

Giving the go ahead, Amy told the metal twosome to get them the hell out of dodge.

“HQ, we are on our way. Over!”

Chapter Text

This was a nightmare. A fever dream of monstrous proportions. Yet, the bruises on her throat felt oh-so real, and no matter how many times she pinched herself, nothing could rouse her from this slumber.

“Momoko.”

The image of the battered corpses lingered, unfading from her now vacant gaze. Even with her eyes sealed shut, that scene remained etched into her psyche. She burned every photo of her family, of her parents, of her older sister, of her grandmother. Every album pitched into an open bonfire as she lit her pipe for the first time. It had been too much for a child to bear- she couldn’t stand to see their face again unless it was in person, returning to take care of her, to show her love once more. But that faker…trudging up old memories, creating new trauma. It was all too much. She wanted to cry, but all her tears had already been spent.

“Momoko…”

And what was that talk of her not being from this world? She had heard of alternate dimensions, the freedom fighters had stories of battling any threat you could dream up, but could she really have been dragged into one? Then again, a giant ring portal had opened behind her and sucked her inside it. From that perspective, she supposed it was possible.

“Momoko!” Amy shouted, shoving her ponytail out of her face, smacking Shard in the face with it as the draft from her Metal Sonic chariot breaking the sound barrier blew it forward. Her words finally reached their intended target, and Shard winced a little from the noise right next to his audio processor.

“Quit yer yelling! I hear ya!” Momoko retorted, finally snapping back to reality. Metal Sonic’s eyes drifted toward her as he swerved in and out of the way of the great oaks blocking their path.

“False. The pink hedgehog has been trying to reach you for several minutes. You did not respond.” His eyes locked forward once more.

“Shut up, ya bucket of bolts!” Momoko scoffed, banging her fist against the side of his head, filling the air with a rhythmic clang.

“Do not.” He chimed back, swatting at her hand with his spines, which she pulled out of the way of, almost losing her balance and falling as a result before pouting. Her calculating mechanical chauffeur paid her tantrum no mind, and Amy took the opportunity to finally get her thought out. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. You’ve been spacing out for a while.”

Embarrassed at letting her thoughts and emotions get the better of her, Momoko avoided Amy’s gaze.

“Okay? How the hell could I be okay after THAT? I…those hedgehogs…”

Her fingers gripped tightly against Metal Sonic’s chassis as she bit her lip, unable to find her words. Offering a look of sympathy, Amy doubted if she should prod deeper, but it wasn’t in her nature to let someone look so tormented without offering assistance.

“Did you know them?” She asked, deciding the direct and plain route would be the best way. The coarse girl before her didn’t seem the type to care for bandaids.

Nodding solemnly, Momoko replied “They were my parents. I…thought they were already gone. And now I know for sure.” Her tone was flat, her best attempt at repressing her weakness.

That was as the pink hedgehog had assumed- the resemblance had been there from the brief view she had of their bodies.

“That's awful! And you had to kill them?” Shard stated pointedly, prompting Amy to stare daggers straight into his servos. He backpedaled quickly. “I mean- they were basically dead already! You did them a favor!” He chuckled nervously, knowing he was only digging the hole deeper. Seeing Amy’s temper growing closer to a boil, he decided to make his voice scarce. “I’ll just shut up now…”

“No. Yer right. Whatever that was? It wasn’t living. It's better they ain’t forced to live that way.” Momoko insisted. She wasn’t convinced of her own words, but she wasn’t about to show that to her saviors.

Amy saw through her tough girl routine- it was a dime a dozen among survivors these days. Too many people holding back their feelings to “be stronger”’, just to die pent up and in emotional agony. Despite that, she played along with the act. This was far from the right time to question the poor girl’s coping mechanisms.

“Well. You have a good attitude. Which is why I don’t really want to have to tell you this next part….” Momoko looked up, ears twitching as they stood at attention, finally meeting Rose’s gaze. “Your parents aren’t dead. Or, not dead in any way that matters.”

“What do you mean? I saw them myself! Quit messin’ with me!” Pressing her hand into Metal Sonic’s face, Momoko leaned forward toward Amy as she bared her fangs. It wasn’t exactly easy to posture aggressively while riding an open seat badnik, but she was still going to try.

“Think back Momoko. Don’t you remember what I said? X will be back in 2 hours. He will not- no, he CANNOT stay dead. The same is true of his minions…although, based on the damage you did, they will have 3 days of peace while their bodies heal.”

Amy’s words sank Momoko’s heart, and the dog leaned back into Metal Sonic’s arms, lying almost limp beside her forearms that she wrapped around his head. “You mean…that nightmare has no release? My parents are stuck like that. What? Just forever?!”

Amy, now, was the one avoiding Momoko’s gaze. The truth was obviously cutting deep, but it had to be said. She tapped Shard on the shoulder, stealing his attention.

“We’re close. Momoko and I will talk here, go and get the plane.”

“You got it, Rose!” Shard acknowledged with a joking salute, putting on the breaks as he eased into a stop before putting Amy down.

Metal Sonic, on the other hand, came to a much more abrupt stop, his metallic feet digging into the dirt suddenly, nearly sending Momoko flying, barely managing to hold tightly around his neck. She let go, landing on her feet before slapping at the bot. “Are ya trying to kill me, rusty?! You oughta learn some manners!” she rebuked. The metallic hedgehog took the slap, the blow not having much of an effect on him given his unliving nature.

“Amy Rose wanted us to stop. I stopped. Directives followed as required. Do not idle long.” Not waiting for her reply, he fired his engine back up, rocketing forward once more, presumably to retrieve the plane Amy mentioned.

“You lookin’ to race, tough guy? I’ll give you a good one!” Shard chortled, taking his robotic cousin up on the silent challenge he felt was issued, following close behind. He shouted back as he departed. “He is right though. You know how these forests can be. We’ll get the plane ready, but you should head to the clearing as soon as possible.”

Momoko crossed her arms, waiting to hear Amy’s explanations she promised her. Nothing made sense, and it was only getting worse as time went on. The pink hedgehog let out a sigh, not sure exactly how to articulate her thoughts.

“Look, Momoko. I don’t know if there is a way to reverse the magic that turns someone into X’s revenant. But as far as we can tell, it doesn’t wear off. This is who they are now.” Amy’s tone was firm and serious. She felt her face harden, not out of frustration with Momoko, but with the monster that was forcing this to be a conversation she has had to have over and over. “I don’t know if this will make you feel better, but…those aren’t YOUR parents. They’re probably the parents of A Momoko. But it's like X said. You aren’t from this world. This isn’t your Mobius. I heard that Knuckles’ brotherhood friends were looking into seeking help from an alternate dimension. I think you being here is a side effect of whatever it is they were doing. “

Momoko had tried to prepare herself for this possibility, talked herself through it a few times, but hearing it said to her sounded so bizarre and impossible all the same. She knew it to be true, though. This world was nothing like her own- filled with death and decay. She knew her parents' fate, too. But that didn’t matter to her at the moment.

“Not my parents?” she snarled, taking a step closer. Fist balled, she pointed her finger straight at Amy. “Who cares if I’m not THEIR Momoko! That’s still their faces! I bet they have the same heart! What the hell do you know, anyways? How would that have ever made me feel better, you!...you…” she trailed off, lip quivering once more. She felt tears welling up in her eyes once again, despite being sure she had dried her ducts earlier today. She wrapped her arms across her chest, gripping her shoulders tightly as she sobbed openly now. She wasn’t mad at Amy, but she was definitely pissed off. Years of repressed sorrow and anger were spilling out of her in mere minutes today. She felt arms wrap around her, her head stuffed into Amy’s chest as the hedgehog stroked her hair softly. The waterworks only sharpened in intensity, sniffling and hiccups filling the air.

“I-its just not fair…” she sputtered. “N-no one should h–h-have to lose their family t-twice…” she reciprocated Amy’s hug, threatening to squeeze her in half at the waist.

“I know, sweetie. I know. I don’t know what your relationship with the Amy of your world is, and I know we just met…but I’m here for you. Every survivor I meet is like family now.”

Honeyed words to be sure, but Momoko had to admit that they were what she needed to hear. She pulled away, wiping her eyes with her forearm as she looked up at Amy.

“I…Thanks. Thank you, I mean.” she said, struggling with offering sincerity. Candid appreciation was definitely not something she would include as a strength on a resume. “Lets just go to this plane, alright?” Amy offered a simple nod once the dog finished speaking, granting Momoko a bit of personal space once more, sensing she needed time to cool down and process. The two of them walked together northward, toward a clearing. As they breached the treeline, the ground heaved, and seemed to split in two- revealing under a thin layer of faux dirt and grass a ramp, leading down into a hangar. A hidden underground base, one of many Eggman had scattered throughout the planet. The twosome descended, unaware of the fact that their absconding was being observed. A serpent in the bushes slithered forth, 10 feet long with glowing red eyes. His head was a deformed version of Sonic’s very own, jaw unhinged to reveal its gaping maw. The glow in its eyes increased in intensity. It carefully scouted the field, planning its next move.

Within the hangar, Amy and Momoko found the two Metal Sonics preparing their transport. They had described it as a plane, but to Momoko, it seemed more like a jet. Red, black and yellow were the principal colors used to decorate it. The nose of the craft was pink, with an orange mustache jutting out on either side. One might question why the plane was so gaudy, and if the extra moustache affected its ability to fly. Both of these questions were answered by “the doctor made it, don’t question it.”

Shard waved them down, having just attached the fuel line. “Good timing, you two! We’re all set once we get fueled up! At this rate, we’ll be back home before that creep is back on his feet.”

He kicked the base of the plane to punctuate his thoughts. “Yeah. I’d say we’ll be gone in ten minutes.”

“Great. Good job, you two!” Amy beamed at her bionic allies. Metal Sonic was a bit cold, and Shard was a handful, but there was no one more dependable to have around these days. “All things considered, a rescue and no casualties is a pretty smooth day!”

“Reconsider your opinion.” Metal Sonic chimed in, eyes locked to behind Amy’s head, aimed at the ramp leading into the hangar.

“What are you talking about, Metal?” she whipped around, looking to see what was distressing him. She was greeted by 5 creatures creeping up upon them, lurching erratically. At the front was the serpent, tongue lashing outward as it moved toward its prey. Prowling just behind it was a pack of wolves, panting eagerly now that a proper meal was within their sights. Just like the serpent, their heads were the same as Sonic’s, but deformed, jaw’s torn along the edges to show off all of their fangs all at once. “Oh. Wonderful, sentinels.” Amy sighed, putting her hammer into place on her mechanical arm.

“Hold up a sec.” Shard interjected. “Let me and the new girl take care of it. I wanna see her chops!” He said, rubbing under his steel nose with his finger. Amy rolled her eyes at his foolish request.

“Really? Right now? We aren’t playing a game here!” She scoffed, denying him.

“Come on! If we really get into trouble, you and Metal back us up! You know sentinels aren’t a big deal!” He pleaded.

“Listen to the bot, Amy. I could use some stress relief right about now.” Momoko said, blade already drawn. Slightly annoyed still, Amy acquiesced under the pressure of both of their words. “Fine! But don’t come crying to me if you bite off more than you chew. Hmph!”

Giving Shard a smile, Momoko stepped toward the monsters approaching them. Not one to be shown up, the bot kept pace with her, dashing forward. “I’ll take the three on the right, you can have the other two.” He said, charging his arm cannon.

“Yeah right, pal. First come, first serve. Now shut yer trap and let's do this!” Momoko responded. The 4 wolves circled around them, looking for their opportunity to strike as they slowly prowled about. Thinking it found an opening, one of the mangy mutts pounced at Shard, aiming to take him to the ground. With lightning quick speed, he deflected the beast with a swift kick to the jaw, bolstered by his rocket propulsion. The creature was sent into the air, where it was met with a blast from Shard’s arm cannon, electricity coursing through its veins as it fell back down to the ground. It stood up weakly, shaking its fur to fluff it out as it whimpered.

At the same time, one of the beasts lept at Momoko, who held her blade up, finding it caught within the jaws of the dog, slicing slowly into its bloody, sagging lips and carving deep into its cheeks. It stood on hind legs as it tried with all its might to overpower her. She backed her blade with her hand, slowly forcing it down the gullet of her foe. She felt a tingle in her spine- the other dog had crept up behind her, hunched down to jump for the kill. Closing her eyes, she summoned her Chaos Shuriken, firing 3 of them backwards, two of them finding their mark in the eye sockets of the dog, blinding him. The dog struggled, dazed and confused by the attack, panicking as its world went dark.

“Not bad, not bad at all madam Momoko!” Shard said, observing the battle. He paid little mind to his own foes. The other beast finally made its move against him, attempting to bite at his arm. He allowed its jaws to clamp on his arm cannon, and the dog showed no signs of wanting to let go of him. “Oh no, you got me!” he feigned, holding one arm over his forehead, acting positively distraught. “Bad move, buster!” He snickered, lifting the dog up into the air by raising his cannon to the sky. He charged a laser, searing the inside of its mouth. As he prepared to fire, the other dog had finally regained enough strength to make another attempt on his life. Shard didn’t give him the chance, aiming his arm straight at him and releasing the laser. It burned a hole straight through the back of its skull, and shot the foul creature at its brethren. The laser pierced the chest of the second dog, ending its life as well.

Momoko dropped herself to the floor, her blade releasing from the mouth of the dog who held her katana within its jaws. Tackling its underbelly before its front paws could hit the ground, and heaving it square over her shoulders. As it landed on top of the other beast that Momoko had marked with her shuriken, she exclaimed the second half of her incantation.

“Shuriken Blossom!”

The explosion took out both the pups in one fell swoop, all 4 of the pack dying almost at the same time. The two of them made a good pair intuitively, fighting in sync with one another. Shard gave Momoko a thumbs up, happy to see that she could take care of herself. In this moment of carelessness, the serpent striked, constricting Shard’s arms at his side as it attempted to bind him. It tried to bite his metal body to no avail. Frustrated, the beast unhinged its jaws, ready to try and swallow him whole. Whizzing by the snake, Momoko slid her blade across its body as she passed. With a twirl on her blade, she held it out to the side, pulling a rag out from her pocket to clean the blood off. As the cloth reached the end of the blade, the snake’s grip loosened, falling limply to the ground.

“Guess that makes us even, robot.” she smirked.

“Guess it does, lady!” Shard winked in response, not one to make excuses for his own mistakes. He could have escaped that mess himself, but it was nice to know he could count on her to bail him out if things got hard. “See, Amy, that was nothing!” He exclaimed.

Rolling her eyes, Amy shut off the fuel line before disconnecting it. “Great. Good job. Like you said, it was nothing. So don’t expect applause. You did wonderful though, Momoko.”

Sticking her tongue out at Shard, Momoko rested her arms behind her head. This place was certainly dangerous, but it seemed to her that she was at least somewhat safe with this group. “Now let's get out of here. Sentinels like to call for help. More will be showing up soon if we don’t move our butts.”

Metal Sonic had already seated himself within the plane, either confident his allies were going to succeed in their battle, or completely uninterested in participating. Either way, he had the right idea. Everyone piled into the craft, with Amy taking the pilot’s seat.

“Do you know how to fly this thing?...” Momoko asked, face contorted in concern.

“Eh. Give or take?” Amy said, waving her hand around as she spoke. She took off, shooting up the ramp out of the hangar, taking to the skies. Clouds parted as they sailed above the trees. The speed at which they were traveling forced Momoko back into her seat- she felt like an imprint of her body would certainly be left in her chair by the end of this flight. Amy’s flying skills left something to be desired. Her passengers were simply thankful she was flying well ABOVE anything she might be able to crash into.

Staring up at the sky, watching the plane depart, was a lone figure. Short in stature, long, soft ears resting on the back of her head. Neck crooked at an odd angle, and purple fur framed by an orange dress and shoes. Her face was stitched down the middle, one of her eyes stapled shut. The side that was stapled was cream in color. Her mouth was locked into a crooked smile, clasping her hands together as she held them up to her face in jubilee.

“Oh Miss Amy! I am so happy, I got to see you again today!” the small rabbit spoke out loud to herself, beginning to skip in the direction the plane was going. Her master might be recovering right now, but there was no reason that she couldn’t have some fun herself while she waited for him. “I just can’t wait! More friends, more friends! Finally, Miss Amy and I can be together like sisters again!” She stopped skipping for a moment, stomping her feet excitedly into the ground. “Don’t worry! It won't hurt! Won’t hurt one bit! That dog with you was cute, too! She can be my sister as well!” She curled into a ball, charging up a spin attack in place, preparing to chase down her targets. As she began to roll, she felt herself trip, rolling on to her face as she slid across the dirt. She gripped her head, fingers digging into the orange fur around her closed eye as she screamed in pain.

“Why do you fight me, Cream? I want to give you friends to play with! You’re such a bully, Cream! You’re an awful sister!” the rabbit howled, punching herself in the head repeatedly, trying to hold back the resistance mounting against her. Her fur began to shift color, changing from purple back to a cream color. Her stapled eye shot open and the color of the fur on either side of her face inverted as her other eye now felt itself stapled shut. Her neck brought itself back upright, no longer having a crooked, broken appearance. Panting heavily, Cream the Rabbit had taken control of her body back. She slapped both her cheeks with her hands, trying desperately to catch her breath.

“Get a hold of yourself, Cream! You have to protect Miss Amy…” she said through inhales. “I need to go as far away as possible…I’ll find a place to lock myself away. I have to…”

The plane containing the four survivors eventually made its way to a hidden base in the Northwestern Kingdom of Acorn. Another underground hangar opened up, and through some miracle, Amy guided it in, somehow not breaking anything or crashing on their way down. Momoko felt like her breakfast was about to come back up, but she managed to hold herself back. Naturally, the two robots with them had no such reaction to the flight. It wouldn’t be surprising if they couldn’t even tell how lousy of a pilot Amy really was.

“Not too bad for my 3rd time flying ever, huh?!” Amy beamed with pride. Still finding her ground legs, Momoko wasn’t able to think of a witty response. “Yeah, great-” she felt herself nearly vomit from vertigo once again, managing to force it back down. “...great flying.” she barely managed to get the words out. Amy was so pleased with herself, she elected to ignore her sarcasm and take Momoko’s words as a genuine compliment. Shard and Metal Sonic said their farewells, heading off in a different direction than the other two, following a sign marked “laboratory”

“There's someone I want you to meet, Momoko. You might be familiar with her. Or…a version of her.” Amy explained, leading her new friend down a hallway. They were making their way to a room labeled the command center. As they entered the room, they saw several people. Most prominently was a chipmunk with long, back length red hair, well combed and cared for, with the top of her head covered by a red military beret. She sported a green camo jacket, and combat boots to match the outfit. She opted not to wear pants, a fashion statement many mobians chose to make, given that fur was typically more than enough. Momoko knew who this was, and even she was smart enough to show some respect, kneeling down as soon as she realized.

“Princess Acorn! I uh… it is an honor.” she said, head facing down toward the floor.

Sally let out a hearty laugh in response, covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle her amusement. “I haven’t been greeted like that in years…at ease, friend. With no kingdom left, I can hardly be called a princess, can I? If you’re one for formality, general is fine. But please. Call me Sally.”

It felt wrong, but Momoko stood up to her feet, meeting the former royalty’s gaze with her own. “Okay…then, it is an honor, uh, Sally.” Momoko was clearly uncomfortable with the situation, causing Sally to giggle more. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you! You’re just reminding me of better times, that's all!” she stated, finally managing to calm herself down. “So who have you brought me, Amy?” she inquired.

“This is Momoko Shiba. I believe that she was brought here from an alternate Mobius, as a side effect of whatever plan the brotherhood was trying to cook up.” Amy stated plainly. Momoko, finding her courage once again, spoke up.

“About that. I’m willing to accept that somehow, I’ve been brought to a different world. But, how the hell am I supposed to get home?” She demanded. She had her own life she wanted to get back to, and she certainly didn’t want to live in a reality where she might have to kill her parents over and over again.

“Right…about that. We don’t know what method the Echidna used to access your world. There's an interdimensional highway known as the Cosmic Interstate, but it is currently under a lockdown. That means they had to develop a more…direct method. So at the very least, you’re stuck here until we can get in contact with them.” Sally didn’t miss a beat in her response. She had been warned by Locke, the father of Knuckles, months ago that the actions he and the other Echidna would take might have consequences such as this. This was certainly irritating- getting civilians from another world dragged into their mess. “But, Momoko, I am sure you’ve seen how bad things are. In other circumstances I would never ask this of anyone, but Shard sent ahead a report about you. He said you have a bit of combat prowess. Defeating three Majin hedgehog, surviving an attack from X, defeating 3 sentinel. It’s impressive, especially from someone I’ve never met before. I know this isn’t your world, but I have no choice. I’d like it if you, at least for a little while, helped the freedom fighters defend this planet.”

Momoko was taken aback by the request. Her first instinct was to deny something so absurd. She had no stake here on this planet. She glanced around the room at the other two people she hadn’t taken notice of due to her shock of seeing the princess. A large purple walrus in a heavy winter jacket, military medals and symbols adorning it at every opportunity, and a small pair of glasses hanging down at the end of his nose. Strapped to his back was a large gun of some sort, which seemed to be packing some serious ordinance. Next to him was a coyote, somewhat skinny and lanky, but with a certain air about him that suggested he was strong in his own right. He wore a blue and red military uniform. Though, jarringly, his outfit had a seemingly inappropriate cowboy hat to top it all off. The way he stood on his foot was strange, as if it was painful for him to put all his weight on it. She was willing to guess he might walk with a limp. He wore a gold band around his finger, suggesting the foppish officer was one half of a whole. Of the two, the coyote spoke first.

“Zee princess vould not ask zis of you if she ‘ad any other option, mon ami.” he said. Momoko realized who they were now- Antoine D'coolette and Rotor Walrus, two prominent members of the freedom fighters on her planet. Rotor spoke next.

“It’s true! Besides, based on the combat data Shard sent, you seem like you like to scrap. Maybe I can sharpen that sword of yours, make a few upgrades?” he offered, eyeing the steel blade. “It’s an impressive weapon, though a bit low-tech for my standards. If you let me see it for a few hours, I bet I could make something really special!”

“Rotor, let the girl answer my question before you drag her into your tinkering, okay?” Sally retorted, though she was happy to hear her friend’s excitement.

Momoko considered her options. She WOULD be stuck here for at least a while, it seemed…and someone had to make that bastard Ixis Exeus pay for what he did to her parents. Looking at Amy, she made up her mind. She had been shown kindness, so it was only right to return it. She nodded at the princess. “Fine. I’ll help out, but you better get me home! Ya got that?” she declared decisively.

“It’s a deal, Momoko.” The princess offered her hand, and Momoko took it, shaking firmly. Momoko hoped that she didn’t just make the worst mistake of her life, but she wasn’t about to let Amy down by saying no. Her next question was to ask what their first plan of action was, but she didn’t have time to ask. An obnoxious laugh interrupted her train of thought as a new contender entered the ring.

“Ohohohoho! Well well, Sally. It looks like your kingdom still has a few more drops to give! I was starting to think we’d never find another survivor!” the voice boomed boisterously. A voice Momoko knew far too well. The voice of a tyrant who destroyed lives.

“We’ve been losing so many lately, I DO hope you’ve explained the risks to this one!” he chided.

“And I hope you let her know that working with ME is a requirement.” Momoko turned to face the voice, eye twitching. Before he was Doctor Robotnik, the conqueror of Mobius. She gripped the hilt of her blade tightly as she stared him down, ready to strike. The tension in the room was palpable.

“Oh? Do I know you? You seem like you have something on your mind! Speak!” Eggman taunted, trying to goad Momoko.

“You’ll regret talkin’ to me like that, doc!”

Chapter Text

Momoko’s arms flailed, hands gripping and grasping toward the doctor as Amy and Rotor held her back, rage preventing her eyes from aiming anywhere except pointed straight into his. Another obnoxious, bellowing cackle escaped from the mad scientist as he watched the dog struggle in vain to try and get her hands on him. Sally spoke up, attempting to break through the commotion with some sense.

“Momoko, stop! Robotnik is our ally!” she ordered, though she felt a foul taste in her mouth from referring to Eggman as an ally, even after all these years. He had been “faithful” to the cause, surely, but having known him for as long as she had, she knew every second he was gathering info and planning ways to turn things to his advantage after the dust settled in this war they were waging.

“Ally?!” Momoko snarled, ceasing her struggling for a moment as she whipped her head back rapidly, trying to look toward the princess as she spoke. “No. Not an ally. A murderer. He killed my parents, Sally!”

Confusion washed over Sally’s expression at Momoko’s words, and she shared a look with the doctor, who began to twirl the end of his mustache.

“I see. If I HAD done that, your anger would be justified. But last I checked, you weren’t from THIS world, so I couldn’t have killed YOUR parents!” he said, taking a step closer to Momoko. “Secondly… and your dear princess will certify this fact for you, too. Of all the residents of Mobius, all who called the Great Forest home were accounted for after the planet was deroboticized. Your last name is Shiba, correct? Yes, yes…your parents WERE robians under my control. But you saw them just today, didn’t you? Ixis Exeus is the one who killed your parents in this world. So it would seem that your aggression is misdirected!” By now, Eggman had brought himself right upon the girl, who was still held by her now fellow Freedom Fighters. With a sinister grin, he held out his hand to offer a handshake to Momoko. “But do you know something? We have a major goal in common. We both want to utterly crush, maim and destroy that hedgehog, don’t we? So why don’t you be a good girl and play ball? There will be plenty of time to kill each other when this is all over!”

Momoko stared at his hand, mulling over his words. In the moment of silence that had brewed, Sally spoke up once again. “If it means anything to you, Momoko, what he says is true. He put our people through hell. But there were surprisingly little deaths. Don’t let him trick you into thinking it was benevolence. He himself admitted it was because it felt like a waste to not make every last living being a robot.” the general of the Freedom Fighter Army crossed her arms, shooting a glance at her dubious ally as she finished speaking. Eggman pretended to be offended by her words, though in reality he found it quite flattering to hear his evil deeds shared with such disdain.

“...where is my sister?” Momoko finally managed to spit out, gaze returning to Eggman. “I bet you kept tabs on your former robians, just waiting for a way to reverse the world deroboticization. “ Robotnik looked puzzled, but intrigued by the girl’s line of logic. “So tell me. Where is this world’s Nanako?” She finished her thought, arms released by her allies when they realized she had calmed herself. She straightened out her skirt and adjusted her blazer, waiting for her answer.

“You’re more intelligent than you seem, girl” started Robotnik, pushing his tiny glasses up his face. “Your intuition is correct. But I am afraid my files haven't been maintained since about 6 years ago.” He slowly crept behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders as he leaned his head down next to hers.

“The best I can do is tell you where she was when hell broke loose. I think you and I should go on a little trust exercise together at my Downunda base to retrieve the data” Eggman suggested.

“Eggman…” Sally began to scold, not appreciating the shady behavior he was exhibiting towards Momoko. She had no idea what he was up to, but she didn’t want a recruit getting caught up in it. Ally or not, it was hard to imagine that he wasn’t making some kind of power play. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he stood to gain, though.

“No, Sally.” Momoko raised a hand, telling the princess to halt her train of thought. “I think the doctor is absolutely right.” She confidently stated. She figured he had an ulterior motive, but that mattered very little. If this world had a version of her sister, she wanted to see her before she left. She’d be a knight on Eggman’s chess board if that was what it took to achieve her goals. She held out her hand, ready to shake Robotnik’s. He took her hand, holding it firmly as they made their agreement.

“You see, Acorn? We are in agreement, so just relax!” Taunted the doctor. Sally shook her head, displeased with this outcome.

“Well. It's your choice, Momoko. I understand caring for a sibling.” Sally started. “Robotnik, whatever you are planning, just remember the ultimate goal, here. Whatever schemes you are cooking up, they can wait.”

“Oh Princess, you wound me! Can’t I just do something kind for our new friend?” Robotnik feigned his best look of innocence he could muster, though no one in the room seemed to be buying the act.

“Uh huh. I’m certain that’s all this is” the princess raised an eyebrow at him. “In any event, she has had a long day. This business can wait until tomorrow.”

“Splendid, splendid! Until then, I bid you all adieu!” With that, Eggman departed the room, arms crossed behind his back. Momoko scrunched her nose up imagining assisting that smarmy jerk, but that was a cost well worth paying.

Sally cleared her throat, drawing the dog’s attention once more. “Ahem. Well. I trust you to make your own choices…just don’t let him get the better of you.” She lectured. “And don’t hurt him either. Okay? None of us here are fans of his, but everyone here has been saved by him at least once. He knows he can’t survive this without us. “Momoko seemed unbothered by the princess’s words, but offered her a grievous expression.

“I appreciate your concern, but if there is even a slight chance this will help me find Nanako, then I’ll do whatever the Egghead wants me to.”

The leader of the freedom fighters was alarmed at such a reckless mindset. She didn’t want to control her, but she was already regretting her choice to allow such an expedition, and it had only been mere moments. Even so, she was not the type of woman to go back on her word. She would just have to make sure that Momoko was well prepared for any hard-fought battles that might come ahead of her. That was the least she could do. If she was in her position, knowing she might be able to find and help Elias, she would do it in a heartbeat. She wondered where the proper king of Mobius was right now. He went on a dangerous mission, and no one had heard from him in a few weeks. It was starting to become alarming.

“I understand. Just be smart about it, okay? Now…I’d like to say, you’ve been handling things well. Do you have any questions for us? About this world, or about Ixis Exeus? I want to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.”

Momoko thought for a moment. She had been taking things in stride so well partially because she was in shock a majority of the time she had been in this world. Stopping to consider it, she did have a few things she was curious about. “Well. First things first, I get that this is an alternate Mobius. From what the doctor just told me and how different you all look, this place is in the future relative to my world. The Sally of my world is only 17, and there ain’t no way yer that young. What I DON’T understand is how Sonic lost his body to that demon. He’s ‘sposed to be the big hero of Mobius! The Sonic I know couldn’t lose to anyone. What happened?”

Sally’s expression fell when greeted by this question. She had expected it, but she tried her best to not think about the day everything went wrong as much as she could. “You’re right. Sonic is amazing. Imagining him losing…it feels unthinkable. But I wouldn’t say he lost, so to speak. There was no battle. Ixis Exeus is a parasite. A depicable creature. Formidable in his own right, but he wouldn’t last in a one on one with him. “ As she spoke, a silence fell upon the other freedom fighters in the room. No one wanted to remember the reality of their situation, even though it stared them in the eye every day.

“One night, after we were celebrating a big win against Robotnik, he went to bed. We stayed up pretty late that night. It was a good party.” A smile crept upon her face. A bittersweet memory, and a good party, indeed. If she could go back to that night and watch over him, to prevent something so awful from happening to a man she loved so dearly, she’d trade anything and everything to do it. “ Sometime that night, we suspect X snuck into his room and…confiscated Sonic’s body. He claims Sonic is inside him, still. He tells us every time we clash how Sonic feels every bit of pain, every drop of blood that he loses. He made Sonic a stranger in his own body…!” Losing herself in emotion, Sally slammed her fist down into the computer console beneath her, sending a dull pain through her wrist.

Momoko had moved closer to Sally as she spoke, placing her hand over the princess’s. “It’s okay. I get the gist. You don’t gotta keep goin’.” she attempted to comfort her. She had just one more question to ask, then she’d give her some peace. “And…does everyone who dies here become a minion of that monster?” The thought of serving Exeus was revolting. The husk of her parents mind and body was fresh in her mind, and she would rather her very soul be destroyed than live that life.

Appreciating the gesture, Sally flipped her hand, gripping Momoko’s for a moment before pulling away, gathering herself to answer her next query.

“If he, or one of his minions, kills you, then yes. We think that dying of unrelated causes might be a way to escape that fate, but as you may guess, we haven’t had many eager to test that theory…”

Trying to lighten the mood a bit, Momoko offered a smile before speaking. “Then I guess I’ll just have to never die, huh?” she joked, crossing her arms confidently. Though worded humorously, that solution was dangerously close to the reality of the situation. But she didn’t plan on laying down and giving up anytime soon anyways, so that was no issue. “I think that covers my questions for now. Thank you for humoring me.”

The Freedom Fighters gathered in the room idly chattered for a while, but the serious conversation had ceased. Momoko stayed close to Amy, uncomfortable with such long-form socialization. She attempted to contribute as much as she could, but was starting to grow weary of being around so many people. She had to admit, though, that after today, friendly faces were certainly comforting. Eventually, she found Rotor Walrus in the room, remembering a certain offer he had made about her blade.

“Ya said you could make my blade stronger. Can ya have something done by morning?” she questioned bluntly. Rotor stroked his chin a bit as he pondered.

“That's a tall order, but if I pull an all-nighter... sure. If you’re gonna get pulled into Robotnik’s hairbrained schemes, then that's the least I can do for you!” He offered cheerfully. Pleased by his kindness and hospitality, she offered a shallow bow to him.

“Thank you, Rotor. I am counting on you.” Her blade was sacred to her, and she never imagined she would need to upgrade such a fine weapon, gifted by her parents when they decided she was old enough to wield a blade. “Her name is Mujakina Kaze. Treat her with the respect ya’d treat your own family, understood?”

“You have my word, I’ll be gentle!” he responded, inspecting the blade. A family heirloom demanded respect. He would modify it, but be sure to maintain the integrity of the blade. After entrusting her weapon to him, Momoko found Amy, who took her to the women’s quarters. There were a few girls Momoko had never seen before, random assorted members of the Freedom Fighters. A few dozen Freedom Fighters was hardly an army, but a resistance of any sort was better than laying down and dying. Borrowing nightwear from Amy, Momoko laid down in her bunk. It wasn’t especially comfortable, but beggars can't be choosers. At least her pajamas were silky soft. It seemed fitting of Amy to have such luxurious clothing even in such a dire scenario- the one from her world had a knack for fashion and clothing as well. She felt her eyes slowly lull themselves shut, drifting off to sleep.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rain poured from the sky, drenching Momoko’s ensemble, soggy fabric weighing down on her skin as her feet splashed through puddles filling cracks in the pavement. The streets of New Mobotropolis were in a state of disrepair, decimated by constant battle and weather with no one to maintain the sprawling cityscape in the aftermath. Signs of struggle were around every corner- kicked in doors, brick walls crumbling, street signs and lamp posts bent and overturned. The screams of the damned permeated the area, assaulting Momoko’s ears with pleas for mercy, to be saved from the pain. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw shadows creeping towards her- souls of those who had been taken from this world, clawing at her, grabbing at her sleeves, tugging at her skirt, desperately looking for her attention. But she could afford to grant them none of it- they were lost. Their lives were over. Hers was still fresh. She had people to live for here, too.

She approached Castle Acorn, her legs carrying her without her mind truly understanding why. It was as if some unconscious force NEEDED her to be here, fate itself pulling her along by the collar. She busted the door down, heavy breaths heaving her chest in and out, finally slowing down her sprint to a walk as she entered the royal palace. She had been here exactly once- there was a party held in which part of the castle was used, and during that time Momoko made sure to skulk about. One never knew when knowing the layout of the capital’s most important government building may come in handy. Up the staircase, down the hall, straight to the back of the building. That was the throne room. That was her destination.

Broken statutes, ruined banisters and sullied paintings decorated the surroundings. At the top of the staircase was a painting of the royal family, ripped down the middle separating the king and queen from Sally, all of their eyes scribbled out with black paint, grins plastered upon their face overtop of their expressions. In the corner was a scribble, a rudimentary drawing of prince Elias with a noose tightened around his neck. The carpet was filthy, stone and dirt settling in, leaving dirty stains in their wake. As she set upon the throne room, the doors were ripped from the hinges, revealing a black darkness behind them. It was unnatural- it wasn’t a lack of lighting, somehow the castle still had electricity powering it. Instead, it was as if the darkness was a barrier- a precipice separating what was outside the room from what was inside the room. Momoko felt ill as the aura emanating from this darkness inched closer to her. Swallowing her fear, she held out a hand- the darkness felt half solid, preventing her hand from easily passing through. With a burst of bravery and impulse, she forced herself past the membrane and entered. The room behind it was pristine, unharmed, as if it was from a different time. A better time. Next to the throne was Maximillian Acorn, motionless in his wheelchair, his eyes lifeless and his body limp. His eyes were blackened, the white drained from them, and red pupils seemed to follow Momoko no matter where she walked in the room, yet it seemed certain he was dead. On the opposite side of the throne was queen Alicia, sprawled upon the floor, hands and feet nailed down to keep her in place. Her eyes were much the same as Max’s. Her beautiful orange dress was completely ruined. Momoko always loved the queen’s fashion. As far as she knew, the queen seemed like a good woman. The king had issues, but neither of them were deserving of death. Neither of them deserved such horrible, tormented fates.

From the throne, something emerged- a gurgling, bubbling pool of swamp water seeped from the seat, flowing and forming a figure. A bead of sweat trickled down Momoko’s face as she recognized who was apparating out of the murky liquid. The blue hedgehog, Ixis Exeus, manically chortled as his body solidified. He stared down Momoko, who reached for her sword. She was mortified to find that it was gone- she had given it to Rotor, how could she have forgotten? But how was she here? She was supposed to be going to Downunda today. Ixis Exeus slowly lurched toward her, flashing his blackened teeth and rotten gums at her, licking at his lips.

“I told you that you were my prey, didn’t I?” Momoko was frozen, knees stuck in a bent position. The best she could do was manage a half step back as the hunter stopped right in front of her face. He lifted a hand, fingers extended as he covered his hand and forearm in a thick, emerald green crystal, meeting into a sharp point at the tip of his longest finger. He thrust the jagged gemstone at her throat, passing straight through her jugular. Momoko’s eyes widened, lip quivering slightly as she prepared for her end. But she did not die. Gazing downward, there was no blood, no entry wound, not even a bruise. The crystal was in her throat, yet intangible- a phantom that passed straight through her skin harmlessly. Another hand caressed her cheek, one covered in silken gloves, unlike the ragged bloody ones that adorned X’s hands. Slowly, X morphed once again, this time into the shape of a woman, only a bit taller than Momoko herself.

The woman’s face was covered in a blue oni mask, complete with a ridged brow and bulbous nose. Round cheeks framed its open mouth, exposing a wicked set of fangs, gilded with gold to compliment the dark blue color of the rest of the face. Black horns curved up and backward out of the forehead, aimed toward the top of her head. Beautiful, well cared for brown hair, much the same hue as Momoko’s own, flowed from the back of the mask, covering the back of the woman’s shoulders. She wore a flowing yukata, red in color with white flowers darted about it for decoration. Her feet were covered by white socks and traditional geta sandals. Her outfit reminded Momoko of the summer festivals her village used to celebrate their heritage from before they migrated from the eastern kingdoms. It provided a nostalgic feeling to Momoko that under normal circumstances might have comforted her, but here it only managed to stress her out further.

“Can’t you see that resisting only leads to suffering, Momoko?” the mysterious woman spoke softly, their voice carrying a certain matronly quality as her thumb stroked Momoko’s face. “Be reasonable. Hear my voice, and listen. Join Sonic in his conquest of this world. Sonic is truly an amazing man, you know…” her voice now filled with adoration, love dripping from every word she spoke. Momoko could imagine the grin on her face as she gushed over the false Sonic. “If you speak earnestly to him and ask to serve him, he will let you live. You won’t have your free will stripped away- not when I am here to vouch for you.”

Her voice was so familiar to Momoko, but the words felt as if they were coming from a stranger. She knew who Momoko was, but she was uncertain about the reverse. Yet, she leaned into the woman’s hand, as if requesting her to continue her affectionate touch. It felt right- like things were as they should be all of a sudden. However, what she said was ludacris- Ixis Exeus was evil, a demon born of vitriol. Joining him was out of the question. Finally managing to pull herself away from the stranger’s touch, she rebuked her request.

“Whoever you are, I ain’t gonna join that creep!” her voice was still trembling, the dog’s mind still wondering how she wasn’t dead from her encounter with the illusionary Ixis Exeus.

“I see…” the figure spoke, taking another step closer, reaching into her yukata. She retrieved a short blade from it, running her fingers across the sharp edge, drawing a small amount of blood which she dripped atop the blade. As the blood soaked into the metal, it began to pulse with a red glow. “Perhaps you need convincing.” Momoko prepared to avoid the strike, wishing she had her sword to parry the attack instead. There was no need for such evasive action, it would seem, as the would-be battle was soon interrupted. A bolt of lightning struck the woman, who recoiled in pain, remaining stoic and silent as she endured. She began to fade into a grey mist afterward.

“I guess I am out of time. I promise you, I will liberate you. And I will do it out of love.” she managed to spit out before fully dissipating. Just like that, another shadowed person arrived on the scene.

“How tiresome…” Momoko groaned, wondering when the surprises were going to cease. She could hardly make out a single feature about this person, save for their long tail twitching back and forth behind them, and what looked to be a long, glowing staff in his hands. Every detail finer than that faded into obscurity.

“Who are you, and why did you help me?” she demanded, unwilling to trust anyone at this moment. The shadow sat upon the floor, legs crossed as he gestured for her to come closer to him with his hands. His voice was faint, yet echoed, barely loud enough to be heard while it repeated in her mind.

“I cannot tell you my name. Not because I don’t want to…this is a dream. And you cannot hear what you do not know in the dreamscape- much less can you see it.”

His words were nonsensical in logic, yet Momoko accepted it at a moment's notice, stream of consciousness carrying the conversation along with no room for argument or debate. “Fine. Yer a magical dream ghost. Whatever. What do ya want?” she scoffed.
The shadow was annoyed at the arrogance of the girl, but knew that in a situation where the roles were reversed he would certainly be behaving in the same way as her. That said, he stayed calm as he relayed his information.

“I can tell you are almost out of time, so just listen. No questions. No interruptions. I am a minion of Ixis Exeus. Or so he thinks. My partner and I used Ixian magic to protect our souls from his reach when he ended our lives. The dumb son of a gun has no idea we are free to defy him as much as we want. And believe me when I say that we badly want to. You aren’t from this world. I sense something in you that may be useful to defeat this bastard once and for all. So just know, among the many minions of Ixis Exeus, two stand by your side. I will try to make contact in person, but doing so without arousing suspicion may prove…not so easy. That said, share this dream with NO ONE. If somehow X learns he has traitors in his midst, he will stop at nothing to find out who. Do you understand?”

All of that information was a lot for Momoko to take in, but she managed to comprehend it perfectly. Perhaps that was a benefit of receiving such news directly inside her own mind. There was no need to waste time processing it. She started to respond, though no sound managed to escape. Her lips moved to no avail. The castle began to crumble, revealing a white emptiness behind itself as it did so.

“We are at the end of the rope, I see. Remember what I said. Tell no one. I will reveal myself when the time is right.” The shadow reiterated one last time. The entire world found itself fully enveloped in light in seconds, leaving nothing but a void behind.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Momoko was stirred awake by a hand on her shoulder, vaguely hearing her name called out as she struggled into consciousness. When she finally came to and opened her eyes, she sat up, hand on her head, which was positively pounding. Far from a good rest, Momoko wished she could just redo that entire night.

“Are you okay?” Amy questioned worriedly, bent over the bed to bring her eyes level with Momoko’s own. “You were tossing and turning all night… I wasn’t trying to watch you, I swear. I just…couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about what I had to do to Sonic…” she trailed off. “Sorry. I totally made this about me, didn’t I?” she apologized.

“No, I uh. It’s fine. I just had a nightmare. Probably because of what happened with X yesterday, too. Don’t worry ‘bout it, alright?” Momoko insisted, brushing the entire ordeal off. She stood up, disrobing and starting to get dressed back into her clothes, which Amy had washed for her during the night. “Thanks for taking care of my clothes. I didn’t exactly have time to pack an extra pair, ya know?”

Amy beamed at her, clasping her hands together. “Anything for a new friend! And if you need to borrow clothes, I’ve got extra of everything! Maybe it's wrong, but I helped myself to tons and tons of clothes when it was clear the world wasn’t settling back into normalcy, so anything of mine is also yours! I think we should be the same size…or close enough!” She giggled a little as she spoke, clearly happy to have someone who cared about fashion on the premises. Momoko would be sure to take her up on her generous offer in the future- although what she would really like to do is get some materials to make new outfits for everyone else- many of the common foot soldiers around here were stuck in such drab attire, they needed something fresh. Most of them didn’t seem to be Amy’s size, otherwise she would surely share. After talking to Amy for a bit, she got directions to the laboratory. Once there, she had an option between lab A, and lab B. She had been told Rotor was in lab B, and if she was going on a dangerous mission this morning, she was going to need her sword.

Entering the lab, she saw Rotor, as well as a blue hedgehog with thick eyebrows and a large, grey mustache. The hedgehog was working on Shard, who was temporarily shut down during this period of maintenance. A small, handheld computer was next to him, plugged into his head via a wire while he was being worked on. On the LED of the computer were two small heads- one that looked like a lynx, the other that looked like Shard. Thinking more closely, Momoko remembered the face of the former. The electronic guardian of New Mobotropolis, Nicole. They were a ways away from the city, so it seemed odd she was here. Then again, if the city was anything like within her dream, it was better that she was.

Rotor called her over eagerly, ready to show off the fruits of his labor. His eyes were heavy, bags formed underneath, his movements a little unsteady from fatigue. She felt a little guilty putting him through that on her request, but she figured she needed every advantage she could get. He held the blade out to her, having provided her with a more proper sheathe to use for it to better protect the weapon.

“I present to you, Mujakira Kaze MK. II! I wanted to preserve its status as a family heirloom, so I tried to keep my modifications minor, but effective. Please, examine the sword!” Rotor insisted. The hedgehog next to him twirled his mustache with two fingers, a look of pride on his face as he watched.

“You certainly outdid yourself this time, Rotor. And you only needed a little help from yours truly! Heheheh…I’m Charles, by the way. But you can call me Uncle Chuck, little missy, everyone else does!” He spoke gregariously. He had a warm, welcome voice that matched his appearance well. She had a feeling that he was normally on the quiet side, but he was clearly excited about the unveiling of this new weapon. Momoko bowed and introduced herself to him before returning her attention to Rotor. She unsheathed the blade, revealing that it had been sharpened and shined, its luster nearly blinding her in the intense lights overhead. That alone pleased her.

“I don’t like to brag, but I think he may be right! Let me explain what I’ve done.” The walrus traced a finger along the side of the blade, drawing attention to a small detail almost unnoticeable to the uninitiated. “You probably didn’t see them at first, but upon close examination, you’ll find that I’ve grafted certain chips onto your blade. Now, these aren’t ordinary computer chips- quite the opposite. I call them Chaos Modules. The battle data Shard brought back let us know you are capable of using the energy of the chaos emeralds in combat! This alone is a rare ability, and even people who can use these powers can take years to fully develop them.” He brought his hand to his glasses, pushing them up his face.

“However…recently, Knuckles managed to get us information on brotherhood technology that can draw out one’s latent chaos abilities! These chips will connect themselves to you. You don’t need to do a thing. They will channel the energy, and help you regulate it, allowing you finer control over it. You’ll need to experiment, but I’d be willing to bet you could pull off a few new tricks already. “

As Momoko gripped the hilt of her blade, it softly radiated a golden hue, chaos flowing freely from the sharp edge. She swung the sword across empty air, and even such a small display whipped up a wind that disturbed papers and loose tools strewn about. She sheathed the blade afterwards, smiling at the scientists.

“Very nice. Ya’ll ain’t too bad, for a couple of Eggheads!” She exclaimed gleefully. The sheathe felt warm on her hip, almost as if it had a pulse and breathed its own life.

“That's not all! The sheathe residually charges the blade with energy as it rests. As long as you have downtime between battles, you can overclock it. Just make sure you don’t use more than you can handle.” Uncle Chuck warned playfully.

Bowing once more to the think-tank pair, she thanked them for their time and effort. She felt like she was certainly more prepared for whatever might come her way with a weapon like this at her side. Now that she was prepared, it was time to meet with the doctor.

Whereas lab B had been messy and lively, lab A was sterile and clean, save for the small area the doctor was currently in. His goggles were pulled down, and he was welding the metal of a badnik. He was grafting something onto the Robot’s hands, a large set of metal claws. They kind of looked like the spikes she knew that Knuckles had on his gloves. Peering behind Robotnik, she saw a shattered metallic version of the red echidna himself, barely more than a head and a pile of servos at this point. The robot who was receiving his claws was a large, silver one, shaped almost like a bullet. His head was conical and without facial features. His shoulders had large black pauldrons on them, leading down to thin arms headed by hands that resembled boxing gloves. These gloves certainly weren’t competition legal with their new sharp weaponry, though. He had stubby legs, but they seemed to be spring powered, so their mobility might be deceptive. That said, visually he was certainly less impressive than a bot based on the guardian.

“Why not fix the other one instead of souping up this rust-bucket?” She asked plainly, not bothering with formalities. Eggman finished up the work he was performing before responding, lifting his goggles up onto his forehead once more. He looked somewhat annoyed at the question, the reason for his aggravation unclear beyond that.

“Bah! Leave engineering to the engineers, girl. But if you must know- parts are limited these days. If I rebuilt Metal Knuckles, it would diminish our ability to repair both Metal Sonic units. So, the best I can do is use his parts to upgrade his lessers.”

A surprisingly sound explanation from an insane man. He was a genius, so maybe that wasn’t surprising. Momoko was just weary given that her own Robotnik had gone off the deep end before. It was hard not to second guess his decisions even in his own areas of expertise.

“Then who's the lucky bot? Is he coming on our little expedition?” she questioned, hoping the answer was yes. The more firepower the better. Though if Eggman was feeling treacherous, badnik escorts might not be the best option.

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you? This is Heavy. He is a treacherous disappointment, but Charles and Rotor decided to fix him up anyways. And if they’re going to waste time on him, then I won’t let them besmirch MY good work with THEIR shoddy craftsmanship. Yes, he will be joining us. I trust you understand that I could never rely on your muscles alone.”

She wanted to argue with him about her being more than good enough for him, but to be frank, she didn’t care enough about his opinion to bother.

“Great. The more the merrier, blah blah blah. Now how the hell are we going to get to Downunda from here?” That was Momoko’s million dollar question. That trip was thousands of miles away, and going outside was hardly an appealing prospect without a thorough plan beforehand. Eggman smirked, standing straight up, reminding her how tall he towered over mobians.

“I am glad you asked!” He interjected quickly. “One way teleportation.” He pointed toward a large pad at the back of the room, big enough to fit a dozen people or so. “My teleportation systems have been offline, but I’ve managed to establish a remote connection to my base. I can get us there, but it's a one way trip.”

Momoko wasn’t impressed by his solution. She placed her hands on her hips, leaning toward Eggman as she spoke with agitation in her voice. “Ain’t you the smartest man on Mobius? Then how can ya be so stupid?! How are we gonna get back here?”

“Silence!” Shouted the doctor. “You dare question my plans?! Just wait and see, fur ball. I have everything accounted for.” Eggman grumbled under his breath as he brought his goggles down over his eyes again. “You’ve sullied my good mood. Just go and take care of any business you have. Be back in an hour.” Robotnik returned to working on Heavy after he finished speaking. Momoko rolled her eyes at him. Who knew the wannabe-despot of Mobius was such a primadonna. She obeyed his request, resolving to eat breakfast before their mission. She had a feeling it was going to be a long one.