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Chapter Text

Deep in Mobotropolis’ endless palace halls, a young hedgehog boy ran around faster than most anyone could perceive.

“Sonic, I swear! You get right back here,” a woman yelled out, chasing after the blur.

It had been nearly nine years since the calamitous rising of angel island and the destruction of the southern archipelago. Razor the shark had done his job, getting the triplet children of Queen Aleena to her younger sister, Bernadette.

Bernadette’s breath was heavy as she leaned against a palace pillar. “I’m way… oof… too old for this.”

“You’re only twenty-eight, Miss Bernadette,” the young voice of Princess Sally Acorn replied.

“Yeah? Well the injuries from the last battle certainly didn’t help.”

Bernadette clutched her side and doubled over as another wave of pain struck. Her tears pricked at her side, only held back by her crumbling stoicism.

“Miss Bernadette!” Sally rushed over, kneeling beside the hedgehog as she resisted the urge to scream in pain.

Bernadette’s frame spasmed for a few moments, her eyes shakily falling on Sally. “Go get my brother-in-law,” she managed to weakly choke out.

Minutes that the princess was gone seemed like hours, Bernadette experiencing what could only be described as a searing blade being twisted and thrusted in her side as she dipped in and out of consciousness.

The next time she opened her eyes, the pain had subsided and she was laying on a cot in a lab. Two hedgehogs stood by a computer; her husband, Jules and his brother, Charles. Everyone only really called him Chuck outside of professional moments, though.

Bernadette tried to sit up, her husband rushing to her side.

“Are you okay,” Jules asked desperately, looking her over for any signs of discomfort or damage.

“I’m fine, hon. Just another consequence of the injury.” She reached up to cup his face in her hand.

Chuck, from across the lab, cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. We did some scans, and, well…”

He choked up, unable to speak for a few moments as he gathered his bearings.

“You’re dying, Bernadette. Slowly, sure, but most certainly.”

Her eyes went wide at the news. “Dying,” she asked, tears already welling up from her eyes, “from what?”

“Chaos energy poisoning, believe it or not,” Jules chimed in, a faked look of comfort hiding his nearing breakdown.

“But I haven’t even seen a chaos emerald since I left the island!”

“Right,” Chuck replied, “but you’ve encountered one. The badniks getting more powerful wasn’t a fluke. It was a chaos emerald.”

“You’re saying Julian is powering all those badniks on a single emerald?”

“Correct,” he groaned out.

Jules turned to his brother, his desperation cracking through. “Is there any cure?”

“Well…” Chuck sighed. “There would be a cure if the southern archipelago still existed. It had a natural resource, ponds generating as much energy as a chaos emerald each day.”

Bernadette’s breathing quickened, the world shutting itself off around her as her mind raced. “Wait,” she demanded. “One of the islands survived. I didn’t want to say anything, but…”

“But you need it to survive,” Jules said.

Bernadette nodded, clutching the blanket she had been given. “We don’t have anyone capable enough of going, though. Not with the war going on.”

Suddenly, a gust of wind burst into the lab.

“Seems you had a little visitor,” Chuck stated, his tone solemn.

“Sonic…” Bernadette tensed, clearly not happy knowing he’s upset.

Jules stepped away. “Want me to talk to him?”

She hesitantly nodded, gazing at her husband. “Don’t let him do something he’ll regret.”

“Trust me,” Jules said, “I won’t.”

Chapter Text

As day turned to night, the palace didn’t dare stir. The only sounds available were rustling coming from Sonic’s room.

Suddenly, the boy heard a voice from the doorway as he was packing a bag. “Not going to say goodbye?”

It was Jules.

“You know why I’m going. You can’t stop me, dad.”

Jules sat on Sonic’s bed, patting the mattress. As the both of them sat down, the older hedgehog only took a deep breath.

“I… know I can’t stop you,” he said, conflict clear as day on his face. “It was only a matter of time that you’ll go off on your own adventure someday.”

Sonic looked up at him. “Do you think mom will be okay for as long as it takes to get the rings?”

Jules hesitated. “I don’t know.” He sighed, before immediately replacing his expression with a cheerful one. “But you’re Sonic the hedgehog, fastest thing alive!”

With a few shakes of his hand, Jules ruffled up the hedgehog’s quills. “Da-had, stop!”

“Sorry. I really mean it, though. You’ll pull through. I know you will.”

The two embraced. Though he didn’t know it, Jules’ words would inspire a legend. The greatest one Mobius would ever see.

Only a few hours before dawn broke, Sonic found himself sneaking into the royal hangar. A single prototype plane, Uncle Chuck’s pride and joy, the Tornado, stood ready for the hedgehog.

As he climbed into the cockpit, silently working himself up to start the machine, a young girl cleared her throat behind him. “Sonic.” Sally sat in the back seat of the cockpit, a bag slung over her back.

“Woah! Sal, what are you doing here?!”

“I could ask you the same thing, you little troublemaker.”

“Well, if you must know,” Sonic retorted, “I’m going to South Island to save my mother.”

The princess just smirked. “What a coincidence,” she said, “so am I.”

Almost immediately, the gears in Sonic’s head started to turn. “What? You can’t come with me, you're a princess!”

“So what,” she scoffed. “Elias is taking over my duties while I’m gone. I owe Miss Bernadette, so I have to do this.” She looked into Sonic’s eyes defiantly, clearly not taking no for an answer.

“Fine,” he blurted out, “you can come with. Just don’t slow me down.”

Sonic turned on the plane, the inner controls booting up as the propeller started to spin.

“Do you even know how to fly this thing,” Sally asked nervously as the vessel started to shake.

“No,” he replied, “but how hard can it be?”

Without warning, the plane darted forward out of the hangar, leaving the two screaming as Sonic wrestled with the controls.

The plane was dead-course for a rock, inciting panic.

“Pull up! Pull up! Pull up!” Sally clawed at Sonic’s quills as he pulled back on the controls.

Just as they made it over the rock, the duo let out a relieved sigh.

“Hold on, do you know where we’re going,” Sally asked.

“Well…”

“Of course you don’t. Nicole?” The princess pulled out a small geometric device with an LCD screen.

A feminine voice replied from the device as its screen lit to a smiley face. “Yes, Sally?”

“Could you point us in the direction of South Island?”

After a moment of silence, the device dinged. “Of course, Sally. Though, I do not know why you need my assistance, as you are headed the right way.”

Sonic laughed from the front of the cockpit, making sure the plane was still on course. “Wow, so much for proving your superiority, eh?”

“Shut up, Sonic.”

Chapter Text

"Any idea how much longer the flight is?": Sonic looked over his shoulder at Sally.

"It should only be a little under an hour now. The Southern Archipelago was originally located directly under the borders of our kingdom."

"In English, please?"

She sighed. "We should be there soon, that's all you need to know.

They hadn't been flying for long, only about 2 hours. Though, if either of them were being honest, that was a bit too long to be cooped up in a plane.

Without warning, Nicole's handheld started beeping. "There is a large aeronautical structure currently approaching our pathing. It's origin is unknown."

"Unknown," Sally questioned. "But everything that passes through here is usually from our Kingdom."

Sonic laughed, whipping his head back around. "Maybe it's a bird?"

"Don't be stupid. When have you ever heard of a bird this big?" She showed him Nicole's LCD screen. "It's almost like-"

Suddenly, a cannon blast shot just shy of the left wing, sending a shockwave through the air.

"What the heck?!" Sonic tried to get the plane under control. "What was that?!"

Sally looked over the edge.

Though it was far away, there was a brass airship the size of a massive factory, cannons aimed at The Tornado.

What immediately drew Sally's attention, however, was the red emblem on the bow. It was a circular pattern, almost depicting a face with a mustache on it.

"We've got company! Sonic! Evasive maneuvers!"

"Does it look like I know how to do that?!"

"Does it look like I *care*?! Get us out of here!"

"I'm trying! I-"

The left wing was torn to shreds as it was blasted.

The Tornado began to spin out of control, aiming itself downward.

Alarms blared in Sonic's ears. The wind rushed past his quills in a way he wasn't used to.

And Sally was silent.

As he took hold of the controls again, Sonic could only hear a crash as everything went dark.

Chapter Text

Sonic couldn't tell what happened. Time had suddenly no meaning as he laid unconscious.

The only thing that he knew was that he was asleep, but even then, he heard something.

A feminine voice echoed in his mind, some language he didn't understand. It was a soft voice, yet also commanding.

The only word he recognized that the voice emitted- "Sonic."

At his name, the hedgehog groaned awake, lifting his head. Around him was clumped together metal from The Tornado.

"Uncle Chuck is gonna kill me..."

He hoisted himself out of the wreck, pulling his bag with him as he looked around.

Someone was missing.

"Sally? Sally!" He called out, and yet there was no answer.

The view wasn't so bad. the area was grassy, but also felt a bit fake. Parts of the land that were at a higher elevation had a checkerboard pattern, the texture almost like metal.

The breathtaking view was interrupted by the sound of sparks, and a robotic voice coming from the backseat of the plane.

"Sally," it questioned.

Sonic walked over to the wreckage, pulling out a small handheld device.

"Hey, you're Sally's little robot guy! Nicky, right?"

"I am N-1-0-1-3, commonly referred to as Nicole by Sally.":

Sonic scratched his head. "Yeah, don't think I'm going to remember those numbers. Mind if I call you Nicole, too?"

"It is acceptable."

Sonic smiled. "Great! Well, guess we should look around to see where the princess went, huh?"

"Affirmative." Nicole's LCD screen lit up for a moment, displaying a map.

"Recent topological data indicates some disturbance slightly east. I recommend further investigation."

Sonic hummed in agreement as he tucked Nicole in his bag. "Right. Let's do it to it, then!"

As he zoomed off from the crash zone, Sonic began to feel truly free to run around. His shoes clicked and clacked against the ground as he found himself enjoying the odd lands.

As he approached another loop to run through, Sonic was knocked aside by something that felt solid.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

He turned to what hit him, noticing its metallic shell that resembling a ladybug on wheels, with blades protruding from the front.

"Be careful, Sonic," Nicole said, "this robot's origin is unknown. Detecting malicious code in its frame."

"So it's evil," he asked, backing up a bit.

Nicole's screen lit up with the image of a thumbs up, one of Sally's more random designs. "Affirmative. I recommend using speed to crack through its metal shell. Materials used are a mix of brass and a titanium-like mineral."

"Don't know what you just said, but I'm gonna translate it to bash the bot."

Sonic ran up to the bug-like robot, dodging its blades with a jump.

The hedgehog spun in midair- an instinct as he came crashing down onto the cold hard metal.

The shell quickly fell apart. The robot that Sonic creatively dubbed in his head- the motobug- was done for.

As he landed and dusted off his gloves, he took out Nicole's handheld. "All's well that ends well."

Just as he was about to continue on his way, Sonic's attention was grabbed by the creaking of metal.

A small, blue bird suddenly flew out of the wreckage, up into the sky. The chirping put Sonic's mind at ease for a moment, while also angering him slightly.

"What was that all about," he asked.

Nicole took a moment, her screen lighting after a few seconds with a blueprint-like document. "It would seem the creature had been powering the machine via some sort of electrical current emitted by the bloodstream."

Sonic's eyes widened at the revelation.

As he turned around to continue on, he saw dozens of robots lining the hills. It wasn't just the motobug, but other robots as well. All the hedgehog could think about was how many of them were just like the motobug.

How many critters were being enslaved for these violent machines?

He began to fight. Every step, every kick- was directed at the cold steel.

By the time the dust cleared, Sonic was exhausted.

"How many was that," he asked, pulling Nicole's handheld out of his bag. "Had to be in the hundreds, right?"

"Fifty-six robots," Nicole replied. "There seem to be many more on the island. A particularly big piece of machinery is approaching us."

"A big one, huh? Just my luck, I guess."

Sonic looked around, spotting something coming their way.

It was a clunky, round device sputtering through the air. A spiked ball hung from a chain on the bottom. On the top there was a rotund man with a flashy mustache who looked like he couldn't even fit in the cockpit.

Sonic ran up to the machine, jumping onto the side. "Are you the one causing trouble around here?"

The man grumbled as he smacked Sonic away. "Great, more of you vermin! I swear, that other one gave me too much trouble already."

"Other one? You mean Sally."

"Hmph. Didn't seem like a Sally. In any case, DIE, RODENT!"

Sonic barely jumped out of the way as the machine swung the ball in his direction.

"Woah, hey! Watch it!"

"I'll hang your head up on my wall, you stupid rat! And your friend, too!" The man continued fumbling with the controls, each missed swing ticking him off more and more. "Nobody opposes the great Doctor Ivo Robotnik and gets away without their lashes!"

Each dodge was getting easier for Sonic as he nimbly avoided the attacks. When an opening appeared, he took it.

Jumping up and spinning into the glass at the front, causing the device to combust and separate from what seemed to be an egg shaped car without wheels.

"Shame doing that only shed some weight from this doohicky, huh?" Sonic laughed. ""Tell me what happened to Sally."

"Tch! Like I'd tell you anything, you nuisance! You and your friend could rot for all I care!" Robotnik grumbled and flew away with his machine, leaving the wreckage behind.

Sonic was about to call after him when suddenly a glint coming from the heap of metal caught his eye. "Huh?"

He reached down and scavenged through, picking up what seemed to be a glowing blue gemstone. It sent a pulsing sensation through his hand as he examined it.

"Nicole, what is this?"

She was silent for a moment, processing the stone. "I do not have the clearance for that information. It seems to be out of the parameters Sally's father has given me in terms of the archives."

Sonic sighed, putting the stone into his bag. "Guess it's back to square one. Come on, lets keep going!"

"Affirmative."

Sonic began speeding off through the lands again, feeling a bit faster as the scenery changed and the air got hot around him.

Chapter Text

The scenery changed around them, but Sonic and Nicole's plans did not.

Pillars made of marble that looked generations old lined the area. Temples and tombs matched them with an antique shine.

Nicole's handheld chirped as Sonic freed another innocent creature from it's steel confinements.

"You have defeated fifty robots. I suggest going after the source, rather than fighting individual units," she said.

Sonic shrugged. "Oh, yeah, sure. Let me just find that doctor guy and kick him a new one. Shouldn't be that hard."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"What's sarcasm?"

Sonic stopped just outside a temple to rest, sitting on the steps with Nicole in hand.

With a sigh, he opened up a travel container from his bag, pulling out his favorite food- a chilidog.

"Y'know," he started, "these have always calmed me down. Uncle Chuck says he makes them with love."

The food was eaten so quickly, you'd think that it was his first meal in days. Probably because it was.

Sonic looked at the wax paper wrapper left behind and smiled. "Sometimes, I think he might not be playing it up."

"Perhaps he has added a dopamine-releasing compound into the structure."

"Hardly," Sonic said through a laugh. "Though, that might be a good idea. We'll call 'em sunshine dogs! Maybe I'll run the idea by Sally whenever we find her."

Nicole took a moment, beeping a checklist on screen. "While we are on the topic, I believe it would be effective to organize our goals and priorities."

"You mean like a checklist?"

She beeped. "Precisely. I believe that completing one task may facilitate the completion of another."

Sonic hummed in thought for a moment, pacing back and forth with Nicole in hand.

"So you're saying we might find Sally on the way to the ring lake?"

"Affirmative."

Just as he was about to say more, the ground underneath Sonic's ground crumbled, sending him and his belongings tumbling down.

He couldn't see much as they fell, but a commanding "jump" from Nicole inspired him to kick off the descending rubble, landing less than gracefully on a stone platform.

Underneath him was a bright orange glow- lava.

"Jeez, thanks for the heads-up, Nicole."

"You are welcome. I suggest searching for an exit."

Sonic sighed, standing up and dusting himself off.

"This hog can never catch a break, huh?"

He jumped off the platform to more stable footing, the ground sturdy under his feet as opposed to the crumbling platform.

As he started to walk, he looked down at Nicole. "So here's the plan. We go look for the ring lake, kicking bot and hoping to find Sally along the way. Sound cool?"

"That is acceptable," she replied.

Sonic's trek seemed to get more and more dangerous the further he went into the ruined temple.

Lava, spikes, and no shortage of robots were always there to threaten his stance, but the hedgehog pressed on.

For the most part, the environment stayed the same. Aside from a few extra platforms, the room he entered seemed normal.

However, one cracked mural on the wall caught his eye.

What he could assume to be the background resembled was a land of fire, supposedly destruction, with a symbol in the middle.

It resembled 6 gems in a hexagonal pattern. They were circling around something, which had been broken off the wall, so Sonic couldn't figure out what it was.

Off to the side was an inscription. Just looking at it made Sonic's head hurt, as it was in a language that he couldn't recognize.

Not that he knew any extra languages, but he felt like he should know this one.

It was as if there was something familiar about it.

"Sonic?"

Nicole snapped Sonic out of his trance, displaying a radar on her LCD screen. "There seems to be a large structure just above us. I believe it might be Robotnik."

"Right." He nodded and continued forward at a quickened pace.

The temple rose up back to the surface, and Sonic came to a screeching halt.

In front of him was Robotnik, looking around in his floating cockpit. It seemed to be attached to something. It looked like a cannon.

"Look at that, Nicole. You were right!" Sonic ran up to the machine, jumping against the hull.

The machine fumbled back as Robotnik looked back with a scowl.

"Ugh! You again?"

Sonic jumped onto a pillar, getting eye level with the doctor. "What do you want with those six gems? I doubt whatever a sicko like you has planned can be good."

"Six?" He seemed confused for a moment before his face lit up with recognition.

"You mean the chaos emeralds." Robotnik chuckled darkly. "Obviously I want to power my machines for eternity. They run a pretty penny on the power bill, as you could imagine."

He gestured to the underbelly of the cannon under him. "They have practically limitless energy, even with just one. With all of them, I'll have enough power to make even stronger tech!"

Sonic followed Robotnik's gesture with a tilted head. "So you're saying there's one of the emeralds powering that thing?"

"I- Er..."

The hedgehog leapt from the pillar he was standing on, summersaulting against the machine violently.

It's metal frame shook and dented at Sonic's blow. Despite being so young, he still packed a punch.

"Disgusting roadkill!" With the press of a button and the pull of a lever, Robotnik aimed the cannon at Sonic.

The hedgehog stood still. He could totally dodge a cannonball.

Fire? Not so much.

As the bright flame burnt around the ground, Sonic forced himself to move up onto a pillar, getting by the tip of his quills.

"Not so fast now, eh, rat?!"

Sonic leapt from pillar to pillar, barely avoiding the heat. "Nicole, I need ideas!"

For a minute, she didn't respond, leaving Sonic to continue his desperate dance for survival.

With a ding, her screen lit up. "There is a five second interval in which the fire needs to recharge. Aim for the left hinge on the front of the cannon."

"Got it!"

Just as she said, the flames stopped.

Sonic latched his foot on the side of a pillar, springing himself forward and slamming his foot against a weak looking hinge.

The machine sputtered and creaked as Sonic bounced off it. It burst into flames, sending the rotund man in it's cockpit into a panic.

"Gah! Release! Release!"

The cannon dropped from the main machine, hurling Robotnik away with a blast.

"Curse you rodent!"

As Sonic landed and watched Robotnik's machine tumble behind the scenery, he let out a sigh.

He managed to win the fight, but it was a lot closer than he was comfortable with.

The faint glow of a chaos emerald shone through the scrap as Sonic rummaged through it.

It was in a cracked glass case, barely attached.

As he pulled it out of the rubble, Sonic felt a thrumming feeling through his arm, similar to the gem before.

"So this makes two of them." He sighed as he pulled out the emerald he got earlier. Both had a reflective glow, the feeling in his hands electrifying.

"Affirmative. My suggestion is to continue looking for the other emeralds. If what Robotnik says is true, they will be a great help back in Mobotropolis."

"Add that to the list," Sonic said with a laugh. "Welp, lets keep going."

With even more questions bouncing around in his head than before, he ran off into the distance, kicking up dust as the ruins disappeared from view.

The air was pungent as his kept running, growing more strong by the moment.

And yet, he felt like he was going to the right place.

Chapter Text

It had felt like Sonic was running for hours, despite it only being 30 minutes. Maybe it was the windy pathways of the scrapyard he found himself in, or maybe the fatigue was catching up with him. Either way, things seemed slow.

Nicole's screen flickered on as her voice emanated from the speakers of the handheld. "Sonic, I am detecting an energy similar to the two gems you currently possess."

"Wait," he said, "just standing still?"

Though he had only known the doctor for less than a day, Sonic knew staying in one place wasn't like Robotnik.

Though he couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong, he sighed. "Lead the way, Nicole."

Nicole's LCD screen had shifted to a simple GPS, with a brighter-colored dot in the northeast quarter of the device.

Each twist and each pitfall made Sonic's path much more dangerous. Running, jumping, and tumbling through each turn and past each set of jagged rusty spikes was all he could do to stay alive.

Eventually, though, the hedgehog arrived at his destination; a robot, almost as tall as the tallest point Sonic could see, was crumpled over. Multiple punctures were in it's steel frame, not at all similar to the spikes he had seen before. No, the strikes seemed forced.

They seemed deliberate.

Nicole's handheld beeped as Sonic's suspicions were correct; there was a chaos emerald in there.

"Do I really have to get close to that thing," he asked warily, his voice tinged with concern.

"Statistically speaking, the more emeralds we have, the less Robotnik has. I would recommend at least searching the perimeter."

The hedgehog sighed and cautiously approached the hulking heap of metal. Unlike everything else in the robotic graveyard, it was free of rust or decay outside of the punctures. It was recently disposed of.

Sonic searched and searched, using the emeralds he had to gauge if he was close or if he was far. It was like an Indiana Jones game of hot or cold.

The head of the metallic beast was where the emeralds were glowing the brightest. Sure enough, inside what looked to be a cockpit was a yellow gem, not any different than the other chaos emeralds spite the color.

That would make three. Sonic's arm thrummed with energy again as he picked up the emerald and haphazardly threw it into his bag.

"Hey, Nicole," he started, entering the cockpit, "do you think it'd be alright if we just sat down for a minute?"

For a few moments, there was silence. Sonic was unsure if the AI had heard his question or not.

Despite his concern, her handheld beeped. "Of course. Your fatigue levels are concerningly high. You may tire yourself out if you do not rest."

"Great," he replied.

Eventually, the sun had set and an odd chill filled the night. Sonic couldn't sleep, however, stuck in a strange place and worried about his missing friend, as well as his family back home.

Suddenly, the sound of footfalls against the robot's frame echoed up to the cockpit. Sonic, with nowhere to go, braced himself for an altercation.

As the footsteps got closer, the hedgehog peeked out of the cockpit, curious and cautious.

The figure standing and staring right at him was covered by a cloak, their frame and face obscured by the cloth and hood. Though he couldn't see their eyes, Sonic knew he was making direct eye contact.

"Do not be afraid, my child," The figure said, their voice feminine, almost motherly. "It isn't often we get visitors to this island."

"Who are you," Sonic demanded, trying to keep up his guard despite the woman's calming energy. "Are you the one who took out this thing?"

She chuckled, stepping closer and sitting next to Sonic. "No. I am not one for fighting. Whoever did, despite their intentions, is no one to be trifled with."

The woman sighed, relaxing in the cockpit with him. Sonic's guard was completely down, trusting the woman completely.

"So," the woman started, "what is a young one such as yourself doing on South Island? This place is very dangerous, you know." Her words were punctuated by soft laughter, lulling Sonic into further contentment. Her words, however, tore him right back to reality.

He shifted a bit uncomfortably, placing his hand on his bag. "I'm here to see the lake of rings. I was told there would be one here."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. It was made only worse by Sonic's inability to see the woman's face.

Despite the tension in the air, the woman laughed. Not soft laughter, not a chuckle, but full on laughter. "Oh, you are one funny kid," she exclaimed. "The ring lake has been dried up for years! If there's any rings left, they're definitely not here."

Sonic's heart dropped as he heard the woman's words. Though she found it comedic, the hedgehog's one and only shot to save his mother had just gone down the drain.

Memories flashed behind his eyes. Memories of Bernadette scolding him, protecting him from the castle guards, cooking for him, and giving him a hug each time she came home from the battlefield. They all poured into his soul repeatedly, being let out only in the form of crystalline tears.

The woman noticed this, placing her gloved hand on his shoulder. "Are you unwell? I understand that it is a disappointment, but it is no reason to cry."

Replying through his sniffles was all Sonic could do. "It was the only hope I had. Without it, mom's gonna die."

The words hit his heart finally like a sack of bricks, the reality of his failure threatening to spill over completely.

"I see," the woman said, standing up. "I believe there is another way to save your mother."

Sonic's eyes lit up as she pulled a red, familiar gem from under her cloak. His backpack glowed with recognition as the woman handed him the emerald.

She stood up, offering her hand to pull Sonic out of the cockpit of the downed machine. "I am aware of two other emeralds," the woman said as she helped Sonic to his feet, "the purple emerald and white emerald are with Robotnik. The last is in an old city, far from this zone."

The hedgehog nodded, stretching his legs as she spoke. "So the big bad doctor only has two? That's good, I can find the last emerald before him!"

"No," the woman interrupted. Her voice was not unkind, but it was firm. "You will not make it in time if you run."

Sonic only laughed at that. "Lady, I'm the fastest thing alive! I'll get there before Ro-butt-nik for sure!"

"You will not. There is a patch of impassible forest that separates the island. There is another way, however. One that is quicker, and more straightforward." The woman shifted her weight, placing a hand on Sonic's bag. "Chaos control!"

Sonic's world shifted around him. What was once the rustic walls and dips of the scrapyard had begun to morph into a mossy, discolored marble. The robot behind him disappeared as he fell, slipping onto what seemed to be a slide.

The woman stood nearby, watching his descent. Running water echoed in his ears, muting her words for him.

Her lips, however, acted as easy to read as subtitles on a screen. "Good luck, Sonic."

The hedgehog was about to call out when suddenly, the unforgiving force of water enveloped his body.

He was faced against his greatest fear.

Chapter Text

The weight of the water current was practically crushing Sonic's lungs as he flailed about. Each drastic movement sent him into the limestone walls that met him in every direction except the current.

His bag was still closed and with him. The only light he saw was peeking through the cracks and light spaces in the tunnel, giving the surreal feeling of darkness and light blending together in the murky tunnel that propelled him forward.

The hedgehog grasped at his throat as he came close to running out of air, wishing any kind of help would come. But just like the light, his pleas were drowned out by the crushing weight of the water.

As his vision started to fade, he felt a tug on his bag. A shadow had swam behind him, grabbing onto the helpless child. Sonic did not fight. He didn't have the strength to.

A sudden wave of air filled his lungs as he hit the limestone, flushing out what seemed like gallons of water from his body. His vision started to return, and in front of him stood a shark-like mobian, a bag on his hip and a spear in his hand.

"You okay, kid? How many fingers am I holding up?" His voice was rough as he formed two or maybe three fingers on his hand, but it wasn't unkind.

Sonic felt relieved to see the stranger, blocking out the spear in his thought process. "Y-yeah," he replied, "two fingers?"

The shark shrugged, standing back from his kneeling position. "Hey, close enough."

"What are you doing here," Sonic asked, still trying to get his bearings. The environment cleared up to him out of the water, giving him his first real look at the place that had nearly killed him.

"Could ask you the same thing. If you must know, I'm fighting to get these gems, called the chaos emeralds, before this really evil dude does."

Sonic's eyes widened. "You too?!"

He slipped off his bag, opening up to reveal the three glowing stones inside.

The shark could only sputter as he saw the chaos emerald Sonic had accumulated. "How did you get so many," he asked, his voice clearly matching the disbelief painted on his face.

"I got two by fighting Robotnik, and one from some vague lady."

As the shark paced around, it finally hit Sonic just how stupid it was to show off. Stranger danger was a big rule at the palace, and Sonic had just completely ignored it. Twice.

The hedgehog was just about to back away when said stranger let out a groan. "Alright, look. Guess that means you're coming with me."

Sonic's eyes widened as the shark shuffled through his own bag. "What do you mean? Why should I?"

"Because," the stranger said, "keeping you at arms reach keeps the emeralds at arms reach. Somehow, they aren't becoming the least bit unstable around you."

"Wait, they're unstable," he asked.

The shark sighed and leaned on his spear. "I just said they weren't. Usually, more than two chaos emeralds being together without any containment would result in a violent chain reaction." He poked Sonic in the chest, looking at him with a curious expression. "But for some reason, they're completely docile around you."

Sonic would laugh if he could have in that moment. "You're saying that like they're alive."

"Well," the shark shrugged, "they do have a mind of they're own. Look, just stick with me and we'll be fine."

Sonic nodded, finally regaining his strength to stand up against the limestone. "Okay. Wait, what's your name?"

"Razor, guardian of the seas." He shot Sonic a cocky smile, expecting some sort of awe.

The hedgehog didn't budge, however, stepping forward to a set of stairs. "Do I have to use the whole title," he asked.

Razor shrugged. "Eh, it's whatever. The whole guardian title thing hasn't had a purpose for years now."

The two continued on, Sonic checking Nicole's handheld to see if it was functioning. The speaker for the handheld was damaged, but the machine still worked. The AI was still functioning.

The architecture around the duo seemed untouched, only changed by time. It rose some thoughts into Sonic's head.

As if he could read the hedgehog's mind, Razor spoke up with a casual tone. "No one really knows what happened to these guys. It's eerie, like they just disappeared, yeah?"

"My mom says it was the same civilization that went missing nine years ago." Sonic shrugged. "I haven't really given it much thought."

Razor stopped in his tracks, looking out towards the expansive labyrinth they were leaving. "Huh. Never thought about it like that."

They trekked forth, finally exiting the ruined city and finding themselves in an empty sewer. What Sonic had expected to be a disgusting tunnel filled with sewage, had been overgrown. Bioluminescent plants lined the wall, calling Sonic forward like signs that screamed 'this way.'

He exited the tunnel through a hole in the ceiling, climbing up to see modern towers lining the street, practically reaching for the stars.

It was daunting, but freeing in a way.

Chapter Text

The stars that lined the sky got no closer as Sonic and Razor walked through the city, the overgrowth rustling beneath their feet and against the concrete. It was an overwhelming sight, but the beauty of nature taking itself back from civilization itself overshadowed it.

Razor was playing with Nicole's handheld, having a conversation with the mute AI.

"Why are you doing that," Sonic asked, "it's not like she can respond."

Razor smirked, a hint of pride behind his eyes as his lax behavior mirrored his footsteps. "Actually, I can. Sharks have electroreciprocation, you know."

"Okay now say that again. In English this time."

"I can sense electrical waves. And other kinds of energy, I guess, but that's neither here nor there."

Sonic shrugged. Each Mobian race had its own abilities linked to their natural ancestors, so being able to talk to electricity wasn't too hard to believe. What was hard to believe, though, was the fact that Razor was here.

According to the stories Sonic's mom had told him, South Island should be devoid of life, wiped off the map by a blast two years after the hedgehog was bored.

He eventually gathered his courage to speak up, hiding his distrust well. "So, how far is the emerald?"

Razor pointed. "According to my nose, and Nicole, it's on the top of that tower right there."

As Sonic followed his finger, a large, unfinished building reached dauntingly towards the heavens. It was like whoever was building it saw it as a mistake, and stopped halfway. Either way, he knew he had to climb it.

"Gonna be alright on your own," Razor asked.

The hedgehog nodded, walking to the entrance of the building. "Will only take a sec."

As he entered, seeing the walls around him made him feel a surge of energy. It was just like he was in a horror movie, fit with flickering lights and all.

Sonic stepped over the overgrowth as he ran, using the glow of the other emeralds to find his way through the dark. It was eerie, and he had the feeling he was not alone.

Sure enough, he turned a corner leading outside to see the cloaked woman from before sitting in the moonlight. She was sat in front of a tree, humming a tune that made Sonic calm. She didn't even notice him approach, or maybe didn't care, as she kept humming.

Sonic reached the tree, standing by the woman's kneeling form. There was a green chaos emerald embedded into the trunk, seemingly growing the rest of the roots from its gemstone core.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The woman spoke up, startling Sonic.

She was right, though. It was a sight to behold for sure.

Sonic sat next to her. "What are you doing here? I thought you were back at that underground city place."

"I am guiding you on your journey, Sonic. Pointing you in the right direction when you are doubting yourself."

Her words hit him like a bag of bricks, knocking his mood down slightly as he continued to admire the sight of the tree.

"I'm not doubting myself." He responded quickly, almost tripping over his words as the lie left his lips. "I don't need guidance, either."

The woman laughed softly, putting Sonic into her lap. "Of course you do. You're just a child, after all. A powerful child, but child nonetheless."

"Who even are you," Sonic asked. He wasn't accusatory or afraid, just curious. He wanted to know more about the woman that was so mysterious to him.

She patted his head as her own turned up towards the night. "I suppose you can say I'm a phantom, a memory of a people long past."

"You mean the natives here?"

"I suppose, yes." She sighed, fidgeting with her cloak. "This island was where I was born, long before the catastrophe."

Sonic nodded, having heard vague tales of the sins committed in the region. "You're talking about that science experiment that went wrong?"

"It was no experiment. It was deliberate." The woman's tone was firm, almost on the verge of anger. Her grip on Sonic tightened for a moment, only loosening when she heard his wince. "I apologize. I do not look back on that day fondly."

Looking up with slight discomfort, Sonic nodded. "I guess that makes sense. You lost your home, right?"

"Much more, Sonic," she replied. "So much more than just my home was lost that day."

The two stood up as the woman walked closer to the tree. The glow of the roots only intensified as Sonic approached.

"Take the emerald, Sonic. Robotnik's base is not far."

"Great," Sonic exclaimed, "then me and Razor will go there next."

The woman tensed at the mention of Razor's name. "Razor is here?"

"Do you know him?" Sonic hesitated to touch the emerald, his attention pulled away by the woman's reaction.

She held herself tightly. "He was a friend. One of the few I could actually trust. Do not tell him I am here."

The hedgehog nodded, picking up that there was a lot more to the story than what he's been told. His attention back on the emerald, he pried it out of the trunk. As it came free, images flashed in Sonic's head, as if he was playing a film at 100x speed.

Some images were gone too fast, but he recognized others. He recognized himself, just a bit older. He recognized the chaos emeralds. He recognized Robotnik. He recognized Sally. He recognized the woman.

But it all faded away as he was brought back to reality, the images nothing more than a vague forethought.

The woman had disappeared into the night, leaving just the wind and the sound of machinery. Turning his head to the noise, Sonic knew what he had to do.

Leaving Razor back at the foot of the tower, Sonic ran past. His destination, Robotnik's factory, was dead in his sights. The noise got louder, and Sonic was left anticipating the final battle.

The only thing flashing in Sonic's head, replacing the images from before, was his mother's smile. He had to fight to preserve it, no matter what.

Chapter Text

Sonic's shoes clicked and clacked against the ground as he ran faster than he ever felt he needed to. Playing around the palace, jumping over decor and people was one thing.

But now he was face to face with a factory that was actively trying to kill him. Badniks, pitfalls, lasers, and traps galore lined the perimeter of Robotnik's factory. It wasn't exactly hard to guess that there would be more inside.

The alarms around the base blared loudly, only drowned out by the attacks of the doctor's killer robots. Each one Sonic dodged by a quill, trying to destroy as many as he could while still making progress. Most of them released trapped animals when broke, but one particularly large badnik had a different power source.

Sonic's eyes widened as he held it in his hands. The reason he was even on the island, a golden power ring, sat in his palm. It glowed a bright yellow shine. If he hadn't been tracking down the chaos emeralds, it would probably be the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

Suddenly, the alarms stopped. It was quiet for just a moment, leaving the feeling of dread and anticipation around Sonic. Moments later, however, an obnoxious voice, with a face to fit, was projected onto the front of the factory. "Ohohoho," the voice laughed

"So, you've come for my emeralds, have you," Robotnik sneered through the projection, his face alone taking up half the screen. "I'll have you know I'm not one to give them up so easily."

"Don't you even start, egg-head! I'm getting those emeralds, whether you like it or not!"

Robotnik's face darkened at the nickname. "What did you just call me, you sniveling rat?!"

"You're not any kind of Mobian I've seen before," Sonic smirked, knowing he was getting under the doctor's skin. "You must be an egg man!"

Sonic has heard a lot of expletives in his life. Some from his mom, some from the king, a bunch from his brother Manic.

But the onslaught of frustrated curses he heard over the speakers of the facility was so profound, he could barely understand the words Robotnik was saying.

"No matter!" The click of a button echoed over the speakers along with a dark chuckle. "I suppose I should pull out all the stops for a child, then!"

Shutters slammed down on every window and entrance visible on the building except one. A massive opening in the front was calling to Sonic, beckoning him in tauntingly. Was it a trap? Definitely. But Sonic didn't care.

He put on a confident smile. He could do this. Running into the facility, the gate slammed shut behind him, and almost immediately badniks attacked him. They were quickly dispatched, though, only working to slow him down slightly.

"That all you got, Eggman?" Sonic sneered as the soles of his shoes clacked against the factory floor.

As a matter of fact, that was not all he had. A ball of electricity shot right at Sonic's feet, only giving him a small window to duck out of the way... and into the line of fire of about 3 different blasters mounted on the wall.

"Checkmate, rodent," Robotnik exclaimed triumphantly as the beams fired. But there was one thing he forgot.

Sonic was the fastest thing alive. He dug his heel into the ground, jumping out of the way just in time to narrowly avoid getting blasted. "Too slow," he said with a smile on his face. That smile was obviously faked, though.

"You know, hedgehog," the doctor spoke up as Sonic was struggling to survive, his movements getting sloppier, "you remind me of an old friend."

"Oh yeah," Sonic said through gritted teeth. "They must've been really cool." The banter wasn't just to get on Robotnik's nerves. It kept Sonic his cool, his momentum. One wrong move, and he was a steamed hog. Talking helped him ignore that fact.

"She was, I'd say." Suddenly, the onslaught of attacks stopped, the factory going quiet.

Sonic looked around, perplexed. "Hey, what's the big idea? Trying to trick me or something?"

The doctor laughed, a subtly dark tone in his voice masked by feigned friendliness. "No, no tricks. As much as I'd hate to be breathing the same air as you, I want a moment to discuss business."

The floor lit up with Robotnik's words, charting a path through the facility in which Sonic hesitantly followed. "You better be telling the truth."

Each footstep through the building drew Sonic's heart further into his chest. It felt like he was headed to his own execution. Maybe he should just attack Robotnik, he thought, but he shook off those thoughts as he walked down to the end of a hall.

There was a sliding metal door, which was almost the size of the entire room. Sonic didn't even have to knock, before it opened, revealing Robotnik in his machine chair Sonic had seen him in around the island.

"Have a seat, hedgehog." Robotnik pressed a button on his dashboard, making a swivel chair slide into the room from the wall. "You're a fast nuisance, aren't you?"

Sonic hesitantly sat down, glaring at Robotnik the entire time. "I don't want compliments. What do you want?"

Robotnik smiled, swirling around a glass. "Simple. I want total domination. I want the world to bow to me and my machines." He set the glass down, looking directly at Sonic. "The chaos emeralds contain power, more than you or I could even imagine. The ultimate power source for the ultimate empire."

"And why are you telling me this," Sonic asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Because," Robotnik leaned forward, "I want you to join my empire."

"Join you?!" Sonic stood up abruptly. "You kidnap innocent animals and use them as a power source! You were destroying ruins and tried to kill me when we first met!"

Robotnik's mustache bristled. "I'm giving you an opportunity to do things the easy way, to help people by keeping them in line." He leaned over the edge of his machine with a dark expression. "Don't make the same mistake your mother did, boy."

Within the blink of an eye, Sonic dashed towards Robotnik with a yell and fist cocked back. His mach-speed was cut short as his fist slammed against a pane of glass, which only cracked slightly under his punch. Blood trickled down the young hedgehog's fist through his glove. He cocked it back for another punch. He was determined to break that glass, even as Robotnik reached for a button on his console.

"It seems you made the wrong choice. So long, rodent!" His finger hit the button and the ground from beneath Sonic slid open, dropping the hedgehog down into what seemed to be an endless pit.

The fall felt like the end. Razor wasn't there to save him. The woman was probably no where near Robotnik's base. And Sally was still missing. Sonic, for once in his life, truly felt alone. Even as his body hit the water, his quills dampening, he was more focused on his own failure.

The cold embrace of the water lulled him into unconsciousness. His body felt heavy and the light began to darken around him, his vision fading as he swore he heard his mom call, "Sonic!"

But it was not a hallucination. That was clear in the way she pulled him out of the water, holding her son close with a fearful expression. "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?!"

"Mom..?"

Chapter Text

Sonic reached out, his gloved hand making contact with his mother's back quills as she clung to him like a lifeline. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

Bernadette only held him tighter, her voice shaky. "I came to stop you from doing something reckless! If not for that power ring..." Her words were cut off. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she hadn't gotten to Sonic in time.

But Sonic's concern lied elsewhere, checking his quills for the power ring he had found earlier. "Where is it? Mom, where's the ring," he asked desperately.

"Gone, Sonic. It saved you." Her expression turned soft. "You really came to this place just to get me better, huh?"

He nodded, tears prickling at his eyes. "But now I really have to get those emeralds. They're the only way to help you!"

Bernadette's brow furrowed slightly. What would Sonic want with the chaos emeralds, she wondered, until she saw a familiar glow from his bag.

"Sonic," she asked, "how many of the emeralds do you have?"

"Four," he stated, wiping his tears. "Robotnik has the other two, that's why I-"

"You were fighting Robotnik?!" Bernadette's voice bounced off the walls of the cavern. "Do you have any idea how reckless that is?! We've been fighting against his plans for years, but we're trained soldiers! You're not, Sonic! You're lucky to have even gotten this far!"

There were a million things rushing through both of their heads. Frustration, anger, fear, and disappointment all were on the forefront of Bernadette's mind. But in her soul, she was proud. No matter how scary Robotnik's forces were, her son was fighting against him.

Just like she was.

Sonic, on the other hand, felt frustrated. He may have been young, but he was still capable. "Mom, I needed to! If I don't get the chaos emeralds, you won't get better!"

"AND WHAT ABOUT THE SEVENTH?!" She blurted it out, not stopping to think,

"Seventh," Sonic questioned. There were only six, right? As he thought back to the murial back in the marble zone ruins, he realized something. What the six gems were floating around was a seventh emerald.

Which means Sonic's journey was pointless. His entire reason for being on the island was brought crashing down around him, just like the labyrinth that he stood in.

Bernadette sighed, grabbing Sonic's hand. "We need to go. This place is going to come down any minute."

"No," he replied firmly as he yanked his hand away. Tears were in his eyes, but Bernadette saw something behind them. "Robotnik will just keep hurting people if we don't stop him, right? And if he has a chaos emerald, he'll be even stronger."

She groaned, turning to him fully. "But that's not your duty, Sonic. You're just a kid!"

"And I'm the only one who's gotten this far, you said it yourself!" He stepped back slightly, wiping his tears. "I'm going, mom."

As he ran off, Bernadette just stood there, eyes widened as she turned to leave. "Stay safe, Sonic."

She knew that she'd either embrace a hero once he returned, or need to prepare a casket. She didn't want her family to bury two anytime soon.

Sonic didn't even accept failure as a possibility. What he said to his mom was true, getting the emeralds out of Robotnik's hands is important, but that's not the only reason he was so dead-set. If he had all six emeralds, he could find the seventh easily. He could save his mother.

His footsteps echoed out of the cave, turning into clacks against metal as the scenery changed into the interior of Robotnik's facility. There weren't any badniks this time, only a corridor leading deeper.

He ran as fast as he could as shutters slammed shut behind him. He had to make it. And he did.

The room at the end of the hall wasn't too large, but it felt small as an iron pillar slammed down from the ceiling, shaking the facility with its impact.

"So, you survived the fall," Robotnik sneered from inside the pillar. "Guess I should have made sure you were dead."

"Where are the chaos emeralds," Sonic demanded.

Robotnik showed two gems on the side of his machine, with a smirk on his face. "You mean these emeralds? I don't suppose you think you'll be taking them, do you?"

Just as Sonic lunged towards Robotnik, a spin in his jump, the pillar shot back up into the ceiling. "Too slow, hedgehog!"

Too slow? Sonic didn't take that sitting down, jumping out of the way of another slam. The pillar was sliding around in the ceiling, repositioning for every strike.

"GRAH! JUST SIT STILL YOU LITTLE PEST!" Robotnik was getting angrier with each slam, his timing changing and shifting sloppily.

After what seemed like dodging forever, Sonic noticed that the pillar was stuck. It was no longer able to go back up. A familiar voice echoed in the facility as Robotnik struggled with the controls.

"I had Nicole hack into the controls. He's a sitting duck," the voice said firmly.

"Sally?" Sonic's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "You're alive!"

"I am. Now kick his butt," she screamed over the intercom.

As Sonic turned to Robotnik with a smirk, he began to build up speed, holding himself firm in place in the ground. "Sayonara, Ro-butt-nik!"

As he let loose, he felt himself spin out of control, bashing his quills against the side of the pillar as it began to spark. Sonic tore through it like cardboard, knocking it on its side as he picked up the emeralds and put them securely in his bag. Out of the rubble, crawled Robotnik, a scowl on his face and unsteady footing.

He was clearly pissed. "You wretch! There's no way I just lost to a couple of children!"

"Oh yeah," Sonic replied with a snarky voice, "that's what happened. Get over it."

Before Sonic had the chance to get closer, Robotnik threw something at the ground, blinding him. Sonic heard footsteps move away as his vision struggled to return.

"Sally, he's getting away," he yelled, running. "Where is he?!"

"Sonic, don't." Razor's voice echoed on the intercom. "You have the emeralds, just retreat for now."

"But-!"

"You did good, kid. Better than most." Razor chuckled with a hint of pride in his voice. "Maybe I'll stick with you after all. You can use some training."

The mention of training made Sonic feel queasy. He'd never been one for routine, but he did agree in his head that he needed to get stronger. "Alright," he said, "but how are we supposed to get back home?"

Sally cut in, closer to the microphone. "With the plane that Bernadette and Sir Charles got here on!"

"Uncle chuck is here?"

His heart leapt out of his chest as he dashed out of the facility. The only thing on his mind was seeing his family again. As he exited the metal building, he saw them and almost immediately leapt at his kin. Sonic clung to them like they were slipping out of his grasp. Like they could disappear at any moment.

That moment was all he needed. To him, he had won the day. He had earned this.

Chapter Text

It was a nice spring day. The garden outside Uncle Chuck's workshop was probably the most peaceful place on Mobius then. A breeze, the warm sunlight, and of course the comfy grass that rested under me as I sat down.

"Hey, mom," I said. "How're things? Good, I bet. You're finally away from the fighting."

I laughed softly, looking at her through the screen. "I miss you every day, you know. I know I can come out here to see you, but it doesn't feel the same."

"Doesn't help that the only physical contact I've got is Razor's training. Can you believe that guy? He's always pushing me past my limit and expecting me to keep going! Something about being ready for what comes next, I mean."

I sighed, looking up at the clouds as I laid next to her.

"I mean, I know that I'm like, a hero and all? But it feels like he's blowing this whole thing out of the water. I beat Robotnik. I won."

I sat up with a confident smile "But he's still out there! And I've gotta be ready for whenever he comes for that last emerald. Uncle Chuck 's trying to find it before Robotnik does. Hopefully he does. Make our jobs easier, yeah?"

"I'm trying my best to get stronger, mom. Maybe one day I'll be able to make you proud."

I laughed. "Aw, who am I kidding? I bet you'd say you're proud of me even without the bruises from training."

My hand touched the warm marble as I looked directly into the screen. "I love you mom. I miss you."

I picked a flower and set it on the mantle of the marble statue. It wasn't just a grave to me, it was a symbol. "Just like I want to be to others. A symbol of freedom."

"HEY SONIC," Sally's voice rang through the garden, "SIR CHARLES FOUND SOMETHING!"

"Cool, a lead!" I turned to the statue again, a smile on my face. "Talk later, mom."

An obligatory last lap around the castle was all I needed to get the wind back in my sails before stepping into Uncle Chuck's shop... and a new chapter of my life.