Chapter Text
Nine sat in the Grim, thinking.
To be fair, he'd nothing more useful to do. He'd already watered the new-born plants - which were beginning to produce some beautiful flowers and fruits - and began recreating his Alpha Grim series. The fortress had had most of its scuffs cleaned up, he'd barred off the spare rooms he'd formed a month ago, the palm trees had been planted in a new patch of fertile soil... and he was working to recreate the forcefield around his home once more.
The technology needed for that was extremely complicated without the blueprint for all reality in his fuzzy hands. But he had begun work on something that could help; not too long ago, the fox had discovered that the Grim still contained latent Prism Energy bobbing around in the atmosphere like jellyfish. His protoype for a sphere that would collect the energy had been made, and was currently undergoing its testing phase - it still had a few days before he checked back on it.
He'd also considered a side project that could possibly fill his world with real ground and a proper, clear sky like the one's he'd seen in the other Shatterspaces. But he still needed to figure out the calculations for that, and if it was even feasible...
"Ugh." A groan escaped his mouth before his brain could stop him. He slumped in his chair, eyes half-lidded and threatening to close.
Yeah. Maybe not today; he'd done more than enough.
Ever since that day that Nine dared not remember, life had seemed impossible. First off, it was the last time he'd seen Sonic. And he had been dying, because of him. And then he and the black hedgehog (who hated his very presence) had vanished into the gateway to never been seen again. Everyone had watched with Nine from the Grim, worried and concerned.
But for some STRANGE reason, when the gateway had turned a bright yellow, and the figures had vanished, the Mobians had let out a sigh of relief.
Why?
There was no evidence he survived! The Shatterspace could have been completed by Sonic's opposite. He didn't even get a chance to properly calculate it, but judging by the speed the bird flew at (and counting the later journey of the Council's ship and Shadow), it was highly unlikely he survived his own destabilisation. And yet, when he'd tried to follow after, shouting and screaming about risks and survival, nobody had let him. Mainly because they didn't trust him - which was fair enough - but a stupid thing to get hung up over when someone's life was on the line!
And the poor fox got lost in that moment, making wild promises that he would find out what happened, and make them regret their decision whether he survived or not. (He still needed to figure out how he'd keep to his vow, since Renegade and Rebel had seemed particularly interested in his flurry of words.)
On top of that, he'd barely managed to make the Grim inhabitable, using only the few resources he'd crafted and the last of his Prism energy stored in his tails.
Nine would call it difficult, if he was underexaggerating.
The fox grabbed a marker from his pot whilst sweeping aside a few doodles and letters on his desk, swivelled in his chair, and scooted over to a whiteboard lazily. It took a few half-hearted pushes to get there; and by the time he did - a whole 5 minutes later than necessary - the fox's tails were already on standby mode, clasped around his biological ones stiffly. The atmosphere was quiet once again, eerily quiet, as he thought.
And thought some more.
He stared at the space where the whiteboard stood blankly. "What did I even want to do again...?" he mumbled.
There he sat, idly tapping the black dry-wipe marker against the board, tired. Time ticked on relentlessly. If there was a visible sun outside, it would have been clearer that twilight had settled over him. A gentle gust of wind blew outside, ruffling each of the few green leaves the saplings had.
"I never expected to get this bored," he murmured to himself. The kitsune sighed, before finally (albeit dizzily) standing up and heading to the ladder in his laboratory. At the top, he looked around, deliberately avoiding a glance at the Paradox Prism's original podium.
Finally, he found a button on a nearby control panel, which he of course pressed. A monitor the size of a small bed lowered, crackling with static momentarily, before settling on a video. Or to be more specific, a collection of videos; some derived from the database of the Chaos Council, some from security footage in the Grim, all focusing on one hedgehog in particular.
Yet the fox couldn't watch. He never could. The guilt of the present overshadowed the fondness of the past. Had he the knowledge two months ago, this wouldn't have happened.
"We had a plan!"
"That was your plan! It was never mine!"
The amber-furred fox sighed. Footage of each of his mistakes, crammed into a guilt-inducing package... It stung. But he deserved it. That was why he played it over and over, wasn't it? So that every time he was alone, and he felt it, he was reminded that all of it was his own fault. He had made the mistake of not trusting his only friend. He hadn't listened to reason. He had worded his words so badly, it seemed to kill the blue Sonic - and the reactions everyone else had certainly made it feel worse.
He deserved this.
Unfortunately. But undoubtedly.
The scenes flashed by, the fox staring blankly, ears drooping and tails dragging on the floor.
"I- I pushed it too far. This wasn't supposed to happen. I'm sorry, Sonic. But without a great sacrifice... Reality as we know it... will be over."
Of course; that particular moment. If he'd just had enough time, then things would be different.
It was an idea he scoffed at. After all, he'd be rich in resources if Nine counted how many times he'd wished for that.
But...
Just then, something changed. Maybe it was the fact that he had been watching it for the tenth time this week. Maybe the sudden remembrance and guilt of everything he'd stupidly caused. Or maybe he'd finally snapped.
Either way, he'd had an unprecedent surge of bold confidence. The idea suddenly didn't seem so stupid anymore. He had time, and enough of the resources. And he really had nothing more to lose...
Following that sudden idea, Nine became hyperfixated on the prospect of time travel. He'd figured out his own theory that he was utilising to create a portal to the past.
What was that theory, you ask? It was complicated, but here's how the young inventor saw it:
Time travel was only possible if you had a extremely detailed record of what happened in that moment. As such, future time travel was impossible since there was no record of it. However, a portal to the past was entirely possible with that rule in place.
That was a good base to start with.
With a detailed record of multiple moments stored in his computer, Nine was able to sift through the files to pinpoint moments he figured were suitable enough, and could possibly change reality if altered right.
The first, and most detailed, was the confrontation in the Grim, where the two had stood together, Sonic ready to sacrifice his energy for his friends. It was a painful moment, where reason had nearly hit him, and one filled with regret and resentment at his past self. Perfect, in another sense, to change.
The second was when Sonic and Shadow had entered his world for the first time, and fought his Grim Alphas. Again, a prime oppurtunity to correct his past mistakes, instead of setting off robots like they were unwanted pests.
The third, one that had less digital detail but a strong memory in his head, was the moment he ripped the Shards out from Ghost Hill. It haunted his dreams the most, giving him the most potent pain and regret from the lot - and it was the best choice he had.
He'd considered each moment carefully, thinking about what he could do with each. Depending on how he managed to travel, Nine could either replace his past self - a dangerous possibility that would leave him stranded there, forced to relive everything... - or possibly exist simultaneously with him. That situation was far less complicated, but still quite tricky, when you realised how heavily involved Past Nine was in these moments (should he call his past self that?). However, if he was careful enough, the fox could still interfere indirectly and resolve the past. The worst possibility was that he could enter the past, but he couldn't change a thing; equally, it had the least chance of occuring.
After he'd resigned and agreed to starting with the third one (though in the back of his mind, he really didn't want to), Nine began crafting a digital recreation of the moment, using his own knowledge of what he'd done and the footage that had been recorded from the Grim. This move didn't make much sense to an ordinary person, but the fox was absolutely sure of what he was doing. Using time coordinates on their own wouldn't be enough, since Ghost Hill had no location coordinates for him to use.
So if he teleported with just Prism power, he could end up anywhere in any Shatterspace.
Not ideal, of course.
But if the fox could recreate the area, as was his logic, the energy would have no doubt of where to take him!
So using the time signature, his own computer modelling, and enough Prism energy, the fox could - with the proper tools and intense focus - use the reality-altering powers of the Prism on the computer's 3D-modelled moment to recraft a portal into the exact moment where he could alter the timeline.
Or, in simpler terms, he could zap himself a time portal.
The plan from there was simple enough. Fixing the past would change the future, and when he returned - using the data of this exact moment as co-ordinates - everything would be different.
It had to be.
The moment finally arrived.
Nine held the orb in his hands, a shimmering purple of varying hues circling it. It was all the Prism energy he had gathered for three weeks, meaning the prototype worked.
Now, to use it for the greater good.
Holding it carefully, as if it were the Ancient's technology, his tails rose above his shoulders and on his left and right sides. The pincers trembled, before beams of green energy burst out, shooting directly at the orb. Slowly, the purple colour faded, becoming more and more faded until all that was left was a blue-tinted sphere.
He glanced back at the whiteboard, now adorned with all sorts of messy equations on either side, before letting out a small breath. Then, as his tails shimmered with a purple of their own, the fox smashed a button on his keyboard and grimaced. Instantly, from somewhere in the ceiling, a projection covered half the room, with an almost realistic copy of Sonic, himself, and the Prism.
Involuntarily, Nine winced.
The energy-filled tails released a stream of purple, rippling energy, poised at the scene in front of him. Colour returned to the objects, like a colouring book being filled in front of him in real-time. Just before it was complete, Nine's seventh tail bent behind him and another beam hit the computer.
Reality trembled, as the Grim starting shaking. The familiar twinkling noise rang in his ears, crackling at the edges. Trinkets fell off the shelves, larger in succession, and stray sheets began swirling around in a tornado. "What's happening? Why is the Grim shaking?!" Nine cried, looking around wildly. "This shouldn't be-!"
But before his panic could escalate, everything screeched to a halt.
At the top of Ghost Hill's mountain, the Shards shimmered in their crates, vibrating with energy. Nine looked back at the entrance, where Sonic had just left, before smirking.
"Tiny details are... not my thing."
"I can do it."
It was all going according to plan. Rebuild the Prism, then take it to the Grim to recreate this grey Shatterspace - with added flair. A new world for him AND Sonic. They'd both lost people they cared about... but for the first time ever, things were looking up.
"Thanks for putting it together, buddy. This is why we're a great team."
The fox allowed himself that last thought, before shaking it away and turning his attention back to the task at hand. He walked over to the containers, and pushed them closer to the Prism. "First thing first, I've gotta stabilise the Shard energy..." he mumbled, eyes narrowed in thought.
He shot open a portal to The Grim quickly, ignoring the cameras swivelling to face him, and gazed at the very top. There, a podium lay, bare, open, and ready to hold the ultimate power. "Then we can take it home..." He smiled, as he began to walk inside.
But before he could get inside, the portal inexplicably collapsed. Jumping back, a new purple circle made of a familiar energy ripped open out of nowhere, forming right in front of him, and something fell out. A cloud of dust rose up. Nine stiffened, and immediately put himself between the Shards, on guard.
"Who's there?!" he called out, panic barely hidden under his shout.
A few soft coughs could be heard, before a figure stood up. "Hold on! Don't shoot me!" came the sound of... his voice?
Wait, what?
The cloud of dust faded as the figure swept a hand in front of him, frowning. It was an exact lookalike of him, in the same clothes, with the same tired look he usually donned. The same tails too, he noticed, but with a few more scuffs than expected. Probably the rough landing's fault.
"Ugh... this isn't the scenario I hoped would happen. I wasn't supposed to spawn right in front of you!" the copy mumbled with visible irritance, running a hand through his tufts.
"Who are you?" Nine asked, a growl rising in his throat. "How did you get here? Did the Chaos Council create you?"
"What? No!" he yelled back. "Are you insane?! Our parents did everything they could to keep us under the radar! Until recently, they didn't know we existed."
That made Nine pause. He was right. His parents had made sure his life was as safe as possible, even if they couldn't always be there... but that was never their fault. Only the Council's. And they were why he'd never see them again.
"Ok," he replied, tails relaxing. The fox walked up to the intruding copy, inspecting him carefully. "You've proven you're me... just."
"You always told yourself that if you met another Nine, the way to prove it's you would be by talking about how you had no crushes in fourth gra-"
Nine blushed, and waved his hands frantically. "Ok, ok! I really believe you, now shut up!" His alternate smirked, holding back a laugh as Nine recomposed himself. Trying not to blush again, he rolled his eyes. "Still. How do I know you're not an evil alternate from another Shatterspace or something?"
"I'm from the future. The thing you always dreamt of," he replied bluntly.
Instantly, Nine's eyes sparkled. The guarded tone slipped to reveal something more... awestruck. "You are? No way. This is amazing! I knew time travel was possible, but... You- you're actually from there?" Suddenly his expression fell. "Wait. If you are... you must be here to fix some issue. Something goes wrong in this moment in time, isn't it? "
Future Nine (should he call him that?) blinked, before nodding. "Uh, yeah. You got it quite quickly, though I can't say I'm surprised. So-"
"Spare me the explanations. First off; is your goal still the same as mine? Creating a world that's for us?"
"Yes."
"Second; what happens now that you need to fix?"
That made the fox shift uncomfortably. Nine wasn't good at reading body language, but he recognised his own. "C'mon. Answer me."
The future variant of him sighed, then looked up at him, surprisingly sad. "It's you. And Sonic. We may want the same thing, but you and Sonic don't. And both you and him don't know that yet."
Nine's eyes widened, face going slack. "What?" he whispered, taking a step back. "Y-You're wrong. He wants a home. I- I'm giving him that. With the power of the Prism, I can-"
"No." The fox flinched at the blunt reply, as Future Nine took a step forward. "The Prism can do a lot, but it can't give you the same thing. Sonic wants his old world back, with his old friends, including that copy of us. And we want a world where we don't have to live under constant fear, or hide, just for being ourselves. And if you don't explain that to Sonic," he continued, "well, things are only going to get messier."
"Y-You're lying!" he protested weakly, tails suddenly at his sides, poised to attack. "I- I-"
"I wouldn't lie to you. You know that."
"No." He gasped suddenly, taking heavy breaths. "Please. Tell me you're joking. That- that I haven't done all of this for nothing."
But there was no response.
Nine dropped to his knees. Suddenly, the Shards were forgotten about; he was trying to process everything that was said just now. Sonic didn't want him? He still wanted this reality? Where he might not even exist? His breathing quickened, his heart pounding, cracking at the edges. "Why...? What did I do wrong?" His gaze flicked up to his future copy, panicked, desperate for an answer.
Future Nine looked back at the entrance, almost worried, before walking over to the Shards. Nine didn't even bother stopping him, as he began taking each out and - with his future knowledge, of course - slotting it into the Prism. One by one, each crystal joined up with the yellow one, building something bigger. Where he would have hesitated, his alternate was actually faster, finishing the Prism in record time. He took a few steps back, hands on his hips, admiring the piece of work.
It was beautiful. Lighting up the cave, everything suddenly felt brighter and filled with energy. But Nine couldn't bring himself to even smile; his thoughts were too clouded, his mind aching like it was poisoned and heart stuck in his throat.
Then, the slightly-older fox turned back to Nine, and crouched to his level. "Listen. You did nothing wrong. I know you don't believe me right now, and you don't have to."
"And I know you're still not good at emotions. Neither am I." He laughed softly, sadly, before lowering his gaze to his own hands. "But you need to try. Hear Sonic out, please."
"But... why should I? Y-you're saying he doesn't even care about me..." He sniffed, face tightening. The fox could still feel his heart shift between grief, guilt and uncertainty while Future Nine watched.
"That's not what I said." Nine looked up, eyes still shimmering. "It's not. I promise you, he cares, he really does, and it's more than you realise. But the problem is... you can't keep him forever. We... We have to let him go, because a good friend respects their friend's wishes. That may hurt us... but it also hurts them too."
A small pause passed between them. Nine could hear the distant crashes of robots outside, but chose not to comment on or worry about that. His future counterpart sighed and offered him a hand; hesitant and awkward, but there. Exactly how he'd have done it. Nine stared at it for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Time travel, remember? Don't want to cause an accidental merge or some other problem."
"Oh. Right," Future Nine replied, before standing up. "Do... you need any help getting up?"
Another pause. "No," he responded.
Then: "Why are you telling me all this? What- what exactly goes... wrong?"
Future Nine winced. "We... make a bunch of mistakes that lead to something irreparable," he mumbled awkwardly.
"What?"
"You don't want to know. Trust me."
The fox hesitated, before sighing. Any sign of his breakdown slipped off his face, as he put on his usual mask. "So what do you propose I do?"
"Compromise. The only solution that works is a compromise." Future Nine must have noticed his confusion, as he awkwardly smiled. "You have to fix the Prism for him. I can't tell you more now but... he's the key to completing it. Once you do that, I'll tell you what you need to do next."
"So, I... I'll see you again?"
The future counterpart nodded. "Just once more." With that, he pointed his tails at the Prism, and watched as he siphoned off its energy, before walking over to the portal that was still open. With a two-fingered salute, he strolled back out of the portal, into his future.
It lingered. It didn't close. An instinct suddenly took over the present fox; run. Run away. Run from his problems, and protect himself.
He jumped up, legs nearly tripping over each other, as he sprinted towards the portal.
But before he could, it was closed. Nine stood, panting, looking at the spot with pain visible on his face.
"Nine?" A voice called behind him. The fox froze, as he turned around, and saw Sonic walking over. "Buddy, you ok?"
"I..." The fox trailed off, before grimacing. "Don't call me that."
"Whoah!" He raised his hands, chuckling, but his expression was wary. "Ok, someone's feeling a little cranky."
"Don't start," came the cold reply.
Sonic, oblivious as ever, grinned, before dashing to the base of the Prism. "I can't believe it, Nine. You fixed the Prism! But... why isn't everything back to normal now?"
"There's a Shard missing," the fox replied, before turning to face him. "It's in the Grim. Our... future home." Internally, the fox winced, knowing this was a bad idea, but he ignored that side of him. He didn't care if the future version of him just warned him against this. He had to try.
"Uh, actually..." Nine froze, as Sonic raised a finger and said, "I thought the plan was to restore Green Hill. Y'know. Our real home?"
Nine glared at him, as Sonic recoiled. Suddenly, the fox got up on his tails, and began walking towards him. Towering over him made Sonic fearful, and spewed a wave of guilt and pain within him that crossed his expression suddenly. He paused, before his mouth twisted into a hurt frown.
"That's your home. It was never mine."
"Th-That doesn't mean it can't be," the blue hedgehog tried.
Nine looked up at him, and shook his head. His expression was equally hurt, but hopeful. He still wanted to be with Nine... and that was making him feel a lot more regret-filled than he'd wanted. He briefly looked over at the incomplete crystal, before his face softened, the anger and tension subsiding. Wordlessly, four of his mechanical tails pulled the connected Shards out from the Prism.
An explosion of blue energy followed, as the cavern shook. At the very top, Shadow appeared, and frowned heavily, looking like he wanted to kick him. Nine saw him, and simply rolled his eyes. "Shadow," he acknowledged. "Are you gonna come with us, or are you going to stand there looking like that?"
His expression suddenly shifted into surprise. Huffing, he jumped and quickly skated across the pathway towards them. He stood by Sonic, muttering, "Huh. He didn't betray you."
Sonic elbowed Shadow in the ribs, barely hiding his concern. "See? Toldja you could trust him."
Ignoring their remarks, the fox pointed two tails in front of him, and opened up a portal to the Grim.
"Follow me."