Chapter 1 – Planetary Movements

The Mobian solar system is a lot like all other solar systems. It consists of a number of planets orbiting a large hot sun. However, there is one important difference. Each of the planets holds a power. A power that is mostly unknown to all Mobians. This power is normally un-noticeable but there is one event in which this power can be focussed. This event is a complete planetary alignment of the planets and the sun. When this happens the power of each planet is channelled through the others until it reaches Mobius.

When it does there is a sudden change in the planets natural energy. This change alters the conditions on Mobius making the planet flourish. Crops grow easier, the climate shifts to a more optimum position and life on the planet is given a sudden burst of strength. This event happens every several thousand years but there is also another type of alignment. This event is less common, happening once every several hundred thousand or so but is incredibly destructive. Instead of supplying positive energy, the alignment supplies negative energy, feeding the evil present at the time. No past incidents of this alignment have survived to the present and the only person who has any knowledge of it doesn't even know she does…..

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Amy dipped a spoon into a bowl of soup. She slowly raised the spoon out and looked at it for a second. Instead of eating it she leant forwards and pushed the spoon out in front of her. Tails leaned forwards slightly and opened his mouth. Amy put the spoon in his mouth and then withdrew it. She looked at her love. Tails was in bed with his hands wrapped up in bandages. Tails grimaced as he tasted the soup.

"Ah man! When I said I wanted something different I didn't mean that different! What you put in this stuff?"

Amy smiled and twizzled the spoon around her fingers.

"Well let's see now. I started with some asparagus, then I added some spinach….."

"Amy stop!"

Amy stopped and looked at Tails. It looked like he was going to be sick.

"Oh stop that! You don't eat enough vegetables you know. Now come on open wide."

Tails opened his mouth again and swallowed another spoonful. Amy couldn't resist making an aeroplane sound.

"Amyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Stop acting like I'm a kid. I'm twenty."

"I know and I would do the same to that twenty six year old hedgehog friend of yours if he was in the same state as you."

"Yes but he wouldn't be. He doesn't do anti-gravity racing!"

Tails was right there. If Sonic ever got into this state it certainly wouldn't be through the route Tails took. She looked down at the orange fox and then across to his hands. They were wrapped up in so many bandages they looked more like cotton wool buds. Amy looked away for a second. It still gave her the retches every time she thought about what was under those bandages. She remembers what had happened. It had happened about three weeks ago at the last anti-grav race. Eldin, Tails friend, had managed to crash yet again and Tails had stopped from the lead to help. Eldin had been unconscious in the cockpit with flames licking up around him when Tails has gotten to him. Tails had pulled Eldin from the burning craft with his bare hands resulting in the fur and skin being hideously burned. Eldin was in a worse state. He was still in the critical ward of the hospital with burns all over him. Amy shuddered.

Just then she heard a rustling sound. She looked up at Tails. He was trying in vain to open a bar of mint candy with just his teeth. Amy rolled her eyes.

"And where did you get that from?" she asked.

Tails just grinned at her and swallowed the entire bar including the wrapper. A few moments later he spat out the shredded wrapper and smiled.

"Oh nowhere." he said innocently as he chewed on the candy.

"Oh brother!" said Amy.

"What do you mean?" said Tails through a mouth of candy.

"You never change do you? If you didn't look twenty, I would swear you were still ten!"

Tails swallowed the candy and looked at her. It was true, he hadn't changed much in ten years. Amy went on.

"Next you'll say you're still afraid of lightning!"

Tails looked awkward for a moment. Amy raised an eyebrow.

"You're not are you?" she said with a sigh.

"Erm……..yeah." said Tails finally.

Amy closed her eyes and looked at the ceiling. This was just unreal!

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Sally wiped away a tear as she starred out of the window. Sonic came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Sal. You ok?" he asked softly.

"Not really Sonic." said Sally wiping away another tear.

"I know Sal. It's a sad loss to us all."

Sally nodded and turned to Sonic, burrowing her head into his shoulder.

"Father." she said softly.

Sonic held her and blinked slowly. It had happened a little over a week ago. Sally's father had been climbing in the mountain with a group of climbers. Something had gone wrong and Sally's father had plummeted over five hundred feet into an icy lake. By the time the rest of the climbers had hauled him back up it had been too late. He had died later that day from frostbite and several deep wounds. Everyone had been present at the funeral except Tails who was injured himself. Sonic could only imagine what she was going through. It must be terrible. He gently ran his hand through her hair. Sally looked up at him.

"Oh Sonic." she said and burst into tear again.

Sonic squeezed her and tried to calm her down. Just then Miles and Alicia came into the room. Sally looked at them and then released from Sonic, turning away. Sonic turned to the kids.

"Is mummy still upset?" asked Alicia.

Sonic looked down at the small squirrel.

"Yes Alicia she is." he said glancing back at Sally who had moved back to the window.

"Will she stop soon?" asked Alicia.

"I don't know Alicia. She is very upset about her father's death. And how are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm ok." said Alicia.

"Yeah ditto." said Miles.

"Good. Well you kids go and play outside."

Miles and Alicia left the room slowly. Sonic watched them leave. They had grown up quite a bit in recent years. Alicia had just had her seventh birthday a few weeks back and Miles had taken a very keen interest in gravity racing recently. Sonic looked back at Sally. She was sitting on a chair staring out of the window.

"Better leave her alone for a while." said sonic quietly to himself.

He left following the kids out of the room.

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Knuckles crossed his arms and stretched back in his chair. The chair didn't like it and gave way under him.

"ARGH!" he cried as he hit the floor, "Grr lousy chairs!"

He got up and kicked the chair to release his anger but only managed to hurt his toe. Knuckles hopped around the room for a minute holding his foot before he heard a laugh.

"Alright Espio get out here!" said Knuckles.

There was a shimmer and Espio appeared in front of him smirking.

"You can knock that off right now!" said Knuckles.

"Sorry……but it was funny." smirked Espio.

Knuckles shook his head and turned around. In the centre of the room stood the once green Master Emerald. It was now lifeless and grey after Sarath had used it to open his portal. Around it stood the seven Chaos Emeralds still sparking with there unrestricted power. Espio was still smirking slightly.

"Man Knuckles! Why does everything you touch fall apart?"

Knuckles turned and looked at him with a hard stare. Espio realised his mistake.

"Erm…..Knuckles……gee I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"Whatever." said Knuckles turning around and sighing, "It's true though. Everything I have touched has fallen apart."

Espio was annoyed at himself for saying that. He knew how much it hurt Knuckles to think about his island. It had been destroyed three years previous when Sarath had opened the dimensional portal. Knuckles sighed again.

"Why did it have to happen?" he said.

Espio had had this conversation before.

"Knuckles it wasn't your fault!"

"I should have been there. I had been there when Sarath had appeared for the first time we might have been able to stop him. But no! I had to go off on a fishing trip! It's just like before."

Espio was suddenly curious. He had never heard this part before.

"Before?" he asked cautiously.

Knuckles turned and looked at his friend. He had never told him this. He blinked and looked at his feet.

"When I was younger I was being trained by my father on how to be the next guardian. It was hard but I felt very proud. One day my father told me I could either have the day off or continue training. I was very tired that day so I decided to rest. Thinking back, I think it was a test to access my commitment. I went out of the city…"

"City?" said Espio.

"Yes. You do not know about it. Not so long back there was a city on the Floating Island. It was called Echidnapolis and was the capital of the entire echidna civilisation. Anyway I went out of the city to rest. I spent the day climbing mostly. I was at the top of the mountain when it happened. The city gave a shimmer and then suddenly disappeared. I still don't know what happened to this date."

Knuckles looked at his feet again and sighed.

Espio shook his head.

"You can't blame yourself for that Knuckles. It had nothing to do with you."

"I know but I still feel responsible. Now I am the only echidna left. It was my duty to protect the island and the emeralds. I failed."

There was an awkward silence. Both of them were lost in thought. Finally Espio decided to break the silence.

"So what you doing tonight?" asked Espio.

Knuckles turned around again.

"I dunno. My life has become even duller since the island fell." said Knuckles diverting his eyes to the floor.

"Well I'm off to see how Tails is doing. Wanna come with?" said Espio.

"Sure, why not." said Knuckles, "It's not as if anything interesting ever happens here."

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A skunk made his way towards a small cave a fair distance from Mobotropolis. The rain was coming down and he needed some shelter. He ran into the cave and followed a passage. He eventually came to a small cavern after a minute or so. He sat down on a rock and got out a small water bottle from his backpack. He took a sip and looked around. The cavern, although far from the entrance, was still light enough to see easily without a light. The walls glowed with a strange dark glow. Just then there was a gust of wind and a rustle. The skunk stood up and looked around nervously. All of sudden he found he didn't like it here. He put his drink bottle away and took a few steps backwards. He turned and prepared to walk out when there was another gust of wind and a black mist surrounded him. He felt it sink into him and he cried out.

"YAAAAAAARGH!" he screamed in pain before he collapsed.

The mist expanded slightly and shook before sinking back into the wall.

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Dust floated in the air.  A low hum echoed along the dark corridors. There was nothing there. A monitor bleeped and lit up filling the room with a soft green glow. A small message appeared on it:

Scan complete. Presence detected at co-ordinates 12 by 10 by 9. All systems to full power. Vats standing by. Time to alignment 26 hours.

The monitor went blank again.