I long for my children,

But I have to wait.

If I should act too soon,

It could seal their fate.

Those words have been singing within me ever since that horrific day. Julian Ivo Robotnik had invaded my kingdom, and I was forced to give my precious babies, Sonic, Manic, and Sonia away. The only thing I knew behind my tears was that they would be safe, that they would grow into the valiant heirs to my rightful throne who will walk to the altar by my side to become the Council of Four. Oh how I wish I could have seen them grow.

I have been deprived of my children for sixteen years for the sake of fulfilling the prophecy the Oracle of Delphius had brought upon us. The year that I would one day reunite with my children had come. I was sitting on a lone bench, in a quiet little town, in my cloak, sipping hot cocoa in the cold morning. Everyday around this time, I wondered about my children: where they were, what they were doing... but I never gave up hope that they were still the healthy babies I'd given birth to. Everywhere I went, I carried a locket containing a picture of me only moments after the triplets were born, holding them in my arms. The royal guard and I had concealed everything linking me to my kingdom and my children: books, documents, birth certificates, blankets, everything. But this... around my neck, was something I refused to let go.

As I was finishing my drink, I heard screaming. The people were scrambling across the plain, their faces terrorized by fear. I saw an army of troopers patrolling the town, capturing and arresting anyone they encountered.

Robotnik was on the move.

I stood up to take my leave and join the crowd, but a trooper caught my arm before I could make another move.

"Halt citizen. You are under arrest."

I've heard those words many times, but not to my face. I've always avoided capture, but this was a different level of negative anxiety. I held my hood tightly so the trooper wouldn't see who I really was. I was faced with a tough decision. I could fight my way out, facing the risk of death and exposure, or I could blend in, facing the risk of roboticization, becoming one of Robotnik's minions.

The trooper handcuffed me and took me into the patrol car; I kept my head low.

The road trip took longer than I anticipated. Surely we would have arrived at the roboticization chambers by now. I wondered if Robotnik had some other project involved.

"Excuse me."

The trooper glared at me.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" I asked politely.

"Classified."

I sighed. Already, I had forgotten how difficult it was to reason with a robot with specific programing under Robotinik.

When the sky cleared in the afternoon, the car pulled in in front of a large facility, reaching at least ten stories high. I doubted the trooper could have recognized who I was, or else it would have surely killed me.

Once the gates opened, I was led, in chains, onto a platform just inside the door. The next thing I knew, I was gliding across the floor at an incredibly fast pace. Before I could demand where I was being taken, I felt a stabbing in the back of my neck. It was small, and thin. Everything began to disappear before my eyes; I felt immensely tired. My body was beginning to fail me. My eyes fell lower and lower until I couldn't force them to keep themselves up any longer. I began to sink into a deep spell of unconsciousness. The scenery shattered like glass as I was free falling into the depths of my mind, my soul, who I am.

I was familiar with this dream. It's one I've for many years: the Golden Age. I was playing with my baby girl as her brothers slept soundly in their cribs. She loved soaring in the air as I helped her; her giggles were priceless. I sat down with her in her arms, nuzzling her tender fur.

Sweet, sweet memories.

However, when I opened my eyes, she was no longer there. I swiftly shifted to where Sonic and Manic were. They were missing from their cribs.

The darkness in my world had begun.

The floor collapsed beneath me and I was plundering into the shadows. No matter how far I reached for the light, it left me. Then, I landed on a flat surface. Suddenly, lights blinded me, but instead, they were white. When I tried to move, I was pulled back down. I felt what seemed to be ropes holding my hands and feet down. I was restrained.

Something wasn't right.

I couldn't tell who was hovering over me, it was too bright, but that didn't stop me from spotting the needle he held in his left hand. I became afraid. I didn't know what was going to happen to me to me then. The needle drew closer and closer I could feel sweat beating down on my face; my breathing became unsteady. Finally, the needle pierced an unknown part of my skin.

I woke up.