The Royal Archives: A Return To Origins

(A/N: Preceded by "The Sleet Aleena Chronicles: Installment 1-The Bounty Hunter And The Queen."

Now is as good a time as any to describe why I have different names for different parts of my stories. "The Sleet Aleena Chronicles" focus on the 'relationship' of Sleet and Aleena, and takes place whenever a main story focuses on them. "The Royal Archives," which you are reading now, focus on the Council of Four and whatever focuses on them. Stories without a beginning, like "Painful Memories", will usually be long and like specials, or movies like premiers or finals. There will be one called "Sonic Hero's Adventures," which will focus on all those in Painful Memories and will be used when it focuses on the Sonic Heroes. Another will be "The Knothole Mobotropolis Exploits," which will happen when a story focuses on Knothole residents, such as Sally Acorn and company, and Mobotropolis, focusing on Sonic's old friends like Cyrus and co. Each first will hold something relatively mandatory such as new characters added who may or may not play prominent roles in others, then depending on whether it's important or not, I will tell you if you can go without reading it or if it's recommended. Enjoy. As always, no OC's and multiple hints to multiple different pairings.

This chapter will attempt to clarify the canon and put everything in place so you can understand it better.)

Timeline

Team Vile watched from a log, as Eggman's robots worked to repair the damaged base. Dingo, to Sleet's right, sat on the log. Sleet leaned indifferently against it. Fang lay on it to the left, letting the sun warm his fur. "How much longer Sleet?" Dingo asked.

Sleet answered, "Not long enough. I wish it would take longer. This island is perfect for a base. It's isolated, small enough to get around, but big enough to hide on if things get difficult."

"I hear ya," Nack agreed.

"Why don't ya tell Robotnick then mate?" Dingo asked Sleet.

"Are you crazy? He's not happy the Council of Four got away. He's ready to kill me if I get him angry!" Sleet retorted.

"Hey, Sleet, if you don't have the guts, leave it to me," Fang declared.

"You? What a laugh," Sleet replied, letting the weasel's insult slide.

Nack looked coldly at him. He grinned, though, then said, "Yeah me. Watch and learn. You ain't the only one who can talk quick." With that the weasel leapt up and head towards the base. Sleet and Dingo watched after him in surprised curiosity, Sleet's arms unfolding.

Eggman surveyed the repairs from the main window. He heard a door slide open. "I hope for your sake you're not Sleet," he said.

"Nah, Sleet don't drive an air bike," Fang replied, purposely letting in a Southern or Australian twang.

Eggman turned. "Ah Fang, my second favorite," he said.

"Only second?" Nack asked.

"Have you gotten cockier?" Eggman asked.

"I'm just in a good mood," Fang said. "And who knows, I might have picked up a few tricks from your favorite. Remember Sleet?"

"I would have guessed you picked it up from Sonic," Eggman replied. Nack just shrugged. "You know, Nack, you could be my favorite," Eggman said suddenly. He was satisfied when Fang visibly stiffened.

After a moment, the weasel replied, "I could, but that's not why I'm here."

"Why Fang, I'm shocked. You're not normally one to pass up a chance to stomp out your 'friends' in order to place yourself higher. I recall you turning on your closest allies just to get what you wanted," Robotnick said. Nack didn't say a word. After a moment, Eggman asked, "Why are you here?"

"Oh, no reason, just to talk," Fang answered. He looked out the window then added, "You know, this island is a pretty safe location for us."

Just as he'd hoped, Eggman perked up. "I suppose…" the man finally replied.

Using Sleet's description, Nack continued, "Yeah. It's isolated, small enough to get around, but big enough to disappear into without a trace. I like it. Sleet even mentioned that it would make a perfect home base." It was risky to mention the wolf, but Fang also knew that Eggman liked Sleet's ideas, even respected his opinion, which was rare for Robotnick.

Eggman said nothing a moment. Finally, though, he said, "That was exactly what I was thinking. Inform Sleet and Dingo that you three are to scout out the island. I've decided we'll stay here a while. We can simply make it seem like we've left."

"Yes sir Eggman. You're brilliant your amazingness," Fang complimented, temporarily adopting Sleet's habit of flattering the man. As he was leaving, though, he suddenly stopped. As an afterthought he turned, then said, "It's not that I wouldn't like to become your favorite, Doctor, it's more like I don't want to risk trying to match up to Sleet. I'm not inclined to take the worst of your punishment. Besides, think about it Eggman, will anyone ever truly surpass Sleet in supposed value to you? Failure is hard to avoid, and Sleet has failed you the least out of all your minions." Eggman stiffened. Nack smirked then left.

"Hey Sleet, ya think Nack's been imprisoned?" Dingo asked.

"With the mood Robotnick was in last I saw him, I wouldn't doubt it," Sleet replied.

"Think again," a voice said. The other two looked at him in shock.

"Nack, did ya do it?" Dingo asked.

"You bet I did," Fang replied.

"What? How?" Sleet demanded.

"I learned from the best Sleet. That and my natural cunning," Nack replied. "He wants us to scout out the island."

"Ah, of course," Sleet said, pleasantly surprised at the flattery. It was rare that he got it. He usually dealt it out. "Let's go partners. Or should I say, Team Vile." Sleet headed off, leading the way.

Dingo remarked, before he and Fang followed, "I'm shocked at how Sleet's taken a third partner."

"Why?" Nack asked.

"I told you 'bout Drago. That was the last attempt at forming a team he tried mate. You know what happened," Dingo replied.

"What has that got to do with it?" Fang questioned.

"Everything," Sleet suddenly said. They gasped, only then noticing that he was waiting for them. "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't," Sleet clarified. Nack's eyes lit up in understanding, and he nodded. "Dingo is the devil I know. I must admit, though, Nack, you've proved yourself so far. It's a relief to actually have someone clever as a partner."

"I'm flattered Sleet," Nack lightly said, smirking. Sleet coldly smirked back.

"Come on you idiots, let's get this over with," Sleet ordered, turning and beckoning them to follow.

"Oh boy, we get to explore," Dingo said excitedly.

Sleet led them into the forest without so much as a hint that he would stop. Finally, though, he ceased so abruptly that the other two almost ran into him. "Whoa!" Fang exclaimed.

"Watch it mate!" Dingo shot.

Sleet looked back at them coldly, then said, "We're about center here. I'll go right, Nack go left, Dingo keep on straight until you reach the opposite beach. We've already checked the one we crashed near. We meet back here as soon as we've finished scouting."

Sleet made his way towards the beach on the right, rehashing what he knew about their position. He and Dingo hadn't been in Robotropolis when Eggman found them, but they weren't too far either. Eggman obviously knew where it was still, even though he hadn't been there for a long time. After the incident, Sonic had searched everywhere for his siblings, but never found them. The three had been scattered throughout Mobius, and into the few human colonies that had appeared over time, especially after the incident.

Sleet remembered following Aleena on her search. She had found Manic in a city he didn't know the name of. From the cliff it had taken… How long had it taken? If only he could have kept track of time. It had taken a while. Sonia she had found in Soleanna. That was a shorter journey, at least. From Robotropolis to the cliff where they had first disappeared wasn't long, but definitely not only one day. Sonic must have been the farthest away, since Aleena was able to find Sonia and Manic, but not him.

Why was he trying to map it out? A map wouldn't help. He needed a timeline. Now, blending all the stories he'd heard, and using his own knowledge, he felt he could get it fairly accurate. Bang, the incident. Human colonies and Mobian colonies then had a jump in converging into the Mobius they all knew and loved, hah. The children and Doctor Eggman Robotnick were gone, even Angel Island had disappeared. That night Aleena had come to where he and Dingo were sleeping, waiting to see if they'd return. He had heard her and got up. He had chased her, followed her, and after that, time had seemed to blend.

First she found Manic. That took a long time on its own. It took a long time to find Sonia in Soleanna too, but not as long. There was the time it took to get back to the city Manic was in to reunite the two siblings. After that they had searched everywhere they possibly could to try and find Sonic, and Aleena had gone on her own way, still watching the children.

It was a long time before the two finally gave up. It took Aleena only a little longer to finally accept that Sonic was 'dead.' At that point she had given up and focused on watching over Sonia and Manic. At least until Sonia and Manic returned to Mobodoon, trying to get away from their pain and loss. Sonic wouldn't have known Mobodoon had shown up. Even if he had, the royal family had probably sometimes missed each other by minutes, since all four were searching for each other. By the time they thought to stay in one place, Sonic had probably checked there and beyond. The little blue one was too fast for his own good. It must have been why they never found each other. Aleena had simply disappeared again to wherever she went. He had lost her after her mourning over Sonic.

From Eggman's stories he knew she couldn't have returned to Robotropolis, or she would have found Sonic soon enough. She couldn't have gone back to Knothole either, for that matter. "Where did you go Aleena?" Sleet wondered aloud. Who took care of you, my old love? Where did you sleep, where did you eat, were you really so alone? No. Not while I followed you, but after…

Sonic had returned to the forest sobbing, from what he'd found out. He had then left behind his past, all thoughts of his mother. He had found the fox, Tails, Amadeus and Rosemary's child, and the two had gone on many adventures, just them. He had soon returned to his uncle and aunt who had, for so long, raised him as their own in Robotropolis, or was it in Knothole Village? Knothole City now, he supposed. He had believed them to be his birth parents for so long. When he returned to them, he put them back in place of his true parent, forgetting, actually forgetting for a while, his mother and siblings.

He had met the child of Aleena's old friends, Max and Alicia Acorn. Sally was her name, and the other freedom fighters of Knothole. They had had their adventures. Slowly he had drifted away, only returning to them once in a while to introduce them to some new friend he'd made. According to Eggman, after he had met each new person, Tikal, Shadow, Rouge, Blaze, Silver, the Babylon Rogues, the Chaotix, Shade, he would return for a little while and pull off some missions with his old friends, rekindling relationships, before fading once more into oblivion with only a chosen few. Finally he had just stopped returning to Knothole from Station Square and Emerald City and wherever else. He stuck with the newer friends. Namely, the Sonic Heroes Team Vile had just dealt with recently; and his older friends, though he didn't forget them as he had his family, faded into the recesses of his mind.

The one time he remembered his real family, as Sleet recalled according to Robotnick, was when he had dreamed about them after having forgotten. He had dreamed that they were never his family to begin with, but an alternate Sonic's. When he had awakened he had purposely tried to convince himself it was true. For all the good it did. He did manage to forget once more, though, or try. Then Eggman had come to get Dingo and him. Then the rest was history. He wondered now, however, where things would go from here.

Dingo emerged onto the far beach. He wandered up and down it, checking for anything suspicious. He had already cleared his portion of the woods. Soon, though, he grew bored of checking the beach. There was sand and ocean, the occasional rock outcrop or cove, but nothing was hidden in any of them. Before he had finished his section he had decided it was clear. He looked over the ocean as he walked a little farther, saying, "There ain't anything suspicious here. Might as well head back."

He was just about to turn around and leave, when suddenly he came across a cove. He debated whether or not to check it, then decided he would, and call it a night, or day, as it was. He hurried up to it, wanting this done with, and rounded the corner. He pulled up short with a gasp on seeing what the cove held. There was fire on the water! "What the…!" he began. He noticed, suddenly, the debris, and gasped. A plane! He scrambled down towards the wreck. It couldn't have held more than one person, maybe three, actually. He wondered if there were any survivors he would have to take prisoner.

He reached the beach surrounding the cove and raced around it. Suddenly he slid to a stop with a gasp. In the water was a still figure, drifting on a piece of driftwood. It looked, from where he stood, like a female. He hesitated. Should he go in? Maybe she was an enemy that Eggman would want to question; a freedom fighter. Yeah, he could capture her and get all the credit. Sleet always tried to take it. Now it was Dingo's turn. Dingo rushed into the water and waded towards her. When it got deep he began to swim. Finally he reached her.

"Huh!" he exclaimed in confusion. "A weasel?" he wondered aloud. He summed her up. She looked familiar. Finally he pulled her from the wood. She groaned then began to try and struggle. "Easy Sheila, you'll be fine," he said, pulling her towards land. "At least for now," he added. As soon as he could stand, he picked her up bridal style, carrying her the rest of the way to shore.