Return of the Lost
Prologue
Three years. I've been stuck on that island for three years. Three years away from him…
Three years playing those wonderful twenty-four hours over, and over, and over in my mind.
Three years in the same position, in the same spot, never moving…
Three years remembering the look of shock on his face as I betray him, my programming overriding my will…
Three years in pain, remembering how I tried to kill him…only to fail from my own single flaw, the fact that I was not rust proof…
Three years…
And then they came.
Three beings. Three, amazingly powerful beings. Though my internal chronometer was damaged, and could not tell me what year it was, just what month, day and time, everything else, save for my joints, worked fine. My power core shuddered when they appeared, both my AI formed instincts and my self-preservatory programming telling me to flee from such forces…
One, wearing the mask of a skull, with wings spread wide…
Another, with the mask of a bird, its scaled body muscled and taught with strength…
And the third, wearing what looked like a cross between a monkey and a lizard, holding a small rod with a ringed tip…
The three of them appeared, the Bird holding what I knew to be a Chaos Emerald…and they spoke…
"Is this the one?" "Of that there is no doubt." "She is the one who holds the heart of our champion."
My power core surged at those words. I didn't know exactly who they were talking about, but I had a valid guess. Only one boy…only one being…had I touched the way they spoke.
"She is but a machine." "A machine given a soul by the twisted Human." "She has been here for quite some time." "Yes…this is definitely the one we seek."
I wanted to speak, I wanted to shout! I wanted to know who they were talking about, I wished, I hoped, I prayed that they were talking about him…
And I guess they knew. Because then, they turned to me…and spoke to me.
"You are the one that brought Love to the Chosen One." "You are the one who brought Life to the Chosen One." "You are the one who brought Hope to the Chosen One."
I couldn't answer. My mouth would not move, no matter how hard I tried. Sparks would just fly from the hinges that controlled my mouth, my vocabulator refusing to activate…but they heard…they heard my thoughts…so I spoke to them.
Please! Who are you?! Who are you talking about?! Please! I must know!
"You know of whom it is we speak." "Though you are a maiden of metal, you have the heart of a true life form." "You know of Our Chosen One. You love Our Chosen One. As He loves you."
I…I can't move. I can't speak! I've been here for so long…I miss him…I miss him so much…I wish I could take it all back…why?! Why couldn't I fight?! I tried…I tried so hard…but I couldn't fight who I am…what I am…
"You are a Maiden of Metal. Yet you have grief." "You are a Maiden of Metal, yet you hold sorrow." "You are a Maiden of Metal. Yet you hold love." "We are the Ancient Walkers. We are this world's Masters. We know of you, Maiden of Metal, and your role upon the Heart of the Chosen One." "He has encountered your true self. And as we expected, the encounter was not a pleasant one."
I see…he met Her…he met Me…but…Unpleasant? What did she do to him?! I'll rip her apart if she hurt him!
"Such ferocity…" "This…will bide well." "Her feelings, though she is machine, are true as any other. It would seem you were correct." "Of course. I have watched her for some time now."
Watched me? I don't understand…
"You need not understand. You are a Maiden of Metal…you cannot fight the directive you have been given. However…" "If you were to become flesh, if you were to become real…" "There would only be one directive you would follow…"
What? What directive?! I'll do anything!
It was then, that all three spoke at once.
"The directive that lay within your own heart."
My…heart? I…I understand. Please…help me. I want…I want to be with him…I want to love him again…I want him to love me again…
"His love has not waned, nor has yours it seems." "The Human Scientist has made a grave error in creating this one it seems." "He gave her no more than he gave his other creations. It was merely that he is Our Chosen One, his natural power, his natural feelings allowed for this to happen." "It is unsurprising, his intellect, though his physical age is small, is greater than most."
My power core glowed at that statement. It had become clear to me who they were talking about, and it brought me only happiness to know that my beloved had grown so smart. However, they quickly brought my attention back to the present.
"This jewel…within it is the power of Chaos itself. The power to create or destroy as the user sees fit." "This power is magnified when more are gathered, and reaches its peak with the holy number of Seven." "We are the Ancient Walkers. We are the Masters of this world, yet we cannot directly interfere. We can only set in motion events, not partake in them."
I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see how I can help.
"This jewel can change your form from metal and wire, to flesh and bone. However, you must deliver this jewel to our Chosen One."
Done.
"You do not wish to hear more?"
As far as I can see it, you're willing to give me a new body if I bring Him the Emerald right? I don't need to hear more. I've waited three years on this island, I'll do whatever it takes to be with him again.
"It would seem I owe you fifty stone." "That you do my friend, that you do." "Because your body will be forged from the infinite power of Chaos itself, you yourself will be able to harness small amounts of its energy." "We will change your body slightly, however. Your true self has been discovered by the Chosen One and his allies…and she has aligned herself with their opponents. To better ease your entrance into their group, there will be one slight, yet significant difference between the two of you."
What will that be?
"You shall see for yourself…"
The Monkey-Lizard raised his arm, holding the Emerald. The gem released a blinding flare of light. If my eyelids were working, I would have closed them, but as it was, my optical sensors were overloaded with the flare. I felt…strange. My body felt lighter, fluffier…and stronger. It tingled all over, my head felt clearer than it ever had before…and then I realized, my tail was moving!
I opened my eyes, blinking at the brightness of the sun. I reflexively wiped them…then realized what I'd just done. Staring at my gloved paws in amazement, I flexed each and every finger and joint on my body…and then I felt it.
There wasn't just one thwump on the back of my legs…but there was a second…moments after. I knew my tail couldn't be flicking that fast…so I turned around…
"What in Chaos' name?!"
"That would be the difference."
"You gave me a second tail?"
"You are a Fox, are you not?" "Like your beloved, you now hold two tails. The change will take time to get used to, as your body adjusts to the new weight and movement."
"Can I fly?"
"Perhaps. We do not know, nor do we truly understand how he managed such a feat." "Unlike others with power over Chaos Energy, he does not manipulate it to levitate himself…he uses kinetic force by means of his twin tails." "It would seem that his Hedgehog friend assisted in that…and years of practice has strengthened the muscles in them…"
"It doesn't matter, I'll find a way."
"Our time here has ended. We can only interfere for so long…"
"Wait! How am I going to find him?"
"If you truly love him. Focus your love unto the jewel. It will show you the way." "There is one more thing we can say." "Yes. There is another. Born, like you, from Chaos Energy. If you encounter him, request of him to be taught how to manipulate this power as he does. Perhaps, if you reach the depths of his heart with your plea, he will assist you in your journey."
"I thank you, all of you, for what you have done for me." I bowed to them. Why wouldn't I? They gave me a new body, they gave me a second chance…and I didn't want to be rude to people that could probably erase me in an instant.
"Nay child…should you succeed…it will be we, who shall be thanking you…"
And then they vanished. Like a mirage in the desert, their forms wavered and faded. As much as I wanted to rush off and find my beloved…I knew that there was basically no way off this island. So I resolved myself to train my body to become adapt to this new appendage, and also to at least hover for a short while, using it. I'd seen him do it plenty of times…and the memories were fresh in my mind as if it had just been yesterday…but seeing and doing were two different things.
While I trained, I planned to build a raft out of the trees and empty coconut shells lying on the beach. Surprisingly, the fat Doctor left his miniature base here completely furnished. What food there was had long since expired, and the place had a dank, musty stench to it…but there were tools there, not only to catch food with, but also to build a much stronger raft than I'd have managed with just fallen trees and twine. I still had my knowledge of Mechanics from my time as a robot, though from what They said, I doubted I had anywhere near the sheer talent my love has.
After what felt like months, but was only a few days, I was ready. Building a motor for the raft out of parts from the Roboticizer in the side of the hill was simple, though most rafts wouldn't have a motor, I needed to get where I was going as fast as possible. It took a few extra days after that, to build a strong enough body for the raft, to compensate for not only what weight I had, but the weight of the motor itself, but I finished. I took a small test run around the island, seeing how long it would go with how much fuel, testing the buoyancy and speed, that sort of thing. Then a bit of a storm hit. It set me back another day or so, no way in hell was I risking my life in a storm, I'm smarter than that.
Finally, the day came. I loaded my makeshift boat with rations, mostly fruits from the few actual organic trees on the island, and pre-cut and preserved slices of cooked fish, along with a few gallons of pre-bottled water (thankfully not stagnant. They were kept in a working refrigerator for the past three years.)
And then I prayed. I focused my love and adoration into the emerald like I was told. I remembered every moment I spent with him, good and bad. And finally, after what felt like hours…like a branding iron in my mind, I saw the path I had to take.
At long last, I set out to rejoin the one I loved. I knew the road to him would be long, and harsh…but I had confidence.
What was surprising was that the journey didn't take as long as I thought it would. The biggest delay being when I spent a few days with that Black Hedgehog, the one the Ancient Walkers told me about. I had to chase him down, and even fight him, before he accepted my request…but I learned a great deal from him. He too had business at Tails' home, but said it could wait, and he could get there in an instant. After a few days, he sent me on my way, giving me the general direction of where to go…and once again I set out, practicing with my new additions all along the way.
Whenever I was assured privacy, I would practice flying…but for the most part, I kept my tails bound by a beautiful yellow ribbon…a gift from my beloved…that was a gift from a woman he considered to be his Aunt. I hung on to it all this time…and I'll never let go of it.
"Just please…wait for me Tails…I'll be there soon…"
"Are you certain of this?"
"The Human Scientist will no longer be much of a threat…a new enemy arrives…one that even we cannot easily combat. The Chosen One must be at his best if this world is to survive."
"The ancient Demons of the Human Race. Creatures not seen in millennia…"
"A horrible plague from the old world…"
"We can only hope their love is strong enough…to awaken his true power."
"There will always be the two Hedgehogs, and the Guardian to assist him."
"This is true…yet even so…this…this will boost his morale…this will give him reason to fight again."
"He has none his age that understand him, and their home has fallen into disarray due to the sudden changes in command. This…hopefully this will make a difference."
"Only time will tell."
"Indeed."
A new Sonic fic. Surprising isn't it? I've already got so many going on…well…it seems I'm a writing masochist so…whatever. This has been occasionally popping into my mind once in a while…and finally reached fruition an hour ago. I don't exactly know where I'm going with this one…but I'm sure it wont end up as batshit as my other one.
Timeline. Obviously it takes place in the Archie comics continuity…but it's gonna be a bit twisted. Fiona, the REAL Fiona will have come and gone and done her bullshit…but it will have taken place about a half year after Master Mogul was defeated. Now, the Master Emerald will NOT be the one containing Mammoth Mogul, but the one seen in the Adventure games.
There will be tie ins, both obvious and not. The Ultimate Annihilator will have of course been activated, but instead of it being two separate worlds, it will be two different but linked planes of existence. Station Square and the like will be on one plane, while Knothole and the rest of Mobius will be on another. The Sonic group seen in the Adventure games will be the only ones who shift planes, while the Knothole group will remain in their home world to defend. So that means none of the comic characters (save for the Chaotix) will know personally what happened in those other planes, only what Sonic's group told them.
This, is a Tails fic, if you don't like him, bugger off. Shadow and obviously Robot (not) Fiona will be the other two leading roles. Shadow because he's badass, and someone needs to teach Tails how to Chaos Control, and Fiona…well…because Robot Fiona was never mentioned again, and seriously, when have we EVER seen any of Robotnick's creations shut down by anything other than outside means?