A Monarch's Corruption
Chapter 1: The Day
The planet Mobius is such a wonderful planet. Life as far as the eyes can see. Trees, animals, water, rocks, and Mobians are all over this wonderful planet. It has been green at least for most of its life, but awhile back when Robotnik used to roam around the planet, it suffered greatly. Many of the trees were cut down, cities burned and many of the inhabitants killed or roboticized by the tyrant. The land was greatly scarred and polluted while he was in power. After years of war and fighting to try and take him out of power and to destroy Robotnik for good, it finally succeeds and Robotnik is finally killed and the world was free once more.
Once Robotnik was gone for good this time, the inhabitants of Mobius started to repair the great damage that was done to their lovely planet. They went out and planted new trees, dug new rivers to get around the polluted ones that would need to be cleaned up with time, and Mobian's start to reorganize themselves and start to come together to form a new great city, where the Kingdom of Acorn could reestablish itself once again to its once former right as ruler of a great deal of Mobius. The city of New Mobotropolis already did exist though, just they could finally expand their city beyond the limits of its walls and make the city grow now and grow it did.
New Mobotropolis was growing nicely, and the surrounding area was starting to look like its old self again, before all the events with Robotnik happened. Sally was getting ready to ascend to the throne soon, since her brother Elias was starting to get tired of ruling. He never wanted to rule in the first place and only ruled to help Mobius through its tough times. Now that those times had passed, he wanted to pass the kingdom on to someone who he knew could run the kingdom better, and that of course would be his sister Sally. Sally had trained since she was a little girl to one day ascent to the throne, where as Elias had not. Elias and Sally both agreed on this and were preparing to soon to prepare a ceremony where a new ruler could be crowned for the Kingdom of Acorn.
Everyone in the kingdom was anxious for this day, but no one was as anxious as Sally finally hearing she was going to get her chance to rule like she always dreamed she would one day. She spent all her time preparing for the ceremony, and also spending the majority of this time with Sonic, who was helping her out in her preparations. Sally and Sonic had had their ups and downs throughout the years, but it was appearing that those differences were slowly starting to fade on away. On the day of the ascension ceremony though, everything in the kingdom changed.
Trumpets sounded all around the city as the ceremony was about to begin shortly. Citizens of New Mobotropolis start to enter the palace threw the open doors of the castle. Guards were standing outside the doors accepting invitations to get in to see the ceremony since it was invitation only, to high ups in the city and friends of Sally and her family. The regular people of New Mobotropolis though weren't going to be left out of this. Sally had television cameras all inside the castle as well, so that the ceremony could be broadcast to her people. That way no one would be in the dark and not be able to watch their new queen ascend to the throne.
Elias sat on the throne as the guests all start to pour into the room and takes their seats, many of them he knew, though there were a few unfamiliar faces, but that was expected since he couldn't know everyone around here. He saw familiar like the Prower family, the hedgehog family, Bunnie and Antoine, Amy Rose, Rotor, they were all there. All of Sally's friends that could get there that day, and those that couldn't would be able to see through the tv monitors what happens. All of Sally's friends were all dressed up and looking pretty good for this event, since it was a special formal event for them all. Though Sonic seemed to be absent from his parent's seats, there an open space where he should be sitting. Though no one was worried, because they all knew where he was.
Sonic was in the hall nearby with Sally, who was wearing a very royal looking white dress, but Sally was pacing back and forth looking very nervous about what is about to happen. Sonic was standing next to her, wearing a pair of tux that do seem a tad baggy on him, but still fit him just right though, he walking with Sally trying to calm her on down. "Sal, you have been waiting for this day all your life and you wait until now to start getting cold feet?" asks Sonic seeing this he trying to think of anything to calm her down, since she was sweating like mad.
"I know Sonic, but this is finally the day it happens. The day I finally take the throne like I imagined myself doing all those many times in my mind, and I never imagined it would be this nerve racking." she says and just sits down in a nearby chair and looks exhausted from all the worrying she had obviously been doing.
Sonic walks over and puts a hand on her shoulder. "Sal, I know you better than anyone around here. I know you're nervous but you can do this. You remember back many years ago, we all even practice this ceremony when we were all just kids and you were so confident back then. I know you still have that same confidence in you today, just this time it's for real. If it helps any, just pretend that this is back when we were kids in Knothole and this is one of those practice ones we did while you were in training." says Sonic trying to think of anything to help Sally get over her nerves so that she could go out there and do this.
Sally could think back to the time he was telling her about. She could remember how back then she was so confident at those fake ceremonies that she was almost cocky in the way she would go up, accept her crown and then pretend she was their leader and want to boss the other kids around. She was no longer like that in that she just wanted to be the ruler so that she could boss everyone around, but the moment she got to thinking about those old times, it just make her grins and chuckle some. "Yes, I remember those ceremonies. I was such a cocky and bossy little thing wasn't I?" she asks Sonic smiling more now.
Sonic couldn't help but grin on back to her, "Cocky and bossy would be an understatement Sal, but I think it works." he says and chuckle some back to her, because he did agree with her, and can see his plan is slowly starting to work with her. He just wanted her to calm down and that looked to be what she was doing now.
Sally takes another look over at him when he says that. "I guess you're Right Sonic, I've grown a lot since back then when those were just pretend. I am about to finally do the real thing and will soon have even more responsibilities than ever before on my chest." she says as she sits there and looks right back at him, Sonic not turning away and looking right back into her eyes.
"You know you won't be alone Sal. You have Tails, Rotor, Bunnie, and all of us here to help you with your duties if things get to hard to handle. Just because you would be queen, doesn't mean your friends won't jump in and give you a hand as well. Plus, you've also got me here to help, and you know you can count on me. You can always count on Sonic the Hedgehog when you're in a pinch." he tells her and just softly smiles to her, this time, it not a cocky grin, it just the most subtle politest smile that he could muster for her.
Sally looks back up at Sonic, they remaining eye locked for at least a minute before something was finally said by Sally, "Thank you Sonic, what you just said is true. I guess my mind is all cloudy and fogged up from nerves that it just slipped my mind. I don't have to worry, I will have all of you guys here with me to help, but most of all, I will have you hopefully by my side one day." she says and leans on over towards him carefully and slowly. Sonic smiles and slowly eases on over towards Sally as well as both of their eyes close and soon both of their lips met each other and they slowly drifted away into a slow passionate kiss right there in the lobby. They were alone now anyway, so it didn't matter to either of them that they were doing this in the lobby. Their lips stayed pressed together like that as Sonic and Sally's arms both slowly slide around each other as to deepen the kiss further. Their lips moved back and forth passionately as they continue the kiss for quite a bit of time, they seeming to be really into this one.
When the kiss finally broke, neither Sonic nor Sally pushed away from their embrace. They just kept their arms wrapped around each other in a very deep and comforting hug that seemed to be not only giving Sonic comfort, it was taking all signs of stress away from Sally thinking about the ceremony. Sonic leans over closer to her while still in the hug and whispers to her. "You got it." he says to her leaving just the small grin on his face and making her look very happy and so relaxed now. Sonic seemed to have really helped her out a lot with just a little affection.
When the hug finally ended and Sonic and Sally just sat there holding hands, Sally looks over at Sonic and smiles. "I'm ready." she says and immediately stands on up and walks over towards the door ready to head on out as soon as she was announced. Sonic gets right on up and walks over and stands immediately behind her, he going to take his seat after she gets into the room a bit, since this was her ceremony. Just then there are more trumpets heard from inside the main hall and a voice coming now that was immediately recognized by the two of them to be Sally's brother.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the day of the throne ascension has come. You all know that I have really enjoyed being your King throughout these hard times of war, but now peace has finally brought itself across our great land after many years. It is what we have all wanted, but never could get while this world was in fear of the great tyrant that once roamed this planet. With him gone and our prosperity returning to our kingdom, it is time that a better ruler is put on the throne, one that knows how to run the kingdom properly, and was trained from a young age and always wanted to be on the throne. I only took the throne to fulfill the monarch and make it stable during a time when we needed our kingdom to be fully stable. Any hint of something going wrong with our royals could have been a sign for that great evil to attack us when we were most vulnerable. But we held ourselves together and we have made it through those hard times and finally took down that great evil!" he says very loudly at this point making most everyone in the audience start to clap for him, because they were all glad that it was over as well, and Elias was doing very good with his speech.
"Thank you all, but after all this time, the person who should rightfully be on the throne, will finally get the chance to be on the throne. I see no reason to postpone this any longer. It is time we commence with the throne ascension ceremony that you all have been waiting for. Everyone if you will please stand and give a warm welcome to your next Queen, and my sister, Princess Sally!" he says loudly and points towards the door as he sits there still on the throne. Everyone in their seats immediately stand up and turn to look at the giant doors that they had all entered in from and see them slowly creak open and reveal the lovely Princess Sally. She stood there in the middle of the doorway wearing a very long white dress that was covered in sparkly glittery sequins that made the light in the room make it more beautiful than it already looked. It was top of the line and professionally and personally made just to fit her and only her.
When everyone saw Sally standing there, they all immediately start to clap for her, as she started to slowly walk down the aisle towards the throne where her brother was waiting. She made sure to go slowly and carefully like she was always taught, so that everyone could get a good look at her, and the press could get plenty of good pictures of her. Sally didn't care how many cameras were on her at the moment. She was now totally focused on the throne and was heading right for it. Sonic in the mean time quietly slipped on into the room and over to his parents who both look over at him and smile gently towards him, he returning the smile. They both figured he probably had helped her in some way that they didn't know, but they both knew it was none of their business to ask him.
Sally makes her way on up towards the throne, and Elias stands on up to his feet and walks straight over to her. Everyone slowly sits on back down as soon as Elias and Sally are face to face with each other and the entire room goes silent for what is to come next. Elias looks down at Sally and smiles. "Princess Sally, you have proven yourself worthy of this crown and deserving of the title Queen. You have trained your whole life for this moment and have earned it. I know you have waited for this moment for a long time, so I'm not going to prolong it with some long speech, unless you all want one." he says grinning and looks to the audience who all start to laugh at that and all of them shake their heads happily at that. "Anyway, now that that little joke is over, let's get on with the ceremony." says Elias and takes his crown off his head. Everyone in the room remains completely silent and watch this part closely, this the part they all came to see.
Sally stands perfectly still as her brother holds the crown out towards her. "With this crown, you will be given many responsibilities and great power. It is your job to up hold the law of the land and not to let the power go to your head. You have waited and been trained for this honor, and you have proven yourself worthy of receiving the crown. Please just do your best and you will be a wonderful new Queen." he says and reaches out and slowly starts to lower the crown onto her head. Once he places it on her head he takes a step back from her. "Everyone, I would like to present to you all, your new queen of the Kingdom of Acorn, QUEEN Sally Acorn!" he says and the moment he does the entire audience starts to clap and all stand up to applaud her and congratulate her on her finally being able to get to be the Queen like she always wanted to be.
Sally smiles and turns to the crowd that was applauding her and raises her hand and starts to wave at everyone. Most of her friends all start to wave back to her, Sonic though couldn't help but give her a thumps up in approval at she finally having gone through it. Sally smiles right over at Sonic and backs on up and sits down onto the throne where her brother once sat as everyone in the room continues to clap still pretty wild and loudly for her. Sally raises her hands to everyone with a smile on her face still and tries to get everyone to calm on down so that she could say something now to them all. It took quite a bit for her to get everyone to settle on back down and sit back into their seats. "Thank you all, I would just like to thank you all for the support you have all given me over the years. I know I will make you all proud to be your new Queen. I will keep the order and make sure this land has long and everlasting peace for our children and their children to enjoy. I will do everything in my power to keep us in these good times, you all can trust me." she tells them all, which immediately makes them all start to clap for her once again.
Sally smiles very happy now looking out at her people who all seem to be very happy that she was now their Queen. She raises her hands on up to everyone once again to get them to be silent once again so she could continue to speak. Once she did get them all too finally be quiet again she smiles. "Thank you everyone, I'm glad you all are so happy that I am your new Queen, and like my brother said, I will do anything ensure the safety of all of you." she says as then there were a couple of giant bangs and pounds on the giant doors that she had just come in from a moment ago, making every single person the hall turn and look at the doors to see what that was. "What in the world is that?" asked Sally and pointed for some guards to go see what in the world all that racket was since whatever it was looked like it might destroy the door if it hit It again. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened as the doors fly off their hinges and fall forward onto the floor with a very loud thud.
The people in the room all scream at that and the majority of them hit the floor, but a few, mainly Sonic and friends all stand up wondering what that was. Once everyone had regained their composer, a bunch of dark hooded furs with blasters all start to enter the room yelling at everyone. "FREEZE! Move and we will shoot!" yells one as more and more of them pour into the room and fire a few warning shots into the air to show that they were serious, this making most of the guests in the room scream and hit the floor right away not wanting to get shot. Sonic and friends all gather together and stand there looking quite mad, but several of these hooded men all keep their guns pointed right at them, so that if they tried to make a move, they would most likely be shot, at least one of them would anyway, so no one made a move.
Sonic and crew didn't need a second thought at who this was. "THE DARK LEGION!" They all say in unison. The Dark Legion soldiers all continue to pour into the room, they putting blaster up towards most of the people in the room, who were all surrendering, and many of them just keeping their guns pointed right at Sonic and his friends who all didn't seem to be backing down or attack though at the moment for fear of someone else getting hurt from all this. "What are you echidna's all doing here?!" asks Sonic sounding very mad that they had just burst in and ruined the ceremony that was so special to Sally. Sally in the mean time was still sitting on the throne looking quite nervous with quite a few guns trained on her as well, they looking like they would fire if she were to move and she wasn't about to do that.
The hooded men keep their guns pointed at the people until everyone was being held up in the entire room. That's when a red echidna wearing long high heels walked into the room. She had long red bangs with bandages around them slightly and her hair was a light shade of both red and pink at the same time. Also one of her bangs was pure metal instead of regular fur or hair like the others usually had. She immediately walks into the room and just grins seeing who all was in here with her. "Well, look at all who is here. It looks like just about everyone we wanted to be here, is here." she says right away once she had finished scanning the room looking at everyone who was at gun point.
"Lien-Da, what are you doing here!" asked Sonic immediately recognizing her after their last few encounters together in the past. Lien-Da just gives Sonic a small grin and starts to slowly walk on over towards him and his group. They all put up their guard more as she approached them, they not sure what she might do at any moment to any of them.
Lien-Da slowly makes her way over until she wasn't but two feet away from Sonic and just stops there in front of him and grins very sinisterly. "Oh you will find out shortly hedgehog, but I am not the one you should really be worrying about at all. My men and I are not the ones running the show here, but we are the ones that have you all stopped in your tracks at the moment." she says grinning at him even more at saying that. This making Sonic take a step towards her, but all the soldiers around them raise their guns more and holds them tighter towards Sonic now. "DON'T MOVE!" one of them yelled at him, this making him freeze in place and slowly take a step back.
Lien-Da just couldn't help but chuckle more at this. "Well well, smart move on your part. I wouldn't want to risk what might happen to anyone in this room if you tried anything funny blue boy," she tells him once again and turns taking a few steps back away from him. She doesn't seem too concerned with Sonic at all at the moment.
"Lien-Da, I demand to know what you and your men are doing here and why have you taken us all hostage like this!?" demands Sally sitting there on the throne not daring to make a move from her throne. Lien-Da turns and walks back over towards the door and stops right at it, where a line of Dark Legion soldiers were all standing guarding the door to make sure that no one got out of the room.
"You want to know why we are here, I will show you who convinced us to come here and do this. Soldiers, move away from the door now." commands Lien-Da and the soldiers all don't hesitate one bit from her orders and step to the side. There in the doorway, stood a black and red hedgehog with solid red eyes and his spikes sticking up behind him, not straight back like Sonic's quills do.
The entire room gasped at who they saw standing there in the doorway looking back at them all. "SHADOW!" Sonic erupted and really looked ready to charge at Shadow, but the moment he made a foot movement there was a click as some of the nearby guards prepared their weapons again ready to fire if needed. If everyone in the room wasn't in danger as well, Sonic could just run all over these guys, but that one fact was holding him back. He would never put everyone else in danger just to save himself.
Shadow just calmly walks into the room but instead of heading towards Sally, Shadow heads right over towards Sonic instead. Shadow and Sonic have a long stare off, which was not unusual. Shadow was very close to Sonic, but Sonic still did nothing to attack or move at all. Once Shadow was close enough to Sonic, Shadow simply snaps his fingers and all the guards that were guarding Sonic and his friends back up and allow Shadow to close in on them, but they never letting their guard back down as Shadow walked right up to Sonic's face not intimidated one bit by how angry Sonic looked at him. Neither Sonic nor Shadow moved one little bit and just stared at each other in the most focused stare you have ever seen. Neither eye blinking or moving away from the other in wonder of what move either hedgehog was about to make, since neither of them were ever predictable.
Shadow just then moves to his right and slugs one of the Dark legion soldiers right in the face and grabs his blaster from him the moment that the echidna starts to fall from being knocked totally out cold from the punch directly in his face. Shadow swings around with the blast and aims it up towards Sally on her throne. Sonic sees that panics and darts at Shadow with all the speed he had, but that is what Shadow had wanted all along because the very millisecond that Sonic made a move, all Shadow had to do was raise up his knee, and it digs its way right into Sonic's gut, knocking the wind right out of him as he collided with it. This move nearly knocks Shadow off his feet so it took him a moment to regain his balance. Shadow of course regained his composure first and slams the butt of the gun he swiped right onto Sonic back and knocks him down to the floor hard, and then couldn't help but rear back and thrust a kick hard into Sonic's gut as hard as he could.
Sonic doubled over in pain on the floor in a ball coughing trying to regain his breath from both of those kicks. Tails tries to run over towards Sonic to help him, but a Dark Legion soldier raises his weapon right up into Tails' face making him stop on a dime and not make another move. "Good choice." says Shadow not even looking at Tails as he said it, Shadow's concentration was on the floor on Sonic. Sonic rolled onto his back to try and catch his breath and looks up at Shadow looking angry, but Shadow takes a step forward and puts his foot to Sonic's throat and looks like he could stomp down on it any minute and could possibly kill Sonic right here and now if the wrong thing was done now. The entire room looks in Shock seeing Shadow doing this to Sonic, who has his hands up on Shadow's feet trying to pull them off, but they weren't going anywhere, and Sonic was already having trouble breathing from the foot there on his neck.
Shadow keeps his foot there and looks to Sally. "You, come here now, or I will crush his wind pipe and kill him right here." commands Shadow keeping his foot firmly against Sonic's neck, he looking like he would hold good on his threat if anything was tried now. Sally wasn't going to risk anything happening to Sonic and stands right up and slowly makes her way down off the throne and right over to Shadow, Dark Legion guards keeping guns trained on her for in case she made a break for it or tried to attack Shadow. Sally had really no other options though at the moment but to comply or risk her friend's lives. Once Sally was all the way over there he reaches over to Sally and snatches the crown off of her head and shoves her to the floor pretty hard. The guards move in and grab her hauling her off to a nearby seat and throw her into it and keep their guns trained on her so that she doesn't make another move.
Shadow with the crown in hand now immediately puts it up onto his head until it was snuggly attached to his head and grins. "Alright everyone, I am your new King. Your old monarch is no longer going to be around, and instead I will be your ruler for all eternity. Don't even think of resisting either, because I have other Dark Legion soldiers already invading all over town and keeping the rest of the citizens in line. I won't hurt the majority of you as long as you submit to my rule, but if you resist, I can't guarantee your safety at all." says Shadow and reaches down and smacks Sonic upside the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him out cold with that hit.
Shadow removes the foot from Sonic's neck and heads over and sits on the kingdom's throne himself now and grins evilly at all of the people in the room. "Now, guards take Sonic and the purple Walrus Rotor to the dungeon and lock them up. Be sure you keep Sonic in hand locks chained to the wall so that he can't get any traction in his feet." says Shadow as quite a few guards grab up Sonic's unconscious body and start to tote him out of the room, and a few more taking Rotor out of the room at gun point towards the nearby stairs that would lead to the lower levels of the castle where their dungeons were at.
Shadow then turns and looks back at everyone else that was being held at gunpoint inside the castle. "As for the rest of you, no harm will come to any of you, but you will now have to submit to my rule. You can go on living your pitiful lives, but just know that I am watching you all, and if you step out of line, there will be a price to pay. Now, guards, escort the rest of these people out of MY castle, but bring miss Sally Acorn to me, she will not be leaving." says Shadow as he leans back grinning on the throne as he makes himself comfortable in the seat.
Everyone in the room is looking very mad and angry at Shadow at the moment, but with such an army at Shadow's disposal, there is nothing that any of them could do. Tails, Amy, Bunnie and the rest couldn't do anything either or risk being shot. Whatever was going to be done to stop Shadow was going to have to be done another time, since if they did anything now, there would be no way at all for anyone to try and stop Shadow. At the moment, Shadow had total control of the palace and the city as well, and nothing could be done about it at the moment.
The Dark Legion guards quietly escort all of the visitors out of the castle and once they are out the giant doors of the front, they are slammed shut and a few more guards stand watch over the entrance to the castle and any of the other small entrances around the outside of the castle. No one was getting in right now at all. The people outside are let go and released from gun point as soon as they were a bit away from the castle, the guards that had been holding them up head on back to the castle, though the streets were lined with many more guards everywhere, the city looking to be in panic and in chaos from what was going on, though everyone knew what was going on right away.
Inside the castle, Shadow raises the gun he took and aims it over at the tv cameras in the room, that now had no camera men in front of them and shoots his gun four time hitting each camera right in the lenses without missing or wasting one shot. Shadow then throws the gun to the floor not wanting or needing it anymore and looks to Sally. There were only five guards left in this room now, the rest were now patrolling the halls and standing guards at certain places inside it. "Now, it's just you and me. This kingdom is mine, but I know I am going to still need you around if I hope to keep the citizens loyal to me. You are going to stay in partial power, but I am your leader now. You are loyal to me and all decrees you make are going to be my decrees, you make no choice or go anywhere without me or do anything unless I ok it, you got that Acorn!" says Shadow scowling towards her showing how serious he was to her.
Sally sighs defeated now and doesn't know what else to do. She couldn't really do anything at the moment and she has been separated from her friends. Sonic has been hurt and locked in the dungeon along with Rotor. She feels like a failure to the kingdom now, because the moment she has become the Queen of the kingdom, it was being taken over by an outside force. It was like this was planned to take place while she was the one in power and on the day of her taking the throne as well, which was even worse. There was nothing Sally could do now and just gives a nod to Shadow. "Good girl, you have made a wise choice that will guarantee your continued existence. Now, go to your room, you are no longer needed. Your friends and family will be outside the castle walls and won't be hurt as long as they do anything to get in my way of taking this kingdom over and then the planet." says Shadow now starting to laugh loudly and laying back on the throne looking up at the ceiling as he laughs really hard and strong. Sally turns and quietly leaves the room under watch of the guards and heads on back to her room where she shuts her door and immediately jumps onto her bed and begins to cry into her pillows hard at what is going on now. The Kingdom of Acorn was now under the rule of the newly self crowned King Shadow, and there were signs that this wasn't going to be a good thing for the kingdom or its people for quite awhile to come.
This though, was twenty five years ago……