It was beautiful and sunny day in the peaceful kingdom and city of Mobotropolis, the capital of Mobius. Under the reign of King Maximilian Acorn and Queen Alicia Acorn all of those loyal to the crown were prosperous, happy and healthy! Two of the King's most trusted advisors, Sir Charles the Hedgehog and Dr. Julian Ivo Kintobor, worked happily in the castle's private research lab building and creating new technology to aid the denizens and all those who might seek aid from the King in the era of peace that now followed the infamous Great War between the Mobians and the Overlanders.
Kintorbor, a portly human with thinning red hair and dark brown eyes and a thick mustache, had defected from the Overlanders and had given the Mobians the edge to win the war.
Little did the King and Queen realize that while Charles had remained sincere with his prospects as a creator and engineer, Kintobor had begun to lust for power and sought to overthrow the King, take over Mobotropolis and banish all of those who would oppose him.
Outside in the castle's large courtyard and garden Princess Sally Alicia Acorn, the daughter and future Queen of Mobotropolis, was playing happily with her childhood friend and Sir Charles' nephew, Ogilvie Maurice the Hedgehog.
While Sally took after her parents in all outward appearance; brown fur with tan markings, her father's fiery red hair; although much longer and pulled back in a ponytail, and her mother's blue eyes, and having a calm, collected personality Ogilvie was another story. With no memories of his parents Ogilvie only knew that he had inherited his mother's brown fur and tan markings and inherited his father's green eyes. His mother, Bernadette, had purple eyes and his father, Jules, had black fur with tan markings. Charles was the older brother to Sonic's mother and had taken in Ogilvie to raise as he own after tragedy struck the family.
Jules the Hedgehog had been a skilled, courageous warrior under King Acorn. Injured beyond all hope during the Great War it was Sir Charles who insisted on using a new form of technology known as the 'robotcizer' to save his life. The machine worked and had replaced the damaged organic tissue, organs and limbs of Jules' body and replaced them with robot prosthetics. The process, while revolutionary and kept Jules alive, it had left the poor war so disheartened his appearance that he fled Mobius to reside in solitude in a place known to no one.
Bernadette had taken the news of Jules' roboticization harshly. She herself had been robotocized briefly during the Great War, only to be saved by her brother's ingenuity. She and Jules had been wed during the war and shortly before Jules had been injured she learned she was pregnant with their son Ogilvie. Seeing Jules in such a state left her afraid and unable to love him as the hedgehog he once was.
Without a father Ogilvie was left to be raised by his mother and uncle, or so it seemed. Two years after giving birth Bernadette suddenly fell ill during a harsh winter and was unable to recover on her own. She refused any robotocizing aid, even though it was being offered by her own brother, and subsequently perished in the night.
King and Queen Acorn were heartbroken to learn of the plight of the hedgehog family and swore to do their part in giving Ogilvie a loving family.
"You can't catch me!" Sally laughed as she raced through the garden. "Too slow!"
"No way!" Ogilvie challenged as he ran as fast as he could after the spry little chipmunk. "I'll get you yet!"
All day, every day, the two would play together in the garden. Tag, hide n' seek and capture the flag were their favorite games to play! While Sally was fast Ogilvie swore he was faster!
"Gotcha'!" Ogilvie shouted as his hand managed to grab onto the purple fabric of Sally's dress. "You're it!"
"Wow Ogilvie," Sally panted as she stopped and turned around to face her friend. "I could've sworn I was miles ahead of you!"
"Keep dreaming!" Ogilvie ran his hand casually through his numerous messy brown quills on top of his head. "There's no way you'll ever outrun me!"
"Aw come on," Sally crossed her arms and gave Ogilvie a sly smirk. "you're not THAT fast!"
"Am too!" Ogilvie proudly boasted. "In fact Uncle Chucks says I'm so fast that someday I can make a sonic boom!"
"Sonic boom? What's that?"
"That means I can run faster than the speed of sound!"
Sally laughed at the remark and put her finger on the end of Ogilvie's nose. "I'd like to see that someday, 'Sonic' the Hedgehog!"
"Hey!" Ogilvie batted Sally's hand from his nose and gave her a cocky smile. "And don't forget, you're still 'it'!"
"Okay, fine. Want a head start?"
"No way! Next time I'll race you to the clearing!"
Sally unfolded her arms and but her hands on her hips. "No one can run that fast and that far!"
"Just watch me! One day I'll do it myself!"
From the doorway of the garden Charles watched with a smile as his nephew and the young princess played happily together. It had been two years since Bernadette's death and much to Charles' relief Ogilvie seemed to be a very happy young boy. Charles' brown pelt matched that of his sister and nephew, but he was born with dark blue eyes that envied the ocean.
"Ogilvie!" Charles called out loudly as he waved his hand to catch his nephew's eye. "Come with me please!"
"Uncle Chuck!" Ogilvie raced over to his uncle happily and jumped into his arms. "What's going on? You want to play with us?"
"Maybe later. For now I have something show you!"
"Oh boy! A new invention!"
"It sure is!" Charles smiled broadly at his spirited young nephew. "And if everything goes to play it'll make you run faster than ever before!"
"Yeah!"
In the depths of the lab Dr. Kintobor worked secretly to finish his secret project; a weapon of mass robotization. The enormous machine had been built in absolute secrecy in the dead of night when Sir Charles had left the lab to take Ogilvie home. Concealing the device within a large store room behind scrapped machines and failed experiments the weapon went undetected by anyone who ventured into the room.
"Almost done. All it needs is a single burst of power to activate." Kintobor sneered with wicked triumph over his completed masterpiece. "As soon as that fool Charles leaves for the night I can activate the machine turn that moronic King and his Queen into mindless drones, then I shall rise up and rule Mobotropolis!"
The door to the lab opened and Kintobor quickly threw a covering over his machine and walked out of the store room to feign a smile and greet his returning colleague.
"Right this way Ogilvie." Charles carried his nephew over to a large machine on the far wall covered under a white sheet. Grabbing onto the corner of the sheet Charles pulled on it and revealed his creation beneath. "Ta-da!"
"Whoa!" Ogilvie hopped out of Charles' arms and looked up in awe at the large machine. "What is it?"
The machine was as large and wide as the wall it was mounted against. In the center was a large circular wheel held in place by magnetic levitation. A large glass container attached the machine just below the wheel contained a bright blue gem that would power the device once it was turned on. A large electronic display panel showed the speed resting at zero and once speed began to record a bar would raise higher and higher to match the maximum speed achieved.
"This Ogilvie," Charles picked up his nephew and set him down on the wheel. "will let you run faster than you ever dreamed!"
Kintobor did his best to hide his scoff of amusement as he looked at the machine completely unimpressed.
"How?" Ogilvie asked sincerely.
"Like this." Charles began to explain casually as he pointed to the gem in the glass container. "This machine is powered by a wondrous energy, that of one of the legendary seven Chaos Emeralds."
"Chaos Emeralds? Like in those stories Nana Rosie tells me and Sally all the time?"
"That's right. But it's more than just a story my boy! It's a legend!"
Kintorbor rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"You see, the Seven Chaos Emeralds are stones that once allowed an ancient tribe of fierce echidna warriors to thrive for generations! It was until their lust for power turned the energy of the Chaos Emeralds against them and were lost to time after a great flood. One by one the Chaos Emeralds have been found and their power studied. And do you know what we've learned?"
"What?" Ogilvie's eyes were wide and glistening with curious wonder.
"They can do magical things!"
"Magic!"
Kintobor had heard enough. "Magic? Ha! All just a fairy tale! The Chaos Emeralds are just a bunch of shiny rocks, they can't emit any usable or practical form of energy."
Charles glanced over his shoulder and glared angrily at Kintorbor. "Just you watch Julian." He turned back to Ogilvie and winked knowingly at his nephew. "Ready son?"
"Ready!" Ogilvie took a knee and prepared to run with all of his might.
"You're not afraid, are you?"
"No way!" Ogilvie confidently pointed as he own chest as he spoke. "I'm never afraid!"
"That's the spirit! You're the bravest hedgehog I know!"
"Thanks Uncle Chuck!" Sonic stomped his feet energetically a few times on the wheel and looked back to Uncle. "I'm ready!"
"Good! Now when I say go, start running!"
"Okay!"
"Get ready..."
Ogilvie ground the toe of his red sneaker into the surface of the wheel.
"Get set..."
Ogilvie lifted his arms up slightly.
"Go!"
As soon as Charles gave him his cue Ogilvie began running as fast as he could, the wheel turning to match his speed and the display panel to began to light up.
"Run as fast you can!" Charles encouraged happily. "And don't stop until I say!"
King and Queen Acorn were sitting together in the audience chamber of the castle when their family nanny, Rosey, rushed into the room with a message in her hand. The elderly squirrel had looked after the royal family for three generations and showed no signs of stopping despite her advancing age.
"Your Highness!" She presented the letter to King Acorn. "Wonderful news!"
"Rosie, what is it?" He asked as took the letter and read it for himself.
"It seems Mr. and Mrs. Prower's baby is on the way!"
"Oh!" Queen Acorn excitedly rose from her throne and hugged Rosie. "This is so exciting! Rosemary and Amadeus must be thrilled!"
"Shall I go to them?" Rosie asked with tears of joy in her eyes.
"Please do! And give our best regards to the entire family!"
"I shall!" Rosie beamed as she took her leave of the room. "I'll write as soon as I know the details."
King and Queen Acorn held hands and gave each other loving glances.
"Remember how happy we were when Sally was born?" Queen Acorn reminisced.
"How could I forget?" King Acorn reciprocated the feeling of adoration. "I can't imagine life without our little 'bean' in our life."
"I'm so glad that Rosemary and Amadeus have finally begun their family! They've waited and tried for so long!"
"I know." King Acorn squeezed her hand tightly. "The war is over and yet life still seems so chaotic."
Amadeus and Rosemary Prower, two foxes who had sworn allegiance to King and Queen Acorn, had settled in a quiet house just outside of the city. Amadeus had lead the successful attack against the Overlanders, losing his eye courtesy of a shot by Colin Kintobor, (disowned brother of Julian) and now seeking a peaceful life kept in contact with King and Queen. Rosemary had also sworn her allegiance to the royal family and had known Ogilvie's parents before he had been born.
"Let's hope this era of peace will last for the sake of all of our children." Queen Acorn prayed as she and King Acorn sat together in quiet contemplation in the expansive audience chamber of the castle. "I can't help but feel something terrible is on the horizon."
"That's it! Keep running!" Charles shouted over the whirring of the machine. "I'm going to use the emerald now to help you speed up!"
"O-Okay!" Ogilvie panted as he kept up his rapid pace on the wheel.
Charles knelt down by the glass case and flipped a single switch. The Chaos Emerald inside began to glow as it steadily unleashed its energy into the machine and bathed the device as well Ogilvie in a wash of dark blue energy.
Steadily but surely Ogilvie began to run faster and faster and faster, never getting tired and never losing breath!
"It's working!" Charles shouted excitedly as he watch his machine functioning properly. "Keep going! Keep going!"
Kintobor craned his neck and watched with unspoken surprise as the machine increased Ogilvie's speed and gave off an impressive burst of pure energy.
"Hm... That Chaos Emerald could prove itself to be quite useful." Kintobar flashed a toothy, sinister grin as he discreetly backed into the storeroom and uncovered his machine. Pulling a long power cable from the back of his machine and dragged it out of the storeroom and stealthily attached it to Charles' machine to siphon off the intense power.
The power of the Chaos Emerald easily powered the two machines as it infused Ogilvie with enhanced speed and endurance. Charles hadn't noticed Kintobor stealing the energy as he was too focused on his nephew.
"Just a little longer!" Charles stated as he stared at the display panel. "You're doing great!"
"You bet I am!" Ogilvie smugly called out. "Watch this!"
"Ogilvie? Stop!"
The brash young hedgehog began running faster than ever before! The wheel of the machine began to waver and rock as his intense speed was proving too much for the device to withstand, unable to keep up with his incredible pace.
As Charles' machine began to spark and smoke, Kintobor's machine began to whir to life as well.
"Ha! It's working!" Kintobor raced into the storeroom and aimed the point of his laser like weapon squarely at Charles' exposed back. "Now, for a quick test!"
Unaware of the treacherous intent of his colleague Charles began frantically trying to turn off his machine but the power of the Chaos Emerald had fueled it beyond its limits. Sparks and dark smoke began to seep through the cracking metal panels of the machine as Ogilvie struggled to stop the machine himself, but like his uncle he was unable to stop the intensity of the Chaos Emerald's energy.
"Goodbye Charles," Kintobor hissed as he lined up his shot and pressed the release button. "it was an honor, I'm sure."
A bright beam of red light shone as the laser burst from the weapon and found its mark in the center of Charles' back. The defenseless hedgehog cried out in shocked pain as an electrical sensation followed by deep numbing coursed through his body and darkness overtook his mind.
"Uncle Chuck?!" Ogilvie cried out just as the machine underfoot was overwhelmed by the power of the Chaos Emerald and caused it to explode!
Kintobor put up an arm to protect himself as the explosion of the machine rocked the lab and left it in ruin beneath heavy castle stones, metal gadgets and exposed wires.
King and Queen Acorn rushed to the large balcony overlooking the castle garden as the entire structure rumbled and shook with the explosion in the lab. While King Acorn ordered the guards to assess the damage and locate survivors, Queen Acorn rushed into the garden to find Sally and hold her daughter close.
"Hurry! Find Sir Charles and Dr. Kintobor! Evacuate the wing if necessary!"
The royal guards rushed off to the smoking ruins of where the lab once stood while King Acorn waited for the return of the Queen and Princess.
Sally was laying on her belly in the garden with her hands over her head and tears running down her face. The sound of the explosion had frightened her but it didn't harm her.
"Sally!" Queen Acorn saw her daughter hiding amongst the purple tulips and scooped her up into her arms. "You're safe!"
"Mama!" Sally cried. "What happened?"
"We don't know dear." Queen Acorn answered honestly as she began carrying Sally back to the castle.
"Where's Ogilvie?"
"Ogilvie." Queen Acorn stopped suddenly as she remembered that Sally and Ogilvie had been playing together all afternoon, but now she couldn't see him. "Wasn't he with you?"
Sally wiped her tears from her eyes before replying. "Mr. Chuck took him into the lab."
"Into..." Queen Acorn felt incredibly unsettled by this news. "the lab..."
"Mama, what's wrong?"
Queen Acorn didn't answer. All she could do was hold Sally tighter to her heart as she stared at the smoldering wreckage of the destroyed castle wing with abject uncertainty.
Ogilvie opened his eyes and realized that he was laying on his back under a massive pile of metal sheeting and stones. He wasn't hurt but he couldn't move easily either. A glint of fading blue light caught his attention and he realized it was the Chaos Emerald. Resting just a few inches from his hand he reached over tentatively for the gem, grabbing onto it when he felt that it wasn't too hot to handle.
The dying light of the emerald was just enough to illuminate the small opening he had under the pile of material, showing Ogilvie a gap in the pile that could allow him to escape. Carefully he pushed himself along the floor with his hands until he could see an opening beneath the pile that had him trapped. Just as he was about to call out for help he saw a tall figure looming over the wreckage and something inside of him told him to stay hidden.
"Now Charles," Kintobor hissed as he reached down into a second pile of wreckage and pulled someone up from the mess. "let's see how well you mind your manners now."
It was a struggle to see but Ogilvie managed to peer through the dim lighting and smoky air to recognize the someone as his uncle. The smile that had crept over his face quickly disappeared at he realized that his uncle was no longer truly his uncle.
Sir Charles the Hedgehog had been the first victim of Kintobor's robotization weapon. What was once dark brown fur was now cold metal. He stood very still and silently hunched over until a power surge woke him from his catatonic slumber. His formerly blue eyes were black with blood red, soulless pupils that stared blankly into nothing.
Ogilvie felt a warm tear escape his eye and run down his cheek as he watched his uncle standing lifeless before the traitorous Kintobor.
"Charles, respond." Kintobor demanded.
"What do you desire, Master?" Charles' voice was hollow and electronic, no longer natural or that of a living being.
"Master?" Kintobor giggled vilely. "I like it! That's right. I am your Master now. You will obey me and only me. Understood?"
"Yes. Understood, Master."
The sound of stones being pushed aside filled the destroyed lab as the guards set about trying to clear the entryway and gain access to the lab. Always one to take advantage of an opportunity Kintobor returned to his machine and aimed it at the doorway with the full intent to transform all of the guards into robotocized versions of themselves and force them to obey his every command as part of his personal army.
"One down," Kintobor gleefully took aim and used the remaining energy from the Chaos Emerald to power up his weapon. "everyone else to go..."
Multiple blasts from the weapon shook the castle repeatedly. The destabilized structure steadily began to deteriorate and crumble under its own weight as the unseen catastrophe and betrayal unfolded with the wreckage of the lab.
"Sally," Queen Acorn set her daughter on the ground as she took a knee before her. "I need you to run."
"Run? Where?"
"To the clearing inside the forest. Do you remember where it is?"
"The place daddy took me to last summer?"
"Yes, that's right! Can you find your way there?"
"Uh-huh." Sally wiped away more tears. "But why do I have to go?"
"Because..." Queen Acorn bowed her head as she fought back her own tears. "Because I need you to be brave." Putting her hand under Sally's chin she lifted her daughter's frightened face so she could look her in the eyes. "I don't know what's happening but I do know that you need to be safe. So I need you to go to the clearing and wait for me there. Can you do this for me?"
"I... I'll try!"
"That's my girl!" Queen Acorn wrapped her arms around Sally and gave her a tight hug. "Now go! Go Sally! Keep running and don't look back!"
Scared beyond all rational thought Sally obeyed her mother and ran out of the garden, through the large castle gates and into the neighboring forest just as she was instructed.
"Be brave." Queen Acorn whispered as she watched her daughter disappear into the forest all alone. The wisping fabric of Sally's purple dress and distancing footsteps was the last she saw or heard from her only daughter. "Be brave for both of us."
Ogilvie could feel his whole body shaking with fear as he watched Kintobor stand before his forcefully recruited army of robotocized guards with a malevolent stare. The dozen guards, and Uncle Chuck, were mindless drones that only acted when Kintobor told them to do so.
"Now my loyal army, our reign of supremacy begins now."
Ogilvie didn't understand what was going on, but knew it wasn't good.
"First we remove that meddlesome King and his Queen, and then..." Kintobor clenched a tight fist and stared down at his hand. "we take out their precious little brat."
"Sally!" Ogilvie thought to himself. "She's in danger! I gotta... gotta..." He began to cry a little more. "What do I do? I wish Uncle Chuck was still here!"
It was then Ogilvie remembered his uncle's words from earlier: 'You're the bravest hedgehog I know!'
A new found sense of determination took over Sonic's mind and his heart. "Don't worry Uncle Chuck, I'll find a way to save Sally and save you!"
Kintobor pointed to the now cleared doorway as he commanded his robotocized army to do his bidding.
"Now! To the throne room! Take all as prisoners, anyone who causes trouble will be executed on the spot."
At his words the army of robotocized guards whirred to life. Their soulless electronic eyes lit up with red pupils as they marched in perfect formation through the door and toward the heart of the castle.
Waiting for the room to clear Ogilvie slid out from under the pile of rubble with the Chaos Emerald in his hand. Keeping low and moving quietly he peeked around the opened door frame of the lab before running down the corridor in the opposite direction of Kintobor and his army.
Ogilvie began to run, his legs carrying him quickly through the corridor and giving him access to the castle garden. He looked around for Sally but didn't see her or anyone else.
"Where did everyone go?" The garden was deserted. Muffled shouts and the clanging of metal sounded off from inside the castle and Ogilvie knew that Kintobor and his army had already begun their attack. "Where's Sally? Is she okay?"
Unsure of what to do or where to go Ogilvie tried to think about the best course of action to take. It was then an idea popped into his head.
"The clearing!" Ogilvie ran from the garden and into the neighboring forest himself. His grip tightened around the Chaos Emerald still in his hand, unaware of the true potential the gem held. "Nana Rosie said the clearing is the safest place to be if the castle is under attack! That must be where everyone went! I'm going to find them..."
The forest was alive with insects and singing birds as the commotion at the castle echoed ominously in the distance. Rain from the night before left the forest floor slick with mud and slippery leaves, the air smelled fresh and clean and felt very cool to the touch.
Sally ran as fast as she could for as long as she could before falling to her knees and crouching behind a large tree. She wanted to cry again but was too tired and too out of breath to utter a single whimper.
"Mama... Daddy!" She spoke loudly, but of course no one answered her. "Where are you?"
Staying hidden behind the tree she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged her arms around her legs to feel secure and to keep warm. Her purple dress had been torn by snagging tree branches and sharp thorns, and her feet were all muddy from running through the forest.
"What am I going to do?" Sally whispered sadly to herself. "I don't know what's happening!"
The sound of a snapping twig made Sally jump. She peeked around the wide base of the tree's trunk and looked in the direction of the sound. A small figure rushed forward with tremendous speed and skidded to a stop. In the darkness of the forest she was unable to see who it was and so she didn't reveal herself.
"Who is... that?"
The figure looked at the footprints Sally had left behind before calling out. "Sally? Where are you!?"
"Ogilvie!" She cried out happily as she clumsily scrambled from behind the tree to greet her friend. "You're safe! And-" Sally suddenly stopped and put a hand to her mouth in shock. "What... What happened to you?"
"Sally?" Ogilvie didn't understand what she meant. "What's wrong?"
"L-Look at you!" She pointed a shaking finger at him and took a step back. "What happened?!"
"What do you-" Ogilvie looked down at himself and realized that his brown fur had turned into a deep shape of blue! His numerous tiny quills atop his head and running down his back had thickened into denser, fuller quills and were all slicked backward in a single direction. "Whoa! I'm blue!"
"You... You're okay though... right?"
"I think so." Ogilvie then looked at the blue Chaos Emerald in his hand. "Sally... I think the Chaos Emerald and Uncle Chuck's machine did this to me!"
"Where is your uncle?"
"I..." Ogilvie closed his eyes and turned his head away from her in shame. "He's... He's gone."
...to be continued...