Temporal Fissure – A Sonic Generations Adaptation

Prologue: Time Stones

Written by Hikami42 – Hikari-san42 and Yami-sama42

Disclaimer: Sonic the Hedgehog, all of his friends, and all other intellectual property belongs to SEGA and its affiliates. The plot of Generations and all other recognizable material belongs to SEGA, while the prose and full written word (besides dialogue pulled straight from the game) are owned by both Hikari and Yami equally. No profit is being made from this work of fiction, and it is meant purely for entertainment purposes. Please don't sue us.

…:Approximately Six Months Before Present:…

Dr. Eggman, evil genius, cursed wildly and dramatically, beating his fists upon the dash in front of him. He narrowed his eyes into a hateful glare, the stars twinkling all around him. After another glorious defeat at the hand of Sonic the Hedgehog, his long-time enemy and the only thing standing between him and world domination, he had ended up stranded within the deep folds of space, thousands of miles away from the surface of the exact planet he wished to rule.

The human had been attempting to enslave a species of small aliens called Wisps to use them for their life force: Hyper Go-On Energy. The only problem was that he needed a massively large amount of the tiny creatures to power his monstrous machines. Eggman opened up a seemingly harmless amusement park – built to attract hapless victims and try to convince them that he had changed for good this time – and invited people and Mobians from all over to attend the grand opening.

Merely two weeks later, Sonic and Tails had found out about the galactic attraction and hopped onto the Space Elevator to see what the doctor was planning. The "reformed" evil genius had tried to keep his plans under wraps the whole time that those meddlesome "heroes" traversed the Tropical Resort, but after Sonic trashed the enormous Rotatatron, Eggman threw all inhibitions out the door and focused solely on ridding his budding Empire-to-be of the blue menace.

Over the following three weeks, the fox and hedgehog duo managed to free the other five park areas, including Planet Wisp, and then make it back to the Tropical Resort just in time for the main core, aptly named Terminal Velocity, to fail and begin its slow destruction due to a foreign object lodged into the main chamber – which, ironically was an arm off of the Ferris Wheel robot that Sonic had destroyed. After a short, but intense fight against the Nega-Wisp Armor, the entire heart of the master mind-control laser, now made useless, began to explode, causing a black hole effect. The device was decimated, the hedgehog caught in the aftermath (Eggman noted this gleefully), and the alien planets were all restored to their proper places amongst the stars.

This is where Eggman found himself currently; free floating through space, his (only slightly) competent robot companions clinging to the back of his small bubble of air as if their wiring depended on it. The human, of course, was safely concealed inside the glass dome of the Egg-o-Matic, the despondent machine his only protection against the merciless vacuum of space. 'Note to self…' the doctor thought silently to himself, 'ask Sonic and his friends how they can survive in space without protection.'

His contemplation was interrupted by an obnoxious voice that somehow pierced even the stillness of space. "Hey, Doctor! Did you see that pretty star formation? It looked like a bunny; except, I've never seen a real bunny, so I guess it looked like what I think a bunny should look like! Or maybe it looks like a giant cat! Or a gopher! I like gophers; they're pretty awesome! What do you think, Doc?" Cubot tapped on the glass, even its limited AI knowing to avoid the cracks.

"I hate rodents," the human mumbled, chin in palm. "Stop your babbling and keep pushing. Once this thing has some momentum, I need you to steer me back to the surface of the planet. I would rather not spend an eternity wallowing in the merciless vacuum of space, thank you."

Orbot just sighed, its internal processors working twice as hard to move the larger items through the frictionless surroundings. "Shouldn't you be worried about how much air you have left or something? I doubt that there's much left by this point…"

"Are you implying something, you piece of junk? I'll turn you into scrap metal!" Eggman roared, turning in his seat.

"You have to be alive to do that, sir," the red and black robot quipped, raising one hand to try and smack some sense into its yellow and black companion, the moronic machine just laughing as it spun out a short distance away before it could stop.

"Ahahaha! That was fun! Do it again!" Cubot shouted, zooming over and sweeping Orbot away from the hovercraft.

"Get off of me, you dolt! Help me push this thing!" the round robot snapped, swatting the other away.

"Both of you, shut u-" Eggman was cut off by a quiet beeping of the dash in front of him. "What in the name of evil…?" He twisted around to look down at the small computer built into the craft. He tapped a few buttons, pulling up a miniature holographic GPS and navigator as he tried to find what had set off the proximity warnings. Not even gave a blip on the map, and yet the alert continued its triad.

Abandoning his reliance on his technology, the man closed the diagram and simply scanned his surroundings, trying in vain to spot whatever it was that set off the caution signs. Nothing appeared, and the human glared at the stars, paranoia setting in. "Where is it…? …What is it?"

All of a sudden, a dark haze seemed to form around the Egg-o-Matic, the robots outside even ceasing their bickering. Eggman's eye flicked all around as he attempted to figure out just what was going on. Time seemed to slow to a standstill as the mist took on a strange form, the blue-violet/black energy pulsating as though it was sentient. The doctor's eyes widened behind tiny black specs, a sense of dread creeping down his spine as he watched the… creature form in front of him. The clock that was programmed into the motherboard started to flip numbers rapidly, as though time itself was bending and twisting, an invisible hand shaping it as it saw fit.

Bits of the mist seeped though the hairline cracks on the glass around the man, entwining his body in a thin blanket of deep purple and black. In a flash, Eggman recalled some of the most important points in his life: the first moment that he decided to take over the world, that first fight with Sonic, his first confrontation with Super Sonic, stealing the Master Emerald, the Time Stones, unleashing Chaos, the ARK, Metal Overlord, a particularly fuzzy memory of some human princess, the Dark Gaia incident, Splash Hill Zone, and even his most recent failure. It all happened in an instant, the ethereal tendrils dissipating as quickly as they appeared.

The creature in front of his craft grew into a gigantic monster with a horribly twisted face and cogs and gears inside of it, its face warped into a strange version of a smile. It was almost like the inside of an old clock.

Realization struck Eggman as he gazed upon the roaring beast. He smirked devilishly as he hid his chuckles.

He had a plan… it was all a matter of time…

o0o

…:Eight Years Before Present:…

Sonic the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius, stretched slowly backwards, bending his spine until it popped. Once he had achieved his goal, he rose slowly, a small smile on his face. His body was completely relaxed as he waited, his skin enjoying the feeling of the sun brushing golden lines of light down his arms and legs. His twelve year old eyes twinkled with an inner light, despite their dark, almost soulless hue. His quills were short and light blue, while he was short and squat, puberty still holding a growth spurt out of his reach. His shoes were shiny and well kept, with small golden buckles winking at the world when the sun hit them just right.

He was known around the planet as the Blue Blur, the fastest thing alive. From the human cities of Station Square and Spagonia to the Mobian islands of Westside and Cocoa, he was more recognizable than most cartoon characters and was considered a national icon. He had taken on the human menace of one Doctor Ivo Robotnik too many times to count, and had won every time singlehandedly against his army of badniks. Hopping from South Island to Westside to Angel Island – well, flying to the last one – he had kicked the human's egg-shaped rear-end off of the Mobian settlements with ease.

His life had taken this hectic turn two years ago, when the diabolical human had taken it upon himself to enslave the Mobian population. After having his whole world ripped out from underneath his red-sneakered feet in an attack on his small home village in Green Hill Zone, the speedy hedgehog had taken it upon himself to stop the man. His campaign across the island had been successful and he had left with more recognition than he had wanted, but he welcomed the attention with a grain of salt, distancing himself from the general population.

Until, that is, he arrived on Westside Island. He got to the small island – just a simple distance across the ocean from South Island – in November and he had been trying to take a good relaxing vacation in Emerald Hill Zone when he happened across a small four year old fox kit. The kid had been bullied his whole life for his large brain and double tails – something that Sonic never dwelled on because he himself was just as much a freak of nature as the fox – and the hedgehog had seen a kindred spirit in the child. The young Miles Prower, nicknamed Tails by Sonic three days into their acquaintance, had quickly grown on the hedgehog and when Robotnik attacked Westside a few days later, he didn't hesitate to bring the fox with him.

With the help of his new friend – who eventually became like a brother to the hedgehog – Sonic chased the evil human away from the island once again. Months later, after having finally gotten the relaxation he deserved, Tails informed his friend that he had found a small floating island while he had been flying Sonic's red bi-plane and the speedster wasted no time going to investigate.

One crazy adventure and unlikely ally later, Sonic had once again shoved Robotnik away from another island.

A few months after that excitement had ended, Sonic and Tails had been relaxing once again, this time on a small secluded beach on South Island, when Sonic had heard about Never Lake. The lake was located on a small, uninhabited island located close to the human-dominated mainland, and something strange happened there on the last month of the year: a time-traveling planet called simply "Little Planet" appeared. Eternally curious, Sonic wasted no time scooping Tails up, dropping him off with Knuckles on Angel Island – well, more like tricking Knuckles into keeping Tails with him – and zooming off to the island.

Now, he was currently waiting for a boat at the Emerald Hill port to take him across the Southside Sea and to Green Hill, where he would grab the Tornado from where he had stashed it on his and Tails' secluded beach, and fly up to the floating island to fetch his little brother. Knuckles was probably livid by now, having been stuck with the curious fox kit for over a week.

Humming some no-nonsense tune under his breath, he uneasily glanced at the water lapping at the boards of the dock, feeling his ears twitch out of agitation. He wasn't exactly pleased to be taking a boat, but he was left with no alternative this close to the human Christmas holidays and the Mobian Winter Celebration. Even his national hero status could not get him onto a full flight across the sea.

So, it was with a heavy sigh that he boarded the dingy looking watercraft meant to ferry him across the relatively short distance between Emerald Hill and Green Hill. Ignoring the gaping looks of the crew and the other few passengers, he strolled up to the front of the boat, resting his elbows on the side and looking out at the horizon. The sky was darkening, the sun making its farewell address to the world and the first few stars already twinkling merrily at him.

He sighed again. Hopefully, in a few hours time, he would be on Angel Island, avoiding the swipes Knuckles made at his head and feeling relieved that Tails was safe.

Unfortunately, a strange mixture of time and fate had different plans for him.

o0o

…:Approximately two hours later:…:Eight Years Before Present:…

Knuckles the Echidna was not a happy individual. He was an introvert, the last of his species, and possibly one of the biggest sticks-in-the-mud one could ever meet. But, he was loyal – when he wasn't being confused by his passionate gullibility – and he was good company if you wanted someone to listen.

Just listen.

He had the conversational skills of a rock. But, this probably had to do with the fact that most of his conversations before he had met Sonic had taken place between himself and a big, shiny gem stone. Sure, it was all-powerful and pretty, but it was still a rock.

This was part of the reason why, when Sonic, fox kit in tow, had shown up at the Island saying something like, "You know Tails' birthday just passed and the Winter Celebrations are coming up, right? Well, I promised Tails I would bring him up here to see the Master Emerald as a present. So, why don't you show him the Master Emerald, Knuckles, while I go over here and admire this strange plant?" he could only stare stupidly before nodding uncertainly and dragging the kid to the Emerald shrine.

Halfway there though, he had realized just how stupid the whole request was and he had pulled a full 180 and hauled the fox back to where they had left Sonic.

Only to find the hedgehog gone, the Tornado with him.

So, here he was one week later, and he was ready to murder Sonic. Tails was more trouble than he was worth, being only five years old and possibly the most curious individual Knuckles had ever met. He got into everything that he could possibly get into, including – but not limited to – the ancient spinning tops in Marble Garden Zone, and the water pumps in Hydrocity. The only good thing that the fox had done the whole week was help the Guardian categorize and get rid of every last badnik still inhabiting the Island.

Now though, the fox's never ending questions were grating on his very last nerve and he was hours away from throwing him off the Island; the kid could fly, he could find his way back to the surface easily enough.

"Hey Knuckles -" Speak of the devil, Knuckles thought to himself as Tails dropped down beside him, a small bunch of fruit clasped in his hands "- why are there so many grapes growing around here?"

The echidna snatched the produce out of the small gloved fingers of the other. "Because," he hissed, "the climate here is perfect for them." Popping one into his mouth, he savored the juice as he squashed the small sphere between his teeth. "And they're a staple in my diet."

"Meaning," Tails laughed, "that you love them and you purposely plant them."

"So what if I did or didn't? You wouldn't know, any-" Knuckles' response was cut off by a strong wind as it kicked up suddenly, nearly blowing the two away. The tiny fox kit looked up at the sky in amazement before Knuckles turned around and gaped at the sight.

Floating above them was a giant monster of purple-black energy and gears. Beside it was a pair of swirling spheres, vague images flashing behind them. Before either of them could speak, the wind picked back up, pulling the kitsune and echidna towards the mist. "Kn-knuckles, what's going on?" Tails stuttered, spinning his tails in the opposite direction; his efforts to stay in one place were rapidly failing.

"I dunno, kid, but it doesn't look good!" Knuckles replied, knuclaws digging into the ground. Gritting his teeth, he ground his foot in the dirt. 'Where's that blasted hedgehog when you actually need him?' He chanced a look at Tails, reaching out slowly for the child. 'That jerk needs to be here; Tails is only a kid!'

"Knuckles! Help me!" Tails' tails finally gave up on him and he flew forward, his resistance crumbled. The tiny kit was thrown through the air, set on a crash-course with the smaller of the two spheres.

"Tails! Hang on!" Knuckles relinquished his hold on the ground to sprint after his charge, dark eyes set and determined. 'I'll save you, Tails!' He tried to grab onto the other's hand, only for the golden-colored furball to be ripped away from him, shooting through the small energy window, vanishing from sight. "TAILS!" Knuckles' eyes grew wide in shock before he, too, was lifted and sucked into the portal.

As the creature left through a wormhole of its own, Angel Island was left quiet and alone.

It begins…

Welcome to our Sonic Generations adaptation! This chapter was mainly set-up. Next time, we get into the actual game. You ready?

Story notes:

Please remember that this is an adaptation, meaning we can take any liberties that we want as long as we keep the main game intact.

On timeline placement: The Classics are being pulled from the past after Sonic CD for a variety of reasons. 1) It's the last Classic game, so they're as classic as you can get, and they have no idea what's coming. 2) After some very complicated mathematical equations and problem solving, we decided that it would be best for everything to take place after CD because Sonic would be familiar with the idea of time travel, would know who Metal Sonic is, and would also be aware of Knuckles and Amy. He needs these connections for the plot to work.

On ages: Classic Sonic is 12. Don't yell and fuss. He's twelve because this adaptation happens after CD and not after Sonic 2. (At least, we assume that Generations takes place after Sonic 2, because he knows who Tails is.) We took the time to figure out how old each character is with a set birthday (Sonic in June; Tails in November) and where each game lands. It just so happens that CD takes place in December (game manual says that the planet appears in the last month of the year), two years after Sonic 1 happened. Classic Tails is 5 because he's seven years younger than Sonic. Classic Knuckles is 13. Modern Sonic, on the other hand, is 20. Generations is his 20th anniversary game. There's a birthday party. He's 20. That makes Modern Tails 12 (because his November birthday hasn't passed yet to put him back into the 7 year gap) and Modern Knuckles 21.

On Classic Knuckles: We were both disappointed that Classic Knuckles didn't show up in the game, so we decided to drag him along for the ride in this adaptation. We love us some Knuckles!

Now that that's done with, let us know how we did. Did you like it? Hate it? Think it needs improvement?

Please review?