Super Sonic Squad
Season Two, Episode One
Death to the Royal Family
This is the edited, remastered director's cut from August 2017. I am proud to have brought back a classic feature-length episode to relive the memories of when the original Sonic Squad series was getting better and better. The original version of this story was planned in May-June 2012, and was written August-September 2014. All edits include spelling/grammar fixes and dialogue rearranging. I even kept the introduction here in case you missed the original version of this wonderful tale. Please enjoy!
Introduction
I'm glad you have started the second season of the Sonic Squad series. If you have not read the first season, go do it first before coming back here.
You are probably asking me how I came up with this amazing idea of Sonic Squad. Well, it all started one day when my friend was showing me this new Sonic game that he got for his Nintendo Gameboy Advance. That was actually the first time that I even knew about that super-speedy hedgehog, but I was only introduced to three characters: Sonic, Tails, and Amy Rose. The franchise looked kind of fun even though I knew nothing about Dr. Eggman at the time. Forrest and I even got some mini Sonic games with a Happy Meal at the McDonald's restaurant. But then, an idea struck me: I should bring Sonic and Mario together for the first time!
Of course, the game "Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games" was not invented back then, and the year that I thought up this whole crossover thing was 2006. I drew a picture of this awesome idea so I can remember it. However, I lost that picture, but I still remember the content that I made that stufferooni. I even threw in some characters that I made up, like a few helpless penguins, yes! A penguin was a good choice for another animal to be friendly with besides hedgehogs and foxes. The hero team was settled on to be Mario, Luigi, Sonic, Tails, and Amy, and the only villain that I used for this crossover was Bowser.
Sadly, I only thought up of three ideas for this whole thing. But the good news is that I thought them all up from the time we lived in Moline, Illinois to the time we moved to Rock Island. After that, my mind just went blank and I had no more ideas for it. But, there was still hope for me. A while after we moved back to Moline (but to a different house), in May 2011, I had been amazed at the greatest Nintendo Wii game of all time: Super Smash Bros. Brawl! I thought that the styles of the action were very extravagant, so I thought of something awesome.
I had not put Dr. Eggman in until June. I had not even heard of him until I played Shadow's game for the first time. I now count him as one of the best villains I've ever known. I then began to add many other characters such as Wario, Waluigi, and finally the Knothole Freedom Fighters (who did not come in until the next year).
Before we dig into this story, I want to introduce you to two original characters of mine. Count Cobra is a murderous villain, but I don't make him as intense as Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal. He is from the planet Straggo, which is close to Mobius; he was the prince who led his fellow Straggons to war against the opposing race of Corlonians. Courtney is a female from the planet Corlon, whose parents died during the war only days after she was born. Cobra found her, raised her as his apprentice, and kept her for the first fourteen to fifteen years of her life.
One day, when Courtney was ordered to kill Tails, she refused and left Cobra. That's when she found out that Cobra blew up her home planet and completely wiped out the rest of her race; she was the only Corlonian left in existence. Since that day, Courtney and Tails became close friends.
I at first designed Cobra as a black and gooey alien, but my older brother told me that he was a rip-off from the villain Venom from MARVEL comics. And so, I changed his color and made him a true alien; I gave him blue skin, no nose, blank white eyes, and messy black hair. His clothing consists of an assassin's uniform, and a cape with a hood attached. He forged his own sword for combat and killing; now he swears to use it to kill Courtney the first chance he gets.
I consider Courtney as one of the most beautiful characters I have designed. She has short fur and a head similar to Tails. She has narrow eyes, a small nose, and a soft smile. She also has short ears on top of her head. I never designed her real hands, and so I simply gave her the usual white gloves of cartoon characters (such as Mickey Mouse, Mario, or Sonic). She is a bit tall, but able to fit in her black jacket. After Courtney left Cobra, she began to wear the usual street clothes of Earth.
Another reason why I made Courtney and Tails friends is because of how they somewhat look alike. I did not realize that until after I had originally planned Courtney's first adventure. If you dare try to draw Courtney, be warned. You must give her short eyelashes in order to tell that she is a female Corlonian. That little fox Tails is only half of Courtney's size; and speaking of Tails, don't make Courtney's head exactly like his. She has a shorter (and a bit flatter) head.
Please note that this story was originally planned out in May 2012 and was not fully written until August-September 2014.
That's all I need to tell you. Please enjoy the show!
Death to the Royal Family
It was an uneasy day at the Mario Bros. Plumbing Shop. Luigi was already having a rough day, having to handle everything himself. All those plungers, wrenches, and screwdrivers he made were not as good as the ones that Mario had made when the business was still up and running.
Luigi had already cut himself while building a new screwdriver. Trying very hard, he took things patiently and kept going, but he soon became nervous when Christopher Thorndyke stood at his door. He watched Luigi as he kept the business going. Luigi grew uneasy when Chris began to stand right behind him.
"You seem to be having trouble," Chris spoke up as he examined the tools Luigi made. "Is there a problem?"
"No thank you," Luigi rudely replied. "I can prove to Mario that I can do this without him."
"But don't you miss him? He had to return to the Mushroom Land and leave you behind to carry on the business. Don't you want to bring him back?"
"I wish. But if I dare step foot into the Mushroom Land, I would go crazy. The aroma that the mushrooms fill the air with makes you go nuts. You would have a giant hunger for adventure."
"That's what I have right now. I wish I could find a way to Mobius and rejoin Sonic in his adventures."
"Wait a minute! Remember that portal to Mobius you made a while ago?"
"My grandfather was the brains behind the science. I finished it for him and did the tests. I remember using it to enter Mobius six years after Sonic went back to his home. The only problem was that it decreased my age as I entered the realm. Time on Mobius goes slower than it does here on Earth; two months in Mobius means six years here. Luckily, once I got back to Earth, I was my mature self. Be careful, Luigi. If we were to do something like that again, then it would decrease YOUR age as well."
"But what about that Egg Timer that Dr. Eggman created. It brought his younger self to the present. Why don't we combine its power with the portal?"
"That sounds like an idea that may or may not work. I don't know for sure, though. Where's Shadow?"
"Snoozing on the couch as usual. Go wake him up, and we can go test out that portal."
Later, Christopher led Luigi and Shadow to his mansion, where the special portal still stood in his lab. Dr. Eggman had left his Egg Timer in Chris' lab after he had used it for its purpose. Chris was able to connect the correct wires that led from the Egg Timer to the portal; perhaps it would allow him to enter Mobius and keep his current age.
"I hope this works," Chris said as the portal which led to Mobius began to open. "I set the correct coordinates for our age to stay. And yet, I still feel as if it will not work."
"Don't lose hope," Luigi replied. "We can get through this. And even if it doesn't work, wouldn't it be grand to relive the days of our youth?"
"If only puberty doesn't speed up. But that's enough talk. Let's do this." And so, bravely, the three men stepped through the portal and entered the wonderful world of Mobius.
"We're still in our current age!" Luigi exclaimed. "It worked! You're a genius!"
"If only Helen was here to see this," Chris continued. "She would surely love the beauty of this realm. But Earth is our home-sweet-home."
"Sonic shouldn't be far," Shadow spoke up. "Let's go find him!"
Meanwhile, a few miles away, the evil scientist Dr. Eggman became very angry over the fact that his nephew Snively Robotnik had betrayed him. Snively went back to Earth and joined the G.U.N. Forces; as a scientist building the army's weapons, he then went by the name Dr. Julian Snively, stealing his uncle's true name.
"Why didn't he use his real name Colin?" Eggman thought as he became more upset just by thinking about it. "He was named after his father, whom I had roboticized. Yes, he was my brother, but he was no better than me! I am still the greatest genius in the world! I can prove to Snively that I can finally defeat Sonic without him!"
"I don't dink so!" said a voice from out in the hall. Eggman turned to see Wario and Waluigi enter the room. "You can't do anyding widout us! We were so close to succeeding last time we joined forces."
"You two!" Eggman said, surprised. "How did you get past my guards?!"
"It was too easy," Waluigi replied. "The guards were just a couple of dumbots."
"I knew I should not have assigned Scratch and Grounder to be the outdoor guards. So what is your plan?"
"We don't know yet," Wario replied to Eggman. "Dat's why we're trying to run ideas drough our brain while playing chess in da meanwhile." He and Waluigi set a chess board on the nearest table and began to play their game.
Dr. Eggman stared deep into the chess game and studied the strategy between the two competitors. "I already know everything about chess," he thought. "After all, am I not a genius with an I.Q. of 300? Perhaps this should be how I will improve my lair. I shall build a bigger fortress including a torrent on each side and two sets of robot warriors (as the knights), one on each side. And I'll have many rows of normal robot fighters as my pawns. Wario and Waluigi will be my bishops, and I shall be the king! What an inspiration this is! I must start now!"
Later, at the Knothole Village, Tails sat on his bed, thinking nervously about the idea he had not too long ago. Courtney has been hiding under his bed ever since she had left the diabolical Count Cobra; she had no place to go but here.
Tails had not told anyone about it yet. He at first thought that it would be a brilliant idea to take her in if she could take the Freedom Fighter oath. But Tails had forgotten the oath, and he could not access the private files which contained it. The correct document was locked in Sally Acorn's room, and there it would stay out of the enemy's hands.
Tails began to wait until the proper day when he would fully introduce Courtney to his fellow Freedom Fighters. Perhaps then would be when Sally would bring out the important document in which the oath was contained.
But Tails could not keep this a secret for long. That night, Sonic saw how secretive Tails has been lately, and so he came to his room. "What do you want, Sonic?" Tails spoke up as Sonic entered the room.
"I just came here to wish my little bro goodnight," Sonic replied as he sat down onto the bed.
Tails began to grow nervous; Courtney was directly under there, and she would be squashed if Sonic was not careful. "Please don't suffocate her!" Tails blurted out. "I'm sorry! I kept this a secret this whole time!"
"I knew something was up," Sonic replied. "You've been hiding someone here this whole time."
"Please don't tell Sally! She won't understand!"
"Hey! Quit worrying, Tails! Everything will be just fine! Your friend only needs to take the Freedom Fighter oath. Then she'll become one of us. Why didn't you ask for it before?"
"But I have forgotten the oath. How will I know…"
"Relax, Tails. Sally and I will handle things. Your friend will take the oath tomorrow morning. You'll both be safe. I promise."
After Sonic said goodnight and left the room, he saw Luigi, Chris, and Shadow enter the village. He was excited to see them again and rejoin forces.
"That's not all that I came here for," Luigi said as they went deeper into conversation. "I'm also looking for Mario."
"Feel like he's abandoned you, eh?" Sonic replied.
"Life at the plumbing shop is just not the same without him."
"Please come inside."
Sonic led the three men into the main dining room of the village, where at a table sat the man Luigi had searched desperately for. "Mario!" Luigi exclaimed. "How did you get here?"
"Princess Peach allowed me to leave the Mushroom Land for this particular mission," Mario explained in reply. "Sonic needs my help for infiltrating Dr. Eggman's lair. Now that it's a simple lab, we can easily take him on. I'm glad you came along to join me, Luigi."
"Hey! What would I do without my little big brother?"
"I see you're still one of a kind."
Back at Dr. Eggman's lab, an intruder had broken into the private area where Eggman kept his best projects.
Eggman, Wario, and Waluigi saw who had broken in: it was the diabolical Count Cobra. "Somebody stop him!" Eggman exclaimed. "He's about to use my portal which leads to the Zone of Silence!"
"No!" Wario said. "Shoot him down!"
Cobra turned and saw the three men were about to pull out a gun. He quickly shot a pistol of his own to wound them on their shoulders; it gave him enough time to access the portal and walk straight into the Zone of Silence, where many beings were imprisoned.
Cobra first caught sight of the wizard known as Ixis Naugus. He had been Dr. Eggman's mentor back in the days of the Great War on Mobius. With cat-like speed, Cobra kicked Ixis' chest and pinned him down to the ground. "What do you want with me?!" Ixis demanded as he lied there on the ground.
"I wish to speak to his royal majesty," Cobra replied. "Take me to him at once!"
"Are you mad?! No one may leave this void; he who leaves will be crystalized if no return is done!"
"I am no weakling like the rest of you mortal Mobians! I am from the legendary planet known as Straggo! I demand to see the king now! I have an offer to propose to him. Dare to refuse me and you will die!"
Cobra walked through the void to find the one he had looked for. He finally found the very king of Mobius itself; he found King Maximilian Acorn. "This strange man insists on seeing you," Ixis said as Maximilian gained an eyeful of Cobra.
"Silence!" Cobra snapped at Ixis. "Leave us, please!" As the wizard departed, Cobra began to plead with the king: "Your royal highness, I come for help. If you assist me, I shall give you back what is rightfully yours. I shall give you back your kingdom, your throne, and your loved ones such as your daughter. I also guarantee the revenge that you shall have upon your former friend Julian Kintobor."
"How do you know all this?" Max demanded in reply. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"I have just the correct Straggon potion that can prevent us from being crystalized. You must help me destroy the one subject whom I harbor a deep, burning hatred for. The Corlonian girl Courtney was once my apprentice, and now she has betrayed me! She must be disposed of! If you help me do that, I can hand you back your kingdom, and much more to it."
"If you are willing to give me back what is rightfully mine, I demand you give me the potion now."
"Certainly," Cobra said as he handed Max a small bottle containing a white liquid. "Come! You have a kingdom to restore."
Dr. Eggman, Wario, and Waluigi watched as Cobra easily walked out with King Max, who had already taken the potion that immediately took effect. "That blue man is a fool!" Eggman thought angrily. "He has freed my old friend, the one whom I took advantage of! I had created all those weapons for him, but they were hardly used during the Great War. He wanted to shut down my greatest works! Too bad he doesn't recognize me now. He can't tell that Julian Kintobor, Ivo Robotnik, and Dr. Eggman are all the same person."
Cobra drew out his sword and pointed it at the three mustached villains. "Give us one of your ships!" he demanded. "Or would you rather taste the sting of this scabbard…"
Wario and Waluigi allowed Cobra and Max to pass through the halls and head for the main garage. As they went past Dr. Eggman, Max still did not recognize him at all. How things have changed a lot ever since Eggman's Doomsday Project had been destroyed, along with Robotropolis.
"Sonic may have won the first round with the Power Stones years ago…" Eggman thought as he watched Cobra and Max leave the lab, "...and he and Christopher may have won round two with the Chaos Emeralds later. But now, this is round three, and it is going to be a whole lot tougher of a challenge for him, my sworn enemy!"
Cobra and Max later arrived at the Knothole Village, where many familiar memories came to the head of he who was once the king of Mobius. "I remember this village!" he exclaimed.
"Ah, so you know this exact place!" Cobra replied. "Your wife had left your daughter and her fellow Freedom Fighters here years ago."
"Rosie! Is she still alive?"
"None can say. We have asked enough questions! Come! Let us find the one we seek!"
Courtney heard what was going on outside. She crawled out from under Tails' bed and looked out the window to see who once kept her as an apprentice. "Oh no!" she thought as her heart began to pound heavily.
Tails heard Courtney, and so he asked: "What is it? Who's out there?"
"The one man whom I fear," Courtney replied.
Tails looked out the window and saw who was out there. "You must mean Cobra!" he continued.
"Exactly. I don't know how he found me."
"There's nothing to fear, Courtney. My friends can help us drive him out. But who's that other guy with him? He reminds me of someone."
"See that crown on his head? He must be of authority."
"Can it be that the king has come back? SALLY!"
Cobra and max heard the commotion coming from one of the huts. "That name!" Max exclaimed. "He mentioned my daughter! I'm getting closer!"
"Closer to what?" Cobra replied.
"The daughter whom I have been separated from all these years. Now I can see her again! Don't tell me you've forgotten all about her too soon!"
"I had almost forgotten the 'deal' I made with him," Cobra thought silently. "I must still act as if I'm with him on this. I sense that Courtney is near, so I'll humor the king while I need an ally."
Before stepping outside, Courtney gave Tails the final warning: "I'm going out to fight him alone. I'm sorry, but you can't come with me. I don't want anything happening to you."
"But I can't let you die!" Tails objected. "Can I PLEASE come with you?"
"I don't want to be responsible for your death. I need you here where you can be safe. Please, Tails. If anyone's going to make a sacrifice, it's going to be me. I'm doing this to protect you…" With that, Courtney left the hut before Tails could say anything else.
Cobra and Max watched as Courtney came out with her sword. "Attack me if you will…" she said to them, "...but you will not harm these innocent people!"
"Innocent?!" Cobra replied. "Don't make me laugh! You're just as guilty as my father!" With that, he drew out his sword and lunged at she who had once been his apprentice.
Tails watched the fight from up in his hut. His eyes widened with horror as Cobra was already gaining the upper hand. Cobra's very sharp sword cut Courtney in every way possible; Courtney tried very hard to strike back with her weapon, but she was not as skilled as she was before. Her love for the innocent and for Tails seemed to have changed her fighting abilities.
"What's wrong with her?!" Cobra thought as Courtney was brought down to her knees. "She does not remember the fighting abilities that I trained her for. This could make things easier for me. But I must let the king do the rest of the work."
Cobra made one more swing, cutting Courtney across the forehead. It caused her to stumble down to the ground, completely exhausted from the battle. "Finish her, your majesty!" Cobra commanded. "Now! Finish her!"
Cobra handed Max his sword so that he could finally end the life of Courtney here and now. Doing such an act as this would end the race of the Corlonians. Max held the sword up high, ready to plunge it down and do what Cobra had already prepared for him to do. But before he could do anything, he saw Tails run out towards Courtney.
"A two-tailed fox!" Max thought as he gently lowered the sword back down, forgetting about Courtney. "Could he be little Miles, son of Amadeus? He's grown up so fast! When he becomes the proper age, I might put him into the Acorn Council and join me and my family. Our kingdom shall come back together! And yet, now I feel as if Cobra is the REAL enemy. I just stood there, watching him slay the innocent girl without saving her. If Miles finds Courtney as his friend, then Cobra has lied to me! He would never give me back my kingdom even if we succeeded killing her!"
Max quickly turned around and slashed the sword at Cobra. Startled and surprised, Cobra grasped at the arm which Max cut, feeling its burning pain. "What do you think you're doing?!" he exclaimed. "You're supposed to be my ally!"
"Nay, evil one!" Max replied. "I am not your ally, and I never will be! For none can match you in such craftiness and villainy! I'm afraid you'll have to leave, monster!"
"You know these people more than I had suspected!"
"Precisely! They are those who had escaped the tyranny of Julian Kintobor, who had taken over the planet. Now, after all these years, I shall rejoin them in hopes of bringing back my glorious kingdom!"
"I'll make you pay for your stubbornness one day!" Cobra barked as he ran out of the village after snatching back his sword.
Max turned around and looked down at Tails and Courtney. "I am terribly sorry about your friend. I did not know what Cobra had brought me into at first. You are what stopped me from performing such an evil act. You are the son of Amadeus Prower."
"I've never met my father my whole life," Tails replied. "And I've only seen my mother once. But my friends take care of me now. Courtney, Sonic, Sally, and others have done their best, and they still do great about it today."
"I knew I could count on my little girl! Show me to her! I must see her!"
"Sure. But I should also introduce you to some new friends."
That night, Courtney was placed in the medical room of the village, where she took the Freedom Fighter oath and became a part of the greatest Mobian fighting team. Also, Sally finally reunited with her father, and so the kingdom of Mobotropolis was soon to be rebuilt.
The next morning, Sonic called a meeting for a battle plan against Dr. Eggman's new fortress. Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Rotor, Dulcy, Max, Tails, Mario, Amy, Shadow, and Knuckles were the only ones there to attend; Chris was busy doctoring Courtney. Sonic had to remind Max that Dr. Eggman was once the soldier known as Julian Kintobor. "Does Julian still have that insane mustache?" Max asked as they got deeper into the conversation.
"He does," Sonic replied. "But now it's twice as big as it used to be. Wait a minute! Where's Luigi?"
Right at that moment, Luigi came running into the main room where everyone shared the battle plan. "Sorry I'm late," he said, scarred and beaten. "I was attacked by a mad cat, but now I'm here. What's the beef?"
Sonic began to explain: "Since Eggman has made himself a new fortress, this calls for a game I like to call 'Castle Conquest'. I'll lead Sally to the top, where the main control room is, and we'll dismantle all communications. With the main radio knocked out, the robots won't be able to receive orders from Eggman, and neither will the security cameras. After the rest of you clear the front entrance, head up to the control room and meet us there so we can finish off Eggman for good. How does that sound?"
"Sounds like how things were organized back in the days of the Great War," Max replied. "It shall be done!"
"This sounds amazing!" Luigi came in. "I'll be paired up with my bro Mario! He's been my mother my whole life!"
Offended by that statement, Mario barked in reply: "HEY!"
"Sorry! You've been my FATHER my whole life. My father, uncle, cousin, brother, EVERYBODY…"
"Do tell me," Max interrupted. "What is the true relation between you two?"
"It's a long, complicated story," Mario replied. "Anyway, while we are breaking through the front gate, I would like you to lead us, your majesty. A king rightfully leads his army in battle."
"Thank you, mister Mario. I am very grateful."
The battle began later that day after Dulcy flew everyone to Dr. Eggman's new fortress. They easily recognized the strategy Eggman was similar to a chess game, and so they were stumped at first.
Max led Bunnie, Rotor, Mario, Luigi, Shadow, Knuckles, Amy, and Tails to the front of the castle. They were easily confronted by Eggman's robots constantly running towards them. But luckily, Max had recovered some of the ancient Mobian weapons for the Freedom Fighters to use. Mario and Luigi, however, decided to go their own way and steal a couple of the robots' laser rifles.
Meanwhile, Sonic and Sally climbed up the fortress' walls to head for the control room. Sonic went up a floor and ended his climb at a much higher level than Sally. He let down a rope for her to climb up to the level where he was at. She did not see him at first when she started climbing, but she later saw him when she went up higher and higher.
Suddenly, Sally watched as Sonic pulled out a pocketknife and cut the rope she was holding onto! "Sonic!" she thought. "Why would you do that?!" But it was too late; she was almost there to the high level, and so it was to be a big fall. Once the rope was cut, Sally fell down off the entire castle. She landed very hard on the ground, where she became unconscious.
The others could not believe their eyes. They quickly rushed over to Sally, who was now bleeding from such a long fall. They also heard a large snap coming from her joints; some of her bones might have been broken.
"We need to take her back to the village now!" Mario demanded as he picked Sally up and carried her away.
After what seemed to be a half hour went by, Dr. Eggman awoke from unconsciousness. He had already battled with Sonic as it seemed, but he had also heard about what happened to Sally. "Sonic?" he thought. "A traitor? That's not like him. I know Sonic like I've been his parent, even though I'm really not. I must find some clues of what had led to this. Perhaps I should go find Count Cobra!"
Back at Knothole Village, the Freedom Fighters returned with the injured Sally. They immediately brought her to Chris so he can analyze her and make sure she was still breathing. And so he did, only to receive a shocking result.
"She's almost dead!" he said as he felt Sally's pulse and heartbeat. "I'll need to operate now!"
Max was very upset; he saw what happened and how Sonic betrayed Sally. "I was right!" he announced. "Sonic is unworthy to be the true love of my daughter! Therefore, I hereby send him to his punishment…the death penalty!"
"No! Please no!" Tails exclaimed. "Give him another chance!"
"He does not deserve another chance!" Max replied. "He has killed my daughter! Take him away!"
With a gesture of his hand, Max summoned Geoffrey St. John to march in and bind Sonic's hands. Geoffrey did the same with Luigi and dragged him and Sonic out of the hut.
"Your majesty!" Chris exclaimed. "You are making a big mistake!"
"Mistake?!" Max replied. "The only mistake I made was trust Sonic to be a loyal Freedom Fighter!"
"BULLCRAP! He knows better than to kill his friends! He never attempted to kill me, and so I trusted him fully."
"Perhaps he has more respect for humans than for his fellow Mobians."
"I dare not argue with him," Chris thought. "He may be of high authority here on Mobius, but I'll find some way to free Sonic and Luigi. Wait a minute! Did I just say…? Why is Luigi being taken as well?! This has just gone from not right to MORE than not right."
Geoffrey brought Sonic and Luigi aboard his new airplane, in which he would take them to an execution arena among the remains of Mobotropolis. "Don't believe what Geoffrey says," Luigi whispered to Sonic. "He's killing us just for his pleasure. I believe he's still that rotten skunk, even after he managed to escape Wario's neuro brain-tapper."
"I think you're right, Luigi," Sonic replied. "I can see Eggman's emblem printed on the plane. And yet, why did everyone just let us go to our death? Why did they just stand there and not help us escape?"
"People can be complete idiots sometimes. But I forgive them all because they're my friends."
"You're right. We've got to find a way to break out of this mess and make things right."
Back at Knothole Village, Mario became very depressed over the fact that Luigi was to die soon. He had such a brother by his side at all times, and now they were separating for good. He did not want to yell at Max for being such an idiot, and so he kept his mouth shut for now.
Max later came over to him after reading his expression. "What bothers you?" he spoke. "Does it concern your friend?"
"He's more than a friend," Mario replied. "He's my brother, although he was never my brother from the start."
"What do you mean? You're both related, aren't you?"
"Not really. His real parents died when he was just a baby. And so, I raised him and took him into my family, which is a long line of plumbers. I raised him as my son and little brother. Since that day, we became the Mario Bros. and took over the plumbing business. I've had that guy with me until now; today is the day when we finally split apart. There goes my only brother, about to be put to his death sentence."
"That is strange. I do not recall ever sentencing HIM to death."
"But it was on your orders, wasn't it?"
"It was absolutely not on my orders. I would not sentence ANY random person to death. Perhaps Geoffrey is a traitor as well! I recall glimpsing at an unrecognizable emblem printed on his plane."
Just then, the door broke down, and in stepped Dr. Eggman, Wario, and Waluigi. They dragged in Count Cobra, who was knocked out unconscious from a battle that had occurred not too long ago. "I never thought I would defeat a Straggon!" Eggman announced. "This is my lucky day! And now, you pesky animals, I shall finish you off and put an end to your rebellion!"
"I don't know who you are…" Max replied bravely, "…but you stand face-to-face with the king of Mobius!"
"Those are brave words, Max. But do you even know who I am? I am the man whose weapons you disposed of! You were planning to destroy all my greatest works, and so I took revenge! I created the dark kingdom of Robotropolis! I am Julian Ivo Kintobor!" To give proof, Eggman took off his glasses and revealed his black-and-red-glowing eyes.
"Julian! It is truly you! I never thought you would be mixed in all this! Perhaps now is my chance to finish what we had started years go!" With that, Max drew the sword Cobra gave him and charged straight at Eggman.
Dropping Cobra to the floor, Eggman took out the lance from a robot minion of his and began to attack Max.
"Your skills are the same as when I last saw you, Julian!" Max said as they fought on.
"Yes, I remember the days of the Great War," Eggman replied. "But you have been in the void for too long, you're starting to lose your strength. You haven't fought as much as I last saw you, old man!"
Many more times their swords clashed together, with both combatants trying to gain the upper and win the battle. Who would be the champion of this fight?
Mario looked behind him and saw that Cobra had a chance to sneak away from the battle. "They'll never know how it really happened," Cobra thought as he dashed outside. "The last sight they'll be seeing is blood!"
Mario had to warn Max and tell him that Cobra was the real culprit of the incident. "Go, your majesty!" he said as he jumped in front of Eggman. "I'll hold this guy off! Cobra might be the real brains behind Sonic's so-called betrayal!"
"That murderer!" Max thought as he went off to search for Cobra. "He cannot go unpunished! I should have sentenced HIM to death instead! I must go reach him."
Max went outside the hut to find Cobra running out of the village. He was not able to make it out, thanks to Bunnie stretching out her robotic arm and tripping him to the ground. "That rabbit!" Max thought as he ran over to Cobra. "I remember when her mother was part of the council! It seems like the good old days keep coming back to me!"
Max fully approached Cobra, ready to question him about the real case of the incident. "You're not going anywhere without giving me the answers I need!" he said. "Now tell me! What is the true scheme?!"
Cobra could not try to escape; if he dared do it again, Bunnie would attack once more. "Fine!" he said. "I now see that further resistance is useless."
"He's all yours, sugar!" Bunnie said as she headed up to the village's limits, guarding the exit.
"I will tell all that happened," Cobra explained. "After you failed to kill Courtney, I had my revenge. But I had to do it on your daughter when you would least expect it. I made arrangements with Geoffrey St. John and two other Mobians; I told them that I would pay them fully if they would assassinate your daughter for me. And so, one of them disguised herself as Sonic and went up to the top of Julian's fortress. The REAL Sonic was battling Julian at the time; he had already made it to the control room. And so, when you would be fooled, thinking that the real Sonic had killed your daughter, Geoffrey would come in and take him away along with that plumber friend of his.
"But my victory was not easily earned," Cobra continued. "Julian found me and defeated me in battle. He brought me here, using me as his trophy, as a sign that he would soon become the next king of Mobius."
"So you set this up from the start!" Max replied. "You fooled me into sending Sonic to his punishment! That way, while you had killed Sally, I would have been the one to kill Sonic! Sonic and Luigi must not die!"
And indeed Sonic and Luigi had to find a way to escape their death sentence. Once Geoffrey brought them over to a ruined part of Robotropolis, he was ready to exterminate them. "Now you are completely doomed!" he said as he pulled out a spear, ready to hurl it at them. "You stole from me the one I love, and so you must pay the price!"
"Don't say that!" Luigi replied. "You're lying to us! The king has been cheated and lied to! Also, Sally has a right to say whom she truly loves! And that man is Sonic!"
"Thanks, Luigi," Sonic said. "Spoken like a man!"
"Enough talk!" Geoffrey barked. "Cobra has paid me enough to do this! And I'll gladly send you to the pit of hell where you belong!"
"I wouldn't bet on that!" Sonic replied. He began to run around in circles with his very fast speed, chanting: "Up, over, and gone!"
The whirlwind that Sonic created with his speed was powerful enough to blow the spear out of Geoffrey's hand. Sonic was also taking some of the oxygen out of the whirlwind so Geoffrey could not breathe. Geoffrey began to choke and wheeze, begging for air. This gave Luigi the opportunity to use the spear to cut the ropes that bound his hands. He then aimed it straight at Geoffrey, ready to throw it and end the evil skunk's life.
Sonic stopped running so that Luigi could throw better without hitting Sonic while running. Luigi thrust the sharp weapon forward and made it hit Geoffrey's side. Geoffrey St. John had died after living a life of lust and desire.
"Perhaps we were way too hard on him," Luigi said as he looked down at Geoffrey's corpse. "Yet another voice in my head is saying that he might have deserved that."
"We won't know for sure," Sonic replied. "But the village needs our help. Cobra might strike back any minute… or maybe Eggman."
"But whoever it is, we have the power to handle it. So how do we get back to the village from here? We're too far from it now!"
"Hang on tight, Luigi. Because this is going to get really fast. You're about to experience the feeling of way past cool!" Luigi climbed onto Sonic's back and held on as Sonic ran very fast, heading back to the Knothole Village.
Back at the village, Cobra had finally issued a battle with the king himself. He drew out his sword and prepared himself for a duel.
Max took out his sword as well and was ready to fight. "If you will not abandon your deadly plan…" he said, "…then the king of Mobius will destroy you without mercy!"
"You underestimate the power of Straggo!" Cobra replied as he lunged himself at Max. The two combatants had now struck up a sword fight, blade clashing into blade. It perhaps was never going to stop; no one seemed to be exhausted. No one would rest until one's revenge would be fulfilled.
"You blindly murder the innocent!" Max exclaimed as they fought on. "But what do you hope to gain from all this?"
"I wish to prove to my father that I am a worthy son!" Cobra replied. "Because I had triggered the war between the Straggons and Corlonians early, he exiled me here to Mobius! You remind me of my selfish and greedy father! You only care about your desires, such as whom your daughter should marry. That is also what inspired me to kill her; I wanted to steal the throne of Mobius and rule this land! I lied to you about giving you back your kingdom! I wanted to rule this planet and start a war against my father!"
"That gives you no right to take revenge! That will make you more than unworthy!"
Cobra ran towards a coffin placed next to a nearby tree. It was where Sally lied, her eyes refusing to open and wake up. Max had the idea of throwing his sword at Cobra, but something else happened. Sonic and Luigi had made it back to the village, and so they knocked Cobra out unconscious. Max ordered that he be executed immediately, and so Bunnie dragged him out of sight.
"I hoped you two would return safely!" Max exclaimed in joy as Sonic and Luigi fully approached him. "I am terribly sorry you were put into this mess."
"Think nothing of it," Sonic replied. "It's all thanks to Luigi here for exposing Geoffrey of his plan."
"But I still think I had given Geoffrey more than the bitter end," Luigi interrupted.
"Never mind Geoffrey," Max replied to Luigi. "He is no longer trustworthy to me. And now, it's time to finish off Julian!"
Meanwhile, Mario and the others were putting the finishing touches to the battle up in the hut. This gave Christopher the chance to finally attack at Eggman. "Not for nothing am I a black belt in karate," he said as he took off his lab coat. "I'll give the best I can."
Dr. Eggman turned around, confused about the many enemies hurling at him. He went completely dizzy as Chris came forward and struck him on the head. He fell down to the floor, then was immediately tied up along with Wario and Waluigi.
"I bet your old friend will be willing to ask you so many questions about this incident," Mario taunted at the tied trio.
"Don't mock me," Eggman replied. "But I assure you I won't be captured for long! I'll have my revenge on that hedgehog one way or another!"
After the battle was finally over, Knuckles, Shadow and Christopher had discovered some incredible evidence about Cobra's attack. They informed Sonic immediately and told him the news. "We want you to know that there is still hope for your brave friend," Knuckles spoke up, being the first to say what happened.
"Sally is still alive?" Sonic replied.
"She is merely in a coma," Chris came in.
"She's going to be alright," Shadow added. "She survived that fall only because her body is pliant, not a resistant armor like Eggman's robots."
Sonic walked out of the hut and went towards the tree where Sally's coffin was kept. He opened the lid to see the slumbering body of the one he loves. He bent down to kiss her on the head. "Please come back, Sally!" he whispered. "I need you!"
Sally finally opened her eyes and heard what Sonic had said. She was still alive. "Sonic!" she whimpered. "Then it wasn't you…"
"I would never betray any of my friends," Sonic replied. "Especially you. You're the one I love the most."
"I knew it! I knew all the time that you truly love me! And I'll still love you in return."
And so, the final arrangements for Eggman's imprisonment were settled, and Courtney became completely healed.
Christopher's portal opened up for him to enter Earth with Mario, Luigi, and Shadow. Before saying the last good-byes, Max had an idea. He summoned Sonic, Luigi, and Mario to kneel before him. He drew out his sword and gently touched it on each of their shoulders. "I now dub thee Sir Sonic, Sir Luigi, and Sir Mario!" he announced. "Rise, my friends!"
"Thank you for the generous offer," Mario replied. "But we don't live here. Earth is where Luigi and I belong."
"But perhaps we can come here again sometime," Luigi said. "We can still fight side-by-side, just wait for when duty calls."
"Of course, my friends," Max replied. "We may yet have another adventure."
After everyone had said good-bye, Mario, Luigi, Shadow, and Chris entered the portal and transported to Earth, their true home.
"If Cobra was to return and threaten our land once again…" Max thought as he watched them go back home, "…not all the swords in the universe can defeat him. But together, as a kingdom reunited, we are invincible!"
Thank you so much for viewing this director's cut. It's been a very long time since I've released an attention-grabbing fanfic. Hopefully, I'll bring out some more goodies soon.