A Sonic X fanfcition
Trouble Brews in the Mind
Of Your Enemy
Written by David B. Carter
CH.1-Emerald in the shape of a brain
Dr.Eggman walked through the halls of his ship and endured the laughter of his robots. Decoe and Bocue were on the bridge and they too laughed when he came onboard. "Quiet you brainless tots!" While on vacation Sonic came and told him his new fortress was on fire. As he ran he realized too late what Sonic meant. His brand new 12ft fortress was in ruins…and the hedgehog was roasting marshmallows over the open fire! Yelling out unintelligible insults he rushed at the hedgehog, only to trip over his foot and into the fire. What hair he had left was burnt and Sonic tried to roast marshmallows over his burnt hair! Now here he was on the bridge, with only 2 hair strands left, both on his left and right. Storming over to his seat he ordered, "Let's get out of here!"
"Yes…sir," Decoe said holding his metal stomach. Bocue plotted the course and held his head, they mock me still, Eggman thought sadly. That hedgehog had humiliated him countless times before, but this time he had his own crew in on humiliating him! Steepling his fingers he shifted the bulk of his weight to the right and his eyes seemed to burn a path through the clouds. "We have incoming, it's the X Tornado!"
"I'm prepared for you this time Sonic, and maybe this time I can be roasting marshmallows over your toasty body!" He raised his left hand and the ship radiated in a glow of yellow. All he needed was one shot; that one shot would take the Tornado's power and eventually short circuit the controls to fly. It seemed larger now and really intent on landing, but not while I'm in command of this ship, he thought with a smirk. "Bocue fire the weapon."
"Yes Dr.," he said. His fingers stabbed at blue controls that brought up a circular turbo laser. Every new emerald was either added to a new gamma prototype, or to the ship's new weapon. Over and over the X Tornado had landed on them and busted new cell bars apart or stolen a new emerald. This time the ship faced a monster, one that wouldn't be boarded alive.
"Fire at your will," Dr. Eggman said with control. He should've left that out, but so far in his career he had not enough robots to trust. Most either betrayed him or ended up being destroyed in a speed battle with Sonic. Bocue hit the gold button and outside they witnessed success as the X Tornado was hit. A trail of smoke followed the ship as it spiraled down to the surface. "It worked!"
"No damage to hull…and no boarding party Dr. Eggman," Decoe said with relief. His day got better as the left side of his chair blinked emerald. To have speed; then maybe it'd be possible to go places, he thought with a smile. He remembered, only in foggy perception, his youthful jog, the way he'd run; all gone due to his laziness. At night he stared at the bulk in the middle of the bed and thought he left his uneaten turkey on the plate, when he lifted his covers, it was only his belly. How he wished for speed…
"Dr. Eggman report to the bridge," Bocue's voice said. Dr. Eggman threw his covers off and rushed to the bridge. On the view screen was an image of a large body of water, as Eggman squinted he could discern the shape of an island. It was far away from Station Square and away from Sonic and Co.
"Take us in, but with a little distance," he said. The ship slinked across the sky and all engines stopped above the island. "Get the survey carrier out and report to the hangar." As Eggman left the bridge he tried to jog the length from the door to the hangar bay, near the middle he felt a pang of pain in his chest and he slowly sank to his knees. "I…need…to…diet," he said with a puff. 2 minutes later he was in the hangar bay and Decoe and Bocue were there.
"The atmosphere is breathable and there might be a small chance of showers," Decoe reported. To Eggman that was good news and in another minute they were landing on the planet. Thunder clouds appeared above and the sky rumbled with anger. Eggman speed walked ahead and the robots came close behind. While in bed he had studied on the emeralds this one on this planet was thought to be destroyed during a flood.
"The good thing about this is that blasted hedgehog has no idea where we are," Eggman said happily. They walked on and came upon a swamp. A smaller island within the island itself was there. Eggman approached the island and stared at the ruby emerald hungrily. "Decoe, take a reading on the swamp."
"Yes Dr.," Decoe said. The robot stepped into the swamp water and spun around to demonstrate how safe it was. Just as Eggman stepped onto the island a fast moving object was caught out of the corner of his eye. As it skidded to a halt and as the cloud of dust subsided, the "it" formed into a blue hedgehog. Over his back was a brown bag and his smile was irritating. Not again!
"Nice spot for a game of find the emerald," Sonic said with a game face. Pushing past Decoe and Bocue Sonic stood by Eggman and eased the bag to the island. Eggman stared down at his enemy and his muscles tightened. "Guess I'll take-."
"Not so fast blue pest," Eggman said with an edge, "the emerald is mine…and I won't let you or any of your little friends take it." Eggman drove his left foot into Sonic's chest and sent the hedgehog into the swamp. Sonic did a handspring and sent a left uppercut into Eggman's chin. Eggman was stunned, but fought it off and sent both his fists onto Sonic's back. Sonic crawled to the emerald and put his left palm over it; he then gripped it hard in his fist and slowly rose to his feet.
"Leave my little friends out of it for once!" He shoved the emerald into Eggman's stomach and a red light pierced them both. The veins in their head showed and inside their brains stopped. Sonic felt himself pulled into the emerald and along with him was Eggman. A network of channels spread across an open chasm filled with information.
"I regret this so much," Eggman said. Up ahead was an image of two fighters, both asleep and dreaming. Suddenly before them a figure in a red cape appeared. His specie was in cloth and his blue eyes were only apparent.
"This is the emerald of the brain! The powers of this emerald allow the transfer of one living thing's brain to another. You two are complete opposites and have an ongoing struggle to destroy the other. I am here to settle your…differences. Be ready to take on the other person's life."
"You mean I have to be Eggman? Slow and easy to beat; are you insane?" Sonic laughed nervously while Eggman smiled at the possibilities. "Eggman, what is with this emerald?"
"Undisturbed location and not around explosions, that's why you blue pest. But if I'm you that would mean my evil plans would be accomplished 10 xs faster. Sonic, I am going to enjoy being you." Sonic rammed his head into Eggman and the two rolled on the floor in death locks. Three lasers sent the two into opposite corners with restraining cables.
"This will do both of you good," the mysterious one said with a hidden moral, "give it a chance and maybe when you awake you can live in peace and harmony. Begin process 2-A and don't stop till 2-C." Energy waves lit the cables and Sonic and Eggman both felt their whole life drain out slowly.
"…I don't want to be fat," Sonic said through his teeth. Eggman fought against the cables and felt it dig into his skin cutting flesh. Sonic pulled forward and the cables threw him to the wall. His vision was blinded by white and his whole body went numb. He closed off the pain.
"…Sample my power," Eggman said with a huff of breath. Lights exploded and a pool of red water flooded the floor. As Eggman got up he fell to his knees and panic filled his voice, "I'm fat! I'm bald! And am very, very slow!"
"Yee-haw!" Sonic was full of energy and running off the walls. The characteristics were off, that was because, if it wasn't already noticeable: Eggman was appalled and Sonic was yelling out weird catchphrases. The procedure was complete, and Station Square had to face a new crisis.
CH 2-Double take on the wild side
Eggman ran past vehicles, past houses, and past trees at the speed of light. As he passed crowds of office workers they chanted his enemy's name, "Sonic! Sonic! Sonic!" Eggman grinded his teeth and ran over to the crowd. Sonic's fans held pictures and feeling obligated he signed them. The people wore puzzled expressions and one asked him, "Is this a joke Sonic?"
"No, that's my-." Eggman glanced at his signature and noticed he signed it "Eggman". Crumbling the photo he tried again and this time it was a success. "Sorry, just had a run in with…the egghead." It hurt him so much to be in the spotlight of his enemy, why didn't he receive recognition for his work? Speeding along the dirt road he passed the Thorndyke mansion and a very confused Tails and Amy. His destination was the Egg Carrier so he could think this through. Blue bolts of fire shot ahead of him and Eggman was so glad help was here. "Hey care to lend a stranger a lift?" The bots replied-
"Destroy the hedgehog! Ordered directive from Dr. Eggman," they said. Realizing his mistake he rolled into the shrub as another fire hit the road. Peering over the greenery he made sure they were gone before he came out. He was Sonic the hedgehog, yet inside he felt like Dr. Eggman, it was all too real and yet sooner or later he had to learn, or he'd be toast.
Sonic trudged up the dirt path to the Thorndyke mansion and patted his brow. No one would give him a lift and they all thought his day needed to get worse by trash. As he approached the entrance he squeezed his way through the shrubbery and into the backyard. Chris Thorndyke was swimming laps and Cream and Tails were playing catch. Sonic came into the yard just as Chris finished his lap, he was shocked to see him there.
"Amy! Tails!" Amy saw Eggman and froze, yet her eyes seemed to stab into his heart. Tails flew in front of Chris and raised his gloved hands in defense. Sonic shook his head and the fuzzy hazy clouds parted and as Sonic shifted his weight, he remembered the transfer of brains. "This is weird."
"I got him Chris!" Mr. Tanaka did a spin kick and before Sonic knew it he was flying in the air and into the pool. He felt the water splash against his body and his flesh was bit by the impact. Sonic swam to the surface and gasped for air.
"Chris it's me…Sonic," he told his friend, but if Chris was Eggman and said he was Chris, then maybe he'd react the same. Chuck Thorndyke came out of the house with waffles and dropped them at the sight of Eggman in the pool. Within a few minutes Sonic was thrown over the gate and into the streets. Rubbing his fat butt he limped down the road and wondered where he'd end up next. No longer Sonic the hedgehog, he was a new person, one which he'd have to base his life off of-Dr. Eggman. The sun was setting and Sonic sat near the lake with tears streaming down his flabby cheeks. A loud engine was heard and the water parted to reveal a huge ship. Shrugging away the personae of Sonic, he stood up straight and marched up the ramp and onto his ship. "Ah…Decoe and…Bocue continue the search for the hedgehog, pronto!" Sitting in the flat seat of Eggman he melted into everything around him and he also erased his need for speed and hate of water. "I am Dr. Eggman and my orders will be followed!" The robots quickly set to work and Eggman smiled.
Feeling free of his fat body Eggman ran up canyon walls and kicked up a dust trail behind. He rolled into a ball and crashed through rocks and scattered little critters. Feeling tired he ran home, or in this case Sonic's home. The gate at the mansion opened up and Eggman walked in. That female hedgehog is out here, Eggman thought disgustedly, better ignore her or I won't be able to get up and cause chaos. "Night Amy."
"Aren't you going to kiss me goodnight?" Putting his thumb down he walked past her and walked into the living room. He sat on the couch and put his sneakers on the table and picked up the remote. Nothing was on, but a small part of him wanted to watch robot takedown. He flipped to the channel and laughed as a tiny pint sized robot got caught in the pincers of the larger one. "What did I do to deserve this?"
"Hey Sonic, isn't that robot takedown?" Eggman didn't turn to acknowledge the Thorndyke; instead he turned the TV up and roared hilariously at the next pip squeak to be crushed.
"Sonic I can't sleep," Tails said holding a pillow, "do you mind if I hang with you?" Eggman held his head as voices kept interrupting his program. On the Egg Carrier he was too busy being an evil genius to ever watch TV, but now as Sonic he had that luxury. Eggman stared at Tails with a false smile. As the fox sat next to him he flipped to a channel full of violence. He enjoyed this moment as the fox's face turned pale green and he rushed away.
"Sonic that wasn't nice," Chris said with reconciliation. "Oh by the way your friend Eggman dropped in today, said he was you," Chris said with a giggle. Turning the TV off Eggman frowned, then got up and walked back outside. Amy sat in a beach chair crying and when she saw Sonic she followed him. Eggman climbed up the tree and lay back.
"Too much closeness must get fresh air," Eggman said with a yawn. Amy wiped away her tears and went back inside past a worried Chris. Chris stared at the tree and the lone hedgehog; something was fishy in the air tonight.
Sonic looked at the multiscreens, none had Eggman, none even close. He sat up as the far right screen showed a tornado in the canyons. That used to be my only pass time, he thought glumly; now my only pass time involves creating new and dangerous machines to hunt Eggman. I'm Eggman, he thought, clinging to the name, but on the tip of his tongue was Sonic. The only way he could prove he was the real Sonic, would be to take a new leave. "Decoe…I quit."
"What did he say!" Bocue came in with a crushed plate and Decoe looked at Eggman. Now that he had their attention he made a low bow and left. With a skip down the hallway he flipped the off switch on all emerald studies and new chaos creatures. Bocunn came flying in and felt sick as he identified the scent; he covered his eyes. Sonic accidentally flipped the off switch on the ship and all engines stopped.
"That's what I get for being careless," Sonic said. Holding onto the chair he yelled as the ship plummeted to the waters below. The crash sent Sonic stumbling over his feet and into an exploding console. Water began to seep in through the cracks and Sonic felt dizzy. Alarms rang and the red color added blood to the sea water. "I hope I get credit for this," Sonic thought aloud. Holding his bleeding head he made his way up the wet steps and pounded the hatch off. A crowd of reporters were in helicopters and in lifeboats; it seemed he struck a chord. After the rescue and capture of Decoe, Bocue, and the last of Eggman's workers; Eggman himself made a speech:
"To answer your many, many questions I have only this to say: today I abandon my role as bad guy; no, this isn't another scam to rule the world, if that's what on the tip of your tongue. I myself destroyed the Egg Carrier, not your hero hedgehog. To him I wish only peace." The police handcuffed him and led him into the back of the police car. Decoe and Bocue kept their distance along with a crying Bocunn. "Isn't this great?"
"We do not acknowledge you any more Eggman," Decoe said with disgust. The door closed and Sonic waved to the many investigative reporters and anchors. The cell he was in was cold and at nights he held the bar wishing to be at the Thorndyke's, all wasn't so easy. The next morning a trial was held to see if the crimes he committed would land him locker. Sonic sat with his lawyer as the jurors decided his fate.
"It is by the jury of Station Square," juror no #12 began, "that we find the accused Dr. Eggman to be…innocent of recent events. Sonic the hedgehog was at the Thorndyke mansion and wasn't seen near the Egg Carrier. Also evidence proves Eggman was responsible for shutting down his own operations." The audience was stunned, but Sonic didn't celebrate.
"Dr. Eggman please stand," the judge said. Sonic moved his chair back and got up with the burden of a man facing death. He was innocent of his recent heroic act, but if they laid his past errors…would he still be free? "As of this day you are on parole, any other attempts at evil and you end up in a cell with a loony. Do I make myself clear Eggman?"
"Yes, I understand my limits," Sonic said. Court was dismissed and as of that time Dr. Eggman was good (due to a small change in thoughts). News would reach the Thorndyke mansion soon and Sonic hoped Eggman was listening. A limo awaited him and a man in a tuxedo held the door open. Sonic was pushed from behind and sailed into the limo. A few security guards sat there with a man in a blue tuxedo. He had a shade of grey hair and a medium build. "I presume you're the president."
"And I presume you're up to something," the president said. Sinking into the soft cushion of the limo he felt his new turn of good, really uneasy.
CH.3-A city confused
While the real Sonic was being taken in for questioning, the false Sonic (Eggman) had just turned to the news channel:
"In the last 24 hours the
Egg Carrier fell from the
Sky and landed in the lake.
The surprise is Dr. Eggman did
It and it was in the court room
He was found innocent. The special
Services is questioning him right
Now, stay tuned for further updates."
"He destroyed my work!" Eggman bolted from the couch and ran. He ran through the brush, and to the vast lake where he ran across the lake. He didn't sink, nor for that matter trip, in all his anger he didn't even know about Sonic's fear of water. As he returned over the glistening water he felt a little better. Walking into the backyard he caught everyone's sour mood. Chris just floated in his pool, Amy was staring at nothing, Cream &Cheese ate their crackers slowly, Chuck Thorndyke was doodling with a completed experiment, Ella was cleaning the same spot, Mr. Tanaka stood around, and Tails stared right at him. "Guess you heard-."
"That Eggman is innocent, yeah." Chris said with a simple splash in the pool. "He destroyed his own work and said things would be different, do you believe him?" Eggman shrugged and walked inside and again flipped channels. Nothing was on so he slept.
"Something tells me that's not Sonic," Chuck said as he fixed his invention. "The old Sonic would have a quirky reply or instead of insult Tails here with horror flicks, he'd watch something the both of them would enjoy. Has anyone else noticed…this?"
"Sonic won't go on a picnic with me," Amy said fighting back tears, "he doesn't talk to me anymore and didn't give me a kiss goodnight!" Chris swam to the stairs and got out with water dripping from his trunks. Was what Dr. Eggman said true? Could he be the Sonic missed around here? It couldn't be.
"We've faced bizarre things before," Tails said, "and in those times all we needed was humor." Everyone laughed, but it felt hollow without Sonic. Where was Sonic the hedgehog?
"Why the change of heart Eggman?" Sonic was in a small cubicle styled room where a huge mirror stood in the back and the only furniture was 2 chairs and a table. After his capture they put him here and said a special agent would be here in 4 minutes, more like a few seconds, Sonic thought. The questioning had been tough; most had to do with his schemes in the past, all done by the real Eggman.
"Society doesn't need two menaces today, I mean with that Shadow running around and all. I think Station Square needs an alliance with a professional, like me to clean the streets of these crimes. I know I betrayed your trust countless times, but believe me when I say…I'm sorry, please forgive me." The agent gave Sonic a keen eye. Sonic felt tired from the deprived sleep he had lost and the fact that his butt was uncomfortable in these chairs. The agent grinned.
"If what you say is true and you wish to help us, tell us where Shadow is," he said. Sonic's jaw dropped and the tiny drops of perspiration dotted his forehead. He hadn't seen the hedgehog in a week; the last known location was on the outskirts of Station Square. Then again what could they do to stop Shadow? The agent placed his hands on the table and waited.
"Last known location huh, quite a toughie," Sonic said. The agent nodded and Sonic tried his best to stall, until he had a valid location. He couldn't recall when Eggman last saw him, or for that matter himself. "Try the abandoned shoe factory, I hear he burnt his soles and needs a new pair." Sonic cracked his knuckles and stared at the agent.
"Dr. Eggman if this is a lie you are liable for life in prison, understood?" The agent left and Sonic felt his body shut down and soon he was snoring on the table. Through the mirror were two people sheathed in darkness: one was a female bat dressed in pink and black, the other was a female in military dress apparel. Rogue was a specialist in jewel thievery, her friend Topaz was off on special assignment so Rogue got stuck with this Eggman personality case. The agent came through the door shaking his head. "Do you believe him?"
"Dr. Eggman isn't a funny man," Rogue the bat said, "but today it seems the funny bug bit his fat toe. Did he ramble on about Chaos emeralds or Sonic the hedgehog?"
"No, in fact he asked for forgiveness and wanted to help hunt down Shadow. Truth be told I sort of agree; with the help idea," the agent said. The female military soldier tapped her chin thoughtfully. She spoke her opinion:
"Whoever that is, it's not Eggman," she said with a frown. Rouge and the agent both were clueless to how Eggman…wasn't Eggman. "His behavior is abnormal and the revenge in his blood is light as a flower. What was Dr. Eggman's schedule a few days ago?" The agent went to the file cabinet and pulled out a file with a skull. His eyes were glued to the print and at a minute interval widened:
"It says here at 10:54 a.m. his Egg Carrier was spotted over the ocean. An uncharted island lays there and over the past weeks the water current has…moved backwards." The woman nodded and put her hands behind the small of her back as she started to pace. The agent and Rogue knew when to keep their distance; this was one of those times.
"What were the activities of Sonic the hedgehog during 10:54 a.m.?" Rogue flew to the top file and pulled out a file containing red ink. Inside was Sonic's complete bio:
"It appears he was in the park with Amy Rose," Rogue said with disgust, "at 11:10a.m. he was spotted running across the ocean towards the island. At 11:50a.m. a strange red beam shot up to the clouds causing the air to smell like…fish." The woman nodded appreciatively as all clues fit in like a jigsaw puzzle. Sonic and Eggman…together?
"Prepare the private jet," she ordered, "we've got one heck of a mystery on our hands." As they left, Rogue stared into the room to still see Eggman asleep. Shaking her white head she flapped after the agent and soldier.
"This should be it," Eggman said. After his little nap on the couch he ran to a secret alcove where one tiny rock lay. He had once (when he was in his body) hidden a very destructive ray gun here; it was supposed to be used on the hedgehog, but due to current events it never saw the light of day, until now. Kicking it over he picked up a very small hand gun in the shape of a crap. The beams could destroy, even on low power. He had held back too long now his cry for power couldn't be ignored anymore. Pulling back the tail the energy cells kicked in and the weapon began to glow in blue brilliance. As he ran his legs worked in overtime and all the tanks in the world couldn't stop him now. Stopping before the city entrance he held the weapon and looked through the targeting scope. The nearest building was the town restaurant, and the explosion would definitely smell good, he thought. "I could do this and put the blame on Sonic…but they must know the wrath of Eggman. Maybe I could ruin Sonic's reputation, but Shadow already did that. What I need is a partner-."
"That wouldn't look good on your hero statue," Shadow said from behind. Eggman faced Shadow, a little shorter and not hidden behind an armored Chaos beast. "When did the bad bug ruin your rich slumber?" Eggman hated playing hidden identity 101, he needed to reveal his identity to someone, and Shadow the hedgehog was the closest to evilness to trust.
"I'm Dr. Eggman you warped alien," he said, "I found a emerald of supreme power, your friend Sonic interrupted and the two of us switched bodies. He's the…fat ninny and I'm the speedy hero of Station Square. Now are we going to destroy this city together…or do I count you out?" Shadow thought about the alliance, much of it had promise, but…would it work?
"What about the hedgehog?" Shadow never liked Eggman or Sonic; both had good reasons for their missions, but he chose not to ally himself with either. "Where is he anyhow?"
"Agents have him under protection, besides he shut down his only defense. Now let's give Station Square a party their sure not to forget." Flipping the trigger blue lasers wriggled out and sailed down at the restaurant.
Sonic shielded his eyes as another agent stepped in; this one clearly needed a haircut. His eyes scanned the cell and when they finally rested on his bulky form they widened. For the first few minutes there was a silence, then the agent spoke: "You're free to go Eggman, but don't make any plans to leave town until your story is verified." Rising from the bunk Sonic was assaulted by light and the cheerful music of birds. Just then two blue worm like lasers swooped in on a diner. Sonic ran after them and made it to the parking lot when they detonated. Shrapnel flew out to meet Sonic and flaming debris scattered everywhere. It was Shadow! But it seemed as if he was waiting for something, or someone.
"For your viewing pleasure," Shadow said with a dramatic sweep of his arms, "the new terror of Station Square-Sonic the hedgehog!" Standing beside Shadow was a burnt menacing figure of blue holding a weapon with 2 cartridges amiss. Sonic pushed up from the ground and curled his hand into a fist. A fire truck was heard and Eggman took aim, Sonic leaped forward and pushed Eggman to the ground as the beam fired; it bounced off a streetlamp and into a vending machine. Eggman shot up fast.
"Ruining my image for man? Well then, I guess your reputation is wet too. We'll meet again, only in less cooped up situations like this," Eggman said with a foreshadowing grin. Racing after Shadow he left Sonic to deal with the burning diner and doom.
"Did Eggman just save us?" The firemen got up from their ducked positions and made their way to the agent. "So what do you want Eggman? Power? Emeralds? Perhaps Sonic dead?"
"I just want you to believe me," Sonic said, "the real danger just destroyed the diner and has teamed up with Shadow. As a combined effort we can end this, but only with teamwork. By nightfall tomorrow I want everyone in town here, I'll explain the rest then." Walking away into the night he hoped he had achieved their trust, till then he had to plan a war.
"We may have misjudged Sonic before, but this time it appears we may have to side with Eggman." In the distance on the island the emerald began to glow, in its core the glint of evil began to grow…
Ch.4-It doesn't hurt to vote evil
The private jet lowered its landing gears on the muddy but soft ground of the island. Rogue the bat flew out and lowered into the mushy marsh and stared into the dense jungle. The military woman kept a keen eye out for any critters before taking the few steps off the safety of the stairs. The agent sniffed the air and did a handspring off the last step to land in a crouch. The group proceeded cautiously forward into the unknown and came upon a clearing where a cracked emerald hovered. "It's a brain!"
"It appears Eggman wasn't lying," the military woman said with reluctance. As they turned to leave a vine lowered and tripped the agent to the ground. Rogue and the military woman tried to run but were caught in a ray of red. Rogue rubbed her head and found herself tied to the wall. The military woman was across from her; clearly they were the 2nd victims of this.
"Welcome," a man in emerald red said, "it is clear to me now that people who have conflicts with one another come here. Try and see this is as a way to settle differences, you may even realize you two share common goals." A blinding light enveloped them and when they awoke, they were aware of a new body. Rogue stood up, free from cables and tall. The military woman named Jane stood up, but fell face first to the floor. Rogue frowned:
"My body is too tall and the view up here is too dizzy," she said upset. Folding her arms she walked over to the far side of the room and stomped her heel. "I wanna be me again!"
"Such freedom," Jane said as she did a somersault. "No rules, no limits, just being your own boss. You may not know this Rogue, but I never was liked as a kid." Jane looked out the window and saw square like shapes form platforms. Rogue shook her head and walked over to Jane and placed a reassuring hand on her.
"You may have not been liked then; and even though in the past I thought of you as a loner, now…I want to be your friend and now in your body I'll help you. Through you I'll create a new Jane, one sociable and top of her game." Jane perked up at that, but lowered her wings realizing a key aspect of life:
"Thanks Rogue, you know you're the first friend I ever talked to about my life. Thing is I have to make the effort and change for myself, you understand right?" Rogue smiled and helped Jane up, just then the red man came again. This time he seemed less fatigued.
"You two are the 1st to pass," he said with calm, "now if only Sonic and Eggman can realize friends among enemies aren't so bad. Before you two came here you didn't know anything about each other, now look-you're friends!" the room shook violently then and shards from above fell. "The stability of Sonic and Eggman's brain waves are enormous. If they kill each other, all will be lost."
"Jan lets go," Rogue said. The door opened and they ran out to the jet. The other agent who was caught earlier came from the underbrush wiping plant guts off his jacket. The two didn't bother asking what happened and ran up the ramp. Powering up the systems they flew off the island; the island began to cough up dirt and as the jet cleared away, water spouted from within. The emerald's glow was diminishing, and so was a certain duo of enemies.
"Well we're here now," the president said, "now do you care to explain your plan of resolution?" It was 5:00p.m. and the whole city of Station Square had come here hoping their enemy would bring things back to normal. Sonic caught sight of Amy in the crowd and blushed. Chris didn't meet his eyes, but Sonic only cared that he was here. Clearing his throat he readied the most important speech for Dr. Eggman:
"The city is in flames," he began with the obvious, "and the once peaceful city of Station Square is in turmoil. I know I have a shady record and on too many occasions tried to rule this city, but inside I regretted all of those choices. Shadow and Sonic won't go any farther, because I won't let them. Stay if you wish to defend your city, but please go if you plan on watching or record this. If you ever see me on the streets…tell me I'm a nice guy," he said with a grin.
"Chris are we really going against Sonic?" Cream looked up at Chris and saw his face express confusion and regret. In his head was the image of Eggman admitting he was Sonic, Sonic was good in nature, and Eggman was mean and never considered Station Square to be home to his friends. In his gut he felt like he should side with him.
"C'mon everyone let's do the right thing," Chris said as he broke through the crowd. He stood now beside Eggman and met his big scary smile with a grin. Tails followed and eventually the whole city followed and prepared a massive defense. Amy rubbed her arm as she stood by Eggman, not sure if Sonic was in there or not.
"Sonic…you have to cut down on doughnuts," she said with a smirk. Eggman smiled sheepishly and Amy knew then that her boyfriend was inside, which made her really worried about the outcome of this battle. The crowd hushed as two figures were discerned a mile away-both held weapons charged with deadly powers.
"Eggman, are we playing popularity 101 again? Ok crowd you know where you belong," Eggman said. Hesitancy swept over the crowd and Sonic feared they would leave, but to both his and Eggman's surprise, the crowd stayed. Pointing the weapon at a young girl he opened fire. Sonic didn't hesitate and leaped in front of the beam as the beam struck. The curling fingers of particle energy swept him to the floor and kept him there. "That takes care of Eggman, now let's celebrate," Eggman said as he kicked the motionless form of the evil man. Red dirt swam through the cracks of the street and the crowd backed away. Tendrils of red lightning swept across Eggman and Sonic and with much power hurled them in separate directions. Just as they were released a small light escaped each and went to their respective bodies.
"All this evil is making me starve, I see from your expressions you are not, so I'll see you," Shadow said. The crowd was left with only one question: where did these two combatants land anyway?
All Sonic felt was relaxation as he flew and the sensation of gurgling sounds as all motion stopped. His eyes opened to see bubbles, which could mean one of two things: one he was in a tub having a bubble bath, or the other involved plain water! Panicking he kicked and punched his way to the surface where he met angry people…who use to be his friends. Trying to act casual he swam backwards, only to become tired and exhausted on his 1st lap. About 5 minutes after being dried up he was placed in a beach chair and tied to it. In the judge's seat was Big the cat, the only one wishing to defend him was none other than…Shadow the hedgehog! Chris was the bailiff and the prosecutor was Amy Rose. The jurors were Chaos, each wearing a colored hat to differentiate from the others. "Today on the stand we have Sonic the hedgehog. How do you plead Sonic?" All eyes were on him, and if he wanted to live:
"Innocent your honor," Sonic said. The next 3 hours were the toughest in his whole life. 1st up was prosecution and Amy called up a surprise witness-the diner owner. Sonic watched from the defense table as Amy began her role to bust him.
"Mrs. Tayo what time do you start work?" The woman in burnt clothing looked angrily at Sonic before she answered:
"8:00a.m.," she answered without looking away from Sonic. Shadow reviewed his notes and Sonic noted how very shaken up he was. Could he have been there during the attack?
"Mrs. Tayo, could you please tell us what happened during your lunch special at 12:00a.m.?" Sonic felt like running, but then his innocence would be ignored. What was worst was Mrs. Tayo was a friend of Amy; the two never lied to each other. Gulp!
"The day was great and the customers swell," she said as she looked at Amy, "then I look through the window to see the sunny day, when upon the hill I see two hedgehogs. One seemed to be holding a crab, the other a mere observant. Knowing when to run I evacuated my customers out the back when my diner went up in flames." The mention of a second hedgehog brought whispers.
"Can you point the two "hedgehogs" out in this courtroom today?" Silence, the sound when the guilty party was cornered and the friends they trusted stabbed them in the back. It was too much to bear for Sonic, especially when his girlfriend was the prosecutor. Chris stood there silently, not budging an inch.
"The defense attorney…and Sonic," Mrs. Tayo said with a heavy heart. Sonic felt dead in his chair and beside him Shadow shuffled his papers glumly. The hour break to determine the verdict was agonizing, even for Sonic's former friends. Amy sat near the pool as the sun setted and when her clock chimed she walked in to hear what she already knew…and feared.
"We the jury find the accused-guilty!" The verdict was in and the sentence was a world away. Jumping from his seat Sonic made one last attempt to reach out to his friends:
"Courtroom in the back of the Thorndyke mansion, listen to me before you send an innocent hedgehog out to sea. An island out at sea contained an emerald of pure brain power. It was there that Eggman and I became the other. He was in my body during the diner attack; in fact he was even here in the backyard too! Check out the island, it holds my innocence-."
"What island?" Tails asked from his seat. He resented Sonic so much that he didn't bear to look up. "I've flown out there hundreds of times in the X Tornado and no island has ever registered on my scanners. Face it you've dealt your last lie for-."
"Not so fast Prower," Rogue said from the other end of the pool. "It so happens there was an island and an emerald and an emerald that can change your view about others. The one who shot the diner was Eggman, the one who deceived your trust was Eggman, and the one who saved the little girl…was Sonic. Shadow never fired the weapon and can be dismissed of any crime. So judge, will you send an innocent hedgehog, out to dry, or cut this case?"
"…Case dismissed," Big said with relief. Chris loosened up a bit and walked over to Sonic. Sonic shook his hand and hugged him. Big came by and hugged them tightly. "I'm sorry Sonic," Big said apologetically.
"I am too," Chris said with a smile. "I guess there's more to a person then meets the eye. Still, I wonder if Eggman's activities were influenced by you, or by change of heart?"
"There maybe a hint of evil in Eggman," Sonic said as he kneeled by the pool. "Fact is when I was Eggman I had this tingling sensation, it must've been a part of him I never knew existed. The one thing that matters in his life now is getting accustomed to no Carrier of evil, no robot assistants, or weapons." Chris and Big left and as Sonic turned around he saw Amy. She wore her prosecutor dress and behind her back were flowers. "Hey Amy," Sonic said.
"I didn't mean to play prosecutor," she said with a tear touching her cheek, "it's just no one else would. I picked these flowers for you, and if you don't accept I understand." Sonic held her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek. As he turned to leave Amy pulled him to her and kissed him sloppily. Breaking for air the two decided to take a walk. While everyone celebrated Shadow made his departure.
"Such a nice day to me," Sonic said. He and Amy held hands as they walked into Station Square. A crowd was coming towards them and Amy let go to let Sonic sign autographs. The crowd nearly trampled them as they rushed to the jogging figure. Sonic helped Amy up and the two went to investigate. Sonic's jaw dropped at the sight of Eggman signing papers. Eggman was in tears when he heard what a great guy he was and how they were wrong. "What is going on?"
"Me, a nice guy? Thanks, yes you are welcome. Yes I am a single hero looking for love. Make appearances on your show, why it'd be my pleasure. Sure I'd take another beating to save a child's life," Eggman said with a smile. Amy steered Sonic away as his face bubbled with anger. They walked to the diner.
"I know he's the bad guy," Amy said as she met his troubled face, "and yeah I know he destroyed Mrs. Tayo's diner, but let him have the spotlight for once. Mrs. Tayo has a new diner and her egg special is delicious, trust me, I'm your girlfriend ok?"
"I don't know why I was so shy around you," Sonic said as he gave her a kiss. As they walked to the diner Shadow watched from the alleyway. Making sure the coast was clear he made his way to the fork in the alley where two figures stood.
"So, where's the next Chaos emerald?" The people in the dark pulled out a light and held out a map. To his knowledge, the next location should be…no it couldn't be. "That would mean-"
"Yes and we shouldn't act so irrational about it either," the 1st person said, "keep this knowledge on the lowdown, we'll tell you when to strike." A small handheld device was given to him.
"Use it when the time is right," the 2nd person said. Running up the wall he stood up on a billboard and looked at two disappearing figures. Smiling coldly he held the device in his gloved hands. A few months were all he had, till then he'd stir things up with Sonic and Dr. Eggman. With that he pulled out two Chaos emeralds and said, "Chaos Control!" Then he was gone…