A/N: Alright folks, welcome to a new project of mine that's been stewing for while up in the old noggin'. The idea is to create a new believable Sonic world with elements from all continuities and tell the story of a war against Eggman within it. So yeah, there's gonna be fair bit of world-building in this one. Also its gonna be pretty dark for Sonic. Although that's like saying a red giant is pretty cold for a sun, so it won't be too bad but it'll probably earn its M rating. Also, THIS IS AU!
One quick thing before we start, I'm gonna be leaving song names at the beginning of each chapter if anyone wants to listen. A lot of the time the tracks will just a random piece that I like. If there's a note in brackets after the title name that means it meant to go along with a specific character or set piece in the story, like how I've got Sally's and the fic's main theme down there. Also, I picked new themes for everyone, so I'm not going to have His World or something as Sonic's theme.
Okay, I'm officially rambling. On with the show!
Shinedown: Unity (Theme of Sonic Affinity)
Tonight Alive: The Edge (Theme of Sally Acorn)
Prologue: Fight Another Day
The shining, fiery orb in the sky had begun its slow descent below the horizon, leaving the city of Mobotropolis behind for another day. As always though, it left a parting gift in the form of a golden sunset. The sun glistened like a jewel as it fell, casting the capital of the proud and ancient kingdom of Mobius and the sky around it in a golden light. However, in the hustle and bustle of a five-thirty rush hour it went mostly unnoticed by the busy commuters, most only taking a moment to note how pretty it was. It may be a pretty example of a sunset, but it was still just a daily occurence after all; nothing to get excited about.
However, in a massive, towering castle with many turrets and thick, if aging walls, there stood a young Mobian squirrel who did appreciate the sun's earnest efforts to strike awe into those scurrying below it. She gazed at the golden sheen the sun cast across city, the castle, and onto the balcony of her room where she stood. The girl stood somewhat short for a Mobian, at a few inches under three feet. She had glistening chocolate coloured fur with short red hair adorning her crown. Her tail was not the usual big and bushy affair that would be expected of a squirrel, instead it was a short puff of a chipmunk. The result of a genetic abnormality several generations down in the Acorn family and had been carried on. The squirrel was in the midst of her downtime, no lords to mingle with, no pushy matrons to teach her how to be a 'lady'. As such, she wore casual clothing; a pair of blue boots that came up to her calves, a pair of black shorts that reached the middle of her thighs, a simple white top and her favourite waistcoat in blue, lined with hidden pockets and zipped up to protect against the autumn breeze. The girl knew how incredibly 'un-ladylike' her ensemble was but if she was honest she hated dresses and the like. Unfortunately, her position often required her to wear one.
She sighed, I hate being a princess sometimes, she thought.
Indeed, the girl on the balcony was Princess Sally Acorn, second in line for the Throne of Acorns, where the monarch of the most powerful nation on Mobius, the Kingdom of Mobius named for its planet and people, sat. Ahead of her was Sally's brother Elias who, fortunately for all, had taken to his role far more comfortably.
The sun continued its slow descent, the heat that it brought with it also leaving the city. Sally shivered, turned and went into her bedroom, closing the glass door leading to the balcony behind her. She sighed as she thought about what had happened earlier that day. How her mouth had been way faster than her head. So the delegate from Trophin province may have been a pig, and Sally may have made a jibe involving a trough and a very enthusiastic, hungry pig. They were high strung aristocrats, Sally was hardly surprised they didn't see the funny side. Although, if Sally was honest her little joke might have been a tad too far but she knew for certain that her father's outburst was also too far. That she was 'no princess' and 'a lost cause' he had said. Her father had always taken things rather seriously, but that didn't soften the blow.
A creak filled the otherwise silent room as the door opened. In stepped Sally's mother, Queen Alicia Acorn. She was the older but spitting image of her daughter, except she had a far more regal dress sense. She wore a flowing silk dress of dark and light blue with silver embroidery. Adorning her flowing red hair was a golden diadem with jewels in the Acorn's royal blue upon it. A quintessentially motherly look was on her face as she looked at her visibly upset daughter, now sat upon her bed. While Sally clearly wasn't in tears, there was a certain melancholy on her face that in Alicia's view was just as bad. Alicia sat next to her daughter.
"Sally, are you feeling well?" truth told, Alicia already knew the answer, but it seemed a natural place to start.
Sally shifted, "Yes mother, I'm fine."
Alicia internally sighed. Alicia knew her daughter well, and when she shifted in place like she just had, she was lying through her teeth.
"No you're not, Sally," she spoke gently, "Your father loves you, no matter what he says or does, that will always be true. You're his little girl."
When Sally replied there was no shortage of venom in her voice, "That's the problem. I'm his little girl. He doesn't seem to appreciate that I'm old enough to make my own decisions, my own lifestyle choices. He knows that I hate all of this, and yet he puts me through it anyway."
Alicia grimaced and sat next to her daughter, "Your father does not enjoy it. How could he, he knows what you think of your position. But, like it or not, it is his duty to ensure you are able to perform yours. You are second-in-line for the throne of the most powerful nation on Mobius. You need to be ready for the day where you may need to step up and lead."
Sally didn't speak for several moments, but then sighed and replied in barely more than a whisper, "I know... but I don't think I can."
Alicia finally understood. Her daughter wasn't unwilling to lead due to disdain for the job. It was because of fear. The pressure and responsiblity placed upon her in the event something happened to Elias would be enormous; the lives of six and a half billion Mobians placed in her hands. To this day, the very concept made Alicia's own mind spin, she was unsurprised that her daughter felt this way.
Sally spoke again, "Mother... I'd like to be alone for a while."
Alicia blinked. She had not been called 'mother' by her daughter for years; it was always 'Mom'. The sassy attitude that her daughter had picked up from that conundrum of a blue hedgehog she had those three years with had been dampened completely. The mother ran her hand over her daughter's hair,
"Okay sweetheart. But whenever you feel up to it, we can talk, alright?"
Sally simply nodded and Alicia made her way to the door. Alicia's hand had almost touched the knob when she heard an explosion off in the distance. She immediately turned and ran to the balcony, her daughter hot on her heels. A plume of smoke rose off in the distance, dark and heavy.
"That's coming from Fort Emerald, mom!" exclaimed Sally.
Alicia only stared in shock and confusion at the apparent explosion at the nearby military base before she finally uttered, "What on Mobius was... We must find your fath-"
Alicia never had the chance to finish her sentence as a loud, terrible screech overtook her ears as with every one in Mobotropolis. She looked up only to see formations of red, gold and black fighters flying in the city's airspace. The intruders had drooping wings and were wide craft that tapered to a pointed edge towards the front. They seemed rather ungainly but at the same time elegant. They presented even more cause for concern, they were not a model of aircraft being produced by any known company. Who could they belong to?
Her reverie would have to wait however as the fighters began to swoop down on the city, autocannons blazing. Screams could be heard on the city streets even from the castle. Unusually some of the aircraft suddenly jerked in midair and appeared to fall down onto the streets below.
Mother and daughter could only stare dumbstruck at the sudden and violent attack. Mobius had nothing but amicable relations with the United Federation and the Dragon Kingdom, the only two other major nations on their world. They had no enemies that were powerful enough to do this, to conduct such a modern day blitzkreig. The door behind the two female royals burst open as two Royal Guards ran into the room. They were dressed in an ornate royal blue jacket with red trim, a gun-metal grey bowl shaped helmet with gold trim, loose cream trousers and blue boots. The outfit was not exactly fit for combat, especially on a modern battlefield where full armour was often required to survive - but each Royal Guardsman had to pass strict training and filtering, resulting in the defenders of the Royal family being some of the best soldiers Mobius had to offer. The two soldiers before them seemed a mismatched pair, one a clearly panicked, thin, brown coyote who hid a tuft of blonde hair arranged in a curtain under his helmet. The other was a rather dashing looking skunk (a contradiction if ever there was one in Sally's own opinion) with defined features and an air of confidence about him. Sally recognized them as Antoine D'Coolette and Geoffrey St. John respectively, guards who had been working in the castle for a couple of years now.
"Your highnesses! You must come quickly! 'Is highness iz in the DCC receiving a communication; apparently from ze one responsible for this!" Antoine spluttered out breathlessly in his thick Mercian accent.
Sally nodded, "Lead the way, guardsman."
The four of them made their way through the ancient hallways of the castle, man-servants and maids scurrying about in a panic while Royal Guardsmen rushed towards the same destination, the front courtyard to see off any invaders threatening the castle if the queen and princesses' escorts were to be believed.
Soon the four of them found themselves in the Defense Coordination Centre in the basement levels of the castle. It was a vast circular room with a high ceiling. The lights were lowered, and all around were monitors and consoles manned by Royal Army operators, who were tapping away frantically on their station's haptic interfaces (holographic keypads that could be physically interacted with). They were desperately trying to regain control of the situation, or at least determine exactly what that situation was. Sally couldn't see the operator's screens very well, but what she could see pointed to one thing. Chaos. Not only in Mobotropolis, but the entire kingdom.
Antoine and Geoffrey lead the queen and princess to the front of the room, where in front of a large screen blanketed with static stood the king, Maximillian Acorn and his son the prince, Elias Acorn. Maximillian wasn't all that old (only his mid-fifties) but looked rather frail looking, with a thin body and limbs like twigs. The side effect of a hard, stress filled life. However, the entire castle knew that appearances were decieving in this case. The king had a regal look about him; steely blue eyes, a thin silvery moustache framed by brown fur, his long fox-like tail neatly brushed. His stance also spoke of his status, he stood with a regal bearing. He was completed by his clothing, an elaborate royal blue jacket and trousers laced with gold and red and a beautiful crown encrusted with jewels atop his head. The Crown of Acorns, said to have magical powers. Sally wasn't too sure about that though; she believed in science, things she could see, not hocus pocus.
The king's son was, if anything, just as impressive a specimen as his father. Indeed Elias could have been mistaken for the king's younger self if not for the complete lack of moustache and the possession of some of the queen's more defining features, his eyes a purer blue than his father's, a shock of red hair as opposed to his fathers now silver but formerly dark brown hair. He also had a much broader figure than his father although he was still hardly buff, he had more wiry build. He wore similar clothes to Maximillian, only less elaborate embroidery and without a crown. Instead, he had a sword strapped to his side. It had a thin graceful blade, a few runes in the ancient mobian language carved in towards the base of the blade. The guard was diamond shaped and was surprisingly simple, although it was gold plated. The handle was most simple of all, a treated wood that some how withstood the ravages of time that tore at the ancient sword. The Sword of Acorns. It was also said to be magical, although the only thing that science could say with certainty was the sword was over a millenia old and was made of a substance known as Chaos Steel, an extremely rare substance that was incredibly durable and had some rather... unusual properties. Most notably it could stabilise the powers of those whose powers were unstable by strengthening their Streams to the Chaos Force, the source of all Chaos energy, the lifeblood of the planet.
The four of them fell in behind the king and prince, as they both grimaced at the screen. The king turned on a nearby technician, a raccoon that was tapping furiously at his console.
"You there, why haven't you cleaned up this signal yet?" the king demanded.
The rather flustered looking raccoon replied quickly, "I'm sorry, your highness. An unidentified air cruiser has flown into our airspace. Its jamming our co-... Oh."
"What is it?" asked Elias.
The raccoon didn't turn from his console when he replied, too engrossed with the new development, "A single frequency just opened up, your highness; no jamming at all."
"Like an invitation..." muttered Sally.
Geoffrey nodded with a grim look upon his face, "Gotta agree there, highness. Hate feelin' so... controlled," said the skunk in a slight Downundan accent.
"I'm tapping into the new frequency now, highnesses," reported the raccoon.
The screen flickered for a moment before it finally gained a clear signal showing a portly overlander on the screen. The man looked to be in his early forties, had a completely bald head with the exception of a rather impressively sized red-brown moustache, a pair of round glasses and a pair of goggles across his forehead. He wore a unique red jacket with silver straps and gold fascinings with black trousers and white gloves rounding out his unusual attire. He had a devious smile spread across his face as he ran his fingers through his moustache.
"Ah your highness. What an honour," he smirked.
Everyone in the DCC immediately recognized him.
"Doctor Eggman!" exclaimed Sally.
Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik was a very well known figure throughout Mobius. Six years previous, he had declared war against the mobian race, although he was hardly kind to his overlander brethren either. He had built a facility known as the 'Scrap Brain' and launched a robotic invasion of South Island, largest of the Blur Islands off the coast a mere eighty miles away from Mobotropolis. The military had obviously taken this threat very seriously but when the fleet they dispatched arrived at the island, they found only the wreckage of the robotic invaders and the facilities they attacked from. At the epicentre of the destruction they found a twelve year old blue hedgehog named Sonic Dalian who introduces himself as Sonic the Hedgehog. The child had been responsible for the doctor's defeat, thanks to his Chaos-enhanced speed. In fact, he was so fast that today he holds the title of 'Fastest Thing Alive' and gained titles such as 'The Blue Blur'. Unfortunately, the doctor escaped his defeat at South Island and later went onto invade another of the Blur Islands, Westside Island, where he was foiled again by Sonic. Eggman went onto launch attacks all over Mobius. Sometimes he was stopped by the military, but usually it was Sonic. Angel Island, the United Federation, Spagonia, Adabat, Apotos, Mazuri, even an amusement park in orbit, Sonic had defeated him in all of those places and more. Eggman had fallen off the grid after his defeat at his 'Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park' for a couple of years; the Secret Service had assumed he was killed in the explosion of the park.
The very same Doctor sneered down at the princess, "How very astute."
"Don't talk to her like that!" snarled the king, "Why have you done this? You risk the full might of the Royal Army!"
Eggman's sneer returned, "Oh, you mean this army?"
The screen's image changed to show a military base. It nearly utterly destroyed. Tanks and mechs lay burning, their parts strewn about the base. Charred corpses of troopers were scattered around, many without their armour in their mad dash to defend their base. Some lay in a pool of blood when they had been struck by several bullets. Others were missing limbs, having been struck down by shrapnel or massive explosive force. Many were barely even recognizable as mobian anymore. The screen switched to another base in a similar state. Then another. And another. The royals could only watch helplessly as they saw that every single base, stronghold and fleet they had had been destroyed.
The screen switched back to the doctor, "So tell me Maximillian, what am I risking the wrath of exactly?"
The king was speechless, "How... How can this... be?"
The doctor looked incredibly pleased with himself, "Careful planning, the construction of new mech designs and a simultaneous strike on your entire military intrastructure. Now all that remains is take control of your cities, and I won't just have Eggmanland, I'll have an entire planet to call my own!"
Elias spoke up, raising one eyebrow at the doctor, "You really think you'll still get away with this? There are thousands of streamers all over the world. Such as the likes of Team Sonic."
The doctor only smirked back, "I've taken plenty of precautions this time, princeling. They won't be a problem."
This time it was someone other than Eggman's turn to smirk as Elias replied, "You say that and yet, you've failed in this exact goal more times than I care to count," the prince crossed his arms, "I highly doubt this will be any different."
Eggman scowled back, "We'll see, runt," he said in a low, dangerous voice. The doctor disappeared from the screen.
"He's cut off the transmission, your highnesses. If you don't mind my saying, you really struck a nerve there, Prince Elias."
Sally smiled, "He must be a sore loser." Elias chuckled.
Meanwhile, the king was deep in thought. The only defense the city had at the moment we're the Mobotropolis Police Department and his own Royal Guards. The police's lightly armed and armoured officers and security mechs would be no match for the exotic and advanced combat mechs that Eggman would likely send against the city. Meanwhile, his Royal Guards could stand against them... If there were more of them. They only number a hundred at any time and that was counting the ones that were at their homes; there were only forty-five in the castle at that moment. Forty-five to protect a city of six million... There only seemed to be one solution.
"Mechanic," the king spoke, "Is the emergency broadcast system still running?"
The raccoon only nodded.
"Good, I need to address the people."
"I'll patch you in your highness, just speak into this mic here... Okay. You're live in three, two..."
Maximillian leaned into the microphone. As he spoke, every television, every radio, every electronic bulletin board suddenly turned to the king's grave face. All over Mobius, frightened families huddled together for comfort in their homes looked to the screens, to hear what their leader had to say. What they could do, how they could win. To have hope.
"People of Mobius. Young and old, men and women, mobians and overlanders. I'm afraid this is a dark day for our kingdom. Moments ago, were attacked on all side by forces of the self-styled Eggman 'Empire'. The strike was brutal and exacting; we cannot at this moment retaliate. As I speak, his army bears down on Mobotropolis. The castle will soon be overrun.
But I assure you all, there is hope. For now, we make our escape. If you live in a major population centre, I suggest you do the same; the police force and what remains of our military will do their utmost to protect you. We will then gather our strength and strike back at Eggman.
The Doctor thinks he has already won. That we have no way of even slowing him down. I think he has underestimated the tenacity and vigour of the mobian people. He does not realise what it means to fight for a true, righteous cause! What it means to fight for his home, his family! It is his greatest weakness. But we all have that fire within us. We will strike everywhere and be nowhere, we will make the doctor regret the day he even entertained the thought of his own empire!
Good luck, and may you shelter Aurora in your soul."
Maximillian stepped away from the mic. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his wife staring at him, her eyes shining.
"That was a truly inspiring speech, love."
Sally only looked on in concern, "We're going to make a break for Knothole, Dad?"
"Yes we are. Mechanic, do you have any information on the situation outside?"
The raccoon technician stared at his screen gravely, "Looks like there are Eggman mechs already inside the city. All over it in fact. Its unclear on what type they are though..."
"WHAT?" spat the king.
Alicia rested her hand on her forehead, "How can they be inside the city already?"
"Perhaps that air cruiser deployed drop pods?" suggested Sally.
The raccoon shook his head, "That air cruiser won't be directly over the city for another six minutes. They were deployed some other way."
"Regardless, we must move!" exclaimed Elias as he swiped his hand, "Father?"
The group turned to see Maximillian leaning on a nearby desk, his face etched with the very essence of fatigue.
"There's no choice," he muttered, no one else hearing him.
He then stood up straight, facing his family with his eyes burning with fiery determination.
"New plan," he began, "We split into two groups, at least one of us will be likely to make it. Elias, you will take young Geoffrey here and as many of the servants as you can find and take the north tunnel out of the city. Alicia and Sally, you will take Antoine here and do the same for the south. Head for Knothole once you are clear of the city. St. John, D'Coolette, I'm relying on the two of you to ensure they reach Knothole."
Alicia quickly spotted a glaring flaw in that particular plan.
"What about you Max? How will you be escaping?"
The king could barely look his wife in the eye.
"I won't be."
Alicia took a step back, "What do you mean? Max. Look at me."
The king looked up and stared into his wife's sapphire eyes, glistening with concern. When he spoke his words were strained,
"If what the young man here says is true, then Eggman's forces will assault these walls within minutes. Someone must command the Royal Guard here to hold off the mechs as long as possible."
Elias shook his head frantically, "The Guards already have a commander on duty, father. Lieutenant Granis is-"
"Untested and inexperienced!" the king interrupted, "The Guard need to hold as long possible to allow you all a chance to escape. They need an experienced commander to do that."
Tears fell down Alicia's face, her head bowed. The king approached his wife and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"This will not be the end my love," he whispered whilst running his fingers through her hair, "I'm too valuable to the doctor alive. We will see each other again."
His wife's reply was barely more than a whisper but stopped Max's heart cold, "I'm staying."
She looked up at her husband and their eyes met. Tears had already rolled their way down her cheeks but the resolve now present in her gaze burned through any sadness that had existed before. She wasn't going anywhere. Ever.
"I'll never leave your side."
Maximillian only looked in his wife's eyes and he realised what a fool he had been to think she would go anywhere. In all their twenty years of marriage, through thick and thin, through celebration and controversy she had been at his side. He should have known she wouldn't leave his side now. The two closed their eyes and leaned their heads against each other's.
"Naturally, my queen."
Meanwhile, the couple's children were reeling, unable to believe what they were hearing.
"M-Mom, Dad, you can't!" exclaimed Sally, "It's too dangerous! What if he-"
Alicia raised her hand, quelling her daughter, "Sweetheart, I promise we'll be fine. As your father said, we're too valuable to toss aside."
"What if he decides he only needs one of you then?" protested Elias.
Maximillian's face hardened, "Then he will lose us both. I'd rather die than live on without my queen." His hand and wife's interlocked as she nodded in agreement.
Sally took a step back tears welling in her eyes, "But... I... You can't."
The king approached Sally and cupped her cheek, "My daughter... Sally... Please do what I ask, save the people. Not only those in the castle today, I know that you and your brother have it in you to save our entire kingdom in time. But to do that, you must escape here and now. So please my sweet, go out there and do us proud. I love you, and I'm sorry for... for everything," he punctuated his speech with a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead. She looked up at her father, her eyes shimmering.
"Daddy..."
A canine operator yelled over frantically at the heartbroken family, "Your highness! The hostile air cruiser is over the city! Its deploying pods and drop ships!"
The king turned and faced the operators still tapping away at their consoles, keeping tabs on the situation as best they could.
"Now is the only time, if any of you wish to escape then follow my daughter or my son and no one will think any less of you. They are taking different routes, but their destination will be the same."
A moment passed and not one of them moved.
"None of you?" asked the king.
"Our place is here, king," spoke the raccoon operator with a smile.
Max only smiled back and turned to his family, placing hands on the shoulders of his children.
"Its time. Go, and don't take too long coming back, hm?"
Elias gave a sad smile, "We'll be back quicker than Sonic the Hedgehog himself."
"I should hope so," spoke Alicia through rapidly growing tears, "I love you both too much to wait any longer."
The mother pulled her children into one last hug, trying to imbue it with the warmth and joy of all the time they would have had together had they not been separated.
The children separated from their mother, "Come on Sally," said Elias. The pair took one last look at their parents and ran out of the DCC.
"Alright," began Sally, "You go gather people in the west wing of the castle, I'll go to the east. Head straight for the north tunnel, don't bother trying to meet up or anything. We'll see each other at Knothole. Agreed?"
"Agreed sis. See you soon," and with that, Elias took off to the west wing.
Sally broke into a run in the opposite direction, checking every room as she went. Anyone she found cowering inside, she told to head for the wine cellar. It took her twenty minutes to sweep her half of the castle by which time she began to hear the worryingly close sounds of gunfire echoing outside. It was also getting louder.
Having searched all the rooms, Sally practically sprinted towards the wine cellar where all told she found a crowd of around thirty people amoung which were her old nanny Rosie and the royal hairdresser's assistant and Sally's closest friend, Bunnie Rabbot.
The tall, teenage and blonde furred Southern Belle of a rabbit rushed up to the princess, still wearing her crimson servant's uniform,"Why're we down here Sally-girl? If Eggman's clunkers find us here we'll be sunk quicker than a row-boat full a' anvils!"
"Relax Bunnie, I got a plan."
Sally walked to the back of the cellar, dropped to a knee and started feeling around the floor. Rosie approached the princess,
"What are you looking for, dear?" the old, kindly chipmunk asked.
Sally said nothing for a moment other annoyed mumblings, "Come on... where is it, I thought it was right there... Where's that SOB handle?" she continued to feel around, confident that her former nanny hadn't heard her distinctly un-ladylike language (unfortunately she had) until her fingers brushed an indent in the floor. Sally slid her fingers inside and pulled, lifting a hatch in the floor. The crowd behind crowed in amazement as a surprisingly large, dimly lit tunnel was revealed. The princess turned to the crowd,
"This tunnel leads all the way to the secret forest sanctuary of Knothole. There is food, water, shelter and a substantial military presence. We'll be safe there."
The previously frightened visages of the people in the group visibly brightened at this new development and they all began to file in. Once they were all inside, Sally followed. Before she proceeded far into the tunnel however, she pressed a button on a panel just inside the entrance and a thirty second timer began counting down. The group continued down the tunnel and were around seventy metres away when a series of shaped charges went off at the mouth of the tunnel, collapsing the entrance and effectively sealing it, leaving only the dim light of the old wall lighting to keep them from darkness.
Sally took at a moment to stare at the pile of debris at the entrance. In a way what she just saw was the collapse of her old life, a life of being prim, of being proper, being pampered, of being a princess. It was also the beginning of something new, the beginning of something that would define her as a person and as a princess. She knew what had to be done, she knew what her father referred to in his public speech. 'To fight for a true and righteous cause'. He did not intend to roll over let Eggman win. He intended to fight, he intended to form a Resistance.
Sally didn't intend to let Eggman win either. Eggman had no idea what he had started. Any sadness that had remained in Sally's body began to be replaced by cold yet white hot hatred. Oh yes, Eggman would pay. She would form an army, she would take back what belonged to her family and she would ensure that Eggman would the first person to be executed in the Kingdom of Acorn in two hundred years.
Her resolve now harder than ever, Sally walked after her people into the dark recesses of the tunnel and into a whole new life.
Royal Codex circa 1273 AU (2184 AD)
Entry: The Kingdom of Mobius – Present Day (excerpt from full article)
Today, The Kingdom of Mobius covers around 65% of the total landmass of the planet, including the entire western hemisphere (with the exception of around a hundred square miles of the United Federation). The recent census polls puts the population at approximately 6.5 billion, 6.1 billion of them being of the mobian species, the rest overlander. Amazingly this accounts for 84% of the entire mobian species under one banner, with the rest mostly being found in the comparatively small Dragon Kingdom.
The Kingdom today consists mostly of large technologically advanced cities surrounded by smaller, more 'down to earth' towns. Rural populations are generally quite small thanks to the mobian of wanting to be around their brethren, not appreciating their 'alone time' as much as overlanders.
In terms of technology, the mobians have finally caught up with their overlander neighbours. They possess advanced microchip based technology and various forms of electronic entertainment such as television and video games have exploded in popularity in the past fifty years. Each city's internal system is occupied by a central 'dumb' AI system that controls menial but important tasks such as traffic signals, call direction and public terminals.
The Kingdom of Mobius has a standing army of around twenty million full time personnel with nearly eighty million trained as reservists. They have access to the resources of what is generally agreed to be the most advanced and well-funded army on Mobius. With everything from the accurate reliable bullpup style assault rifles that the troopers use, to the agile Gazelle LAAVs, the tough Ithfir MBTs, the Zephyr modular VTOLs and the imposing Iblis assault walkers, the Kingdom maintains a strong military as a deterrant to the overlanders of the United Federation, with whom relations are still frosty at best since the Great War.
A/N: Look! Codex entries! Y'know, 'cause Sonic Chronicles had a codex! I'm gonna have one of these at the end of every chapter for a bit of extra world-building; and before anyone asks, yes I got the idea from DinoJake's The Last Spartan (which is a fantastic fic by the way).
Hope you liked the chapter, if not let me know why. If you did like it, I'd like to why on that too. Constructive reviews are always appreciated and I'll do my best to reply them.
Also, I don't think other chapters will be as long as this, I just had a lot of information to put out in this one.
Anyway, hope to see you all next time!