Author's Note
Freefallrox, signing in! Hey guys! You may need to know a few things before you start reading. A. This is my take of Sonic the Hedgehog, so don't try to associate this with any canon piece, although it is based off of SatAM. B: The Citadel put the Normandy's crew in statis after the Citadel-Pfhor Ceasefire, so everyone retains their age, plus a year and a few months. C: Sally and the other Mobians are much older than in Archie. D: Sonic's dead (Random Crowd of Sonic Fan Girls-T_T. Me-: 3) E: Shepard is an African-American Soldier Earthborn-Sole Survivor. You'll learn about his past in this chapter. F: Yes, this major pairing in this is Sally X Shepard. Don't flame me because you don't like it. F: Rtas 'Vadumee is a Specter and Thel 'Vadumee is a Supreme Commander, and both are major characters in this story (The reason why they remain the same as they were before Halo 2 is because the proper events of Halo CE never happened, but I may include something similar to the basic events). So let's get this thing started.
Chapter 1: Two Worlds Apart
Commander Robert Shepard and Princess Sally Acorn, both are two worlds apart, both by distance, by past, and by personality. One born to a lavish rich life, the other forced to dwell in the slums of humanity.
Commander Shepard was born into this world and was abandoned by his own flesh and blood. Not knowing his parents, Shepard grew up to a rather horrible childhood. He learned to live with his wits and guts, surviving the very underbelly of the megatropolises of Humanity's home world. Eger for a better life, Shepard joined the military at age 18. From their, things proved to be disastrous for Shepard. He volunteered for an expedition to the lush world of Akuze that had suddenly dropped out of contact. When the 51 soldiers got their, they found the settlement to be intact but no survivors. At nightfall, the Thresher Maws struck. The gunfire couldn't even drown the screams of his fellow comrades, and out of the 51 soldiers, only Shepard made it back to the landing zone. However, he would latter rise above this, becoming the first human Specter to date. Not only that, but he would save the galaxy twice.
Sally Acorn's life was much different. As her title suggest, she was born into a life of royalty. Supposed to be the next heir to the Republic of Acorn, that all changed when Dr. Ivo Robotnik, a former human scientist that was lost after the First Contact War, betrayed her father. Robotnik turned nearly every Mobian into either mindless robot slaves or organic batteries. What remained of the anthromorphic race formed the Knothole Freedom Fighters, which was lead by her and a young blue hedgehog named Sonic. Around ten years latter, Sonic proposed to her, only to be killed during a raid on Knothole by Robotnik. During that raid, only a quarter managed to escape the destruction. Sally was one of the lucky ones. For the next several years, that group kept running from Robotnik, trying to escape the hell that would follow. Sally never gave up because she made a promise to never give up hope. That promise was made by Sonic just before he died.
However, their two worlds are just about to collide.
(-)
Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadumee was confused at what he was seeing. "Contact Counselor Soha 'Rolamee," said Thel to one of the operators, "this may be interesting to not only the Sangheili race, the whole Citadel as well."
Within moments, a hologram of the Counselor appeared. The Sangheili wore the standard Silver Counselor Armor.
"Supreme Commander," said Soha, "what is of your concern."
"Something is truly off," said the Supreme Commander. "I have found an active undiscovered Mass Relay; however, the output of Element Zero is over four times the regular amount than that of the standard Mass Relay."
"Four times the amount?" said the Counselor. "Did I hear that correctly?"
"Yes Counselor. You have heard correctly. My fleet is currently standing, waiting for what to do. I am becoming curious of where this leads, so I am asking you if we may explore."
"Is Rtas in your fleet?"
"Yes Counselor. We also have Commander Shepard and the Normandy in our fleet. Both are equally interested in this particular Mass Relay."
The Counselor manipulated his mandibles in to the Sangheili equivalent of a smile.
"Then send them in first. You will guard the Relay so the Pfhor will not follow us."
"It shall be done, singing out." The hologram of the Counselor fades from the holo-tank. "Message the Specters that they have permission to explore."
"Understood," said one of the Operators, "they shall be told at once."