Chapter 1: Savannah Sympathy

Author's Note: I imagined the Temple for Mazuri/Apotos being centrally located between the two and accessible from both, if that helps. Also, it's obvious at this point, I played the Wii version. Enjoy.


They were sleeping when it happened.

It was on opposite sides of the world, and the times were different. In some places it was a dark purple day, in others, the blackest night. But each of them was sleeping.

On the night side, the shaking woke up the Empress, and she woke up the Emperor to show him the moon, glowing out the window for the first time in a decade. The Island King woke his wife, who had fallen asleep at the desk pouring over a trade agreement with the Emperor, to show her the same. The Professor leapt up from bed at the beginning of the quake, leaving a groggy guard reaching for his wife's slender waist absently, oblivious. An Engineer staying in one part of the castle raced to the Princess' room and wrapped his arms and tail around her, babbling about how they were finally free, and maybe now he would come back.


On the day side, the quake brought the adventurer's attention to a dazzling sun in the high noon sky, and the sun brought to him a searing pain. He stood up and staggered out of the tree in which he'd been sleeping, stretching his arms to catch himself and finding they wouldn't stretch. By the time he reached the bottom he was curled into a ball, spinning and dizzy. He retched a few times before the shifting of his form brought him to rest on top of a tiny little creature with waxy wings.

He coughed and shuddered as he rolled over, trying to get away from the pressure on his back and the churning of his stomach.

"Where am I? What happened?" For a moment he thought it might all have been a bad dream, lying there in the long grass, sun beating on his suddenly naked face. He could see a gazelle considering him oddly. He glared at it and growled, "Haven't you ever seen a hedgehog before, lady?"

Apparently not one of his own kind, it leaped off wordlessly. He took stock of himself, looking at his thin arms, his naked, round hands, his solid blue body. He started to say, "So it was just a dream," until he looked at his feet, now in square red and white boots he'd never have worn before with little spikes on the toes. The cloak tied around his neck hung loose enough to fall over a shoulder and he could feel a stiffness in his joints he didn't recognize, even from before.

"What happened?"

The familiarity of the voice lead him to turn awkwardly, rapidly at first, until he remembered that like this his spine was no longer that flexible backward. As he cringed, he noted a little blue-violet creature lying in the circle in the grass, moaning.

"Chip? Long time, no see."

A pair of little green eyes glanced at him over the bent grass. "Chip? Who's that? He sounds tasty. Do I know you?"

"Not this again?"

"Not what again?" He climbed out of the little crater and floated into the air. His wings were blue now, like an insect's, veined and translucent, and a pair of little blue horns sat on his head instead of ears. The green orb once on his collar was replaced with a choker of gold and a pink gem, but Sonic found he still had his silver and green memento on his own wrist. He glanced at Chip's spiky horns, sharp claws, pointed toes, new prehensile, slithering tail of violet the same as the rest of him. Could it be? Outwardly this creature had little in common with the fluffy maroon and white, golden-eyed friend he made before.

"Did you lose your memory? Are you the same? Or are you even…" He picked the little guy up. "But I know your voice. You're my friend Chip. Light Gaia. And we've got work to do, and chocolate to eat. Come on."

"Ooh, Chocolate." Chip settled into his arms. "What's chocolate?"


She looked around the table as she sat down, spreading her papers around her. She pulled her computer from a pocket and began to type into it.

Knuckles watched Amy through the screen, admiringly. He had never had a romantic interest in her, but he was impressed at the woman she'd become… She sat there, long spines now free of their old headband, reading glasses sitting neatly on her nose. She now wore a collared vest with pockets over a slimmer version of her old red dress. He could scarcely believe the clingy, gaudy little girl she'd been the last time they had both seen Sonic. He asked himself, have I grown as much as she has? Am I ready for him to be back?

The different screens showed the others looking on. Princess Cream, wearing a modest clip instead of her tiara, clad in a warm pink sweater instead of her usual gowns, staring ahead blankly in disbelief, sat next to a nervous-looking fox in a labcoat and goggles. At their sides sat a trio: An old crocodile in a gold chain, a deep violet chameleon in spikes, and a snarling teenage bee in an aviator cap. On another monitor stood a portly fellow in a flowing robe that Knuckles had grown to love and hate, and at his side, a black, furry figure with sharp teeth and claws. Lastly was a single emerald hawk, wearing goggles and a white robe.

"Thank you all for coming, or tuning in," Amy noted, looking at the camera in front of her over her glasses. "For the record, I am Dr. Amy Rose. I'm a graduate of the University of Spagonia's Gaia studies program, and an associate at the University of Eggmanland, Station Square campus. I am also the Advisor to the Emperor on Gaia Studies. I'd like everyone else to introduce themselves, for the record."

The human spoke next, pushing his blue glasses up on his beakish nose. "I am Dr. Ivo J. Robotnik, Emperor of Eggmanland and the lead scientist on Project Reflection." He grinned oddly, and Knuckles waited a second for the rest, only to find nothing came.

"My name is Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. I am the ultimate life form," the snarling black beast noted cooly, "And my cousin the Emperor's chief guard. I am also the slayer of Black Doom and a… close genetic match to the late Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm here to answer questions about the effects of Dark Gaia on his body."

"Finally," Rouge muttered at Knuckles' side, "A purpose statement." He glanced at his wife and ran a claw through her long, white hair, shushing her quietly.

The rabbit spoke next. "My name is Cream the Rabbit, and I'm the Crown Princess of the Eggman Empire. I helped Sonic and Dr. Rose save the world in the past and I'm trained in diplomacy."Knuckles noticed that she left out all the combat training she'd received.

"I'm Dr. Miles Prower," her neighbor added, pushing up his goggles. "Chief Engineer of the Eggman Empire, inventor of the artificial chaos emerald, and transportation director of Project Reflection. I also saved the world with the others."

The crocodile cleared his throat. "I'm Vector, and this is Espio and Charmy. We are Team Chaotix, Imperial Inquisitors for the Eggman Empire. We were part of the defense against Metal Sonic along with just about everyone else here."

The last figure on the screen spoke, uncomfortable and shrill. "My name is Jet the Hawk. I participated in a couple of world-saving adventures and I'm now the Eggman Empire's ambassador to Shamar. I am also the current leader of the Babylon Rogues."

Then it was Knuckles' turn. "I'm King Knuckles, Guardian and ruler of the Kingdom of Angel Island. I served alongside Sonic and Eggman against many threats, and I now run one of our last natural sanctuaries against Dark Gaia infection."

"And I'm Rouge," his wife added, leaning into the camera so as to provide a glance down her low, black dress. "Princess Consort of Angel Island and Ambassador to the Eggman Empire. I was a former agent for the government of the United Federation , and am a world-class jewel thief. I acquired all the emeralds for this project and I'll be running the Island in Knuxie's stead when he goes off for his part of this."

There was a pause, and then Amy said. "Right." She cleared her throat. "We have called his meeting because of what happened. Ten years ago, a modified version of the Eclipse Cannon was activated, splitting the earth 's crust into seven pieces and unleashing a strange energy creature called Dark Gaia. Sonic the Hedgehog, who had attempted to stop this, along with an amnesiac fairy creature named Chip, travelled the world restoring chaos emeralds. The shattering of the planet had drained the emeralds, and Chip somehow possessed the ability to restore them in the temples. We believe that Chip was an incarnation of Light Gaia, Dark Gaia's opposite and opponent."

Knuckles jotted a note with a time stamp on a piece of paper, "Rose omits mention of Eggman's responsibility for incident."

"When each emerald was restored, the continent at which it was restored sunk back to its former elevation and rejoined the others. After the last emerald was restored, Chip, Sonic, Eggman, and Ergo the Robot descended into the Earth. Eggman was ejected by a great creature he identified as Dark Gaia along with Ergo, but Sonic never emerged. Anyone who sees this in our lifetimes knows what happened next, but I think it's important we explain for posterity. At this point, The world was enveloped in a violet darkness, and shortly thereafter, the possessions, infections, and mutations that had begun with the splitting of the continents intensified. Now an estimated 50% of the world's population are showing signs of having been changed by Dark Gaia Force."

"I'm an example of that," Shadow noted. "My mutation is identical to Sonic's, though, because I was on a mission far from a fault line, it took months to complete. The genetic material Sonic and I share via a common ancestor predisposes us to easy transformation, be it into super form, or this, what he dubbed the werehog."

"Note the sharpened teeth and claws, fur growth, blue-shift in coloration, and increased size. Also, stretching limbs," Eggman noted. Knuckles noticed a slight sneer on Amy's face at that as she flashed a set of genetic scans at the camera. He fought a chuckle, wondering whether those two would ever outright fight for attention.

Amy stood up, and whoever was manning the camera, probably Cubot, followed her around the table. "Six hours ago, an earthquake rocked the world, and satellite data indicates that the world has split again. This was predicted to happen within a window of this date plus or minus three years, based on the Gaia Manuscripts. It would seem that the mistake ten years prior to this date had no effect on the cycle. Reports are rolling in of avian and humanoid figures made of reddish light with green accents, or green with red accents, attacking near the fault lines. The purple cloud around the planet has disappeared, and now daylight and moonlight are at pre-Gaia levels."

"To restore the earth to its former glory," Eggman butted in, "We are sending an individual to each rebuilt Gaia temple on each of the seven land plates to restore an emerald. Upon restoration of the final emerald, we will send a combat force in case the defeat of Dark Gaia is necessary to restore the world."

"Each of you have your assignments. For security's sake, we are not revealing which of you are responsible for which Emerald—any Dark Gaia possessed individual might be compelled to stop you. I wish you all the best of luck." Amy picked up her folder. "I'm going to go prepare transport for the Mazuri team."

Knuckles ended the transmission, taking his cue. He found it amusing that they were trying so hard to obscure what was really happening, when Eggman was the one they had to deceive.

"Gliding, or parachuting, honey?" Rouge asked.

"Parachuting." He stood.

"Why don't you glide anymore?" She wrapped an arm around his waist, looking up at him with concern.

"You can fly. How do I beat that?" He smiled weakly, and she returned it in response to the lie.

"We'll be over the drop point in twenty minutes."


The sounds of city bustled around them as they sat in the café. Sonic glanced over his companion's head at the large, white bridge crossing over the straight between Mazuri and Apotos. He had seen it many times, but not in a decade had he seen it glisten in the noon sunlight. Nor had Chip. Feathery, almost, instead of fuzzy, with veiny blue wings and a blue-violet color. Horns for ears. Sonic couldn't shake his discomfort with Chip's changed appearance, but the voice was unmistakable.

"So, Sonic, you said… You said you could tell me about who I am?" Chip stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, leaving white residue. A brown chip was stuck to his cheek.

"That's right. Your real name is Light Gaia," Sonic murmured over a bite of chili dog. "But the time you lost your memory I named you Chip. You're… a force of good that lives inside our planet, and wakes up every so many years to fight Dark Gaia, who's evil. But… if you wake up too early, you lose your memory. Or at least, that's how you explained it to me last time."

Chip put down his spoon, looking down. "So… I exist… to save the world?"

"Pretty much. Hey, so do I." Sonic looked away, trying not to think about it.

Chip was silent for a moment, before finally, voice trembling, he asked, "What if I don't want to?"

Sonic started to answer, but then he felt his chest tighten. Did he really say that? He looked at Chip, who looked at him expectantly, sucking on a chunk of banana that was half hanging out his lips.

"Well?"

Sonic pushed his spoon into the cup, recoiling slightly when it didn't bend. He was already missing the werehog's strength. He pulled it up, but could not bring himself to shovel the ice cream into his mouth. The thought of it repulsed him, eating on top of such a horrendous possibility.

"I guess you'll just wait until you come around," Sonic assured, averting his eyes. He put the ice cream in his mouth and tried to ignore the shock in the pit of his stomach by focusing on the slick, vanilla sweetness. He reminded himself that his outrage at Chip's thought was the same as what everyone else had for him. He reminded himself that he didn't need to diminish himself by judging someone else.

"OK," Chip looked at a clock. "Can I come around after this Sundae?"

Sonic smiled, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.


The sounds of metal on metal grated on Shadow's ears as he entered what was colloquially known as the throne room. It was more than an hour before his shift started, but Amy was en route to Spagonia now, he saw little point in staying home.

The Emperor's robe was draped over a chair, his crown sitting on a console. A pair of thin black legs stuck out from beneath the new suppressor model, a tiny tower of green metal , curving and curling around an exposed grating of gray steel. One of Prower's false emeralds sat in a case on the console next to the crown, waiting to be inserted. Shadow wondered what would become of the world with all these false emeralds if Sonic succeeded.

As Eggman lay there working, something in his mind, something like Black Doom's voice, whispered to him that he could kill Eggman now and end his cruel reign. Shadow had learned by now that this was a side effect of Dark Gaia infection. It reduced inhibitions and awakened one's darkest desires, at least in him. In Amy, it just seemed to make her want to dance, but she had a purer heart. Not for Shadow; he found he was too haunted, too angry, to fight it off completely. He couldn't always hold it back, and Eggman gave him a steady stream of executions to keep that in check. He should be grateful. Or he should…

"Shadow! Lend me a hand, will you?"

Try not to kill the bastard who did this to them in the first place.

He walked over and reached out, holding the bar encircled by Eggman's black-gloved hand. Eggman released it. It was quite heavy.

"This is the last suppressor we'll ever have to build, I hope. I'm moving our attention to Reflection after this."

Shadow blinked. "But the point of Reflection is to get us away from Gaia, from Earth. If we beat Dark Gaia, we won't need to leave."

Eggman slid out from beneath the machine. "You can let go now, Shadow. We can't just take for granted that we're going to win, but if we do, a lunar colony will still have benefits to humanity. Gaia suppressors will not. What's a few month's pause in production?"

"That's a gamble."

"Shadow, I'm disappointed in your lack of faith."

"We live in a world where what's bad gets worse, not better." Shadow finally let go of the bar. It stayed still. "If I didn't know you better, cousin, I would think there were another reason you wanted us on the moon. Or what's left of it." Shadow grinned.

"Let's not go reminding each other of our mistakes, Shadow. We haven't got time to spend the night crying our sorrows away." Eggman looked at him, smiling sadly, looking at him with blue eyes that reminded him so much of Maria. Remembering her face, remembering her death, brought a swelling of rage into Shadow's face, his mouth, his claws. Eggman frowned and motioned toward a door, and Shadow knew what to do.


It was nightfall by the time they reached the jungle. Chip had chattered away all day, asking about this and that. Sonic answered patiently, thoroughly, eyes always forward. Sonic found himself unwilling to see a face he barely recognized. He wondered if that's what Tails and Amy had thought of him when he had changed into the werehog.

Suddenly, as the last traces of sunlight disappeared on the horizon, Sonic's head began to spin. He leaned on a tree.

"Sonic, what's wrong?" Chip's voice cracked.

"I… don't be afraid, Chip," he panted as the pain washed down his spine, through his bones. "I'm still… ugh. I'm still me."

"Sonic? What are you talking about?"

He groaned as the sunset finished and the change finally washed over him. He could feel his hands growing, claws appearing, fur erupting. His teeth grew in his mouth, stabbing his lips as he clenched his jaw. He reached out and put his weight on his arms, willing them not to bend, standing once more on all fours.

"What just happened?" Chip flew over to him, shaking a little in the air, voice quavering. "You were little and spiny and now you're all fuzzy and big and sharp!"

"I think... that day and night mean I change again. I'm possessed by Dark Gaia, I have been for ten years. Most people are now, a little. It makes us change, effects our emotions. Some people don't fight it as well as me, and act weird, but me, I just change. If we can stop Dark Gaia, I'll go back to being the hedgehog, full time. If not, I'm stuck like this forever." Sonic sighed. "Until then, I guess I'll change back and forth with the sun."

Chip flew up to his shoulder. "But you want to be the hedgehog, right?"

"More than anything." He considered, putting his claw on his chin. "Well, almost anything. I guess I'd rather have my old life back."

"What was your old life like?"

Sonic sat down on a fallen log, glancing at Chip, who sat on his leg. He watched with wide green eyes, tracing every moment of Sonic's lips and brow, like a little child, the way Tails used to look at him.

"I always said I was just a guy who loves adventure. I guess I wasn't just anything. I was the fastest thing alive." Sonic grinned, baring his pointy teeth. "I was a hero. I saved the world countless times, it was basically my job." He pulled out a dazzling yellow gem that sparkled in the hazy moonlight. It made Chip recoil. "This is a fake chaos emerald. They're a massively important power source. I used to use the real ones, all seven, to become Super Sonic. I was even stronger like that, almost invincible. I stopped Eggman countless times, and Chaos, and Metal Sonic…"

"So you miss fighting?"

"A little." Sonic wrung his hands. "What I really miss, though, is knowing that if something happened, I could take it. Any threat, I could beat. Even the ones I couldn't, well, Shadow could. Like Black Doom. Shadow took me out and then went after him all by himself! It was embarrassing, but I knew he'd never let us down."

Chip flew up to his face, reaching out to touch it with a tiny paw. "Why can't you take it now?"

"Dark Gaia beat us years ago, Chip. You, and me." Sonic picked him up and held him up high. "I couldn't stop him; I fainted. If I can stop him, change myself back, then I handled it after all, even if it took ten years."

Chip thought for a second, frowning. "Gee, Sonic, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I'm sorry that you feel bad." Chip flew down to Sonic's chest and nestled into his fur.

Sonic wrapped an arm around Chip.

"It's not your fault, buddy. Not mine either."


They gathered before sunrise at the top of the tower.

At one time, Miles, thought, this was the highest tower in the United Federation. He glanced over the edge of the building, down at the warped cityscape below. What was once gray was now orange and yellow, brought to life in garish color. This was once Empire City, he thought to himself, but now, it is East Ivopolis.

He shuddered beneath his emerald cloak. His neighbor asked, "Are you all right?" and he found himself wondering if that was the old GUN Commander's perpetually stuffed-up voice he heard.

Miles nodded. "Just a chill," he said. "Not used to the wind up here." He glanced up at the obviously human figure next to him, clad in a thick dark green cloak like his own. After all, they were supposed to be anonymous. You never knew when Dark Gaia was lurking, hitchhiking with someone. Tails suspected the real reason was that Eggman was afraid people were plotting against him, but he'd never voice that concern. It would feed into the idea, which was actually quite true.

A figure in an identical cloak made his way up to a podium the top of the roof; there was no secret who lead this fellowship. Their portly, erudite leader cleared his throat and spoke.

"Children of Gaia, Legion of Light, welcome. We are gathered here this morning to celebrate the first sunrise in ten years." Cheers began as he continued. "We also celebrate the return of our savior, Light Gaia!"

Screams of joy erupted from the crowd. Tails mused that this one wouldn't be so secret, but then he realized some of the screaming was coming from him. What was he so excited about?

A white-gloved hand shot into the air, then another, pushing down as if to lower the crowd's volume. Finally, he announced, "But the long night is not over." A sober silence fell over the crowd. "Now that we have our leader, we must e ready to be the Soldiers of Light, on the front lines in the fight against the Abomination, Dark Gaia. We must ensure Light Gaia's Ultimate Supremecy. His Imperial Majesty has given us permission to oversee the means to our salvation."

Miles boggled. What on earth was he talking about? Now that the earth was cracked open, the team would go restore the emeralds and continents and then attack Dark Gaia directly. That was the plan. If Sonic were still alive and involved, so be it, though Miles couldn't deny his excitement at the idea. But… what would the Bearers of Gaia do?

"We have a secret weapon against Dark Gaia, one not dreamed of by our ancestral Soldiers of Light. The Moon. Always it has hung there, a reminder of our savior even in the darkest of nights. But now it is our weapon."

Tails took a step back, almost swooning. He had been working with Eggman on Reflection so long, he had never realized its true purpose. He thought the space ship was to escape Dark Gaia, not… whatever this was. The not-GUN Commander righted him, murmuring in a soothing tone, "We haven't been chosen by mistake. Be strong, my Brother."

From the podium the leader pulled folders of pale green. "The Time has come for some of us to shed our anonymity, for Dark Gaia can no longer take us anew. Some of you are already doing our Lord's work, and for those of you who have not, I have found you tasks."

Miles began to back out of the crowd.

"Those of you already working on the Empire's Project Reflection should leave now." Tails looked to the leader and locked his gaze with teal, unspectacled eyes beneath the speaker's green hood. "But know that our true plans must still stay secret, for Light Gaia to reveal to the unready and the unworthy. Who knows which of Dark Gaia's agents may be among us, waiting to strike?"

As Tails left, he found himself wondering what the moon could do about Dark Gaia… and why Eggman's eyes suddenly looked so green.


"Why hello there… Ack!"

It was morning, and Sonic was annoyed. He looked behind him, searching for Chip. He could only assume, by that little exchange, that Chip was bugging the animals again. Under the light of the searing Mazuri sun, however, he could see Chip vigorously flying away from a large beetle. At first, Sonic dismissed it, but then he noticed that the beetle was nearly the same size as Chip. It seemed to glow green, even in the golden sunlight, a dazzling gem among the tall, tan grasses.

"Impossible!" he gasped.

"Get it away from me!" Chip pleaded.

Sonic leaped into it, curling into a ball, and knocking it from the air. It disintegrated as it landed in a burst of green light.

"What… what was that thing?" Chip more exclaimed than asked. He flew into Sonic's chest, cold nose pressed against bare skin. Sonic let a soft cough at the impact, the wind knocked out of him, and took a second to catch his breath.

"It seemed like a Dark Gaia monster." Sonic reached down and picked up a tiny, dead beetle where it would have landed. "But it's broad daylight? I thought Dark Gaia is weaker during the day, you even told me that. How can that be?"

"I don't know," Chip noted. "Maybe Dark Gaia is getting stronger."

"And I noticed a lot of times… the creatures die if you beat the Dark Gaia out of them." Sonic considered the beetle, holding it high for Chip to see.

"I think the keyword there is 'beating,' Sonic." Chip looked up with something like annoyance, one eyebrow raised and the other wrinkled in.

"You don't hit a bug that hard in flight… and… and, when we were underground, when Dark Gaia siphoned itself out of me, I felt tired. I was so… drained. That's…"

"So what? You… you think that if we stop Dark Gaia, you'll die?"

Sonic looked up at the clouds, trying to hide the fear in his eyes. "I hope it doesn't come to that, Chip. No matter how bad it is, I still like existing."

"Would you give anything to stay alive?" Chip flew up to look Sonic in the eyes, his own face seeming to glow with curiosity.

"No, not at all. I'd give anything to go back to living."


They kept on through the day and night, Chip riding in Sonic's rubbery arms. Sonic held him close, enjoying the touch of another being. Chip didn't—couldn't—judge him for his failure, since one, he didn't remember it, and two, it was a failure he shared. Still, Sonic felt that Chip did judge him. That question about staying alive—was it an accusation of cowardice, or an unintentional trigger for Sonic's own paranoia?

"I must be losin' it," he muttered.

"What?"

"I thought I heard something," Sonic lied.

"It's a forest. Oh, oh, maybe it's a lion! Or a tiger. Or even a hyena!"

Sonic shuddered involuntarily at the thought. "You… remember what they are?"

"Sort of. Names are coming back to me, for things. Like spoons and the moon."

"That's good," Sonic cooed comfortingly, reminding himself that the last time they'd met, Chip had instantly dubbed him "Mr. Monster Guy."

"If a big scary lion tries to eat me… Sonic, would you save me?"

"Of course." He left out, "If I can."

Chip pressed himself closer to Sonic's fluffy chest. "And if Dark Gaia tries to get me?"

"I'll do my best."

"What if… what if you can't?"

In the back of Sonic's mind, something like a voice told him to drop Chip. Drop chip, give him a solid punt, and run away. He knew that on some level it was Dark Gaia wheedling at him, but he also worried, and knew, that it was the voice of his own heart; Dark Gaia couldn't create new resentment, just fuel what was already there. He wanted to say to Chip, Look at what I've given up for you, for the whole world! Isn't that enough? But he could almost hear Chip soothing him, reminding him that he's only got to answer to himself.

No, he decided. That's not Chip. That was Shadow's voice. Or Amy's.

So Sonic replied, "Then I'm sorry. But I'll do my best."

"Did you do your best last time?" Chip's eyes gleamed in the starlight, innocent.

"Yes," Sonic answered instantly, despite the nagging guilt, the weight in his heart.

"Practice makes perfect," Chip mused.

Sonic imagined himself a football star.

His fantasy was interrupted by a real tackle, a force of heat pushing him into the cool, damp ground. He landed chest first, and Chip went flying. The impact stole his breath, but then he gasped and forced himself over beneath the surprisingly light weight on him.

He realized as soon as his eyes faced the sky that he was in trouble, as a blood red shining moon of fingers collided with his face. He felt something sharp pierce his forehead.

Couldn't be.

"Leave him alone!" Chip cried from afar.

As the world came back into focus, Sonic saw a figure of red over him, long red dreadlocks like spikes barely tickling Sonic's face, and framing a smile. Out of a flowing black robe lined with brightly patterned print stuck an arm, extended to Sonic, spike knuckled and claw-like hand offered at Sonic's chest, awaiting his claw.

"That's for not telling us you were ok, you jerk!"

He was smiling a fang-toothed grin.

"Knucklehead."

Sonic took the hand in his claw and let Knuckles pull him up, the red figure framed in moonlight through a purple Gaia haze. Sonic felt his eyes begin to dry and burn.

"We've been worried."

"I know… but I know when I'm not wanted."

Knuckles reached up and smacked Sonic across the face with the inside of his hand. In response, Chip flew over and ineffectually tried to pull Knuckles' hand away, grunting in the air as his wings beat furiously.

"I don't want to be…"

"Guilty. You don't want to have to look at us and feel guilty. Why do you think I used to hide on that island?"

Sonic considered returning the swat. "You still hide on that island."

"It's not hiding if you protect people there."

"I don't want pity."

"Will you take a hug?"

Sonic blinked, surprised to hear Knuckles say something like that. Still, starved for contact, he spread his arms wide, ready to take Knuckles in to his chest and soothe him. Knuckles, however, reached over them, pulling Sonic's shoulders down to his level. He patted Sonic lightly on the back, otherwise still. Sonic fought tears, noticing something he'd never felt before. He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a dad, and then chided himself. Knuckles was his age.

"I have so much to tell you, Sonic." There was desperation in the voice, but also an eerie calm. "And half of it can't be said in the temples or the villages. Eggman has them bugged. We're going to have you impersonate Shadow in the village, since you're wearing his boots and cloak anyway. That's how I knew you were alive, actually. Rouge got a copy of Shadow's expense reports."


The village went quiet in the torchlight—Knuckles insisted on night. Before they entered, Sonic pulled up his hood.

"You think I can pass for Shadow?"

"You did before, when he stole the Chaos emerald."

Sonic glanced at Knuckles, irritated. "Why not unveil myself? You said I make people worry."

"Because I don't trust Eggman, that's why."

Knuckles sat in the tree, looking through binoculars at the village near the old temple. How could Knuckles be so confident, so…

"You? Mr. Gullible, 'He's my friend,' not trusting Eggman? Where's Blaze and Marine, because this is like another world."

Knuckles glided down. Sonic noticed he wavered in the air. "There was no reason for him to break the world open early. All he wanted was power. He got you killed, or so we thought, but then he acts like his Gaia Engines and Gaia Suppressors are our savior." Knuckles looked up at the blurry stars and spat. "I realized that he took you away from me, even if you weren't dead. He betrayed me, hurt me, lied to me all those times and then finally he robbed me of the one person who told me better. You were always right about that lying creep."

"I don't like this Eggman guy," Chip quipped, uselessly.

Sonic crossed his arms. "So why are you his ally? Why the whole sister cities thing, and ambassadors..."

Knuckles walked over and looked Sonic in the eye. "I'm using him like he used me. Through him, I was able to find you, shelter you, hide you from his eyes." Then Knuckles averted his eyes. "Besides, I'm one of them. The infectees. I need Gaia suppressors so I don't turn into what you are. They only work so well; even surrounded by them Shadow's a werehog. But between the protective effects of the Island and the suppressors I might be myself for another ten years."

"I hope it doesn't come to that. I… if I have help this time, maybe I can save us."

"You think you didn't have help before?" Knuckles scoffed, turning away. "Where do you think we were?"

"I never liked any of the answers I came up with." Sonic answered, defensively, offended.

"We were in the trenches in Empire City, trying to stop Eggman from installing the machines and an empire. All of us, even Cream. Shadow guarded the President until he got sick, and then Omega took over. I almost lost Rouge in a raid on the Dark Gaia Cauldron to clear the way for you, because we knew you were coming."

"I had no idea."

Knuckles crossed his arms. "We would have leapt into the Earth for you if we'd known."


As he was seated carefully, his crimson companion pulled a small tablet and a piece of paper from his black robe and presented it to the woman.

"Your Highness," she squeaked in her accent, "This is not necessary. We are all allies of Eggmanland and Angel Island, and what I am to tell you is no secret anymore. The Emperor's decree is just formality."

"I don't think so." Knuckles shook his head. "As you can see in the third section here, by this decree you are ordered to secrecy about this encounter. You are not permitted by the Republic of Mazuri to reveal to anyone that we were here."

"Very well, " she noted with annoyance.

Knuckles sat easily, crossing his ankle over his knee and leaning back in the chair. "We need you to tell us everything about your people's Land Magic—and how it relates to Light and Dark Gaia. The fate of the world is at stake, but you already know that, and I don't want to waste your time with any more… 'formalities.'"

"Specifically," Sonic ordered in his best Shadow voice, "We need to know how to restore the planet to its previous state." He stopped, and added an insecure, "Damn it," which earned him a hearty glare from Knuckles.

"How did the balance turn before? Light and Dark fight within the land—last time, Dark won."

Knuckles leaned forward. "How do we make sure Light wins?"

"Be its champion, Highness." She leaned back in her chair, avoiding Sonic's glance. "Since its last failed."

Sonic felt dizzy, and said nothing.

"To stop Dark Gaia," she noted, standing, " you need a champion who will not fail. Someone with the skill and strength of charact-"

Knuckles crossed his arms. "Lady, if you think Sonic didn't have strength of character, then you have no idea who he really was."

"I met him."

"I fought alongside him."

"He always saved us before," she hissed.

"And where were you?" Sonic barked suddenly, standing and doing his best Shadow growl. "We cleared the path to the last temple. We sabotaged the robots trying to stop him. MY WIFE traveled all over the world caring for him! And you gave him a couple words of advice. You did all you could, and it wasn't enough. So did he. I won't let you slander the only man to defeat me!"

Knuckles lip twisted up in a slight smirk, impressed.

The woman was quiet a while. Finally, she said quietly. "I… I'm sorry, Lord Shadow. I thought that you were him. But, I guess not. I thought that he was still alive, and he gave up. But if he died for us… then I guess that this is our fate."

"Do you treat all the dead and wounded soldiers who lost a war that way?" Sonic demanded, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

"No," she answered, looking down.

"What do you get out of guilt, except the approval of Dark Gaia in the back of your head?" He snarked. "Give me the God damned tablet so we can be on our way."

"You haven't passed my test!"

"You haven't got the right to test me. Not with a heart full of hate."

Knuckles stood back up. "Shadow. That's enough."

"We came here from Apotos!" Sonic roared. "We fought Dark Gaia creatures in broad daylight! This is the only chance we have in ten thousand some years to save our people! If your test means I have to let you desecrate a real hero, forget it. I'll tear the Temple to pieces to get to the Shrine."

She grabbed a staff from the wall, shining ominously in the green light. "Threats do nothing!"

"Blame does nothing! Blame just wastes time! Go grab yourself a mountain of handkerchiefs and cry 'cause Sonic wasn't there, but don't waste the world on your anger." Sonic lifted his hood slightly, revealing his coloration to her. She gasped. "I swear. I swear on the grave of Sonic the Hedgehog that despite my face, my heart is pure. I will stop Dark Gaia, or die trying."

"Die trying? As Sonic did last time?"

Sonic pulled up his cloak to the knees, above the top of Shadow's old boots. He couldn't literally see his scars, but as the woman gagged appreciatively he could see the horrid white swirls of burned tissue clearly in his mind's eye.

"Unless some idiot saves me. Then I'll just have to wait ten thousand years and try again."


Once they were clear of the village and Chip had emerged from inside Sonic's cloak, Knuckles gave him a shove.

"What were you doing, blowing your cover like that?" He demanded.

"We need those tablets, and I'm not just gonna take 'em from her!" Sonic pleaded. "And no, we can't take the Temples apart, that's just something Shad would say. Chip needs them to fight Dark Gaia."

"I do?" the fairy asked.

He was ignored, as Knuckles crossed his arms and put a fist to his chin. "So Amy was right…"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "What?"

His old friend laughed. "When the temples disappeared, Amy thought that might b for that. A… giant… temple… mech."

"Amy came up with that?" Sonic chuckled. His eyes bugged out of his head.

"I know!" was Knuckles' incredulous response.

"I would have expected that—"

"—From Tails or Eggman!"

The duo collapsed in laughter on top of each other, leaving Chip laughing politely in the air above them. After a moment, Knuckles propped himself up and asked. "So what exactly are these tablets?"

"They're the keys to the Temples." Sonic sat up and pulled out the shining half-tablet from his cloak. "This is the first half. The other half I'll probably find in Apotos."

"We'll find it."

"Knuckles…" Sonic stood up, and pulled his friend to his feet. "If I fail, every day you spend on the island, or around the suppressors in Eggmanland, is more time, right? Before you're like me?"

"I missed the party last time." Knuckles rubbed the back of his knuckles, kneading at inflamed joints.

"So find a reason to be in Eggmanland when I do the last Emerald. That's where I hope to go."

"He'll know you're coming."

Sonic looked to the east, where the sun had begun to rise. "If he really has changed, he'll roll out the red carpet to help me. If he hasn't, I want him overconfident, thinking he's ready for me."

Knuckles shook his head. "What if he really is ready for you?"

"I'll have you guys." Sonic flashed a fanged grin.

"He'll expect that."

"Never worked for him before."

"Things change, Sonic," Chip noted.

"Not as much as you'd think."

Knuckles put a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "I'm going to feign Gaia Sickness to get to a doctor in Eggmanland. I'll send Rouge to assist you in Apotos; Amy is waiting for you in Spagonia, and there are others around. Take this." He grabbed Sonic's hand and placed in it a dull, gray gem.

"It'll be Red again, soon," Sonic promised, gripping it tight.

"I hope you'll be gold by the end of this."