Disclaimer: Sonic and co. don't belong to me. They belong to the dudes and dudettes at SEGA.

Author: Dun dun dun! Chapter 3 has arrived! This one was a hassle to think about... I think I made like 5 or 6 different versions of this before finally settling with this one. Well, I don't have anything else to say at the moment, other than hoping you guys like it, and if not, please don't hesitate to give me some constructive criticism. Alright then, enough of my rabble. Read on!

Brief Note:
"_" indicates a character's speech
*_* indicates that the character is speaking through thought
(_) indicates an action between a speech or thought

Nocturnus Reborn

by Sol

Chapter 3: Second Thoughts and Change

Shade left Sonic inside his 'prison' to think deeply on the situation. She hoped that perhaps Sonic would agree to be Imperator after showing him that only half of the Nocturnus Clan were actually warriors, and that he was fighting normal, harmless echidnas. It wasn't so much a plan to convince him through sympathy, no, Shade was far more calculating than that. What she planned on was to convince him through guilt...

Guilt over beating the living daylights out of innocent people. She knew Sonic to be the type who would never harm an innocent. So in revealing the truth, she hopes that Sonic's guilt would drive him to accept being Imperator as a way to redeem himself. If his line of thinking crosses that thought of course. But Shade had no doubt that it will. Especially after her little speech.

*I know its a cruel plan. But who would I be, if not cruel at times.* Shade thought, thinking over her plan. *I just hope he doesn't take too long to make a decision.*

Shade herself wasn't sure whether or not her plan would work... but she's fairly confident that it will, if given the right amount of time. But the bigger question was; What to do for the time being? It was then that Shade looked out on one of the windows beside her, and noticed a group of Nocturnus soldiers relaxing in the courtyard.

Apparently, the absence of a proper Hastatus has left the green-horn Velites thinking it was free time...

Shade allowed herself an evil smirk, as she made her way out of the citadel.

*Looks like I'll have to 'train' them myself...* She thought, a glint of wickedness in her eyes.

Sonic looked out the open window of his 'prison', and thought about what Shade told him... from what he could understand from what she said, only a few of the people here in Nocturne were actually warriors... and that some of the Nocturnus soldiers that he and his group had been fighting were actually normal echidnas... He shook his head weakly, thinking that perhaps it was just Shade's way of messing with his mind...

But as he shook his head, he looked out further and stared once again at the people in the square.

*To think... I was beating them up a few weeks prior... well, most of them anyway, from what Shade told me... and that makes me a hero to them?* Sonic thought, a glint of personal shame and hateful mockery lined in between his emerald eyes.

Normally, being called a hero was something he loves hearing whenever he saves people and the world. But being called a hero by the very people he beat up makes the normally uplifting feeling seem a bit bittersweet... and with it, his shame dawned over him like a tree against a tiny flower. But it wasn't the shame alone, oh no. There was something else tossed in between... guilt...

*These are innocent people!* Sonic thought, his guilt driving his thoughts. But somewhere in his mind, he tried to convince himself otherwise. *...Or so Shade claims...* Sonic continued. For all he knows, maybe Shade was just lying... but then again... what if she wasn't? Either way, Sonic couldn't help but give her the benefit of the doubt.

It wasn't so much because he trusts her. Rather it's because he feels far too guilty to question it. Because if he did, it'll make the guilt feel even more worse if he was wrong...

*Regardless of the situation. The fact of the matter is that I... I hurt them... some even to the point that I probably injured them... or worse...* Sonic continued as he felt a jolt run up his spine at thought of what that 'or worse' was.

*For the first time in my life... I... I did something horrible... something I could never forgive myself for... yet, THEY have forgiven me for it...* Sonic said to himself, feeling even more ashamed.

*I need to atone for what I've done... maybe... maybe I SHOULD become Imperator... it's all their asking from me after all...* Sonic thought, looking at the palms of his hands. *But... is that really all I can do?*

Sonic paused for a moment, feeling quite unsure of himself. He has done something horrible... but, he has been forgiven for it. Then it shouldn't bother him, right? But it did. It bothered him to his core. Though truth be told, he never even knew about that some of the Nocturnus soldiers were innocents until now. So he wasn't technically at fault... yet he can't help but feel that it is...

He was a hero. A very well known hero. He has made vows to ensure the safety of the innocent and to protect those that couldn't protect themselves. Knowing he had violently assaulted a large group of innocent people... it felt as if he had committed taboo... a hero's taboo... and it was eating away at him...

"RrrAAAGH!" Sonic yelled in great anger, while slamming his fists again on the window frame and causing his gauntlets to spark electricity again.

Sonic didn't know what to do. Earlier today, he didn't even give this whole Imperator thing any second thought. His answer was 'No' and nothing can convince him otherwise. It wasn't his style to be a ruler of anything. And even now, even as his guilt was eating at his very core, his answer was still 'No'.

Earlier, his reasons for not wanting to be Imperator was because he wanted to be free. He just wants to be able to run around the world without a care as he helped protect it's denizens whenever possible. It was a selfish reason, but a reason none-the-less. At least he thought so. But there was also another reason why he didn't want to be leader. And this reason was a little bit more... well, he wasn't exactly sure, but he knew it's still not a good reason.

*I... I don't know HOW to be a TRUE leader...* Sonic thought, feeling even more ashamed than he was earlier.

It's true though. When it came right down to it, he didn't have the necessary qualities to be leader. At least being THIS kind of leader. He was brash, arrogant, immature, and temper-mental. And most of all, he lacks the knowledge necessary to raise and maintain a nation. He was a leader of action, and nothing more.

From what he has seen from the President of Station Square, there were things about being a leader than just sitting on your butt all day and giving orders. Because Sonic knew that the fate of the nation will be based on the decisions the leader chooses. And if he failed... Sonic shivered at the thought.

*Okay, I need to calm down.* Sonic said to himself, sighing a bit. He knew well enough from experience that panicking won't solve anything. *I need to clear my thoughts and consider my options.*

That was when he thought of his friends.

*My friends...* Sonic thought for a moment.

They don't even know anything about the situation. Was it fair to leave them in the dark about this? Sonic thought that maybe he could speak to them first. Just to get their thoughts on the matter before making any big decisions. But then again, if they knew, they might make the situation even MORE complicated than it already is...

Sonic sagged down into a semi-hunch and let out a massive sigh.

"What am I going to do?"

The moment Shade got to the square, where those lazy-ass Velites were skipping training, she barked out orders and got the whole squad standing straight and orderly. Though how they got to that position was a whole different story. That scene was filled with equal parts panic, stupid, and very, very noisy. The noisy part was provided by Shade, as she made the green-horns' ears bleed with every fumble and slip that happened during the whole mess.

"Talk about some sorry excuses for soldiers!" Shade yelled, as she randomly punched the first guy, or gal, Shade didn't really care, on the front row.

"Sorry, Procurator!" The entire squad exclaimed in unison. Save for the soldier that got slugged, who was carefully adjusting his or her jaw.

"Now! Usually, it's a Hastatus' job to drill you on the basics of Nocturnus style martial arts. And USUALLY, the training is done in this order: 'Show', 'Copy', 'Memorize', and 'Practice'." Shade explained, walking sternly back-and-forth in front of the squad as she raised a finger on each word after the training order.

"But today..." Shade said sinisterly. Trying her best not to show any signs of a smile. "...We're going to start with 'Practice'..."

And as she said this, a wave of mixed reactions flooded the squad. Some were nervous. Others, confused. But none of them questioned her... Well, save for one brave soul...

A lone soldier from the second row on the front raised his or her hand for what will be his or her final question in life...

"U-um... M-ma'am..." The soldier said. The tone of voice, though shaky, can be recognized as male. "W-what do you mean... start with p-'Practice'?"

And just as the brave little soldier popped his question, every soldier near him scattered sideways. And without a moments notice, Shade rushed to him, drove her right elbow through his face, locked his head in a vice, and slammed his head straight to the ground like a DDT.

Despite him wearing a helmet. It wasn't enough to resist the sheer force that Shade gave out, and a sickening crick came from inside the guy's helmet. Every soldier gave a unified 'Oh!', as they all assumed his skull was fractured.

Shade got up quickly as she stared down at the soldier. He was knocked out cold. Or so she thought, since he wasn't moving and was frozen in place. Shaking her head, Shade lifted the poor soldier up and administered a light electrical shock from her left glove to his left temple.

As the short shot of electricity jolted through his skull, the soldier awoke in a sudden and slight jump.

"That's what I mean. Any more questions?" Shade asked, receiving no answer from the soldier or any of the others. "Good. Now, before we get started I want all of you to give me one-hundred laps around the western barracks. And after that, do the same around the citadel. GO!"

And without a moment's notice, every member of the squad left post-haste. Save for the broken-faced soldier whom Shade stopped at the last second as he tried to join his comrades.

"Sorry I had to rough you up. But I had to set an example. Now, I want you to skip the laps and head for the infirmary. Go." Shade told the soldier, her face devoid of any emotion.

The soldier didn't know what to say. He just looked at Shade stunned. Whether he was stunned because of what Shade just said, or because he was being allowed to skip training by Shade herself, which was considered a mythological miracle around the Nocturnus, no one can really say. But he quickly gave Shade a salute then a bow before heading off to the infirmary.

Shade just stood there, watching the soldiers disappear one by one.

"Your reputation proceeds you, miss Shade." Someone said from behind the Procurator.

Shade spun around slowly, first giving a harsh glare at the caller, but then she softened her features slightly.

"Hello, and good afternoon to you citizens." Shade responded. The caller happens to be one of the local echidnas. A mother to be in fact. Accompanied by her young daughter.

"(Giggle), And people wonder why some of us don't join the Nocturnus army." The mother said humorously.

"Do not worry yourself. I wouldn't have done that unless I knew they could handle it." Shade responded calmly.

"(Giggle), So you're saying that those young men and women can handle being used as dummies?" The mother said, and her daughter giggled at what she said.

"Hahaha... To be fair, calling those soldiers dummies is an understatement." Shade replied, slightly and uncharacteristically humorous of her norm. And the mother noticed.

"You seem to be in a good mood. May I ask why?" The mother said.

"Ah, yes. It's because the new Imperator is finally here." Shade replied with a small smile.

"What!" The mother screamed, shocked by the news. "But isn't Sonic the hedgehog the one who defeated lord Ix!"

"Indeed he did. And right now, he's at the citadel." Shade replied, pointing back at the citadel, specifically the window where Sonic was.

"Really! Wow, to think that our savior is going to lead us-" The mother thought, but was cut-off by Shade.

"Don't be so sudden on conclusions. He's still not quite sure about becoming Imperator." Shade replied, and the mother brought her hand up to her mouth.

"He's unsure?"

"Yes. But that doesn't mean he'll say no." Shade said cryptically. And the mother got a bit curious.

"What do mean by that?"

"He just needs a bit of convincing. I thought if I brought him here..." Shade said, but stopped half-way as a devious smile crept up her face. "Hmm... Maybe you could help."

"Me?" The mother asked in surprise.

"Not just you, but maybe everyone in the village." Shade said, bringing her hand to her chin. "If everyone shows him how much we appreciate what he did for us, and how much we would love him to be Imperator, maybe that'll convince him."

"Oh, I see! Okay!" The mother said, understanding what Shade is getting at. "I'll go gather some people and we'll go and visit him at the citadel!"

"No, that won't do... How about you gather outside the citadel and I'll ask him to come out and meet all of you." Shade said. Her devious smile still present on her features.

"Can I help too!" The daughter of the mother exclaimed, catching the two adult's attention. "I'll ask my friends to come too!"

Shade brought her hand up and patted the small echidna girl on the head. "That would be a wonderful idea."

"Yeah, yeah, and, and, maybe we could give Imperator Sonic some flowers and some other gifts!" The little girl continued, and Shade was shocked.

*She... just called him Imperator Sonic...* Shade thought, shocked by the girl's enthusiasm. She then smiled warmly for some reason. She didn't know why exactly, but she did.

"Do you like Imperator Sonic?" Shade asked the little girl, and the girl rapidly nodded her head.

"Of course! Everyone does! He's our hero!" The little girl said, and Shade just continued to smile.

"Alright then, I guess we had better go and get ready." The mother said, snapping Shade out of it.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I'd better go too." Shade replied, as she watched the two leave to tell the others.

Shade just stood there, looking at the two, as they left with bright smiles on their faces. And although she was still quite shocked at what the little girl said, she couldn't help but smile as well.

*To see my people so happy...* Shade thought, then bringing her gaze up to the citadal and the window where Sonic was. *If only you knew how happy you've made them...*

Shade then furrowed her brows, as she started walking back to the citadel.

*Forget 'training' the Velites. And forget the guilt plan. This little gathering is exactly what I need to convince him...*

To be Continued...