The lights fluttered to and fro as Sonic and the others scaled the hill to the Heart Temple. The temple was brown with golden ridges, with mosaic glass windows, mostly splashed with blue and red tiles. It towered to the heavens, seeming as if its ascent never ended. Its design was similar to the churches that Sonic would see on his travels, except it was certainly a lot taller than the ones he encountered.
The doors were open, and he could make out a silhouette coming out of them. It looked like a hedgehog-like figure, until further inspection revealed that it was really an echidna. His fur color was exactly like Knuckles', except he had very aberrant eyes. One of them was yellow, the other was a clock that currently told what time it was. He also wore a silk cloak that had embroideries of the fiery sun and the icy moon. Sonic could only stare at this marvel; the second hand going forward a while before the creature spoke.
"I see that you are Sonic, the creator of this land. I am the guardian of the heart. I was expecting you. Please follow me."
As the echidna faded into the temple, Sonic could only gaze at the others until he stepped forth and followed him.
The temple was almost completely white with light. There was a floating lamp that lightened the inside, giving Sonic and the others a good look around. The floor was painted with a blue moon covered with ice, a purple carpet leading to a green platform. The other side of the temple had a sun blazing, also leading to a platform.
"Hey...what's this all about? The sun and moon stuff?" Sonic asked as the echidna rotated around to face him.
"These are teleporters. When you have achieved the emotion of love, you can use this teleportation device on the left to go to the Omega land." He resumed walking further into the temple. Sonic and the others followed him upstairs, until they went inside the next room.
Sonic concluded that this was indeed a church, as it also had pews and an altar. The seats were all completely empty, except the altar had something that caught his eye.
A heart that shone like the sun. He could hear it beating faintly, pumping light into the temple. Sonic and the others had to shield their eyes from it, nearly blinding them. The guardian stared at them listlessly with his golden eye as he spoke.
"Sonic...your journey will become much more difficult as soon as you reach the Omega lands. There, your heart will be tested. You will have to overcome the trials of rage, hate, and misery. If you survive, you will face the final test: the distant land of Hope, where you will battle the ruler of your mind, No Name. I cannot tell you how you can defeat No Name as I do not know, but I do have an idea that can help you.
"The Emotion Gems. I see that you have collected the Pearl of Joy and the Opal of Ecstasy. If you receive all of them, you can unlock your heart, which contains a power that can defeat him. However, it's up to you on how you can control this power. I cannot tell you much else other than that." Sonic nodded, as the guardian continued. "Before I give you something that will help you on your journey, you must remember this, Sonic: do not let your emotions get to you. I know it seems simple now, but you will see if you go on to the Omega lands. Emotions can be very dangerous weapons. They can allow the self and others to manipulate, lie, steal, and kill. However, if we allowed a world where everyone couldn't express anything...then life would be so bland and trivial. In fact, I think living like a zombie is a frightening thought. You must be strong and continue onward, no matter how great the pain you receive. I have blabbered on for far too long...although this may not seem like much, what I will give you can be a great asset for your journey." The echidna motioned for Sonic to hold out his hand, his palm tightly clenched around a round object. He unfurled it, Sonic discovering that it was a translucent green orb.
"That is an egg. Since it found the creator, it will hatch in...now." Sonic flinched and let go of the egg promptly as it flashed a brilliant emerald light; a sound that seemed as if it belonged to a machine, echoing across the temple. He could see a small bright white figure emerging, a burst of golden rays of light disappearing after a few seconds.
It was a maroon chipmunk-like creature, sporting a tail like a rabbit's, a jade orb on his chest, and green fairy wings. He was hovering in the air, looking up at the hedgehog.
"Chip? Is that you?" he gazed at him curiously. He was about to touch him, checking to see if he was real.
"Chip? Who's...Chip?" he queried anxiously. He shoved away his finger with all of the strength he had, not desiring to be examined.
"Dad, do you know this...thing? Whatever it is?" Jr. held out the palm of his hand, the chipmunk creature deciding to roost on it.
"Yeah. He's Light Gaia, but I decided to call him Chip because he didn't remember who he was. But I think he lost his memory again..."
"Indeed, this is the guardian of Light Gaia. Not only do you need to reclaim your soul, Sonic, but you need to be rid of all of the dark gaia in your mind. This 'Chip' fellow can help you with that.
"However, I must warn you. If you let your dark emotions control you...let's say that this creature will have an insatiable appetite for blue hedgehogs..." Jr. yelped once he said "blue hedgehogs", drawing his hand back from the fairy.
"So you mean...that thing can turn evil?" Eve pointed to him. The echidna closed his eye and gave an affirmative.
"This is all the advice I can give you, Sonic. However, once you receive the Ruby of Love, come back and put it on the altar with your heart, for safekeeping. You can also use the teleportation device to go to the next world if you defeat the monster up ahead."
"Okay...let's go, gang. Next up on the map is the Crystal Forest. That monster isn't going to be defeated by itself!"
All of them agreed, being silent. They walked downstairs, the echidna left alone.
"Good luck, Sonic. You're going to need it. If only you understood how difficult this is going to be later on..." he muttered.