Day was changing into night, and with that change, relief would come.

It was an unexpected turn when the Gloriolians, or 'Halo Knights' as they were called, retreated into the skies as the sun set on the sands of the Middle East. Shamar was visible from where Sonic and Ippolita rested, the village burning and razed, but at least still standing in one way or another.

Sonic held the girl close to him, feeling her shivering as the desert winds brought in a chill. He had found a piece of cloth floating ahead on his run towards the desert village, and snatched it out of the air with his sharp reflexes. It now served as a source of warmth and comfort for the little Spagonian girl, as she tried to sleep peacefully. Earlier, the reality of what had happened to the people she knew and loved had finally hit her, full force. All the hedgehog could do was comfort her as she cried for what seemed like hours on end, wailing for her grandmother and her friends to come back to her.

The Chaos Emerald had told him nothing about her future, so he made a decision to protect her in any way that he could. If she could at least live in peace when this was all over, then hope could spring in her heart once more.

Sonic gently picked her up and moved from the rock he was sitting on. His destination was already determined, and it was also where the Professor had moved to. Shamar was too dangerous - anywhere on the surface was right now.

Only one place left to be.


Tails had worked tirelessly throughout the night, having figured out that the Halo Knights didn't want anything to do with the planet when the Sun was absent from its surface. Sonic had 10 hours up on Station Square, and it was about 8 PM in Shamar.

It was 10 AM on the American West Coast. A G.U.N sergeant greeted his troops with a 'Good morning, gentlemen. Welcome to Hell'. It was a fitting description for what the mainland had become.

Explosions sounded off in all directions, the city crumbling as soldiers from both sides tore through the infrastructure like cheap toilet paper. The city that had barely bounced back onto its feet after the Perfect Chaos saga was being torn into once more, and there was a chance that there would be nothing left to rebuild from when it was all said and done.

On Angel Island, Knuckles guarded the Master Emerald, albeit impatiently. The aliens were watching him, waiting for his next move. He didn't like leaving Tails by himself in a time like this. Those idiot hedgehogs had run off to do their own things instead of looking after him.

Then again, the walking gunship he was trying to fix could remedy some of that worry. But only some of it, the guardian thought stubbornly.

"Why don't you buck up and do something," he muttered to the ships above him. They looked more or less like giant, flying, chrome boxes, just floating in the sky with an excess of cannons pointed forward on their frames. There were missile doors all over their surfaces as well, the guardian noted after some inspection with a good source of light.

Someone's overcompensating…

He had caught the broadcasts the day before, watching the hijacked feeds one after the other on the television Tails had hooked up for him. That Helios or whatever guy was pretty boring, sounded like an overconfident jerk. Like Sonic, if he were a jackass.

"…"

Maybe that wasn't a unique enough description…

The next message came from the American President, also effectively the leader of the United Federation's forces against the alien threat. In an entirely too long speech, he pretty much told the people of Earth not to give up against the aliens. They had beaten some before, and they would do so again.

Convenient how he forgot to mention how the Ultimate Lifeform helped them beat said alien threat. Now with Shadow gone insane and swearing vengeance against all humanity, their battle would be uphill, to say the least.

Last and most interesting was the message from the Duke of Soleanna. He only asked for three things: that the people of Earth continue fighting the good fight, his daughter's whereabouts, and her safe return. This was evidently backed by the United Federation…which made the echidna's head spin with the information he had gotten from Tails, who had gotten that from Sonic. The two governments were supposed to be at each other's throats, but now they were buddy-buddy? Although he didn't want to trust any information from that thieving hedgehog, Knuckles had to admit that he was closer to the source than anyone else.

"And visions, too…what the hell could have scared him that badly?" the echidna mused. "They also want that princess pretty desperately…but tactical knowledge tells me that the aliens will make a point of holding her hostage, or even killing her…and that throws a wrench in Sonic's plans, because he apparently needs her alive. But nobody knows why that is…man."

Knuckles shook his head and lay back against the Master Emerald on the ground.

"This shrine…it was only supposed to be a backup, a monument to the times of old. I hid the Master and the Chaos Emeralds inside the Hidden Palace to keep them safe…" He snorted. "That turned out real well. Sky Sanctuary came down on top of everything, so now I'm stuck out here, no thanks to that Eggman…"

That was another thing troubling the echidna. Besides apparently triggering this entire war, what was he doing? Was he waiting for something? Someone? He had been so inactive that it was almost creepy.

And then there was that girl Tails was talking about, Ellen-whoever. Amy was working with her, too. What was her deal?

"…I need a nap."

He put all complicated ideas out of his mind for the time being, focusing on rest. His senses as always were still on high alert – a growl as one of the Halo Knights tried to encroach on his property was proof enough.


Espio continued his search for the mission target as he spoke with Vector on the same morning.

"You're sure about that, Esp? Makes me wonder what a smart girl like that would want with something so…I dunno, obscure? And only one of 'em?"

"Believe me; I have questioned her reasons for wanting this object myself. I think we will find out soon enough, once I retrieve it and return it to her. It should be close, from what I recall."

"Sheesh. You'd think that it was all in the past," the crocodile said with a sigh. He sipped his morning coffee while at his desk. It was entirely too strong, but he sucked it up for the time being.

"Apparently, it wasn't all that far," Espio replied. "I think I have it." The chameleon stood in a midst of scrap metal, having fished through some of it to retrieve a single part: one fuel cell, which seemed to be modified in some fashion. Espio's intuition told him that it was because of Chaos Energy.

"Good job, buddy. Oh, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead," he replied as he made his way back to base.

"Did you sense any…you know…?"

"Her heart is clear of any significant darkness. You know it well; all of us on this plane have darkness in our hearts…it is how we control it that defines us. But…"

"But what?"

"There is a cry coming from her soul. A fear of what is to come for her. She is dying, Vector, and wishes desperately to live on."

"You think she'll do anything crazy?"

"No," Espio replied. "Nothing like what you're thinking."

Vector scratched his head at the information. A rich girl like Ellen Pearson just had to have an M.O. to her actions. Nothing made sense otherwise.

Then again, it could be that he wasn't trying to look at it from another angle. Heck, Sonic was pretty much like her in a lot of ways. He just saved people and stopped Eggman because…he could do it. No rhyme or reason to it at all. Speaking of him…

"Hey, Espio. If you come across Sonic at all, give me a shout."

"Sonic?"

"Yeah. You've heard the news, haven't you?"

"No, I have not."

"Apparently he kidnapped Soleanna's princess and murdered a G.U.N agent. You remember Rouge, right?"

Espio had just broken into a sprint towards the coastal town a few miles away. "Those two apparently had history already…why would he kill her?"

"Beats me. Just let me know if you see him, okay?"

"Right."

Vector leaned back in his chair. The story reeked of government meddling…if Sonic was the culprit, why would Shadow be going off on G.U.N like that? In addition, it was suspicious how all of a sudden that princess was so important…

"Huh. Better take a look at this in detail. Yo, Charmy! Get me my laptop, will ya!"

The hyperactive bee flew in and dropped the computer from above, forcing Vector to scramble to catch it.

"Sorry about that, lost my grip!"

"You…" He had something come to his mind just then. "Where'd Mighty go?"

"Mighty? He said that he went to the lock-up."

"There's only two things in the lock-up…I guess it makes sense that he'd go and get them all of a sudden. Anyways, since I have Tails' e-mail address, I'll drop him a line. Maybe if he gets out of that fire pit called Station Square, he can help us out with something."


Tails was riding on one of Omega's shoulders when he received the message. "Mail from…Vector? It's been a while, huh? Hm, let's see…if I get the time, maybe I can look at his toys for a bit. Omega, how far do we have to go?"

"Five-point-two-six-kilometres and closing," the revived machine rumbled. Tails had closed the gaping hole, replaced the wiring, and reset the robot's original programs to normal – normal meaning that he was still a killing machine, still liked Shadow, and still hated Eggman, which was a good day as far as the fox was concerned. He was tired from the lack of sleep, but it had been worth it.

Sonic's probably pushed himself a lot harder…he's probably doing so right now. I can't slow down, even a bit! The future's in danger!

"Let's pick up speed, Omega!" Tails stuffed his laptop into his backpack and slung it on as he ran. His twin tails spun quickly, boosting him forward even faster and leaving him to hover over the streets slightly. In response, Omega put more power into his thrusters and kept pace.

In the meantime, almost four kilometres away, Wilhelmina and Elise weaved through the chaotic traffic and made their way closer to the airport, where the plane they were to use was waiting. The radio had given them enough real-time information to adjust their plans accordingly.

"My father's working with the Federation now? And they're saying that Sonic killed someone! Is that true, Wilhelmina?"

"No, it isn't."

"I wonder…why wouldn't Soleanna just look for me by themselves?"

It's a good question, Wilhelmina said to herself. Just one that won't be answered readily.

"Do you have any strange..." She stopped, trying to form her words properly.

"Strange what?"

"What I mean to say is-"

A strange feeling of weightlessness took over them just then, and the world was spinning around the two, quite literally. It took a moment for Wilhelmina to realize that they were somehow in the air, and she reacted by reaching for the combat knife holstered to her upper thigh, using it to cut through her seatbelt and Elise's. She flung open the passenger-side door and power-climbed upwards as the car tilted, carrying Elise out with her as she did. They both hovered ten feet above the ground for a moment, Wilhelmina grabbing Elise as she fell to earth, back first.

The princess could only feel slightly jarred as she heard metal crumple inwards from an impact.

"What…just happened?"

Slowly releasing herself from her protector's grip, she saw that she was on top of a car, somehow. The car that they were in, the one that they had stolen…it was on the other side of the street, smashed to bits.

"Are you alright, Elise?"

"I'm fine." She then gasped as she pieced together everything that had gone on. Had Wilhelmina…done all of that, in such a short space of time? Her outline was clearly visible in the roof of the car they had landed on.

"What I should be asking is…are you okay, Wilhelmina?"

"The landing was a little hard, but otherwise fine," she said with a smile. She checked for her combat knife – good, it was back in place. Taking Elise's hand, she ran forward.

"Are we still heading to the airport?"

"Yes, but in a different way. The AirLink starts at this next stop on the train, rather conveniently."

"Won't someone recognize me?"

"They're too busy panicking right now. Besides, it's only three or so stops. Once we get there, we'll have to take an alternate route…"

They were still being watched. A floating gold ball with wings had tracked their every movement, and was reporting it to the flagship high in the atmosphere. A crystal 'eye' read their data and reported one of the humans to be Princess Elise III, heir to the Kingdom of Soleanna.

This information was relayed and put to use with deadly results.


"We would appear to be out of time, according to some. But know that this is just the beginning, my comrades."

Ellen Pearson was in the middle of a speech at her new facility, having gathered everyone involved into the grand hall for a meeting. Amy sat near the back of the room, silently concentrating on what was going on around her. The human girl's talking soon became background noise.

A flurry of thoughts were running through her mind as she tried to piece everything together, but it was coming along so slowly. She knew that Ellen was going to move into the next phase of her plan by tomorrow – Espio was due to return tonight with what she needed before it was to happen. Amy didn't know too much about the chameleon, other than the fact that he and his buddies ran a detective agency, the same one that Ellen had enlisted to keep tabs on Doctor Eggman. She didn't bother to question his reasons for joining the cause, since someone of his skill didn't come along too often, and good help was usually hard to find.

Her thoughts then turned to the blue hedgehog, of the way he had been acting lately. His eyes had lost their light, as she knew that hers had. So much pain was coursing through him every moment…but she didn't know what lay in store for him, for any one of them. And what he had said still bothered her.

She toyed with a sphere of energy in her hands, spinning in all directions as it was suspended in the air. Power.

It was only that which would change the world this time. Heart could only take you so far, and she knew that from experience. By closing her thoughts off, by becoming more focused and warrior-like, she could reach her full potential. It had worked so far, she knew. It would do her well to continue. Still, Sonic's voice tugged at her, even as she tried to shove it away.

Just don't forget who you are, who you've always been.

"Shut up," she muttered bitterly. "The past is dead to me…"

Ellen's speech finished, and with what seemed to be perfect timing, her phone rang. She took it from her holster and answered.

"Hello. Ah, yes. Thank you for telling me. How long did you say?" A grin. "Oh, that'll do nicely. I'll see you soon, Espio." As the call ended, she squealed in delight, not caring who heard her. It was almost time, she could feel it…!

"Amy, I know that it's nearly time for him as well. If Sonic makes a decision, assist him in taking the good doctor down. Not just a few notches, but all the way to the ground and then some," she snarled, suddenly feeling vicious.

Amy nodded, feeling the irritation creep into her system from earlier. "Oh, and…" Ellen paused before adding another thing. "If you manage to capture the fat man…bring him back to me, will you?"

The hedgehog smiled back wickedly, showing her teeth. "No guarantees, dear sister."

"Ah, I should have figured. Go on, then. Try not to keep all of the fun to yourself," Ellen said, feigning a sigh. "But it's almost here! Can't you feel it, Amy?"

Amy nodded as she left the room.

"I'm going to live…I'm going to reach my dream. I'm going to…I'm going to succeed, finally…"

This…sickness was still tearing her apart, from the inside out. She didn't know what it was, or how it had come about, but she suspected the medications from earlier…

No matter. It was time. Nothing would stop her.


Sonic walked through the tunnel, looking around with wonder as he did so. An elaborate, sturdy system of caves had been crafted here…they also seemed to be from many generations before this one. They were large and wide, most likely for the transportation of people as well as goods to and from the surface. Stones in the walls were glowing and acted as the primary light source. Sonic could feel the faint energies coming off of them, since they used residual Chaos Energy. This could have been the place where a Chaos Emerald rested, until it was found…

His ears picked up the swift, yet heavy steps that came from behind. He heard a clicking, and his fur bristled upwards a bit as a rifle barrel hovered inches from the back of his head.

"Ten seconds," the voice said, trying to be intimidating but carrying a nervous shake, not to mention a slight accent from their native tongue. "Identify yourself."

He knew that he was faster than any human could hope to be. The rifle would only serve to help him, not the attacker in the end. So many ways he could embarrass this poor soul-

Wait.

He knew that voice from somewhere.

"I said to-"

"Layla?"

The barrel now touched his skull. "How do you know my name? Answer!"

"Calm down. Get more light onto me. Do as I ask and it'll be fine."

A light clicked on, and then the barrel of the rifle fell away, brushing against the ground in its retreat.

"Sonic…?"

"Yeah. It's me." He slowly turned around, holding the small bundle in his arms. The young woman he met as a university student had changed drastically. Instead of the traditional dress of her village, she had on a t-shirt and paint-splattered cargo pants. Her black hair was frayed almost beyond repair and hung off of her shoulders.

"I…I-I didn't know…you even had a child with you…Sonic…I…"

"It's alright. We've all had a rough go of it."

"I didn't think anyone would find us…but if you could…"

"I'll take responsibility. Although…it probably won't come to that. As long as you're here, you're safe."

"It's a good theory…one that I had thought of, actually."

Sonic smiled as the one he had been searching for finally came into view. Just as Layla did, he wore a shirt and ruined cargo pants, with combat boots on his feet. "Seems that we're on the same wavelength, Professor. I hope everything's been going well enough, considering…"

"Yes, yes. I've been fine down here, what with all of the equipment I dragged over here for my purposes. It seems that this cave was a base of operations for some group, and they've set up various network connections. The place is even furnished and stocked with food, which should last us a while. The invaders have probably wiped out the entire village by now…"

"Yeah. I saw."

"Layla, if you will…" He gestured to Ippolita, and the young woman took her from Sonic's arms.

"Professor, I don't have much time. So I'll tell you everything that I know."

"She's safely asleep, Sonic." He nodded towards Layla as she stood near them.

"Now, what was that about 'telling us everything that you know', Sonic?" Professor Pickle asked curiously.

Sonic revealed the blue Chaos Emerald. "I can see the future. I know how this story will end."

The old man calmly nodded.

"But I will save us all, Professor. One way or another."

"Very well. Come, we will discuss this over some tea and cucumber sandwiches, of course."

"Alright. Mind if I start in the meantime?"

"No, you can go ahead, lad."

Sonic took a deep breath. "…It all started after we got back to Angel Island."


Espio saw it, but couldn't really believe it.

"What…is that…?"

He saw something massive rising up from the waters miles ahead. It was blacker than the night and blocked out the sun in much the same way. For ten continuous minutes, it rose into the sky, showing more and more of its bulk as it displaced water. The chameleon could feel the boat he was on rocking violently in the new waves, pelted by the artificial rain that this flying land mass had created.

It was a damned floating country.

"Miss Pearson," he said into the radio on his wrist. "There's trouble afoot."

"I know," the voice replied, a little too happily for the shinobi's tastes. "But all of that will be taken care of soon…very soon."

The chameleon narrowed his eyes and looked back at the black mass above him, still raining down excess water.

"Let's hope that you can keep your word, Ellen Pearson."

Knuckles awoke to the sound of gunfire, and turned to the source. However, the sun didn't seem to be up at the moment…but his internal clock told him that it was the afternoon. What was going on? He rose and looked out beyond the shrine.

As his eyes widened, he then summed up the entire world's reaction in three words.

"What the f-"