Unleashing Sonic: Story Mode
After I returned the third continent back to where it belonged, Eggman was apparently keeping track of everything else that was going on.
Don't ask me how I know. I just figured you wanted to, that's all...
"Your dinner, Doctor…" the robot known as "Ergo" said, revealing a HUGE submarine sandwich that was probably ordered from Subway- requested as Extra Large too.
Anyway, Eggman arose out of his chair, said "Thank you", and retrieved his meal for about 20 people.
"What's the progress on the Dark Gaia-powered Eggman Land construction system?" he asked before gnawing a bite out of his infinite-Decker sandwich.
"Current status is…27 percent complete. Progress is significantly behind projected timetable. Presumed cause of delay…Dark Gaia's dispersion across the globe." Eggman wolfed down the rest of his sandwich in one bite before replying to his robot minion.
"Oh, of all the lazy…here I go to the trouble of waking that Dark Gaia thing up, and it causes me nothing but delays!"
"Dark Gaia has yet to reach maturity within the planet's core. Ergo, it was still incomplete at the time of its awakening. Ergo, it was unable to sustain its own weight upon release. Ergo, it scattered across the world."
Eggman groaned and lightly smacked his head. Ergo shrugged- it was nothing but the truth.
"I don't want to hear about its weight issues!"
Really? Let's talk about yours!
"So what if I gave it a bit of a sudden awakening? This is unacceptable!"
"Ergo, this is the repercussion of your hasty actions."
Eggman violently turn around and spat, "What was that?" as Ergo attempted to look innocent.
"Grrrrr…I'm having a bad enough day as it is!" Eggman growled, his frustration and fury building up and getting ready to spread like wildfire. "First that professor runs off with the Gaia Manuscripts, and now the planet's coming back together! Hrr…hrr…hrrr…"
"That, Doctor, is the result of the power of the Chaos Emeralds- which you discarded, along with Sonic. Ergo, another repercussion of your hasty actions.
"Q-Quiet, you junk heap! That was, uh, all part of my plan! Part of the big picture! Where's the fun in having my plans succeed without any challenge?" He spread his arms out -twice- for emphasis. Ergo just stared at him like he was crazy.
Which he is!
"Ahem! Anyway, what's the status of the remaining Temples of Gaia?"
"Eggman forces have currently secured all locations," Ergo replied, motioning to a conveniently placed screen. Defensive preparations are nearly complete."
Eggman sighed and sat down again. "That'll take care of Sonic for now, which leaves the problem of Dark Gaia. It'd be difficult to gather every piece scattered across the world."
"Searching conventional wisdom banks for topical advice…"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." "Slow and steady wins the race." "Nobody likes a whiner."…"
"Hm, isn't there a more efficient way? Someway to…oh, I don't know…gather them all up at once?" the doctor began to ponder and mull it over, until his egghead of a brain came up with an ingenious idea. He slammed a fist into his palm before sticking his finger in the air. "Wait- that's it! Of course!"
His chair moved him in front of his computer, since he was too lazy to walk, and instantly pounded away on the keyboard. "Eeh hee hee hee hee! With this…THIS! All of my plans will be realized!"
And so he got to work…
. . . . .
"Professor Pickle may have found a new destination for you by now," Tails had explained to us once we returned to the Tornado…and its apparent repair job. "Sonic, let's go visit him in his laboratory in Spagonia."
"Okay Tails. It should be day there, right?"
"Yes…"
I was in the back of the plane almost instantly. "What are we still doing here then? Let's roll!"
Tails laughed and climbed up into the pilot's seat, Chip already sitting on the wing. Boy, I sure was glad we were getting out of Chun-Nan! This place was way too close for comfort, and it had been such a long night too! In fact, I found myself drifting to sleep…
I knew I deserved such a rest after all I went through…
. . . . .
Later on, I had woken up, but I certainly was not in Spagonia. And it certainly wasn't daytime either.
"What in the…Chip? Tails? Did we crash or something?" I asked airily, glancing around for my friends. The Tornado wasn't in sight, and neither were they. Scary. Surveying my surroundings, I was stuck in a city of some sort- one I had definitely not seen before. It was quiet- all too quiet at that. "Hello? Anyone around?"
No answer. Very eerie. I was about to declare the streets as deserted, until monsters appeared, ready to fight.
"So they're here too…" I mused, taking out the Rhinos…and green Pests? "What is going on?"
"Sonic…"
I froze. A voice. Who did it belong to?
"This way…this way…"
I tried to locate the owner of the voice, but everything was still deserted. I thought the sound was coming from the roof of another sky scraper, so I used a thin beam as a narrow bridge to make my way across I also made the mistake of looking down…and realizing that these buildings towered over the clouds!
They weren't sky scrapers for nothing.
"Oh boy oh boy…"
I was in an unknown place alone crossing a beam with the threat of literally falling out of the sky…not that I've never done the latter before, but seriously- it was starting to really spook me out. It was so quiet; I could hear the wind whistling in my ears. I shivered. When I finally made it to my apparent destination, I noticed bars jetting out of a building, beckoning me to follow them. There really wasn't another choice, was there?
"I've got nothing to lose anyway…" I murmured, stretching my arm over and beginning to make my way across. It was not just a series of bar, but floating poles and yellow grip-blocks. Really- floating poles!
"Maybe I'm dreaming…" I trailed, highly cautiously grabbing onto a floating pole. "But I'm actually feeling the pole, seeing it…shoot, I can even smell it!"
So much for that explanation…
With every move I made, I began to become terrified. Where was I going? What was I doing? What was I going to do? Where was everybody…? I would've at least screamed, but no one would be able to hear me. Instead, I continued to work my way around the building- it wouldn't do me any good to just hang in the middle of the air. I latched onto a ledge winding around the building and started to work my way across, until I realized there were razor blades of all things moving back and forth aiming to cut me in two!
"Whoa!"
Moving fast, I let go briefly, then pulled myself to a farther part of the ledge- which also came with a build-it death blade. How nice. I felt several strands of fur get hacked off while trying to maneuver my way by. Once I somewhat overcame that nightmare, it was another beam to go across. The wind blew lightly, rushing through my fur and sending chills up my spine.
It also blew me off the edge.
So much for poise and balance! I fell with a simple breeze! I snapped my arm up to save me just in time, but I was paralyzed with the thought of how close to a potentially lethal drop I was. I had no idea if it would rival a fall from space or not, but I wasn't looking forward to finding out.
The moment I made it safely across the beam, I was ransacked by more green Pests and Rhinos. I tried to fight back, but it was like something was holding me back. I felt harsh punches make contact with my already weak back, jabs to my sides, and bites almost everywhere from those stupid Pest. I spun around in an attempt to shake them off, but that was hardly effective. I felt another set of teeth sink into my flesh, causing me to keel over.
"Argh! Stop! STOP!"
No use- shouting didn't solve anything. I grabbed a Rhino and repeatedly smashed it into the roof every time I was bitten, but that didn't assist the situation either. I sunk my claws into the nearest Pest then chucked it over the edge. While I wasn't looking, another Rhino grabbed me by the shoulder and threw me at an electric fence.
"AAAARRGGGHHH!"
At least 500 watts of pure electricity were being directed into me at that very moment! Every fiber in my being burned, and if I didn't get out, paralysis wasn't inevitable…
Yet I didn't get out. I was continued to be electrified until I blacked out…and I had no idea if I was to awake again.
"Wake up, you loser."
Well. Talk about THAT being a wakeup call! When I sat up again, I was still on a roof, but much farther than previously.
"How'd that happen?" I asked no one in particular. "…and who woke me?"
And called me a loser?
No answer- yet- but I did receive two armored robots and red Pests. As I tried to get the Pests to back off, the robots advanced upon me and held me up.
"Let go! Or else face the wrath of-" I started until I was cut off by the last person I'd ever expect.
"Who? Sonic the Hedgehog? Sonic the Werehog? Or something in between, you freak?"
"…Tails?"
Tails. Standing right in front of me as big as life. He did not wear his classic contagious smile. He had a scowl that would put Shadow to shame. I felt both my eyes and my ears droop as I watched him.
"Tails! Where are we? What happened? Where's Chip?"
"Chip." The name came out so acidly, I flinched in fear of getting the aftermath. "That's all you care about anymore, right underneath yourself."
I raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about Tails? You're not yourself…"
He just waved his hand, turned around, and scoffed. "How would you know who I am anymore? You're always with that Chop weirdo-"
"His name is Chip!"
"Of course it is. And my name is Miles Prower. But you call me Tails. I think I can call Chump whatever I want to call him-"
"You want people to call you Tails!" I protested, trying to wriggle free. "What does this have to do with anything Tails? Knock this off and help me!"
He turned back to me, blue eyes filled with ice, sadness, rage, and a twinge of jealousy.
"No. Now it's your turn to sit there and help me instead of having the entire world listen to you whine and whine and whine about being stuck as a Werehog. Remember way back in Mazuri, when you were as happily as you could possibly freakin' be? I do. You promised me something. You promised me I could talk to you whenever I needed to."
"And I meant that."
"Yeah, that's why every time you're off on some quest with Chip, I needed to talk. I needed to let it out. But you were gone. By the time you comeback, I'm already so full of negativity I'm afraid I'm going to blow!"
"Tails-"
"Shut it! I'm not finished!"
I was terrified. Was Tails possessed or something! ?
"High fives, way-to-gos, sweet treats, and seemingly never ending adventures…sounds just like you and me, huh?"
I gave a solemn nod.
"Yeah, back when I was 4! All we ever did when I was young was go adventuring, and there was no purple dog or whatever to follow you then, ah? But now that I've grown up and am fully capable of being on my own, you think you can just scrape me to the side like gum off your shoes that's been stuck there for 5 years, then step in a new fresh wad of magenta gum and run off?"
"Odd metaphor…" I murmured under my breath.
"Newsflash Sonic. Sidekicks and best friends and not like old gloves you can take off, throw away, and replace with new ones. We have feelings. When's the last time you and I did something- without any Chip, without any world breaking apart, without anything? A good long time ago, Sonic. If you really cared about me, you wouldn't just leave me knowing something was wrong, you'd force it out of me! What if I was never ready to speak up? Hope by the time you and Fido get done with your next adventure that I'll be? Well, you're wrong."
I felt sick. Let me transform painfully into a Werehog every second of my life than ever see Tails this upset.
"Do you know what it's like, wanting to join along but not being able to because you know you're going to be a third wheel? And having to make up stupid excuses to stay behind just to cry? You never will, because you're sobbing about being a Werehog. I'm too slow! I'm too scary-looking! Well, you're apparently too stupid too, you idiot. I hope you're never normal again- ever."
Before I could retort, Tails pulled out a familiar green orb.
"You're never going to see Cocoa again either. He and I had a rather long talk, and he told me to give you this."
I meekly reached for it, only for Tails to crush the magical sphere in his hands. My eyes widened in horror. All this was hitting me like cannonballs- Tails, Chip, me, and everything. It was like a storm of heavy acid rain!
Tails snapped his fingers, and I felt the two robots carry me toward the edge.
"Get with it. Sometimes life just loves to flip you off, you know…"
"Tails! Don't let them do this!" I shouted before being carelessly tossed over the building. The last thing I saw was Tails' normal face, smiling at me.
"Sucks to be you, Sonic…"
I heard my name echo on the way down as I fell hundreds of stories by platforms and poles and windows and enemies.
Who was I? Sonic the Hedgehog with an alternate form caused by a prematurely born God in the middle of the planet? Or Sonic the Werehog, sealing inside Sonic the Hedgehog until the time was right?
My head spun, the only word I could manage to comprehend being my own name…
"Sonic…Sonic…Sonic…"
A flash of a creature came next, snarling and hissing and clawing at anything and everything I touched. A Werehog, unleashed at the presence of the moon. Complete untamed. It turned, dark eyes glaring with hatred.
It was me.
. . . .
"WHOOOOOAAAAAAAaaaaa!"
Tails and Chip jumped away from my sides as I sat up screaming bloody murder, flailing my arms about like crazy.
"No! No! I'm not a monster! Chip isn't dead! TAILS IS NOT A PSYCHO!"
"I think Chun-nan really took a toll…" Chip whispered to Tails.
"Sonic! Calm down! It was only a nightmare!" Tails explained, frantically trying to calm me down. My senses were still foggy, but I suddenly felt compelled to hug Tails.
"Oh, little buddy, I'm so sorry! No one could ever, ever replace such a great and talented little brother as you, and you really need to know that! I promise! You say the word; I'll be there when you need me, even if I'm in the middle of battling Eggman to save the world-"
"Slow down! What're you talking about?" Tails asked quizzically.
"The nightmare…I was trapped in a city- as a Werehog…it was so insane- messed up, out of place…nothing made sense except you, evil, chocolate…"
"Wow." "I think he's still out of it…"
Tails pushed me back down gently, allowing me to pull myself together. I saw a sudden bit of cobalt blue and almost asked what it was, until I realized it was me- I hadn't been normal in so long that I had forgotten, briefly. I was staring at my leg now, and then I held up my hands. Peachy, bare skinned arms and sturdy white gloves. The surroundings- we were in Spagonia and it was definitely daytime.
I took a few deep breaths. "Sorry for flipping out there- it was quite a scare! It almost felt real!"
"Are you better, Sonic?" Chip questioned. "I'll offer you some chocolate!"
Truth was, I was still struck horrified after that dream of mine, but I was determined to shake it off.
I grinned at Chip and accepted the chocolate bar. "Thanks. Now, what did we come for?"
"To see if Professor Pickle knows where to go next!" Tails finished. I gave a nod and hopped off the Tornado. I then helped Tails down and practically dragged him to the lab.
"Then let's go! Wouldn't want to keep him waiting for us a moment longer, huh? You can even lead if you want, Tails!"
Tails stared at me for a long time. "…I hope you get to run today. Maybe that'll straighten you out."
"Yeah! I've been dying for a run!" I stated truthfully with a rather jittery grin. What the heck?
I was in some combination of scared to death and overly excited and happy…what would you call being somewhere in the middle? I really need to know, because that's exactly what it was and I felt like I was going to fall into two halves at any moment.
I walked awkwardly off, Tails and Chip constantly trading looks on the way there.
"Maybe he needs a chill pill…"
"Maybe he needs his senses smacked into him…in a good way, of course."
I felt my eyes twitch.
I was seriously going insane.
Ah, weird creepy little nightmare...two purposes: one to start off the chain reaction that gets Sonic back to normal (thinking wise), and two because I wanted an excuse to weave an Empire City level into the Wii version's story :D. Worked out quite nicely...or creepily. Your choice.