Chapter 25: Past and Present

After defeating the Heavy Shinobi, Sonny Sonic and the others found Robotnik standing in front of a computer-screen which depicted a planet-like object and a machine that resembled Sonic.

"Metal Sonic!" Knuckles exclaimed. "I thought I destroyed him!"

Grinning mischievously, Robotnik turned away from the computer-screen and took out the Phantom Ruby which emitted a bright light that encapsulated everyone. A few moments later, the three animals and humans found themselves standing in some ancient ruins covered in vines. Sonic looked surprised and whispered something to Tails.

"Stardust Speedway? In the past?" Tails gave Sonic a doubtful look. "Are you sure?"

In response, Sonic nodded.

"What did he say?" Sonny asked.

"Sonic says we're currently in a past version of Stardust Speedway, which is an area on Little Planet." When Sonny Miles and Chuck gave him confused looks, Tails cleared his throat. "A while back, Sonic went on vacation to a special lake where a miniature planet is said to appear every few years. That was Little Planet, but when Sonic arrived he discovered that Doctor Robotnik had taken it over completely by placing generators in Little Planet's past. So Sonic used special relics called Time Stones to destroy the generators in the past thus liberating Little Planet in the present."

"But didn't Little Planet vanish afterward?" Knuckles said. "That's what I heard."

"Yes, but maybe Robotnik used the Phantom Ruby to bring it back," Tails suggested. "Let's look round and see if my theory's correct."

While Tails and Miles flew overhead, Knuckles and Chuck glided along behind them. So Sonic and Sonny ran along the vine-covered pathways until they came across a metallic object. Recognizing it, Sonic spin-dashed into the object which exploded upon impact. In its place grew several small flowers followed by a gigantic piranha plant.

"Yay, we destroyed the generator!" Tails cheered. "Now let's get out of here!"

A few feet further, they encountered a giant mechanical lightning bug that produced destructive lasers from its lightbulb-shaped rear-end. Tails and Knuckles distracted it, while Sonic spin-dashed into the bug. Sonny and his friends helped too and soon the lightning bug was destroyed. Eventually, they found a sign-post that said, 'Present' and ran past it. A blinding light followed, and soon they were standing before a brightly lit city that had highways resembling brass instruments. Following the trail of spring-loaded launchers, Sonic and the others found the mechanical version of Sonic preparing to crush a small rabbit beneath its metallic foot. Sonic immediately ran into it but its image vanished causing a small machine to be destroyed and several small animals like the rabbit to be released.

"It was just a hologram," Tails realized.

"So where's the real one?" Knuckles asked out loud.

From beneath the floor appeared a fleshed out version of the hologram who hovered for a moment before landing on the ground. It folded its arms and tapped its foot. Motioning towards itself, the metal version of Sonic flew away prompting the real Sonic to chase after it.

###

After experiencing a blinding light, Shawn found himself in the Westopolis park which was still miraculously intact after the Black Arms invasion many years prior. To his left was a path with one young woman jogging on it with purple hair tied in a ponytail and cat-like eyes.

"Blake!" Shawn called, recognizing the young woman.

"Hmm?" The young-woman took out her earphones and looked at the tree where Shawn stood. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," Shawn responded. "Where's Silva?"

"G. U. N. sent him to Central City not too long ago," Blake responded. "Apparently, one of Eggman's Badniks is attacking it. Goes by the name Heavy Gunner."

"Do you know what it looks like?"

"No."

"Then we have to go there. I'll explain everything along the way."

###

While Amelia had been transported to Metal City and Shawn to Westopolis, Stilla and Ador-O-Bot 2000 found themselves lying on the deck of a boat where a young woman was sunbathing. She had dark-brown pigtails that were similar to Stilla's only she wore a green tank-top and black shorts. Naturally, she was surprised and lowered her sunglasses.

"Stilla?" the pigtailed girl exclaimed.

"Hey, Cousin Marina," Stilla responded looking embarrassed. "Just thought I'd drop in."

"Quit joking around!" Marina demanded. "How did you get here?"

"Well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"And what's that thing?" Marina pointed at Ador-O-Bot 2000 who was shaking its bolt-covered head. "Isn't it one of Eggman's robots?"

"It was, but Miles reprogrammed him for me."

"Really?"

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"Of course I am!"

"Fine, then." Stilla rubbed her hands and turned to Ador-O-Bot 2000. "Lift, Ador-O-Bot 2000!"

On command, Ador-O-Bot stretched its hands out. A bright blue aura emanated from them, followed by the boat suddenly emerging from the ocean and hovering midair.

"What the—?" Marina looked over the side of the boat, gasping. "How's it doing this?"

"Something to do with magnets," Stilla replied. "Miles could explain it better than me."

Taking a deep breath, Marina said, "Okay, so what's going on?"

###

As two blue forms raced around a giant statue of Robotnik, Miles told Sonny some theories of his regarding their present situation while Sonny told Miles his.

"In a past version of Mobius?" Miles raised an eyebrow. "Where's your proof?"

"The fact that we don't have spirits possessing us right now," Sonny claimed. "That's what happened when Mephiles attempted to destroy both versions, though you don't remember it."

"Right, but I'll trust your word. Anything else?"

"Apart from Robotnik, we haven't seen any other humans."

"I've heard there are a lot of them on the mainland," Tails abruptly stated. "Though they've never come here, except for Robotnik."

"I wonder why," Chuck questioned.

"We mostly keep to ourselves," Knuckles said, yawning. "At least I do."

Miles gave Knuckles a stern look. "Well, in either case, I'm now convinced the Hard-Boiled Heavies we've been fighting are actually Eggman's which means that Robotnik must have created his own based on the way he berated them earlier and they were transported to our version of Mobius after we came here."

To be continued…