Epilogue
So, Sonic and Eggman's frenemy relationship is one of my favourite things to keep an eye out for whenever something new is announced. I've noticed there are patterns no matter which dimension you go to. They have some rules in place and often abide by them. Even the Boom dimension confirmed one of my long-time ideas that Sonic and Eggman have a schedule in place on when and where they can or can't fight.
Their frenemy relationship is also really working out for them – they depend on each other for a purpose and they thrive on it, even though they are both causing their own downfall. While Sonic is making Eggman better at creating machines, Eggman is making Sonic stronger with all his schemes. If you ask me, summoning gods for certain schemes sounds a bit overkill for the defenceless human race.
But what if he's doing it deliberately and actually training Sonic (and his friends to some extent) in order to prepare him for all the enemies that Eggman isn't responsible for?
XXX
Years passed and Sonic and Eggman met each other hundreds of times. It was sometimes for the possession of the seven Chaos Emeralds. But other times, it was just small coincidences.
Although most of their encounters quickly escalated into fights, on rare occasions they would simply talk. Civilized even, with no witty banter, mockery or insults.
And on even rarer or perhaps almost non-existent moments, they worked together. But it was usually when Eggman no longer maintained control over the situation.
Although proud, Eggman wouldn't let his pride become his end and, unlike himself, he knew Sonic could be trusted. 'Live to fight the hedgehog another day,' he would tell himself on those rare occasions.
Sonic didn't mind these little unusual team-ups, even though he was never naïve enough to let his guard down as soon as their common enemy was defeated, but it was nice to see the doctor wasn't all that bad once in a while.
Even though it did, however, usually make it more difficult to figure out Eggman's true motive, it was indeed nice to see that Egghead wasn't such a bad egg after all. On some occasions, he'd even give hints and tip offs in the most unusual way.
Sonic had always thought it a little funny how Eggman would send a messenger to tell him his next evil plan and sometimes even where to go, almost like he was challenging him. It also showed him that the crazy doctor had some sense of honour to never attack him at whatever place he decided to call home (besides the messages self-destructing).
In return, Sonic never attacked Eggman's base without the doctor giving him a sufficient reason to. It had become some sort of unspoken agreement between them.
Or perhaps it was due to mutual respect that had developed over the years. But no matter the reason, Sonic had always found it to be his duty or maybe even his job to stop the crazy doctor no matter what.
While Eggman seemed to think of it as his job to defeat the hedgehog, constantly coming up with new brilliant (and occasionally ridiculous) schemes to do so.
Sonic couldn't tell whether the human was obsessed about beating him fair and square or if there simply were no other opponents he considered a true rival. Or maybe there was some third option he hadn't yet grasped...
That was until he found that third option, one day in one of the coldest places on the planet...
A third option revealed in a diary he found in Eggman's office while being trapped in one of his better hidden bases.
Despite the warmer room, compared to the frozen wastes outside, he still shivered a little. As he read on, he noticed several unusual things written into the book, which was strangely titled 'Project Sonic'.
'Project Sonic?' He thought to himself. 'Why would he call it that? This is too old to be a recent gig. Was he really that obsessed about destroying me?' He wondered before looking at the first page.
The pages had plenty of information about him from one to about five years old. The pages after this were blank...
Until it came to thirteen years old...
'Wait! How can this be? How would he know so much about my childhood? Even I don't remember that part of my life!' He knew very well what happened after he was five. He had been with the freedom fighters, but before that everything was blank or unclear. '…Did he really raise me...?'
As Sonic read on, he realised that it was a journal entry based on the first fight they ever had...
"I decided to go to South Island to find the legendary Chaos Emeralds...
"I knew at that moment that he didn't remember me. He was far too young at the time, so his mind hadn't fully developed yet. That was when I decided to keep the promise I made to his mother all those years ago… If I couldn't keep my promise in a close enough proximity, then I was going to do it from afar…"
Sonic then turned the page and stumbled upon an old note that was stuck onto a page. Though old and worn, the hedgehog could just make out the words.
"Please take good care of Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog, if I don't return. Make sure he grows strong.
Aleena."
'It can't be…' Sonic thought to himself.
That was when Sonic had realised it. All those plots, all those schemes. They weren't for world domination at all. That was all a façade to cover the real plan. And it was to-
That was when he noticed a shadow above him and something was suddenly thrown over him. It felt similar to a net, but different. If this was any other situation, the blue hedgehog would have fought violently and lashed out at his enemy. But instead, he felt a small bit of pressure and then some friction, as though someone was warming him up.
"So, you figured it out." Someone stated behind him.
Sonic started to shake. He had definitely recognised that voice, but it was this new revelation that had him spooked. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to sneak up on someone from behind?" The startled hedgehog said, half-irritated, as he pulled some of the blanket off his head.
"That's why you shouldn't let your guard down, especially in strange, unexpected places."
Sonic huffed, as if insulted, before looking unsure. Questioningly looking down at the book in his hands. He held up the diary for Eggman to see. "Is everything you've written here really true?"
Eggman took the book off Sonic, wondering how far he actually had got.
"You probably would never have believed me if I had told you all those years ago…
But, yes, it's true."
"You... you saved me as a baby and raised me?" Sonic's ears drooped. "And I ran away because of a misunderstanding. Because I thought you were... evil." Sonic still had a hard time wrapping his head around this. He felt like he should be angry for all the damage and suffering Eggman had caused. And it was all an act to train him to become the hedgehog that he was today? Could this really be true? "You've been pretending to be the bad guy for years... you've hurt my friends, almost killed me on more than one occasion... why?"
"I was trying to make you stronger. But did you really think I was deliberately trying to kill you? You were making it even more difficult not to injure or kill your friends, especially when you brought along more than one and had them all split up."
"What about that time you sent me off into space in a capsule that you shortly after blew up? I had never Chaos Controlled before and all I had was a fake emerald!" Sonic asked, challenging, and added with a low mumble "I thought I was going to die..."
"I assumed you had a fake emerald because my radar was also picking it up, along with the other seven, so it had to have Chaos Energy in it. I also had a camera installed into the capsule, making sure that you were gone before I detonated it. You've had Chaos Energy building inside you for years before I awoke Shadow, and I must admit he was great at teaching you Chaos Control and how to harness your Chaos Powers."
Sonic had to ponder on this. It... sounded plausible? "That time when you found me unconscious on the beach after fighting that alien... I was surprised to wake up in your lab and completely free to go. I thought you had simply figured there was a bigger threat than me around and wanted me to beat it for you. You did plant a bug in my quills after all. But later when I..." Sonic hesitated on recalling this unpleasant memory. "...when I went Dark. You snapped me out of it. I never did figure that one out. I couldn't make sense of it."
"I don't know how it happened either. I just knew that it wasn't you, and I didn't want to see you become worse than Shadow, always violent and angry."
Sonic looked at him, listening intently. The words spoken were sincere. A small smile formed on his muzzle. "I'm... not sure if I'm okay with all of this, but... thank you for that one."
Eggman had to agree on that one. It would take a while to figure all this out, but at least Sonic was alright with some of it. "You're welcome, Sonic."
"Hey, maybe this is enough for today." Sonic felt like he had too much going on in his head and wanted some time to figure out what it all meant. He jumped down from his chair, sped to the door and looked back at Eggman. "Wanna grab some snacks and put that giant TV of yours into some good use?"
"Sure! I'll call Orbot and Cubot to bring some snacks to the living room." The doctor replied as he pushed a button on the remote nearby.
XXX
Eggman's two bots soon arrived at the living room, where Sonic and Eggman were waiting, each carrying a tray filled with dozens of snacks, including buckets of buttered popcorn, nachos covered in cheese, chilidogs and huge glasses of soda.
Orbot carried his tray with extreme caution, as though a single tip could shatter the contents. Cubot, however, was the exact opposite and it didn't take him long to trip on a small coffee table, and send both his and Orbot's tray flying, despite having the ability to hover.
In that moment, everything went in slow motion, until just about everything covered the human and hedgehog. It was going to take days to get the butter and cheese out of Sonic's fur.
The blue blur groaned and involuntarily shook all the soda out of his fur. His fur immediately puffed out, save for some of his left shoulder, where two large scars were present.
Eggman had to stifle a laugh at the hedgehog's amusing appearance.
Said Mobian growled angrily at the two henchbots. The last thing he wanted right now was another shower.
"We'll go and get a brush and a mop." Orbot replied.
"Be right back!" Cubot added.
The blue one was extremely frustrated, having only taken a shower that morning. As he got up, the two came back into the room.
Sonic then decided to use one of his newfound abilities, so that the robots wouldn't hear what he and the doctor were saying while they began to leave the room.
'Can I please dismantle them now?' Sonic asked, even though his mouth was closed
'No, they're like family to me.' Eggman replied in the same method.
'But I can make it look like an accident.'
'…Really… How?' The doctor replied, already throwing his last statement out the window.
'Well, it goes like this…' Sonic replied as he walked out the door.
XXX
Surprise!
For those who were wondering, this is a prequel to another fic of mine, 'Saved By My Rival', which is currently going through a mass remake along with some others. I'd like to congratulate E-198 Lou for being the first to figure it out.
I'd like to thank RAWN89 for being my beta reader and for helping me through the harder chapters, this one included.
I'd also like to thank MazzyBooks for allowing me to write this fic as a tribute to 'One Good Deed, Selfish Reason'.
I'd also like to thank the readers for taking the time to read this fic and best of luck with your own stories and art!