Good Morning!

I am interested to here your thoughts on some of the other stories I've published (namely "An Uneasy Alliance" and "A Widow's Tale") Have you read them or are they not your type? In that case, what would you like to see more of? I don't see myself as the most creative person ever so having some outside input allows me to see ideas I wouldn't have had considered. Leave your thoughts in a review or a PM if you wish, I'm curious as to your thoughts.

It looks like the big climax! What will happen to our favorite villain?

Hope you enjoy!

Sincerely,

Gatekeeper

On the way to the Royal Palace

Sonic pondered the message Agent Bluff had given him regarding the crisis as he raced across the rooftops to the Royal Palace

"Sonic. We have a problem. Security's breached and Sally might be in danger. Meet me by security, I don't think they'll let you pass."

It did not bode well that someone was able to convert the Royal Guardsmen in an coup d'état attempt. Something must have angered the guards enough to think that Sally wasn't fit for leadership, or there was someone who was very persuasive and new enough to create a stir among the guard without being branded as a trouble-maker.

He shook his head, trying to clear it enough to focus on getting to the Palace as fast as possible.

A blur of speed, he zipped and zagged across the town, narrowly avoiding people and vehicles in his attempt to race through the city.

Soon enough he pulled up to the Palace gatehouse, dust settling around him from his rapid entry.

He strolled up to the security guard and crossed his arms.

"Hey." he said casually "Name's Sonic. Friend of Sally's. I'm coming for a visit."

The guard, a nervous looking green and brown speckled turtle, shook his head

"I-I'm sorry sir, but there's a l-lock-down in place. No one in or out."

Sonic cocked an eyebrow, and walked over to the security booth, leaning up against in and looked at the guard with a serious expression on his face. He didn't like to think about Agent Bluff's words, but he had to make sure

"Sorry, maybe you confused me for someone else. Name's Sonic the hedgehog, Saviour of Mobius. Friend of Princess Sally Acorn. Former Freedom Fighter. All-around Badass. Maybe you heard of me? Last time I checked, I had automatic clearance attached to my file. So what's. The. Hold up?"

He stood there glowering at the shivering security guard, waiting for a response. He didn't like playing the "Hero" card, but Sally's safety was above his personal preferences on how to deal with obstacles. Namely, not running them over at high speed.

But such was life.

Simultaneously, in the security booth

Private Shallows was not having a good day.

He'd already had to turn away 2 diplomats, 5 politicians and 3 people seeking audience with the Princess for one reason or another. If it had been a normal day, He'd already be fired.

It was not a normal day, by any standard.

Firstly, the shifts were screwed up, again, so he was left doing a job he hadn't even trained for yet. Just like when he was left in charge of the comms room 2 days ago. And when he had been put in charge of jail security like 2 weeks ago.

"It's good experience." they said. "gives you some perspective of what the other guards do" they said.

Whatever, at least it wasn't latrine duty.

Secondly did he mention he wasn't trained for this!? Seriously, it looked like a immigration office in here. there were stamps and papers and even this neat little x-ray thing he could use for anyone that stepped near the office so he could check for contraband or whatever.

He was going to have a talk with Richard in HR. There's got to be better way to organize the shifts.

He thought about the many things he could complain about to Richard and let time slip away for a bit. Anything to make this job go a little faster till he got off shift.

That's when Sonic the Hedgehog strolled up.

On any day, any other day, if he was in his current position he would have been the happiest guard in the whole castle. The one place he could literally ask for a signature "for recording purposes" and it would be totally cool. The one place he could talk to the Hero of Mobius, maybe even get to see more of the guy behind the insane adventure.

Except for the fact that today, of all days, was when the Palace was on Lock-down.

Now, he knew that they practiced Lock-down fairly regularly, he'd participated in a few of those dry-runs.

But now it was real and he just had to be the guy at the gate, by far the worst job for Lock-down.

Sometimes he wondered which particular instance of his past was responsible for his current predicament. Maybe when he had tied Matt Fletchings' shoe strings together right before his dance with Sally Cooper a.k.a The beauty of their high-school.

He had a thought it might be that one, but it was kind of on the back burner in comparison to telling Sonic the Hedgehog he couldn't enter the Palace.

After Sonic made it very clear that he wanted to be in, and settled into a killer stare, Private Shallows began to worry more for his personal safety than for his job security.

He was startled by the sound of the security door beep that sounded behind him.

He turned around to see a white eagle and a red quilled hedgehog (stumbling just a little into the door frame but he wasn't going to mention it.) in black suits enter the security office.

The eagle pulled out a badge "Private Shallows, my name is Agent Bluff. This is my partner Agent Ridge from the M.C.I.A. We've come to give clearance for Sonic the Hedgehog to pass."

Private Shallows wasn't certain how long he'd been holding that breath in, but it did feel good to let it out.

He nodded and turned back to Sonic.

"Apologies for the inconvenience, sir. You are free to enter."

Private Shallows did the one thing he knew about the job, and pressed the button that would open the security gate.

With a nod, Sonic walked through the gate and left.

Heaving another sigh, he turned around to talk to the agents.

"So do you guys know why Lockdown is-"

As he turned he saw the two agents hurry with Sonic into the Royal Palace, leaving him behind with his question.

He shrugged and readied himself for the onslaught of people who saw Sonic enter.

"Sometimes I really wish I had just gone into teaching instead."

After briefly filling in Sonic, who left like a hurricane, Agent Bluff excused himself to help a still somewhat dizzy Agent Ridge get back in order.

"So why aren't we going with him?" She asked as she (slowly) readjusted from her dead faint.

"We need to make some preparations. You have some water with you?" Agent Bluff asked

"Yeah, got some from the security booth. Here." She replied as she handed a bottle of water to him.

Agent bluff rustled inside his suit before grabbing out a small kit. Opening it, he handed a container of 3 pills and a set of earplugs to his partner. He cracked open the water and downed the pills before starting to knead the earplugs into place. He motioned her to follow him and they went down the same pathway to the

Agent Ridge looked skeptically at the container and plugs.

"...So I assume this isn't part of you daily medication, right?"

Agent Bluff snorted. "No, that's a short-term motion-sickness medicine, a painkiller and a small dose of Modafinil."

"I didn't know you pushed drugs on the side." She remarked

"I had to do it for 6 months, you wouldn't believe the profit margin those guys make. No, I'm giving you that so that you'll actually be useful for the next part."

"...I'm just going to say okay and go along with this because it'd take too long." She said

"And she can be taught. Miracles really do exist." Agent Bluff muttered.

Agent Ridge spluttered, but followed behind. She gulped down the pills and started putting in the earplugs

She hoped she would survive to come up with a come-back for that statement.

Sonic blitzed through the halls, unable to go too fast for fear of missing the hallway.

Fortunately he didn't, taking the curve just a little too fast and ended up running up the wall down the passageway.

He was pretty sure Sally always wanted to throw away that old portrait anyway, so she wouldn't mind a footprint on it, right?

Unfortunately, he was still going slow enough for the guards at the end of the hall to register he was there.

"Halt!" one of them shouted "No one is to approach here on behalf of the Princess!"

"Nope!" replied Sonic with a pop of his lips at the end. He was on the ceiling and half-way down the hallway, gearing up to bust through the door

Sonic switched his focus to see the other guard had drawn his pistol. He was almost to the door, but he couldn't afford to keep himself open.

With a internal sigh, he started spinning up. His quills condensed into a spherical shield around his body, a whirring sound penetrating the hallway.

"I really wish I didn't have to do this, but I guess I'll have to deal with them first." He thought

He launched himself at the guards, and they quickly dropped. Sonic checked their pulses to make sure he hadn't overdone it. He then spun himself up again, this time using the traction of the floor to give himself a boost when he pushed himself forward.

Shortly beforehand

They heard the guards outside shout something, and a whirring noise.

"Tell me Minister, how do you fight something that moves faster than your eyes can see?"

Minister Xain snapped his attention to the guards, a small twitch crossing one of his eyes. "Bar the door!" he said. The guard behind Sally and one of the guards on Eggman moved off and quickly started to fortify they door

He trained the pistol on Eggman. "You! Choose! Will you stand with me now, or die meaningless and alone?"

Eggman looked him in the eyes, glaring at the Minister. "I choose neither. I won't last long enough either way to matter."

Xain sighed "Fine then." and cocked the pistol. "I guess I'll just use one more bullet than what I wanted. But you won't be the first to go."

He then moved the gun to aim at Princess Sally. "She will be. Even if I fall here, there are others that will accomplish what I cannot."

"no."

The world stopped for a second for Eggman. He was sure, sure that he had bought enough time by stretching out the conversation with Xain. But apparently the Blue Blur will be just a hair too slow this time to make the happy ending.

"It's not personal, Princess, but you're in the way. I will not be stopped."

"No!"

"And you know what the best part is? When the future rolls onward, you two will never be remembered. You will die here and now and I and my allies will make it so that you were never born, that every struggle you won and battle you fought will be so insignificant that no one will even whisper your name. Your parents will wish they had never known you by the time I'm done. Pray now, if you wish, my only regret being that I can't make your deities forget you as well."

"No!"

Eggman struggled against the single guard, but he could see the Minister's finger wrap around the trigger. He could see that he wouldn't make it. He snapped his gaze over to Sally. Another whirring sound started in the background

She looked at her minister, now her murderer, with a cold gaze. She gazed at her death unflinching and determined, every ounce the Princess she was born to be.

"So much like her father. I regret ever banishing him to the Special Zone."

"Goodbye."

"NO!"

Eggman threw off the guard and stood up, briefly distracting Xain. The door splintered, and a gun shot rang out.

And then the world turned black.