WARNING: Some elements in this chapter may be upsetting for some readers.
Chapter Three
Sally stood at one of the picnic tables as she looked at a map of Robotroplis, Robotnick's Empire, she traced her fingers over the paper.
Rotor was speaking off what was to happen on their next mission and what he had planned, but his voice was starting to fade as Sally's mind was drawn to the details of the map.
Without having to jog her memory, she knew all the places on the map when it was once the beautiful kingdom, she remembered every place she had known since she was a child, but it was all gone now…. reduced to just towers of metal and it broke her heart.
As her fingers graced the centre of the map, they danced over where her home, the Palace of Acorn once stood and tears stung her eyes, remembering the last time she left it….
Flashback
Mobotropolis, the Golden Age
Sally stood in front of her parents along with her older brother Elias in the large throne room.
King Max and Queen Alicia were at their thrones looking out at their subjects and addressing them as a large man with a bald head, and a ginger moustache stood before them in white and silver robes.
Sally shifted a little in her best clothes, a teal-coloured jumpsuit with a golden belt and a sapphire necklace along with her small golden tiara with a sapphire jewel, and she looked towards the sides where Sonic stood with Jules, Bernadette and Sir Charles.
As well as Sonic, her other friends were there too, including her other best friend Bunnie, a sandy coloured rabbit with green eyes, blonde hair, and cybernetic legs and left arm and Antoine D'Collette, a light brown coyote with blonde hair.
She had been standing with her parents and brother for a long time as they spoke to the crowds as well as to the many cameras that were broadcasting the event around the city and beyond, and she was starting to feel restless and bored.
This wasn't unfamiliar to the young princess as she often had to stand looking important next to her parents when they had these formal events, as was the duty of a princess, but she wished she was elsewhere, doing activities that other girls did.
This ceremony was that Julian was to become the Minister of Science, since the Great War had ended and thus his title as Warlord was obsolete.
Julian Kintobor was the war minister for the Acorn Monarchy and had played a big part in ending the Great War which had happened when Sally was a baby, and Elias was scarcely more than a toddler and they had no clear memory of, yet she had been educated about the conflicts between the Overlanders and Mobians.
It was on the curriculum at school and as much as she was fascinated by the subject, she hoped one day there would be no chance of History repeating itself.
Sighing again in boredom, Sally looked upon the large male human that stood tall and proud as her father King Max addressed him.
Looking upon Julian Kintobor, she never liked him, never trusted him, the man was a genius, but he was always threatening, the way he leered over anyone smaller than him, and how he made her feel uneasy.
He always reminded her of those evil monsters in her storybooks and she always made sure to steer clear of him when he was in the castle, or she made sure she had a friend or someone with her.
She often wondered, along with Sonic, how Sir Charles Hedgehog could work with him, as they had collaborated on the technology needed to win the war.
One of these said projects was the Roboticizer, which Charles had invented to heal those dying or seriously injured by replacing limbs or even a whole body with cybernetics.
Looking over at Bunnie, Sally knew she had been healed by the Roboticizer after sustaining serious injuries and even though it had been difficult at first to live with robotic limbs, the rabbit had been brave to learn to live with them, and conquered her difficulties which Sally admired.
Turning back to Julian as he stood there listening to Max's speech, Sally licked her lips and a small niggling started within her stomach as she watched Julian, his smirk starting to form, not a proud smirk, but a more sinister one.
When Max finally finished talking, everyone in the throne room applauded and Julian graciously bowed.
"Thank you, your majesty." The large man spoke "I have to say, I am ever so grateful you have graciously given me the title of Minister of Science."
Max nodded at Julian.
"Your services during our darkest hours during the Great War against the Overlanders were much appreciated and will be documented with great detail in the History Books."
There was another round of applause from the crowds, then Julian looked at Max again.
"Indeed, yes, your majesty, yet I believe those history books will speak of more than just my services!"
As he spoke those words, Sally felt her stomach lurch as she didn't like the way Julian was looking at her father and she stepped closer to her mother.
Max raised an eyebrow.
"I believe they will speak more of how I can use my skills and knowledge to bring order to Mobius, and maybe even tighter control!"
Max started to frown.
"Julian?" he asked, "What are you saying?"
Julian smirked again.
"Your Majesty, I feel that with technology, a much brighter and even more controlled future will be born! This world is filled with flesh weaklings, and are prone to dying, whether by the sword, sickness, or the slow decay of time!"
As Julian spoke, the crowds began to go silent, and some even started talking amongst themselves.
Feeling slightly fearful, Sonic snuggled a little closer to Bernadette and Sir Charles and Jules glared.
"What is he saying?" Bernadette asked as she pulled her son closer to her.
"I don't like this!" Jules growled.
Sir Charles narrowed his eyes as he listened.
"Just think your Majesty!" Julian continued "If machines were to run the Kingdom! There would be proper order! As unlike those in flesh, machines do what they are told!"
It was then Max stepped forward.
"I don't know what has gotten into you Julian!" he growled "But you better stop this mad talk!"
Julian crossed his arms and leered.
"Madness?" he asked "You call this madness? You run this Kingdom with your laws, yet it didn't stop a war, did it? You still have those who oppose you! And steal under your nose! Like those Rogue Bat Thieves!"
"I warn you!" Max demanded "Stop this madness and I will strip you entirely of your titles before you've even begun to take full advantage of them! And I'll have you arrested for Treason!"
Julian smirked again showing his yellow teeth and his soulless eyes glared down at the king.
"Oh, your majesty, it will not be I that is stripped of his title, it will be you!"
As soon as he said those words, he clicked his fingers and at once some explosions started going off around the city!
The Mobians in the throne room cried out in horror and some people near the windows looked out to see smoke and fire rising from different parts of the city and the sounds of screams and crying were heard.
"Julian!" Max shouted.
Sally screamed as she found herself get gathered into her mother's arms and she also saw Sonic get picked up by Bernadette and Jules and Sir Charles stood in front of her to protect her and Sonic.
Julian then turned to Max and held up his left hand then pulled off one of the gloves showing his hand to be robotic!
Sir Charles gasped in shock.
"Julian!" he cried "What have you been doing?"
Julian then turned to the hedgehog.
"Quite a lot actually!" he said "That Roboticizer is very useful! In fact, not just to increase my strength, and heal, but manipulate those into following my every whim!"
Sir Charles stared in horror.
"No…You didn't!?" he gaped, yet Julian just smirked, showing this was no lie.
"No! You…. you traitor! How could you!?"
Julian just smirked again and as if on cue, the doors to the throne room opened and everyone was horrified to see several mobian robots walking in followed by taller robots, all possessing red eyes and carrying weapons.
Sally clung onto her mother as she looked upon the robot mobians as well as the bigger ones behind them.
King Max stared in horror then at Julian.
"You traitor!" he shouted "You betrayed me! How could you!?"
Julian smirked again.
"Simple!" he said then clicked his fingers as the Robots all held up their weapons and the terrified citizens began to cower as well as cry out.
"I have assumed command here now! I am Robotnik! Ruler of this planet! Mobotropolis is no more! From now on, this is my Kingdom! Robotropolis!"
Max glared up at Julian, if looks could kill, Julian would be no more.
"You…You'll never succeed!" Max snarled "I will not let you do this! You cannot win!"
"Oh, but I already have!" Julian chuckled "And it is you who is about to lose everything!"
As he spoke, he looked up at Sally and Alicia and pointed at them.
Max cried out in horror, but before he could move, a large robot fired a laser point blank at Alicia!
Sally screamed as the laser hit Alicia in the throat and she fell to the ground, dropping Sally as she did so, then her body rolled down the throne steps like a ragdoll before falling before Max, blood pouring from her wound.
Everyone screamed in horror and Bernadette held Sonic close to her who had turned away from the gruesome sight!
Max knelt to his fallen wife, and he pulled her head to his lap.
"Alicia!" he screamed "Alicia! No! NO!" he yelled in grief then turned to Julian who glared at him.
"Mummy!" Sally screamed as tears streamed from her eyes, Elias also cried out in grief for his mother and hugged his sister close.
Jules and Sir Charles cried out in anger and they both went for Julian who turned to them and with one sweep of his Robotic arm he knocked them back!
"Jules! Charles!" Bernadette cried out in terror.
"Dad! Uncle Chuck!" Sonic wailed.
"Get them all!" Julian shouted to his Robots who instantly started shooting and everyone started running in terror to get away, yet many were hit by the lasers and fell injured or dead!
Jules and Sir Charles quickly got up again and Jules turned to Bernadette.
"Take our son!" he ordered "And run away!"
"Jules!" Bernadette wept.
"GO!" Jules shouted then went for Julian, but the evil man grabbed him by the throat and squeezed tightly.
"Those who oppose me…" Julian growled as he looked into Jules's eyes "Will Perish!"
"Brother! No!" Sir Charles shouted yet a robot shot at him and grazed his arm making him fall and he held his arm in pain.
Bernadette screamed then tears fell from her eyes as Jules's choked and struggled in Julian's iron grip, then before long, his limbs went limp and Julian smirked and let go of the hedgehog and he dropped like a stone and moved no more!
"Jules!" Bernadette cried as she held Sonic close "Jules! No! No!"
"Dad?" Sonic whimpered then Sir Charles ran to his brother's side and he gasped in horror as he realised Julian had killed him!
Bernadette fell to her knees as her heart broke and Sonic saw his father's lifeless body and he sobbed bring his hands to his eyes.
Sir Charles reached out to Sonic, yet as he did, a robot appeared behind Bernadette and lifted it's laser.
"NO!" Sir Charles shouted, but it was too late! The laser found its target and shot Bernadette through the chest!
Sir Charles gasped in shock as Bernadette fell forward, blood erupting from her chest.
"MUM!" Sonic screamed.
Sir Charles shook his head as he caught Bernadette and cradled her face.
"No! Bernie! Hang on!"
"Ch... Charles…" Bernadette coughed as she spat up blood "Take Sonic…take him…please…"
Tears erupted from Charles's eyes, but he nodded fervently.
Sonic wept in terror and sadness as his mother slid from his uncle's arms and lay over her husband.
"Sonic…" she choked "Never…never stop running…. I love you!"
Sonic stared in horrified grief and silence as Bernadette fell upon Jules, she lay her lips on her husband's just as she took her last breath.
Sonic sobbed as he looked upon his dead parents then up at Julian who leered down at him.
Sonic glared in fury, but before he could do or say anything he cried out in shock as Sir Charles scooped him up and started to run!
At the same time, Sally too felt herself get scooped up into the arms of her Nanny Rosie Woodchuck and she could only watch in horror as Julian stood over Max as he cradled his dead wife and the Robots continued to slaughter the many innocents within the throne room.
End Flashback
"Sally? Sally?"
The ground squirrel blinked as she was brought out of her thoughts, and she looked at Rotor who was looking up at her worried.
"Sally? Where were you?" he asked.
Sally blinked and put her hand to her forehead.
"I'm sorry." She breathed "I just…." She paused as her fingers curled on the map, her nails scratching it slightly.
"Are you sure you're okay to continue this discussion Sally?" Rotor asked, narrowing his eyes as the ground squirrel.
"I'm fine Rotor." Sally insisted.
"You're not, Sal!" Sally jumped as she turned to look behind her and saw Sonic had returned and had placed his hands on her shoulders.
"You're tense." He said, "I can feel it."
Sally closed her eyes and sighed, there was no denying it, she was very stressed and tense and the memories of when Mobotropolis fell to Julian Robotnik were eating away at her like termites through wood.
"Sal…" Sonic's voice came again, and he gently pushed Sally down onto a bench and she sat with her hands on the table, Sonic still standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.
"Just take a moment, okay?"
"We can continue this discussion later alright?" Rotor suggested in a more serious tone then nodded at Sonic who nodded back in agreement.
Such a horrible memory, the Fall of Mobotropolis.
But there is some lore for you, in my story at least, in this version, Sonic's parents were murdered rather than turned into Robians and Alicia was also killed.
Keep checking back for more coming soon!
