Chapter Twelve – Forgiveness
Tails immediately examined the Sapphire Dragon, and Sonic was relieved to hear that he was still alive. He could still feel the slight, warm hum of his strong power source, where his heart used to be. He was still breathing. But as to treating him, the Fox was clueless, and in the end, all Sonic and his friends could do was wait, and hope the amazing Blue Dragon eventually woke up. But he'd left a lot of people torn. Especially with his brutality. What had happened to him? One person who was determined to find out was Shadow. He'd witnessed everything and knew that you don't get that brutal overnight. He was, and he knew why, but Saffie? Shadow wanted to truth, even if he meant hijacking the Cyborg's own brain to get it. But Saffie was a 'Sonic' and Shadow hoped it wouldn't get to that.
Everything then returned to normal. Super Sonic and Super Shadow dissipated their power, letting the Chaos Emeralds go, to hide, who knows where. But now they had a problem. Now they had to deal with two of Sonic counterparts in their dimension, and seven foreign Chaos Emerald. They were still glowing on the floor, exactly where Scourge had dropped them, whom Shadow saw, were the weirdest set of colours. Pink, orange, brown, peach, turquoise, grey and even a black one. That black Chaos Emerald gave Shadow the creeps, and therefore he didn't allow anyone anywhere near them.
That was until Knuckles finally showed. He was carrying the mighty bright Green Master Emeralds high above his head, who was going absolutely bonkers. It was spitting out big green power strikes and violent vibrating. Knuckles was using all his strength just keep it steady. He'd immediately noticed the seven foreign Chaos Emerald, and knew they wouldn't be safe to them to be brought to Angel Island and the Master Emerald. So he'd vanished, and had safely landed the floating island and brought the mighty gemstone here instead. He heaved.
"Easy, big boy." He comforted. But the Master Emerald was going mad. It was not happy. He stroked it. "You'll feel better soon." He smiled. He knew it was balance of power being out of whack from the seven foreign Chaos Emerald what was causing this, and the Echidna knew exactly how to fix it. Finally he reached his quarry. He growled.
"Out of the way, everyone." He shouted, as the area was still crowded with people. Absolutely nobody argued as Shadow grabbed the robotic Scourge and pulled him out of the way. The area cleared, Knuckles dumbed the Master Emerald right in the centre of the circle of the seven foreign Chaos Emeralds. Instead of toppling over to it's side, the Master Emerald stood beautifully on it's point, and immediately got to work. It raised the seven foreign Chaos Emeralds off the ground, them circling all around it as suddenly streams of pure green energy sprang out from the Master Emerald and straight for each of the Chaos Emeralds. It was draining them of their power. They all shone extremely brightly, and then suddenly, all of the energy dissipated, and all of the emeralds crashed to the floor, as the Master Emerald fell onto his side. All was calm and still.
Knuckles and Shadow looked at each other. Both of them gulped, but it was Knuckles who approached first. He stepped over the Chaos Emeralds and checked his beloved Master Emerald. It was cool, calm, a beautiful mellow green, and now gently purring at his presence. Knuckles sighed with relief. He looked back and nodded.
"Yeah, he's alright." He smiled, stroking the Master Emerald again but then looked down at the Chaos Emeralds. "Er. But I'm not touching those." He stammered. Even the Echidna had been freaked out by the weird colours. Shadow walked over to join Knuckles. He now felt nothing from the Chaos Emeralds at the Echidna's feet. He picked one of them up, the Echidna watching intently him, and tried to used it. Nothing happened. He smirked.
"It's dead." He exclaimed, and he looked around. "They all are." He hissed, to the total and utter relief of Knuckles. He heaved.
"Oh, thank Mobius." He cheered. He absolutely dreaded the potential destruction that two sets of Chaos Emeralds would do to this dimension, so took the decision and didn't risk it. He stared at the Chaos Emeralds now in Shadow's arms. They were now nothing more then jewels. He sighed.
"Now what do we do with them?" He asked, but Shadow just smirked.
"Well." He hissed. "You and I both know of a certain Bat who would love them." He sniggered. Knuckles giggled and nodded. Time to find Rouge.
Everyone was still reeling from witnessing the robotisation, very frightened, and scared, and weirdly, this including Eggman. He's always interested when one of Sonic's counterparts accidentally landed in this dimension, but what he saw shook him to the core. Seeing that monster of a Blue Dragon again from is Eggmobile, was bad enough but seeing what he did to Scourge, blew his mind, and now was as frightened as everyone else. Even he'd never seen such technology before. But Sonic spotted him, and decided that right at this very moment, the Human wasn't a threat. None of his friends argued, as they all tried to work out what to do.
Then Tails had an idea, wondering if Eggman wanted to help. Everyone looked concerned, until it was pointed out that if Robotisation frightened Eggman this much, then he was very unlikely to use it the technology as a weapon. Yes, he did put little critters inside machines, but he never actually hurt them. He'd just use their bioelectric energy to run the robot. Break it, and they would be freed unharmed. Robotisation was in a completely different league.
So with his help, the managed to move Scourge the Robot, and a very heavy and still unconscious Sapphire Dragon from out of the forest and back to Tails' House. Everything was set up outside and it was weird having Eggman there, though this wasn't the first time he'd been there. Once fully set up, finally he was allowed to examine Scourge, he confirmed, still absolutely white, the total lack of any organic tissue. He heaved.
"Who invented this?" He stammered. Tails, who was leasing with him, frowned.
"What do you mean?" He asked, still scared himself. Eggman gulped.
"Robotisation. Who invented it? It's not a superpower, Fox. It a technology, it had to have been created." He leered. Tails stared but Sonic, who had been just in earshot, wondered over and looked at Eggman, who got very defensively. He growled. "Hey." He spat. "It's wasn't me. This is far beyond my skill as an engineer, and I suspect the Fox's to." He hissed, then he sighed. "If I do use this technology in other dimensions, which I suspect I do, then it's more likely l've stolen it, rather then created it myself." He admitted, though the very thought of it turned his stomach. Eggman did want world domination, but not total enslavement. He was not that evil. Sonic put up both his hands, nodding.
"Ok, Eggman, you've made your point. So who did invent it, if he wasn't the three of us?" He asked, but Tails looked around, his eyes resting of Saffie. He sighed.
"I suspect, someone who doesn't exist in this dimension. The three of us exist in some form or another in all dimensions, but not everyone else does. This is why Robotisation exists in only a handful of them." He explained, but got cut across by Sonic. He heaved.
"Only the ones where the inventor existed." He gasped. But Tails nodded.
"Exactly." He smiled, but again looked disheartened. The technology was so brutal, that the Fox was struggling to get his head round it. But Sonic was staring at him. Not just him, but Eggman too. The Human noticed, and exploded at the Blue Blur. He growled.
"What you looking at, Pin-cushion?" He roared. Emotions and the fear was still running high. Sonic gulped, panting heavily with sweat.
"Why us?" He asked, finally, in a very quiet voice. Tails rounded on him. He frowned.
"What do you mean?" He asked. Sonic heaved, still very white, himself looking back at Saffie.
"Why us? Why are we in all the dimensions, when the others are not." He wondered. But Eggman growled, rolling his eyes.
"That obvious, Hedgehog. Every dimension has The Hero, The Villain, and The Sidekick, aka us. Three points on the same triangle, and everything else revolves around it." He spat. "That is how the multiverse works." He grilled. But Sonic wasn't satisfied. He frowned.
"But what made the multiverse like that?" He asked. Eggman stopped and stared, and Tails shrugged. He had no idea, and the Human just sighed.
"Now that, I don't know." He admitted. "I have been researching it, but unfortunately found nothing." He sighed, but then he got cut across by someone, nobody knew was there and had been listening to the entire conversation. He leered
"I have." He hissed rather coldly. They all turned round. Sonic gasped.
"Shadow." He stammered. "I thought you'd gone back to the Ark." He asked, but the Ultimate Lifeform just smirked. He just come from seeing Rouge, who was absolutely delighted with her emeralds, leaving him in a somewhat good mood. He sniggered.
"I'm interested in seeing this through, Hedgehog, aren't you." He leered, coldly. Sonic nodded, his eyes falling again on Saffie. Shadow then sighed. "As for the multiverse. Yes, I know what's going on. I stumbled on the information researching on the Ark. Multiverses are inherently unstable by their nature. They don't want to be this way, they want to be only one singular main timeline. I suspect our multiverse started out like that, until something happened between the three of you." He growled, indicating Sonic, Tails and Eggman. "That caused the main timeline to became heavily branch and split." He leered. Everyone looked each other. Sonic gulped.
"Like what? I don't remember anything." He shrugged, both Tails and Eggman also clueless. But Shadow rounded on them. He sneered.
"Well, something happened, as you three are in every single branch of the multiverse and the rest of us are not." He growled, but then sighed. "There is a good chance that none of you might not even remember the event that triggered the creation of the multiverse, but it exists because of it. But, like I say, the multiverse doesn't want to be this way." He added, looking at Saffie. "Which is where the Sapphire Dragon comes in. As he told you, he achieved every lasting peace in his dimension, but unfortunately getting locked out when he left." He explained. Sonic and Tails nodded, in agreement. Shadow continued. "When a dimension is locked, it is shed from the multiverse, left to drift out into deep space, a pocket dimension, the residents completely safe and none to wiser as to what has happened. I doubt you'd be able to call up Saffie's dimension again now. It's long gone, drifted too far out of reach." He explained, but then Tails suddenly gets excited. He grinned.
"So the multiverse is shedding his branches like a tree, as Saffie travels from dimension to the next, locking them, splitting them away until there is only one left." He heaved, but he got cut across by Shadow. He sighed.
"Yes, the main timeline." He nodded, but Sonic frowned.
"But which dimension is the main timeline?" He asked. Silence answered him. Nobody knew. Eggman heaved.
"There is absolutely no way we could ever know that." He spat, but Tails cut across him. He frowned.
"Actually." He wondered. "I think the dimension that's the main timeline, might be us." He declared. There were gasps all around. Shadow raised an eyebrow and Eggman definitely didn't believe. Sonic rounded on him. He heaved.
"How'd you work that out, Tails." He demanded. But the Fox growled back at the Blue Blur.
"Your counterparts." He spat back. Sonic stared and then looked at Saffie. He gulped. Tails sighed. "I suspect the only way most dimensions learn about the multiverse is that fact that inter-dimensional portals open at random, which I'm assuming happens because of the multiverse's instability." He asked, looking at Shadow. The Ultimate Lifeform nodded, agreeing. The Fox continued. "Then if we're not the main timeline, why do all of those random inter-dimensional portal land here." He asked. "Bringing all of your counterparts with them." He paused, glaring down the Blue Blur. Sonic shook his head. He'd got nothing. "Plus." He added. "I can dial out to anywhere in the multiverse from here with my handheld." He heaved. It was indeed significantly easier to dial out from the main timeline to a branch of the multiverse, then to jump from one branch to another, which was Saffie had struggled. Silence answered Tails, as no one knew the answer. But it was all a very good point.
The implications of that being true was huge, and the consequences of what they did here, could reverberate right across the entire multiverse. It meant that they were not in danger from it though, but if Sonic, Tails and Eggman were the way they were here, then what were the branches like, out there? But it still didn't answer the question of what event triggered the multiverse in the first place, and as Sonic thought, he suspected no one would ever know as none of them remembered. But Eggman huffed.
"That's only a theory, Fox. Even a good one. We will just have to wait until that wretched Blue Dragon does his job and find out." He growled. But Sonic gasped.
"But then what happens to him?" He asked. Silence filled the air. Everyone gulped, not wanting to know. Would Saffie cease to exist? Sonic had no idea, but someone joined them who did. He smiled.
"Actually, I might be able to help you there." He grinned. It was Knuckles. The Echidna was slowing coming towards them still carrying the mighty Master Emerald above his head. Sonic acknowledged him, then frowned.
"What do you mean?" He asked. But Knuckles giggled.
"This." He grinned, and to everyone's horror, he placed the Master Emerald right next to Saffie, who was still unconscious on the floor. Everyone screamed considering the last time the Master Emerald was that close the Sapphire Dragon, it killed him. But Knuckles put up his hands. He heaved.
"Hey." He spat. "Calm yourselves. Look." He smiled, point down to the Emerald. Absolutely nothing happened. Sonic frowned.
"What the?" He asked, but Knuckles giggled.
"I suspected this might happen. You see, I always know, even on Angel Island, when one of your counterparts, Sonic, lands in this dimension. The Master Emerald doesn't like it, not as much as Power Stones moving between dimensions, but still, it knows. But I wondered, with Saffie getting killed then reborn here, via the Wisps, would the Master Emerald still able to see him." He looked at the large Green gemstone, still purring, completely oblivious as to where it has just been put. Knuckles grinned. "It would appear not." He sighed, somewhat relived. But both Sonic and Tails got extremely excited. The Fox bounced.
"Wait. Are you saying he can stay?" He grinned. Knuckles nodded.
"So long as he doesn't interfere with this dimension, yes. He can stay. He can use it as a place to rest and recuperate between inter-dimensional missions. I've just seen the Wisps, they are looking for him." He smiled. Suddenly a very quiet voice piped up, distance, and the last person anyone expected. He sniffed.
"Thank you." He nodded, and Sonic immediately jumped, as the voice came from behind him.
"Saffie!" He heaved, turning around. The hologram was back, but looking extremely beating, worn and tired. Eggman was stunned, having not seen it before, but was completely ignored. Saffie's eyes were sunken in and his ears were laid back. He was panting, only just awake enough to do what he was doing. Tails ran for him. He smiled.
"Saffie, thank Mobius, your awake." He squealed but then looked extremely worried, as there was no change to his body. "What happened to you?" He asked. But the Sapphire Dragon turned away, very sorrowful. He sniffed.
"You don't want to know." He spat, but Knuckles growled at him, very angry.
"Hey, if you want to stay here, then you'd better start opening up." He hissed. Shadow also scowled, extremely coldly, agreeing wholeheartedly. They both had seen Saffie's brutality just like everyone else, and also wanted to know what was going on. Nobody argued, as they all turned to Saffie. He looked up at them. He heart fell, but right now he desperately needed these people around him, and they did deserve more then what he was giving them. He sighed, but he wasn't happy about it.
"Ok, fine." He spat. "I'll tell you anything you want to know, except one thing." He hissed. They are frowned at him as to what. He smirked, answering the question for them. "Who invented Robotisation. I was listening to your conversation earlier as I was just coming too. The reason why, is because I'm protecting you, Sonic. I don't think you can deal with, in anyway at all, that piece of information." He hissed. They all stared at the Blue Blur, who just nodded, confused but accepting. Saffie had worked out very early on that Sonic, in this dimension, had no family. But he did, and for him to find out that his own Uncle, Sir Charles Hedgehog, invented the brutal technology, would just be more then the Blue Blur could bare. Saffie heaved.
"But what I can tell you is that it was never intended to be used, how I use it. It was actually invented to heal, of all things. You know, like broken bones, which highly controlled, it can, but it was a Robotnik who turned it into a weapon." He added, glaring at Eggman. But Sonic giggled.
"Oh, that sounds familiar, doesn't it, Shads." He smiled, jibbing at the Ultimate Lifeform, who just fumed at him. But Saffie frowned.
"Excuse me?" He asked, having no idea what they were talking about. Shadow glared at Sonic, until he finally gave the Blue Blur permission to tell the Sapphire Dragon. Sonic smirked.
"Shadow was made in a laboratory." He declared, proudly, but Saffie raised an eyebrow, staring at the Ultimate Lifeform. He frowned.
"But your organic?" He gasped, but Shadow smirked.
"Genetically engineered, actually. Long story, similar to that of your Robotisation. Except, I was the weapon." He spat, coldly. Now Saffie understood the evil in Shadow and why he'd chosen to change sides. He smiled.
"I take it then, that you can do organically, what I can do mechanically." He asked Shadow. But Sonic giggled, cutting across them both.
"Yep. Pretty much." He grinned. But Saffie smiled, putting up both his hands.
"Say no more. I get it." He beamed as his and Shadow eye's met, a deep understanding passing between them. They nodded. But they all turned to Saffie. He knew exactly what they were wanting. The truth. His story. What happened to him. The question he'd been avoiding for so long. He limped over to Tails' handheld, still in the Fox's hand and tap the device with one singular holographic finger again. They all watched him, silenced. He sighed.
"Your warned." He hissed. "It's not pleasant." He admitted, walking away and suddenly Tail's handheld whirled into life and began to show video footage. But it wasn't any video footage, it was Saffie's own memories. As a Cyborg, he just dug them out and was now streaming them across the wireless directly to the device. He started at the beginning, for want of anywhere else and showed them everything. Everyone gathered around.
Julian Robotnik's military coup that took over when he was five years old. His first defeat of the Human. Then came the war again Snively. His defeat and Saffie own unusual robotisation. The infamous coma that transformed him. Then onto defeating Robotnik a second time, winning the war. Then came his inter-dimensional travels. His first arrival here, the tower and the red Master Emerald, and his victory and death here, to moving onto the Grid.
Knuckles promptly throws up at the sight of the people in the red pods on the tall black towers and everyone is horrified, especially at Saffie's defeat of Robotnik there, especially at his screams when he shredded his wings. Then onto Scrouge's dimension and the Freedom Fighters. Despite all the horrors, there were good people out there, like Sonic himself here, and Ivo there. Saffie was beginning learn the line between good and evil was not as clear cut as he initially thought and to not take anything for granted.
When video ended, absolutely everyone was shaking and Saffie was now sat top of his own body, still in his own holographic form, just waiting for it all to end. Tails' eyes were streaming with tears, and Knuckles had just left, unable to take anymore. Sonic sighed, gulping now finally fully understanding why Saffie did what he did. Where the brutality came from. It was nothing on what had been done to him. It was just a direct reaction. Any of them would have done the same. He stammered.
"He's been to hell and back. Literally." He breathed. Tails, Eggman and Shadow all nodded. Shadow had always believed he'd got it worse then anyone else. But no, not even close, not compared to Saffie. Even he shuddered. But Sonic heaved.
"Now what to we do?" He asked. But Shadow quickly interjected.
"He doesn't want sympathy." He heaved, as they saw Wisps descend down from the heavens towards him, having finally found him. They were coming for him. "He wants a friend." He sighed. "If anything those memories showed us, was that he can't do it alone. Not anymore." He hissed. Sonic looked at Saffie, who was now surrounded by Wisps, desperately shaking his head, in tears, not wanting to go with them. His hologram was now cuddling the little Cyan Wisp, the Squidling, the one that started it all, for dear life. Saffie knew what they wanted. Another inter-dimensional mission. But Sonic heaved.
"But we can't go with him. It's too dangerous." He sighed. But Tails cut across him.
"Agreed. But lets make sure we're here when he gets back. When I examined him earlier, I noticed he's got a rather advanced Dimension Portal Generator on his wrist. Using it, he should be able to come back home. If he does stay, he can use this dimension as a base of operations, to have fun and rest between missions, the Wisps as his guide." He smiled as he watched the Wisps gather in force around Saffie's hologram and body. They renewed his body, with bright white light, the hologram disappearing. The Sapphire Dragon was left stood there fully restored, his tiredness and wariness completely gone.
Immediately, Sonic and Tails ran in for a hug, Saffie cleanly picking them both up off their feet and even Shadow hung around for a handshake, but Eggman promptly vanished. Knuckles did come back, eventually, him too greeted with a hug. They all gathered around him. The Sapphire Dragon, the King. The greatest 'Sonic' of them all. The only one powerful enough to do what was needed. But as everyone was learning, he was indeed a 'Sonic'. He wasn't flawless. He'd made mistakes, big ones but he was, however, absolutely willing to do exactly what was needed when the time came. Sonic nodded, as smiled at Saffie, finally giving him the confidence to allow the Wisps to lead him away. The Blue Blur sighed. He'd been through more unbelievable hardship then him and his friends all put together, and yet he was still here. Still wanting to do what was needed with a little help, and that was the point. He needed help. A 'Sonic' couldn't be a hero without his friends, and now the Blue Blur was realising that himself.
But Saffie had none. He was blocked from his own dimension, so Sonic would have to share his. He smiled, not a problem. Become one himself. Get the mighty Sapphire Dragon by into his feet, and back to the majesty of King the Wisps proclaimed him to be. He had the potential even if he didn't agree with the Wisps on his lofty status, which Sonic suspected, he didn't. He giggled, yeah, definitely his counterpart. To be proclaimed King was heavily grate on him to. Time to be there for him, as Sonic could see that the Sapphire Dragon was stood there shaking, despite his incredible power. He smiled.
"I'll see you when you get back." He hollowed. Saffie looked at him, blushing slightly. That statement meant the absolutely world to him. They were still with him despite what he'd done. He'd been forgiven. But as Sonic and all of his friends realised, that under those same pressures and intense cruelty, they would have probably have reacted equally as brutally.
They all watched as the inter-dimensional portal opened, and the Sapphire Dragon passed through, ready to do whatever was needed to help those desperately struggling the other side.
Dimension – 18993
'Gone But Not Forgotten!'
Sally sniffed. She was in tears. In fact, absolutely everyone was. They were all gathered in the chambers of the Council of Elders, in the Mutant Movement. Uncle Chuck, in his holographic form, read out his statement, in his desperate search for the Sapphire Dragon. His nephew. He too was in tears. The long time inventor had tried everything to look for Sonic, or Saffie, as he now called himself. Stupid name, but right now, he just wanted him home.
A planet wide search had brought up nothing, and there were no signs that he fallen to his death, and been buried somewhere on the surface. According to all records, he'd just vanished into thin air. One minute he was just flying around, majestically as usual, being an absolute pain, and the next, he was gone. Completely gone, no dust, no trace, nothing.
Uncle Chuck had a theory he knew where he'd gone. Inter-dimensional travel. It did made sense, he had all the mathematical workings, but try as he might, he couldn't dial up a portal. This, from the original inventor of Robotisation, and he couldn't follow his nephew into the either. It was so frustrating. He could see the multiverse. Every calculation and experiment he did, all conclusively proved it existed, but he just couldn't get at it. No inter-dimensional portal would ever form for him, and for all intents and purposes, they should.
This meant that were greater things at work, and quite simply, he was not meant to follow him. Now, Uncle Chuck was declaring the whole of the Mutant Movement and the council, after months of looking, that the mighty Sapphire Dragon wasn't coming home. The King was gone. Their Lordship vanished, and all Uncle Chuck could hope for, as he closed his statement, what that wherever the Sapphire Dragon was, that he was doing what he did best. What he'd done for all of them. Saving the world.
Everyone cried.
All was silent, as the chamber quietly emptied, as Sally went back to her room, alone. Nobody said anything to anyone. The Mutant Movement had been so quiet since the Sapphire Dragon's departure. He had such a big heart and personality. But they were safe, and everyone vowed in his memory to keep it that way.
Sally sat on her bed, still in tears. On her bedside table, was a Portable Holographic Generator. She used in during her first visit to Dragon Falls, and considering the last person to use it was the great Sapphire Dragon himself, Rotor, who still worked there, decided to give it to her, when he disappeared. Just incase he called. Sally looked at the device, grabbed it, smiled and hugged it with every ounce of her being.
Because her beloved did call. Once singular three word message had appeared on the device silently and out of nowhere, within a month of the Sapphire Dragon's disappearance. Three words, that Sally knew immediately who they were from and what they meant.
When Saffie had tapped Tails' Handheld the first time, with his hologram, when the Fox had dialed up images of his home dimension, he didn't just leave a digital breadcrumb trail behind. But he also sent a tiny message to his home planet for someone incredibly special. He'd realised that he couldn't go home, but he desperately hoped the message would, this potentially being his one and only chance to sent one. To Sally's absolute delight, it did. Three words that meant the world.
'Follow Your Heart'
Sally immediately knew when she saw that, that her beloved wasn't coming home. She'd cried for days and days, but also knew what it meant. An attractive male Chipmunk in the Mutant Movement had recently caught her eye, and she knew now that her beautiful Sapphire Dragon was giving her permission to go after him. She heaved, as she finally understands. Time to move on with her life.