Chapter Nine – Rejected
Eggman was still crashing around in his almighty long-legged robot, desperate for blood. He notice Shadow return to the water with Sonic, and his anger exploded as he spotted him in the shallows alive, taking Shadow's betrayal extremely personally. He roared as he surged at them, forcing Shadow to grab Sonic and physically threw him, to the depths of the open ocean, where Scarlet came out of her hiding, caught him and pulled in him close. The Blue Blur still incredibly shaken. But Eggman wanted their heads, all of them, and ran the robot along the ocean floor after them.
But Shadow roared. His temper just exploded. Enough. He finally complete had it with the Human. His games, betrayals, and double-crossings. If there was going to be blood spilled today, it was going to be Eggman's. His eyes glowed a deep blood red, and a vivid crimson aura appeared all round him, as Shadow erupted out of the water, and charge at Eggman. He span, instantly charging his Super-speed, and rammed the robot. He then swung round the other side, and rammed him again. Each hit, becoming faster and harder then the last, and Shadow's temper grow more intense. More and more until the pod of the robot quickly buckled under the strain, and he smashed the legs, taking out the joints.
Eggman panicked, as he realised that if he didn't do anything, Shadow would kill him, he immediately called for backup, as every Badnik on the island descended on them. But they did nothing, as Shadow forced all of Sonic's friends, Amy, Tails, Sticks and Knuckles, to run for cover as well as the Blue Blur himself, and Scarlet to take shelter, as Shadow's red aura expanded as he lost control. He just destroyed everything. He swiped one robot after another, dusting them all, as they all exploded in his bare hands. He physically ripped them apart, torn them limp from limp. It was incredibly violent, as Eggman out of sheer desperation, he freed himself from his dead machine and ran for his life.
Finally, the Ultimate Lifeform stopped, the dust finally settling, everything gone. He was still glowing a deep red, and panting heavily, growling hard under his breath, very loudly. He could see Eggman in the distance, fleeing, and as his killer instinct kicked in, he wanted blood. His eyes narrowed at the Human, as he was literally about to take off after him, which a deep splash in the water suddenly made his turn. He immediately spotted two pairs of eyes just beneath the waves, one green, one purple, both of whom had been watching him and both were terrified.
But despite his own fright, Sonic was desperately holding on to Scarlet, as she outright panicked. Shadow's pure aggression was just to much, as she wanted away, and fought with the Blue Blur to let her go. She clawed at him, even bit him, as she finally freed herself, and with one look, finally at the Ultimate Lifeform, she fled, screaming, straight into the deeps of the ocean. That look, completely broke Shadow's enormous temper, and he was left desperately running straight down the wooden pier, after her. The guilt horrendous. He screamed.
"No, wait. Stop." He cried, putting an hand out to her, but she was gone. Sonic was left alone in the water. Finally, for the first time, he punctured his head though the surface, with a mouthful of liquid, his shoulders, body and tail, still beneath the waves. He looked, horrified as the sheer devastation, his eyes met with Shadow's. They widened, as Sonic gulped, his ears folding back, terrified. Now normally, Sonic was much tougher then this, but having almost drowned on land coupled with his extremely strong Aquahog flight instinct, he was desperately struggling to keep his fear under control. His species were just not fighters, he was the exception.
For the first time, Shadow could plainly see, the mighty Blue Blur, the royal Prince of Aquila, was actually frightened of him. The Ultimate Lifeform moved along the pier, making a beeline for him, but Sonic instantly back away, rapid shaking his head. But before Shadow could do anything else, Sonic lost his nerve, and squealing in pure fright, he dived for the ocean depths, his enormous almighty Blue tail fluking, and he was gone. Shadow collapsed to his knees, on the end of the pier as Sonic's friends also ran away in fear. He heaved, shaking with the high emotions.
What had he done?
Tails, Sticks, Amy and Knuckles all ran back to the Fox's Workshop, glad to have gotten out of there alive. They all looked at each other, shaking. They're heard of fighting Eggman, they'd done it themselves regularly but even they had to admit that that was downright brutal. They knew Shadow had power, but not that much power, or that much anger, and he was dangerous. Too dangerous. He couldn't stay on the island. It wasn't safe if he did, and if it wasn't for the Aquahogs, he would have killed Eggman, though none of them didn't really understood what happened. They all saw Shadow save Sonic's life, then completely loose it with Eggman but seeing his best friend so scared of him, crucified Tails, but at least out in the open ocean, where he belonged, he was safe. So who's side was the Ultimate Lifeform on? No one knew, and they really needed to know. He just wasn't welcome, and Knuckles knew exactly where to find him.
Shadow was back in his fortress of solitude, sat in the exact same place, where Eggman first propositioned him to drown the Blue Blur. That felt like an age ago. He used to enjoy the peace and quiet here, throughly relishing his own company, but now it felt the loneliest place in the world. He sniffed, and he just curled into a ball, and cried his heart out, the tears streaming. The high emotions this time, leading to a different reaction. Normally, he used to relish people fear of him, striving for it. Seeing fear of him from the Blue Blur, fine, that he could handle, but on Scarlet, as she swam away in outright terror of him, the girl he now loved, absolutely crucified him. He just couldn't bare it. Not on her. He desperately didn't want her frightened of him, and now had no idea what to do. She was gone, and not coming back.
He knew searching the oceans was a complete waste of time. Aquahogs were so illusive and so good at hiding out there, that he'd never find them. But he had to try. He wasn't giving up, but he knew his days on this dreaded island were numbered. With that show of aggression, he'd soon have every islander riled up and ganging up against, ready to forced him on. But to where? He had nowhere left to run. The ocean? He could go there, but right now that felt as cold as the island itself right now. He heaved. The islanders were probably already on their way. Right there and then, Shadow couldn't have cared less. Let them come, rip him limp from limp. But without her, there was just no point.
Knuckles successfully tracked down the Ultimate Lifeform in his fortress, and his was just in view, a short distance away in a clearing. Amy, Sticks, and Tails all nodded, ready to charge, but suddenly, they all heard his tears, realising he was actually lying on his side on the floor, his eyes streaming. They were expecting a full on fight with the mighty Black Hedgehog as they tried to talk to him, as usual but now they all just stared, as they knew if they did attack him, he just wouldn't move. He was completely broken.
They all looked each other from behind the nearby bushes. Knuckles frowned.
"Ok, I don't understand." He heaved, looking at Shadow puzzled. But Sticks just grabbed him. She heaved.
"He's got a really bad case of the Wibbles." She enlightened. But Tails growled, rounding on her.
"Sticks. What the heck are Wibbles?" He spat. But Sticks just got very defensive, putting both hands over her mouth. She gasped.
"Really, nasty. Like pineapples. You don't want them." She murmured though her hands. But Knuckles' frown deepened.
"But I like pineapples." He moaned, but Amy sighed. She's been staring silently at Shadow the whole time. She gulped, rounding on them.
"Oh, will you be quiet." She spat. "It's not the Wibbles." She heaved, looking back at the Black Hedgehog. "There is only one thing I know of that can break a guy like that. Even one as powerful, strong, and as dark as Shadow." He sighed. Tails frowned, genuinely interested.
"What?" He asked, looking at Amy. She looked at him back, and then heaved, deeply wondering how anyone could be interested.
"A girl." She smiled. Everyone stared, but Tails gasped.
"That crimson Aquahog. The one Eggman caught. He was going after it. It was a girl, not a guy, despite the fact she looked uncannily like Sonic, but red. Male and female Aquahogs must look very similar. That's was who he was screaming after down the wooden pier." He stammered. But Sticks frowned.
"A girl?" She spat. "What would a girl see in him?" She growled, but Amy cut across her. She hissed.
"It doesn't matter. He fell for her, and now she's gone." She sighed, looking back behind her, towards the ocean. "I wonder what happened out there?" She asked. But Knuckles growled.
"Well, the last time I looked, Hedgehogs can't breathe water. He should be dead." He spat. But Tails looked up.
"Agreed." He snapped. "But I knew something was different with him when we ran into him on the shoreline. I was as stunned as any on you to see him alive, but when I got extremely faint whiff of seaweed in him, and saw the gills on his neck, I knew the Aquahogs had got to him. That's why I insisted we believe him, because he lead us straight to Sonic." He sighed, everyone just stared. "I'm guessing the Aquahogs are easily frighten, because they both just swam away when he lost his temper." He added. They all just stared at him. But Sticks just round on Tails, pointing at him.
"I knew there was something fishy going on." She spat, to much giggling, especially from Tails. He heaved.
"Look, I think they're alright. The Aquahogs. Sonic and the female. I know the Blue Blur, he'll look after her, keep her safe. They will have a home, out there somewhere. But whether they'll come back. I don't know. It's very dangerous for a Aquahog to come here. Both of the would have drowned, if it wasn't for..." He gulped, as he looked towards Shadow, lying in the floor. But he was immediately cut across but a very cold, but emotional voice.
"Me." He spat, as the Ultimate Lifeform looked over his shoulder directly at them through the bushes. He smirked. "I have been listening to you. Your guys are not exactly quiet." He hissed, his voice incredibly cracked. Suddenly, the four friends, braced themselves for a fight, but Shadow just sat up, still sat on the ground, and rolled his eyes. A battle was the last thing he wanted right now. He sighed. "Lower your guard. I mean you no harm. I'm not in the mood, anyway." He heaved, then his looked at Tails, just peering through the brushes. "I like you, Fox. Your intelligent intuition at what's best for the Blue Blur, shows real comradery. You've let him go. None of your so-called friends truly have." He smirked. Suddenly Amy bust though the bushes brandishing her Pika Pika hammer at him. She growled.
"Hey. I care too." She spat. But Shadow just stood up, cold and unmoving, his eyes still wet with tears. He leaned into her, growling.
"Oh, I don't doubt that, Miss Rose. You care so much that you'll have him cold and dead, here in land, so long as he was permanently in your arms." He hissed. Suddenly, the rest of the friends bust through the bushes, as Amy's eyes filled with tears. Knuckles snarled at him.
"Hey, back off." He snapped. But Shadow smirked, looking at Amy's face. He hissed.
"But I am right, though." He sniggered, of which Amy reluctantly nodded. But Tails stared at Shadow, especially his neck, which made the Black Hedgehog snarl at him. He gulped.
"Sorry, but your gills? You didn't have them before, where did you get them from?" He asked, again genuinely curious. Shadow heaved. He respected the Fox, enough to tell him the truth. Well almost. He smirked.
"His Highness, the Royal Prince of Aquila gave them to me." He smirked. The fact that this was actually Sonic himself was entirely besides the point, and Shadow had no intension of telling them that. If they knew he was royal, the annoying Pink Hedgehog would never leave him alone again. The Aquahogs now meant more to him then these four idiots ahead of him, and secrecy, to some degree, was the only way to keep them truly safe. Tails jaw dropped.
"Aquila?" He gasped, then in, realisation, he exploded in pure excitement. He swore. "The home of the Aquahogs. You've seen it?" He stammered. Shadow nodded, smirking.
"Yes." He said, simply. Again, true, but the fact that it had been completely destroyed, was irrelevant. But the city had be reborn. New Aquila. But where? Shadow still had no idea. He was desperate to search. But the look on his face immediately closed the conversation, as Tails daren't ask him any further questions, and the Shadow silently walked passed them, back the ocean. The Fox noticed, gulping hard.
"You going to look for them. The Aquahogs?" He stammered. Shadow turned back and nodded. But then the Fox heaved. "Look, can we all agree on something. We have to keep this to ourselves. No one on the island, apart from the five of us, and Eggman, knows about the Aquahogs and I'd like to keep it that way. But I don't think he's interested anymore, especially if your still around. As far as the other residences of Seaside Island are concerned, Sonic's just missing in action." He heaved, looking at Shadow. "I trust you with them. With a gift like that, I don't think you'll betray them." He added, pointing to his neck gills. "I know you frightened them with your temper, but as your reaction straight afterwards showed, you didn't mean to. You were just defending them, when you lost it with Eggman." He smiled. But Shadow growled.
"He tried to killed him." He hissed. Correction, he did kill them. The Ultimate Lifeform literally only just got Sonic and Scarlet back. But then Shadow lowed his head and nodded. He heaved. "Agreed, Fox." He sighed. "This must be kept secret. Trust me when I say, they will not survive, if it became widely known. Their species, their culture, it is incredibly delicate, and an onslaught of Land Dwelling visitors would destroy it." He snapped, angered at the very thought. Everyone gulped. He heaved. "I have no idea if your precious Blue Blur will ever come home. I'm not even sure he can, but you are correct. Islands are no places for Aquahogs. The open ocean is where they belong." He sighed. Time for some truth. "I saw their old home. They have since founded a new one, but I don't know where that is." He admitted, but then he heaved. "But I think it should stay that way. I will search, but the Aquahogs are so illusive, I doubt I'll find even them. But if I ever do, I give you my solum word, I swear I'll protect them." He added, but he smirked, walking past and away from them. He hissed over his shoulder. "If I ever find Sonic, which isn't guaranteed, I'll give him your regards." He smirked, giving the a slight wave.
There was a long pause, as the friends all just looked at other and nodded, then suddenly Tails chased after him. He panted.
"Shadow, wait. A warning for you, in thanks. You loosing your temper had gotten the rest of the Islanders very scared. They want you off Seaside Island. There are discussions of a rebellion against you. We might be able to talk them down, but I don't know how long for. You may have only a few months left on the island at best. I'm sorry." He heaved. Shadow stopped and nodded. He'd suspected this to be the case but a few months was significantly longer then he was expecting, thanks to those four friends. He smirked, it was long enough to finish the business he had here on the island.
As the days, turned into weeks, turned into months on Seaside Island and there was still no signs of the Aquahogs. Shadow was regularly seen by the infamous wooden pier, moving either in or out of the water, in the dead of night, obviously looking for them. He face always said it all. Nothing. He even went deep out to sea, back to Devil's Canyon, braving those dam Tiger Sharks again, to the old site of Aquila. But he found...nothing. It was gone, completely. No ruined houses, or citadel, no stunning shell paved floor, no lamppost or street layouts. He saw nothing but the sandy ocean floor, looking as though the city itself had never even existed there. He ran out to the mine next door. That still remained, itself ruined after the battle, but Aquila itself, vanished. What was left had disappeared.
He frowned, desperately looking around, at the bare ocean floor where the citadel once had been. Where the Blue Blur himself was born. There was no way the Aquahogs had the strength or the numbers to move and rebuild their entire city, certainly not through the sharks. They had just abandoned it, so, in theory, what was left should still be here. He gulped.
"How?" He wondered, aloud. Then he felt it. A slight tingle on the gills of his neck. He winced. A instinctive reaction to someone touching them. He frowned recognising the feeling. He gulped.
"Sonic?" He stammered, but then he smirked. "Magic." He sniggered. He done it. The mighty Prince of Aquila had successfully bore a daughter. Magic had finally returned to the Aquahogs and that was why the remains of old Aquila were gone. Reused and rebuilt at the new home. Shadow was delighted. With Magic and a new Queen, the Aquahogs finally had the means of properly defending themselves, but he raised an eyebrow. To magically relocate an entire ruined city, that took power. A lot of power. Aquahog Magic was extremely powerful, and now Shadow finally understood why Sonic was so cautious around it. Not letting slip, just how powerful it actually was.
But Shadow's heart fell, and raced through the sharks and out of Devil's Canyon, now more desperate to find them. He went back the Satan Spire, and it's enormous whirling currents. The very last place he saw them as a whole and searched the entire area, multiple times. Nothing. But he knew they were out there, somewhere. Sonic had just borrowed his daughter's Magic to tell him. Shadow frowned, as he returned to land, empting his lungs of water. Did that mean he forgave him? Truthfully, he didn't know, but to really make a mends, he had properly ensure the Aquahogs were safe.
He had an underwater base to destroy.
As the months went by, tensions on the island towards him increased, as Shadow found himself severely shunned from everywhere he went. So much so, that a full on revolt was looming. Even the efforts of Tails, Sticks, Amy and Knuckles only went so far, especially when Eggman joined to fray, desperate to get the Ultimate Lifeform off the island. Shadow was grateful of what they did managed to do, though now people were seriously starting to really question Sonic's disappearance. There had been no word from anywhere, even from the mainland, and someone as fast as Sonic, would be noticed.
Up to now, Tails had claimed so far that he was just traveling around the world, and would be back soon, but when Eggman tried to intervene with the truth, he was just laughed out of the village. Even Tails and the other joined in the monkery, and even when Eggman produced footage of Scarlet in her tank, from his Lair. Still nobody believed. Especially when Tails claimed it as 'fake', explaining the digital tricks of how it was done. The Human scowled.
"You win, Fox." He hissed. But Tails snarled back.
"You won't find them. We know you've been looking and a certain Black Hedgehog we both know, is going to ensure you'll never find them." He hissed under his breath, growling right up to the Human. Suddenly, people screamed as there was a huge almighty explosion, shook the entire island. A dark grey mushroom cloud, ascending high into the sky, it sending spray of seawater everywhere. Tails giggled. "I believe that was your underwater base." He sniggered, as the Eggman panicked and ran, the Fox following.
By the time they made it to the base, it was gone. Completely disintegrated. A almighty creator was all that remained and that was rapidly filling with seawater, creating a lagoon, which began to bubble with the heat from the thin crust underneath. Eggman fell to his knees in despair. Years of work, gone. He rounded on Tails, as a crowd gathered behind him. He growled.
"You won't get away with this." He spat, but the Fox just smirked, as he friends finally gathered behind him. He leered.
"Be grateful it wasn't your Lair." He spat back. Of which Eggman looked terrified, and immediately left, running for his home, to check if it was still in one piece. Thankfully, it was, but he never made another attempt on the ocean again. It was just to well defended.
Tails sighed, as he looked out to sea. There was absolutely no sign anywhere of the Ultimate Lifeform. A search found nothing. Amy joined him, somewhat approving. She smirked.
"Do you think he's gone?" She asked, indicating the open ocean. Tails nodded.
"Yes. With the underwater base destroyed, there was literally nothing keeping him here anymore." He heaved. But Amy sniggered.
"Well, good riddance." She spat. But Tails immediately rounded on her. He growled.
"Amy, show some respect. He saved Sonic's life. Remember he's of no threat to the Aquahogs." He hissed. The Pink Hedgehog nodded, gulping hard. Any mention of the Blue Blur nowadays reduced her to tears. As time went on, it was getting harder. She too looked out to sea. She sniffed.
"Will he ever come home?" She cried. But Tails heaved.
"I don't know. Amy. I just don't know."
Shadow was relaxing in a deep dark cave, not far from Seaside Island. He was indeed out to sea, and as he breathed in and out the seawater from his lungs, the gills within working perfectly, he was left wondering what to do now. His secondary gills on his neck were happily resting, the Ultimate Lifeform nowhere near deep enough for them to kick in yet. But as a method of breathing in the vast ocean, he much preferred them. Because of their origins, when he used the gills on his neck, he felt like he belonged here, with a gift he earned, not an outsider trying to get in. But he couldn't force their use. Only water pressure triggered them, and he was just left growling in frustration.
But then he smirked. Blowing up the underwater base was satisfying. Using Eggman's own Badniks against him, triggered to self-destruct, so that they'd took out the entire base. Effective, and as Shadow now admitted to himself, rather fun. Getting back in wasn't difficult, especially now with gills, and he just tore though the place. He disable the security first, and Eggman didn't even know his precious base was under attack until it blew. He sniggered, but then he heart fell.
In the deep quiet of the cave, he was alone again. He used to enjoy his own company but not anymore as now the loneliness was back to haunt him. He sniffed. Time to move on.
Sonic was exhausted. In fact, every Aquahog in the whole of new Aquila was exhausted. They had just finished the breeding season, and wow, was it successful. There were thousands of eggs everywhere. Large, pearly white, completely smooth, pebble-like stones, with gel-like shells, lined the inside of every cave, alcove, and overhang in the area. They were stuck to the walls, floors and ceilings of everything. Even the new main structure for the royal family, somewhat basic itself had eggs laid all over it. Normally, that wasn't allowed but they ran out of space everywhere else. Female Aquahogs only usually lay about three or four a season but because they hadn't had a breeding season in years, the eggs had been slowly been building up inside the girls. Normally, eggs not laid don't survive, but Shadow had got them out to a new home just in time, and they all made it. Therefore every single female laid at least a dozen eggs each, due to the backlog, and there was utter chaos, as every single one had to be fertilised separately.
With raging hormones, and a narrow window of which to lay, for the best outcomes for the babies in terms of food, exhausted was an understatement. Poor Scarlet was flat out on her back, as she had joined Sonic who was sat atop the roof of the new home, happily surveying his kingdom. He spotted her swimming for the roof, and helped her on to it. She was panting hard, having just laid her final egg, everything finally settling down. Sonic smiled.
"Hi, how are you doing?" He giggled, it was rather funny. Scarlet just growled at him.
"Fourteen eggs!" She gasped. "Fourteen. I don't think I ever had so many males chase me in my life." She spat, to further giggling from Sonic. He did need her here, that was true, but he'd expecting a normal breeding season, of which they only had just enough adult numbers, not the egg explosion he got. She sat up, and her jaw dropped. "Whoa, the eggs, they're everywhere." She heaved, looking around. Sonic nodded, deeply proud of everyone. They had just secured their species survival. In several months time, the babies would hatch, and Aquila would return to how it used to be. He swam over and cuddled Scarlet. He smiled.
"I think fourteen eggs is a record." He sniggered. But Scarlet just thumped him, swearing she'd was never doing it again. Things would return to normal for the next breeding season. She heaved.
"How did you do?" She asked. But Sonic smiled. Breeding royals was very different to normal Aquahogs, like Scarlet. She would have mated with a different male, for each of her eggs, but royals mate for life, taking a single wife or husband. Because of the Magic, fewer eggs are laid, usually just one. Bianca, like all the other females, also had more then a dozen eggs inside of her, but when but as she started mating with a royal, the Magic deep within Sonic's bloodline, activated, and everything changed.
They conjoined, her body immediately reabsorbing the most of the eggs and concentrated on just one. Of at least, that was, what was supposed to happen, but because of the excess, she couldn't reabsorb them all, and three were left behind. Then came the hard work, as Sonic fertilised the eggs, they drew a huge amount of power from him, as much Magic as they could, from his bloodline. It wasn't comfortable, in fact, it was excruciatingly painful. But to produce a daughter of Magic, that was what was needed.
Sonic could take it, but Bianca was struggling. Normally, it was the Princess's that did this, and being born of Magic, they are used to the power, easily strong enough to wield it. But Bianca wasn't, as desperately struggled to contain the Magic, but she wasn't giving up, as she screamed, unable to believe the amount of power her husband possessed.
Finally, it was all over, and Bianca was ready lay, but she was very weak, and the eggs, extremely strong, and she needed help. Males aren't usually allowed in the nurseries, as the females lay their eggs alone, but here, needs must, as the mighty Prince supported his wife, as she laid, to everyone's surprise, three beautiful pale blue eggs, one after the other. She collapsed with exhaustion, Sonic, himself, heaving, but the job was done.
Finally, her reproductive opening healed over, sealing completely, which was separate to her digestive tract, turning her in a matriarch, ready to care for her babies. She now couldn't breed again. There was good reason for this, because the healing process triggers the maternal instincts in the girls. Females, like Scarlet, don't care what happens to their eggs, the babies will be looked after by someone else. But in two or three seasons time, when Scarlet finishes breeding and she herself heals over, her new matriarchal maternal instincts will kick in and she then have her turn looking after the babies.
The Aquahogs evolved this way, because it was simply too much work for a single female to breed and produce the eggs and then look after the children, in one season. To produce and lay eggs was so exhaustive, that it takes months of recovery, and then to look after the babies upon hatching as well, was just too much, and the females just weren't surviving. So the job was separated, the females concentrating on breeding first, then after seven or eight seasons, she healed over, becoming a matriarch, she then concentrated just on raising the babies, no egg laying at all. Their experience as older females ensuring the survival of more youngsters. This was so successful, that it had been this way for thousands of years. The rate of which young females matured enough to breed, was approximately at the same rate, they tailed off as matriarchs. But if there was a shortage of breeding females, more eggs would be produced per female, but that wasn't always guaranteed. Breeding seasons have failed before now, because of that, where not enough eggs were produced to cover the deaths of the adults. That was what the Blue Blur was so afraid of. A failed breeding season with so few left over adults, could have spelled the end of them. Thankfully, that didn't happen.
Sonic heaved. At the moment amongst the females, there was only a handful of matriarchs, compared to the huge number of eggs. That meant everyone was pitching in, including, shock horror, the males. Normally, they had nothing to do with the eggs or babies once mating was done, but Sonic knew that that had to change. He was going to need everyone's help to ensure the survival of as many babies as possible. Granted, he have some losses, that was natures way, but he wanted to keep that to a minimum as much as possible. Finally, they all agreed, and everyone got the work preparing Aquila for their arrival.
The Blue Blur beamed, as he held up a hand, indicating the number. He was so delighted that he had multiple children. It meant that they never would be lonely again, and even if the Queen only laid a singular egg in the future, it'll be encouraged for other females to lay in the palace nursery as well, providing friends. None of the Aquahogs wanted a repeat of what happened to Sonic. Scarlet's jaw hit the floor. She gasped.
"Three!" She gulped. Sonic heaved, still extremely tired. He grinned.
"All female. All with Magic. The eggs are blue." He giggled. Suddenly, Scarlet dived for him, with an enormous hug. She squealed.
"Congratulations. You did it." She screamed, but then she gulped. "How's Bianca?" She asked. But Sonic beamed.
"She was incredible. I don't know how she managed to contain the enormous power of three royal eggs. She's extremely exhausted, but I have been talking to the other females. They say she's very weak, but she'll make it. She just needs time to rest and recover." He grinned, somewhat relieved. He genuinely believed she'd die at one point. But Scarlet was also relieved, then just bounced. She giggled.
"This place is going to explode when they hatch." She bounced. But Sonic sniggered.
"It already has. I can feel the Magic already beginning to build." He smiled, and a few months later, it did.
As the first of Sonic's daughters began to hatch, the Magic finally fully returned to Aquila, and the city exploded in light. The pure white Magic spread out from her origin, as the Princess and her sisters poked their heads through their eggshells, as the citadel rebuilt itself. Piece by pieces, the old citadel from Aquila's old location was brought here, and Magically beautifully arranged exactly how it was. Everything returned home. The tall triangular citadel, white walled, turquoise roofed, with the flying buttresses, replaced the basic structure they had build. The stunning shell paved floor of the entire city, embedded itself into the new ocean floor, and thousands of white houses, again with turquoise roofs, spread out in all directions across the city.
Celebrations exploded everywhere as finally, the Magical shield which had covered the entire underwater city before, finally returned, protecting the Aquahogs for all time. Sonic beamed, as the city shone, with the deep turquoise halo, in the darkness, exactly like the stories and fairytales of beautiful underwater cities were spoke of on the surface. This was how he remembered the city, and was praised everywhere for returning the Aquahogs home, as babies exploded everywhere. But he gulped, as he bit his lip. He hadn't done it alone.
His thoughts turned to Shadow. This was his success. Sonic couldn't have done it without it. He knew the Ultimate Lifeform had been looking for them. He'd reached out to him, despite everything, but new Aquila was so well hidden, he knew he'd never find them. It's location took full advantage of the landscape of which it stood. They weren't actually very far from Satan's Spire, but the huge currents that swirled around the tall tapering tower of the citadel, was actually caused by a an extremely, deep riverine that ran, for many miles, all the way up to it. The riverine lay in such a way that the caught the passing currents, and sent them down along itself, at huge speeds, with them finishing spiralling around the tapering tower of Satan's Spire. The currents were so strong that few creatures could brave the rushing water. That was, unless you were an Aquahog, who could easily swim in and between the currents, they long tapering bodies twisting and turning with the water.
New Aquila had been located right at the bottom of this riverine, at it's deepest and widest point, with the extremely strong currents, whirling pass at super high speeds, just above the heads. Only the very top most point of the citadel touched the streams. The rapid water doing the same job as the sharks, keeping the intruders out, but this time, they didn't bite back. A much better location, but there was a problem.
Sonic was now desperately lonely. Aquila had just exploded with babies, as most of the eggs had hatched, and everyone was busy. He barely saw his wife, but she had three children to care for, and he wasn't allowed to help. In fact, everywhere he went, to try and help, he was refused, as he was now the Guardian Prince of Aquila, and his job, was protect the city. Alone. He wasn't King. But he didn't want it. So a meeting was called and the title was changed to Guardian. To guard the city, while the females and Queens ran it. But he wasn't happy, feeling like a horrendous spare part. His job as a royal was done. He desperately yearned to see his friends back on Seaside Island. At least there he had some company, as he cried, sat atop the splendid citadel, his mighty tail spread out in front of him.