I did some more technical sketches. This time for Miles, Sapphire and Diamond. They are right at the bottom of my Bio in the Pictures section.

Keeping checking my Blog also. I always give a fic update with every post, usually saying I'm so far through a chapter, a chapter is up, a chapter has been planned, etc.

And watch my bio on the 23rd June. I'm sure you know I have something special planned.

All copyright info is in the first chapter

Did I say the demons belong to me? Well they do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Overlooked Link

By Master hunter

Chapter 2 - I live again

The five that watched over Sonic began panicking. For some reason the machines were doing nothing. All they did was display the name "ARK" if it had a screen, or constantly say "ARK" if it had speakers.

This didn't just happen here it was happening all over the globe. Every TV and computer simply said "ARK". Not even the robots with their own intelligence were safe. Metal Sonic began barking "ARK", and soon so did Omega.

"ARK, ARK, ARK, ARK, ARK. ARGH get out of my head! ARK!" shouted Omega

"What's going on Omega?" asked Rouge.

"ARK. Someone. ARK. Sent message. ARK. Can't stop. ARK", replied Omega

"Guess someone wants us to go to ARK", said Shadow.

"But who?" asked Rouge, "And besides shouldn't it be in ruins?"

"We'll find out when we get there. Stay here", said Shadow.

Shadow warped to where the 5 were.

"Shadow? Good timing. I take it whoever's doing this wants us to go to ARK", said Miles.

"Grab hold. I'll bring you to Rouge and Omega…hey wait a minute, is that?" asked Shadow.

"We'll explain later. Just get us up to ARK. His vitals drop as time passes. If it reaches zero he will be dead", said Miles.

Metal Sonic grabbed Sonic, still barking ARK, and joined the chain of people connected to Shadow. He warped them out, picked up Rouge and Omega and warped to ARK.

Shadow warped everyone to the central control room. He then fell to the floor, exhausted. They looked at him, concerned about that.

"Don't worry I'm fine. Just a big Chaos control. Need a breather", said Shadow.

"Where are we?" asked Mighty.

"You are on Space colony ARK. Here, I'll carry him to the sick bay. Hurry there isn't much time", said a familiar yet robotic voice.

A platform appeared before them as the robots stopped barking ARK. They all jumped on the platform and it moved towards the sick bay. Eggman then realised who the voice was.

"Grandpa? Is that you?" asked Eggman.

"Ivo? You look so different", replied the voice, "Yes I am Professor Gerald Robotnik, well sort of".

"Gerald? But how? I watched you, I mean my grandfather watched you fry 45 years ago", asked Rouge.

"Let me explain…

Before The 3 Shadows came to my base I successfully managed to copy my personality and intelligence into a computer program. Everything Gerald besides his body was stored on a computer file within my diary. During your time here when you activated ARK's crash into Earth protocol, Ivo used my diary in ARK's computers. The file spread like a virus onto ARK's central computer due to a protocol within the file. If the disk was to be used on ARK's computer I would become one with it. So really whom you're speaking to is a simulation of the real Gerald Robotnik.

"Ok. I think I understood that. So why are you taking us to the Sick bay? Is Streak here?" asked Tails.

"Streak?" asked Gerald

"The name of Sonic's bad side. He chose that name when he separated from Sonic. But you probably guessed the splitting part already", said Miles.

"Oh. So what do you call the anomaly? The good side?" asked Gerald.

"Just Sonic. Sonic became the ultimate hero", said Shadow.

"Anomaly? So you're saying that you couldn't make Sonic pure evil?" asked Shadow.

"I doubt it. I couldn't make him pure good either. There was always that little bit of evil I couldn't get rid of", said Miles.

You are correct. You see I gave my final Ultimate Lifeform free will. Because he could always chose to be good there was always a part of him I couldn't eliminate. Doing so would prove fatal. Although I did manage to make the good part so small that the evil part overwhelmed it so much, the good part would never have a say. I take it Miles that you spent years doing the exact opposite. Turning the Good side from a recessive part to a dominant one.

"Correct. Signs of that would always show when Sonic used his super form. His spikes would revert to Shadow's style and his eyes would turn from green to red. Though since Shadow's eyes are red I thought it was due to the DNA. I was proved wrong when streak himself said that he would have more of a say during a super transformation", said Miles.

"Interesting. Well here we are. You best hook Sonic onto the life support machines too", said Gerald.

They arrived at the sick bay. Sonic was hooked up to the machines and soon his vitals returned to 50 percent. It soon hit them that lying on a bed nearby was Streak. Oddly both of their vitals increased to 75 percent.

"So now that we've proved that both hedgehogs somehow survived the implosion, can we figure out how they survived, and more how come ARK is suffering any damage?" asked Miles.

"ARK did suffer some damage, but I managed to repair a great deal of it. As for them surviving I can show you the security tape of that incident", said Gerald.

"Well then let's see it", said Shadow.

The video showed the two hedgehogs suddenly appear, and then talk…

"You Fool! You will die up here with me!" Streak said

"That doesn't matter to me now... All that matters is that I saved my home…"

"1 minute to go… you sentimental fool…"

"You're the fool… look down there… Doesn't the earth look amazing from up here? Cool and blue… just like us…"

"…"

"That's right… you can't appreciate it cause of all that stuff Gerald put in our heads when he created us… shame really… it didn't really have to end like this…"

"30 seconds…"

"Is that all you can think about?"

"… 20 seconds…"

"Well bro… see you in the here after then…" he turned to take one last look at his home…

"10 seconds"

"Good bye earth… Shadow… Knuckles… Tails… Amy…"

"5 seconds… 3… 2…"

There was an implosion and then the screen went blank.

"Wait go back a sec, Slow down the final 5 seconds", said Rouge, "There!"

Rouge pointed Sonic on the screen. He was holding the grey emerald. Then just as the implosion was about to begin Sonic disappeared.

"Strange. The Emeralds were still on Earth when that happened", said Shadow.

"It was Grey…" said a weak familiar voice.

The others turned to find Sonic was sitting up.

"Grey? The Chaos Demon?" asked Shadow.

"Yes. He warped his own emerald with us and warped me away from the explosion", said Sonic, "Probably for the same reason Metal Sonic wants me to live. He wants a rematch. He wasn't going to let me die like that. Funny, even my enemies are saving my life these days"

"Well that explains Sonic, but what about Streak?" asked Tails.

"Like I can die from my own technique. Don't be a fool. The Implosion does leave me very weak but it doesn't kill me. Though how I came here I don't know", said Streak weakly

"I moved you here and healed you the best I could", said Gerald.

"Master? But how?" asked Streak.

"I'll explain later. For now we have to sort you two out", said Gerald, "Being in close proximity has given you some strength but being separated is still sapping both your strength"

"So all we really need to do is reverse the polarity on the separation machine, so they combine again and we'll have Sonic back to normal", said Tails.

"Yes that should work", said Gerald.

"What makes you think I'll just accept being a tool again? Being separated from my goody-two-shoes twin has been the best thing that's ever happened to me", said Streak.

"So you're saying you'd rather lie there on a life support machine, barely being able to do anything, than join with me again", said Sonic.

"Exactly", said Streak.

"No way Hedgehog. I want Sonic to die by my hands, not lie here forever. You're coming even if I have to force you", said Metal Sonic.

"Moving them wouldn't be the best course of action right now", said Eggman, "We should bring the machine here"

"For once I agree with you. You guys prepare the machine, I'll watch over these three", said Rouge.

"Fine. OK everybody, next stop Mystic ruins", said Shadow.

Sonic, Streak, Gerald and Rouge stayed behind while the others warped to Gerald's last base in the Mystic ruins, where the separator machine lay. They immediately began working on the machine.

Rouge meanwhile started talking to Gerald.

"You and I seem to have similar fates Gerald", said Rouge.

"Huh?" asked Gerald, "Do I know you?"

"Hey Grandpa could you stop using me like that", said Rouge, "Oh you don't know do you Gerald? Joz's soul is trapped within his blade".

Rouge held up The Annemuir

"So you're the Granddaughter of the legendary Master hunter?" said Gerald, "What a thorn in my side he was. But then so was Shadow and Miles".

"Just like me, Joz, you're spirit is trapped within something that was a big part of your life, ARK. Just like I'm trapped within my blade", said Rouge.

"You're dead? Well even if you weren't you would be 75 years old now", said Gerald.

"Listen Gerald I don't know what you're up to, but I'm going to find out", said Rouge.

"Huh? Whatever do you mean?" asked Gerald.

"You being nice. That's not like you, you're planning something, I know it", said Rouge.

"What can I do? There's no way I could sent this thing crashing into Earth, I need the emeralds to use the eclipse cannon, which I would have to repair first anyway. I'm just a spirit trapped in this abandoned heap of junk", said Gerald.

"You'll find something. I doubt the last 50 years has made you any less focused on getting your revenge", said Rouge.

"That is true. If I could I would still destroy the world. But I can't. And what about you? Have you forgiven REE for what they did to you? What's stopping you from slicing every computer here to bits?" asked Gerald.

"Sonic. Believe me you wouldn't even be a computer file if I had my way", said Rouge, "But unfortunately we need you"

"And I'm getting pretty lonely up here. Do you know what options a computer program limited to a Space station has for fun? There's no one up here to talk to I have to do something don't I? Fixing these two is the only thing I've had to do in ages", said Gerald.

"That's so sad…But he deserves it…really, did you deserve your pain grandpa?...You don't know him like I do Rouge…When this is all over you should do the right thing…and what would that be…put him out of his misery", said Rouge

"What? I won't let you destroy my master, my creator", said Streak.

"Streak what they suggest makes some sense. But I'd rather live. I made that program for a reason", said Gerald.

"Yes, to destroy the world. I knew it", said Rouge.

"Don't you want rest master? Surely your time is over. Your grandson Ivo Robotnik struggles to make your family name one to fear. Surely it is enough that the Robotnik's continue on and the old die", said Sonic.

"Ivo is a good kid. He really idolises me. But I want the world destroyed, not ruled. I WILL GET MY REVENGE!" said Gerald.

"So sad. I don't care what he thinks; we should let his tormented soul rest in peace. Isn't that what you would want Grandpa", said Rouge, "In a way yes. But while I can still protect my family and the world, being in this blade isn't so bad. Besides I can't rest in peace until you die and replace my spirit inside the blade…What? You mean I'm definitely going to be like you?..Yes you've used the blade enough now. Sadly you will become like me"

Rouge took a moment to think about what her grandfather had just told her.

They truly are alike. Tormented souls with cursed families. I pity them, Thought Sonic

In a way, I do desire death, Thought Gerald, They are right my time is over. Wait! No they're wrong. I'll find a way to get my revenge. For Maria and all those who died up here, I will get revenge for you. I will avenge your deaths

For so long I wanted to get my own revenge on Gerald. I wanted to kill him. When I saw him get executed I was glad he got what he deserved, though a part of me wanted to do it. Now I finally get my chance, Gerald you will die by my blade! Thought Joz.

Am I really doomed to a lifetime of being used by Sonic? No I won't except it, there has to be a way for us both to co-exist. After all I want a rematch with him too. Thought Streak.

"You know there's something Shadow once told me, if you need definition look towards your feelings, not you're previous actions. You people are all consumed with your pasts. You need to let go and let whatever happens, happen", said Sonic.

They all went silent for a long time. They all thought about what Sonic had said while the waited for the Separation machine to return to ARK.