Chapter 2: Seventeen Years Later
Robotnik's lab, viewed from above, would not have seemed all that spectacular. His takeover of Mobius after Sonic's abrupt disappearance meant he had all but eliminated much of its natural greenery. There were cities of many such steely, gray buildings dotting every continent. This one happened to be the most remote. It was orientated parallel to the nearby shoreline, with a large, bulbous expanse to the west and two testing chambers side-by-side to the east. A long, thick corridor ran the length of the complex, such that the building resembled an arm ending in a closed fist. What was noteable was one of the few remaining natural areas on Mobius standing in contrast to the south.
A single red pine tree stood out from the others in this small forest clearing. It wasn't particularly tall, but its stoutness made it unique. Its hefty trunk rose to a large, puce expanse. Much like the other pine trees in the forest, the tip was heavily flanged, and resembled a protruding cone. The two spherical tap roots at the base provided a lovely resting place, or so Sonic thought. This was his favorite tree, but it had little competition as Shroom Tip Green Tree Hill Tree Forest Hill Zone was the only real foliage for the many empty miles surrounding Robotnik's lab.
Sonic often came here when he was feeling conflicted, or just had a momentary feeling of wanderlust. "Eggdad," Sonic thought, thinking of Robotnik. Approaching the tree's engorged roots, Sonic recalled giving Robotnik that nickname when he was a small child.
"Never call me that again!" Robotnik had roared this response. Sonic, not expecting such a strong reaction, had burst into tears. It was one of the few times he could recall being frightened in his father's presence. As Sonic had grown older, though, he had also grown more brazen. Over the years, Robotnik had apparently relaxed, however. When, abandoning his impulses to curiosity, he had repeated the mistake as a young teenager, Sonic was met with only a wry smile.
Robotnik's work generally kept him quite busy, but this had never prevented him from spending quality time with Sonic. This was especially true in recent memory. Robotnik, whose empire had expanded rapidly over the past two decades, began leaving the day-to-day affairs of running it increasingly to automation. Maybe it had to do with Sonic's 18th birthday approaching. Somehow, Sonic thought, now that he was an adult, this one would be special.
Maybe Sonic wanted it to be special, he mused, fondling the base of the tree delicately. He climbed up onto the huge pair of juicy taproots, his chin finding rest as he gently lay his head down, deep in thought. His feelings for Robotnik had become stronger and...different. They confused Sonic. Sonic couldn't help but admire Robotnik's subtle masculinity, his shapely form. It was with these thoughts that Sonic drifted off to sleep. As had always happened when Sonic fell asleep on this particular tree, a thin trickle of drool ran down from his mouth.
Sonic's birthday party was surprisingly uneventful. Robotnik, for all of his genius, couldn't make real friends to attend Sonic's birthday parties. The only attendants were the semisentient robots Sonic had come to know. Gifts, however, were always simply splendid.
This year, Sonic was given a large, golden ring. As Robotnik had described it, it was able to transport Sonic to distant worlds, like from the movie. Sonic was so eager to try it out. He kept tossing and turning in bed, thinking about the all of the possibilities, all of the adventure that he might find. Being cooped up for so long had never quite quenched his rambunctious spirit.