Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) during these interactions… especially for the one who puts his unique skills to some good use.

~保護者~

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Hello, MelGamingPlays! Ah, but that's what she's good at. XD Haha, it's not even the power of fanfiction, it's the power of Chaos! See, there was a reason behind me explaining way back in "Hero" how revivals through the Chaos Emeralds work! Well, besides just using them to bring back Kaden, Locke, and Analia, that is. XD Well, knowing Jet, there are several ways such a reunion can go. We'll just have to wait and see. ;)

~保護者~

"A'latria"

~保護者~

Eyes trained skyward, Sonic let out a low whistle of pure awe and wonder. "This puts the old Hyale to utter shame."

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Tails agreed. "But they took a lot of heavy inspiration from the old one, as you can probably guess for yourself."

Sonic nodded. The similarities, as much as the differences, were readily apparent. As with the Hyale of old, all the houses were built into the trees amidst the branches of a thick forest. The homes maintained their traditional styles overwhelmingly. Yet, it was clear just how much raw technology had also been used in their construction, how much of said tech was currently powering and maintaining the homes. And, to Sonic at least… it looked like there was plenty of magic involved as well. But even if there wasn't, one thing was abundantly clear to him. This place is as silent and beautiful as it's ever been. A slow smile spread across his face. Shadow's right. Familiarity by itself is pretty damn comforting when everything else around you has changed.

Shadow, whose hand was working fine now (and had also been healed right up thanks to some medical device), gestured vaguely upward, forward, and to the right in one smooth motion. "Assuming he hasn't left again, he should be that way."

"Left?" Sonic inquired.

"He's a wandering soul, Sonic, like always," Tails told him with a smile. "He doesn't much enjoy being cooped up, nor staying in one place for prolonged periods of time. Kinda like how you and Jet used to be."

That comment caused Sonic to crack another smile. "Right. I forgot. Sorry."

"It's alright," Tails told him, unbothered. "You were really old when you died and you've only just come back to life mere hours ago, so I'm prepared to cut you plenty of slack." Sonic huffed but opted not to retort as they walked toward the tree home Shadow had pointed out earlier. While he didn't sense anyone in the home, he knew that meant nothing. Someone of Espio's level of skill, especially a ninja, would of course know how to hide their aura (and, obviously, would be doing it like everyone else here seemed to be). Only time would tell if he was really gone or not.

When they reached the home, Tails pulled off his lab coat (as it covered his twin namesakes) and neatly folded it over an arm. With that done, he flew up to the small home while Shadow and Sonic jumped after him. A mostly invisible platform of energy (Sonic couldn't decide if it was technological in nature or magical) supported the trio when they landed, allowing them to simply walk the rest of the way inside. Sonic took a second to marvel a bit at this before going in as well.

There were no lights on inside. That is, there were no electric lights on. A lone candle resting atop a low, oval table in the room provided the only light to be found in the spacious (and equally circular) main room. It was just dark enough both inside and out (outside merely due to unfavorable weather in this area) that Sonic couldn't make out any further details than that. "Espio?" Tails called out, though not in a loud voice. "You home?"

In a rush, well over a hundred other candles around the room flared to life with a resounding whoosh. Startled, Sonic jumped and turned as though he would see Espio coming in from the open doorway behind him. However, when he heard footsteps, they came from a completely different doorway on the other side of the home. Turning back around, he watched as the chameleon stepped into view from a hall, out of darkness and into the flickering light.

Once able to fully see him, Sonic quickly took in his appearance. As could only be expected, his left eye was still sealed shut by its old scar and his left arm was kept in a sling under his somewhat open shirt, rendering only some of it visible. As he had opted to do so long ago, he was wearing a traditional kimono (this one black with a silver dragon snaking around it and a dark blue obi tied around his waist), dark blue or black tabi, and simple flat ninja sandals. He looked a touch older than he had once been, but not by any significant degree, and Sonic felt a surge of warmth in him. It felt… amazing, to say the least, to see these people again. "Hey," he greeted quietly before Espio could even speak.

A flicker of recognition and possibly even a twinge of surprise betrayed itself in Espio's one good eye. "...Hello," he eventually greeted. With a slow sweep of his usable arm, he invited them to sit at the table. They all took him up on the offer, sitting on their knees on the cushions already placed around it. Espio then took his own seat near to where he had already been standing. Not usually one to waste words, he jumped straight to the heart of the matter. "You were revived?"

Sonic nodded once. "Yeah. Just this morning, actually."

Eyes betraying some of his worry, Tails asked carefully, "Espio, how much do you remember Sonic? I know you lost most of your memories during the Nocturne War, and more during the Era of Darkness years after his passing…"

Espio gave Sonic a long, heavy look. "I remember enough," he eventually stated with clear confidence.

To his credit, Tails didn't show their old friend any shadow of doubt. Instead, he just gave yet another one of his bountiful smiles. "Alright. I just wanted to make sure."

"Uh, 'Era of Darkness'?" Sonic cut in out of confusion.

"Malevolence did not die when we fought it, as you may recall," Shadow told Sonic in grim tones. "It had another 'long sleep', as some refer to it, then returned. It struck at this world again, an event that happened so long ago that most here only know of it through legend now. In those legends, that dark time is called the 'Era of Darkness'. And with good reason."

Something in Tails's demeanor deeply saddened. "Nearly everyone here, save for maybe a couple thousand here or there, died. And that was in spite of us not even being the main target. Malevolence focused mostly on attacking the Babylonian solar system, where it held Jet and his people under seige for nearly half an eon. I can't even tell you what kinds of horrors they went through, or how much they suffered. As horrible as things were here, it was unspeakably worse there."

"They survived," Espio murmured, "but at two costs. One undeniably good, the other endlessly terrible."

"Costs?" Sonic echoed. "What costs?"

Shadow closed his eyes, frowning deeply. "One. Their queen at the time had to make a sacrifice to get Malevolence to finally draw back for a time, long enough for the Old King to come up with a plan. She was consumed by the Darkness, never to know the peace of a true rest."

"And two…" Tails added, "...the Sixth Guardian finally came to be. With the sacrifice and the awakening together, the Babylonians survived."

Espio inclined his head. "And, for now, the Night sleeps once more. But it will not last forever."

It almost seemed that Tails flinched. "No… not with what's been going on out there." Shadow shot both of them a surprisingly harsh look, and Tails's gaze dropped to the floor. The trio fell silent.

Concerned, Sonic demanded, "Wait, what's going on?" Is this why I was revived?

Tails took in a deep breath and then let it out all at once. "...You're… probably best hearing that from Jet. Partially because he knows more than we do about the whole situation."

"Good luck getting ahold of him," Shadow told them with a soft huff. "I attempted it multiple times throughout the last month, and he has been silent."

"Oh," Tails sighed. "Yeah, that… could be problematic."

"Why were you trying to call him?" Sonic frowned. "Or… whatever it is you people do to contact others in this day and age."

Just once, Espio blinked. What that reaction meant, however, was unknown to Sonic at this point. Shadow shrugged vaguely at about the same time and said, "I've sensed growing trouble for some time, aside from the threats I've already been dealing with. I'd hoped he could shed light on what, exactly, has been happening as of late."

"Okay, so why not just go see him?" Sonic asked all three of them. "He's just on New Babylon, right?"

"No, not usually," Tails responded. He slipped his coat back on when a chilly northern breeze flowed into the room, making the candles flicker wildly. Briefly, he took off his glasses to clean them with the pristine white fabric. "He hasn't actually lived there in… I don't even know how long. Not since sometime shortly after the siege we were talking about. He still visits there now and then, but such visits are few and far between and usually very, very brief. It's typically just for the sake of business, checking up on the current ruler, and so on."

Sonic sat back a bit. "Well, does he ever come here?"

Tails shook his head. "No. It gets too depressing for him, I think. I mean, he used to visit the graves, yours and everyone else's, annually, but eventually I think he just felt like he had to try to move on rather than keep clinging to the past." He slipped his glasses back on. This time, there was no smile to offer. "To a point, Sonic, we've all tried to do that, because we had to just in order to get by. It's… hard to do that when you constantly remind yourself of what was, once upon a time."

"...That makes sense… I guess." Stifling a sigh, Sonic opted to turn the subject back to the more important matter at hand. "So what do you guys know about what's been going on?"

"Pathetically little," Shadow huffed with a slight edge of a growl. "Whatever's been happening, he's been keeping all the details as close to the chest as possible. Meaning we know few things overall."

"He's been even more uncommunicative than normal," Tails lamented. "I don't doubt that he has his reasons for it, but we've been pretty heavily in the dark about… well, a lot."

"But what do you know?" Sonic pressed. "And why are you guys beating around the damn bush so much?"

"We know that Jet has been fighting two separate wars," Espio told him frankly, ignoring the second question Sonic has asked. "One is against a former student of his, an Immortal who turned to darker influences and succumbed to their lure. That student commands armies of his own, armies of a race known colloquially as the 'Tel'or'."

Sonic felt his frown deepen. When I was revived, and I heard those voices… the voices were Jet's and Cadora's. ...Assuming Cadora is actually real. And Cadora… he mentioned that Tel'or being 'here' just before Jet told him to take shelter. Then I was revived, and when we were talking… Cadora mentioned there being trouble that Jet was off taking care of. Was he fighting them? Shaking free of his thoughts for now, he asked, "And what about the other enemy?"

Tails and Shadow traded a long, heavy look. "That threat… is a bit more complicated," Tails eventually said. "And it's the one we know the least about. But we do know the threat is a demonic figure. …Well, the literal god of all demons, actually."

Choosing to ignore for the moment the fact that he hadn't even known before (so far as he could recall) that demons existed, Sonic found himself questioning, "Who… or what… are they?"

Once more, the pair traded a look. Shadow's gaze had taken on a very harsh quality again, and it took no time at all for Tails to relent. "You're really, really better off hearing it from Jet than us. He can explain it far better than we can. It… It might make the news a bit easier to bear."

Espio spoke before Sonic could argue with the fox at all. "For now, Sonic, rest. It may be early, but you will need to reclaim all of your energy if you intend to get involved in any of this."

"In other words, get some damn sleep or we aren't letting you off this planet," Shadow added, tone stern.

Emerald eyes rolled. "Yes, mother," he responded snarkily. Shadow whacked him over the top of the head. Sonic rose to his feet quickly after that, not eager to take another hit, just as Espio did the same (presumably to show him to a room). Asshole.

Finally, Tails offered another smile. "See you later, Sonic. We'll be here."

"Right. See you." With that, Sonic followed their elusive host across the room and out of sight.

~保護者~

The afternoon was turning late when Sonic felt the chill of the outside world enter the castle on that strange wintry planet where he had earlier met Cadora. It seemed to permeate the whole castle for just a moment, a harsh wind pushing the cold through the corridors and rooms before warmth settled back over them again. Heart pounding with excitement, Sonic turned to run back the way he had come during his wanderings. Cadora had returned to his studies earlier, leaving Sonic alone to explore, and explore he had. He knew which way he had come from, however, and that was the way he ran. Toward the front room, toward the front doors, toward the near-silent footfalls he was hearing.

Skidding around a corner, Sonic returned to the front room… and caught sight of someone he had almost never expected to see again after his death. "Jet."

Pure blue eyes glanced calmly his way as an all-too-familiar emerald hawk pulled off a cloak and neatly folded it in his arms. He wasn't wearing the scarf that Sonic had last seen him in, or any scarf at all. Sonic noticed, as the cloak was set on the table, that it matched Cadora's. However, where Cadora wore purple, Jet wore white. Even his boots were different now… if only as far as colors went. Where once there was red, now there was white. Where once there was black, now there was shimmering gold. It was a change, but a nice one. Almost welcome.

"...You don't seem surprised," Sonic observed slowly, taking a step into the room from the hall.

"No." Jet turned away and unclasped a thin strap from around his waist. It, and the sword it was holding, were set on the table atop the folded robe. Even after all these eons, Jet still wielded the same blade. Alkarus. As Sonic watched, the still-young hawk then flung three tiny spheres at the nearby wall, where they latched onto the stone in a triangle. A shimmering image appeared of a world as it would be seen from space, and it didn't take much imagination to suppose that that was this world.

"A surveillance device?" Sonic ventured. He took another step into the room, feeling cautious, as though his friend might flee if he tread too close too quickly. Thankfully, Jet didn't budge. He indulged in a vague hum of acknowledgement instead and busied himself with moving some books off of the table. Sonic thought it looked almost looked like he was cleaning. But that seemed unlikely, in a way. Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the slight sounds of books moving, until Sonic asked, "Why?"

Jet spared him a glance, but said nothing.

Sonic opted to clarify. "Why aren't you surprised that I'm… well, here?"

More silence. Jet cleared off the rest of the table. Eventually, he stated with calm certainty, "You were asked for."

Emerald eyes blinked. Confusion reigned within him. "What?"

"You are here…" Jet explained with deliberate slowness, "because you were asked to be."

The implications were deep. Stunned, Sonic dared to ask, "By you?"

But Jet shook his head. "No. By her."

There was more confusion for a moment before it lifted. "You mean Cosmo," he breathed.

"Hnn." Jet flicked a glance at the triangle he had created on the wall, whatever it actually was, then murmured, "She saw the growing dangers and asked Ythene for aid."

"She can talk to Ythene?"

"Yes." Uncertain what to say, Sonic was silent. Jet, however, actually kept talking. "Cosmo asked her for you, specifically. She believes that you are needed."

"Am I needed?" Sonic demanded, now serious.

That was a question that Jet didn't immediately answer. In the past, it had often been what he'd not said that had been important, but… was that the case now? When Jet finally did speak, he did so as he was turning to leave the room. "It can be said that that is a matter of opinion."

Cautious, Sonic moved to follow and inquired, "And… your opinion is no?"

"I never said that."

"But you aren't denying it."

"Hnn."

"I can't believe I missed you."

"Nor can I."

"Ass."

"Hardly."

Smirking in amusement, Sonic shook his head. "It really is good to see you," he murmured, tone warm.

That made Jet pause. "...No," he eventually responded, shaking his head. "Not yet. If all goes well, we will meet soon. For now, just get up. You have things to do."

Before Sonic could even ask, the dream ended.

~保護者~

With a yawn, Sonic rubbed at his eyes and wandered blearily toward the main room of the home. He wasn't sure what time it was now, but it was still dark outside. A heavy wind storm, coupled with some light rain, brought in plenty of noise from the outside. Most of the candles had long since blown out, leaving the space incredibly dark overall. Instead of being bothered by that, he just walked over to Espio, who was sitting where he had been before. "What time is it?" he asked lowly with a glance at Shadow. His half-brother was sitting against a wall nearby, dozing. He didn't want to wake the other hedgehog.

"Early evening." Espio turned the page in the book he was reading. "Perhaps about seven."

"Seven twenty-two," Tails called quietly from across the room. He was sitting against a wall like Shadow was, picking away at… Sonic's communicator?

A quick glance at his wrist proved to Sonic that that was, indeed, his communicator. "Tails, how did you-?"

"Huh?" Tails replied distractedly. A moment later, he said, "Oh, I asked Espio to pull this off of you while you were sleeping so I could update the tech. Yours is massively outdated, not that that needs saying."

Thanks, Mr. Ninja, Sonic inwardly huffed. "You nearly done?"

"Just about, yeah." Tails tossed him a glance. "When I finish, did you want to go ahead and get going?"

Sonic turned his head to look at Shadow. "...Yeah, unless you think Shadow really needs some rest, too."

"Nah, he should be fine. He lives off of power naps like that, just like he's always done. He'll be alright."

"Alright. Then, yeah. Whenever you're done, let's go."

"Right."

Some time passed. While Tails worked, Sonic gazed over Espio and Shadow again. So different… yet so much like what I remember… His lips pursed together. How much different will Wave and the others be? Assuming that dream I had was not actually just a dream, then it seems like Jet's pretty damn similar to what I remember, but… what about the others?

Tails's voice interrupted and startled him all at once. "Catch."

Purely on reflex, Sonic snatched his suddenly flying communicator out of the air with one hand. "Could you not throw my communicator?" he huffed. He strapped the device back to his right wrist.

"Too late." Tails stood, stretched, then bent back down to put his tools back in the case he had been carrying around since their visit to Shadow hours ago. "Anyway, that's the best I could do with the supplies I had here. I'll work on it more another time."

"Yeah, okay." Sonic tightened the strap, then let it be. "Thanks, Tails."

"Sure thing." Shutting the case and latching it, Tails called out, "Hey, Espio, you gonna come with us?"

The chameleon seemed to give this some consideration. "That depends."

Arms crossing lightly, Sonic leaned back against a wall. "On?"

Espio didn't bother to look up. "Whether or not it's necessary."

"Honestly… it might be," Tails sighed. "Actually, scratch that. It almost certainly is."

Hardly batting an eye, Espio shut his book and rose to his feet. "Fine."

Shadow stirred, no doubt bothered by all the talking, and cracked his crimson eyes open. They almost seemed to glow eerily in the dim firelight. "Must you people be so loud?" he groused under his breath.

Of course, Sonic heard him. "Yes," he deadpanned. "We simply must be." Tails choked on a laugh.

Huffing, Shadow shifted and stood. Scarcely a second later, some sort of technologically advanced lighting turned on. It now filled the space, though Sonic could see no light bulbs, lamps, or anything. There was just… light, as odd as that was. But, before he could even ask, Tails completely distracted him by posing a very important question. "So, how are we going to get there, guys? A'latria is extremely far away, to put it lightly."

"'Al'-what?" Sonic echoed in utter confusion.

"A'latria," Tails repeated. "It's a very, very, very distant wintry world, and it's also where Jet lives. ...Usually." Turning back to Shadow and Espio, he repeated, "So how are we getting there? I had a teleporter on me earlier, but it had limited uses and I'm pretty sure it's dead now. All my other teleporters and whatnot are back at my house. I mean, we can go back there and get them if you guys are up for the trek, though."

"That would be the simplest way to get there," Shadow responded calmly.

"None of us can teleport that far," Espio agreed, his one empty sleeve swaying a bit as more wind from the storm outside rushed in. "Your technology is the best option available to us at the moment if we want to arrive there in any decent time."

"What, has technology for ships not improved by now?" Sonic asked. Honestly, he was more than a little surprised by the prospect.

"No, it has," Tails assured. "But, seriously, this place is extremely far away, Sonic. I can't even properly put into words just how far away it is. Even with modern technology on our side, no Mobian ship would be able to get there very quickly."

"Not even ones made by him," Shadow added, nodding at their resident inventor. "That should tell you something."

Sonic stifled a sigh. "Yeah, alright, I get it."

"Anyway, I don't know about you guys, but I don't fancy walking out in that kind of weather," Tails smiled. "Someone mind teleporting our sorry butts back to my place?"

Wanting to feel useful for however long it lasted, Sonic volunteered himself. "I got it." No one argued with him and, seconds later, they were all safely reappearing in the fox's home. Tails grabbed a tiny device from off of the table where he had laid his glasses down during his conversation with Sonic earlier, then returned to the others. And just like that, they were on their way.

~保護者~

4,030 words this time. A note: "A'latria" is pronounced "Ah-ll-ah-tree-ah" and "Ythene" has a unique pronunciation as well. Her name is said with a very small "yih" sound, then a "th" sound like in the word "thought" and then the sound "een" at the end. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed! Posted (at about 8:00 a.m.) 10-30-18.