Death Egg Impact: 1 minute, 38 seconds

Sonic takes a long breath of preparation for the coming moment. "The power of Chaos lies in me," He reminds himself, as he tightens his grip on the purple Chaos Emerald in his hand. "And in the world all around me. The Emerald is only my guide to finding it. I have to draw on that power. We have to win this. If we don't…we'll never be able to put things back the way they were… We'll never…"

The thought never concludes, as Knuckles' final words come in through his communicator. "Master Emerald, please…you must help them save this planet! Lend them our strength!"

The moment arrives. "Chaos…"

Shadow echoes in his ear, "Chaos…"

As one, they conclude, "CONTROL!"

The white light that flashes from the Emerald in his hand blinds him instantly, with a shimmering sound that overwhelms even the roar of the space station tearing through the atmosphere that was beneath him.

—–—

? ? ?

Sonic, lying on his back, stirs slightly as a gentle breeze blows over him. He takes a long breath through his nostrils. Whatever scent he detects seems to relax him. Unconsciously, he slides his hand over the ground, feeling the bright green grass between his fingers.

He suddenly shoots up into a sitting position. "Grass?" Glaring sunlight blinds him the moment he opens his eyes, forcing him to shield them. "Wait… Where…?" He blinks rapidly, struggling to adjust his eyes. "Where am I…?"

Slowly, he removes his hand, finally getting a look around at the striped grass, the distant waterfalls, the bright flowers, and the checkered cliffs of Green Hill Zone. "I'm home."

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie Special Episode

Fast Friends

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

Green Hill Zone…?

Sonic zips to the nearest checkered wall, rubbing his hand against it. "No sand!"

He zips over to the nearest cliffside, peering over the edge to stare at the sparkling blue waters below. "No giant worms!"

He appears next to a sunflower, and digs his nose right into it, breathing in the scent. "Everything is alive!"

Dashing in no particular direction, perhaps wanting to go everywhere at once, he forces himself to an unsteady stop in the middle of a grassy plain, spreading his arms out wide to take it all in. "Green Hill is back!" He collapses onto his back that way, staring up at the sky. "Green Hill is back… How is that possible?" He closes his eyes. "Eggman drained the life out of this place…years ago…right?"

A bit more steadily this time, Sonic sits back up, rubbing at his head forcefully. "Wasn't I doing something? Something…important?" He shakes his head without an answer. "Why's my brain so mixed up?" He slowly puts his hands out in front of him, staring at them for a while. He begins to flex his fingers, as if remembering that he was supposed to be holding something. He bites his lip for a moment, still coming up with nothing. His next habitual move is to reach for the communicator in his ear. But there's nothing there.

"Ah, well." He climbs back to his feet, looking off towards the horizon. "A nice run'll help me clear my head." Tensing back for only a moment, he takes off at full speed.

Sonic's run through Green Hill is filled with familiar scenery. He speeds over sloped hills, crosses bridges, and leaps between cliffs. "And not a robot in sight," he adds. Coming up on a loop of terrain, he picks up the pace, sprinting up one side and curling into a ball as he reaches the top, coming down with more speed than ever. With a look of thrill on his face, he cheers, "Woo! Let's kick it up a notch!" Veering off the beaten path, he slides beneath a low-hanging cliff, sending him right out over a sheer drop-off. Not showing concern for even a moment, he continues through the air until he reaches a wall on the other side, kicking off athletically to put himself up onto a new path. This path almost immediately begins to slope sharply downwards, putting Sonic into a roll to gain even more speed. The slope finally makes a sharp upward turn, sending Sonic flying into the air. From the high aerial vantage point, Sonic looks down at the wide landscape below him. "The scenery all looks familiar…but I don't remember any of this terrain…" He rolls down onto an opposing ramp on the other side of the gorge. The path ahead veers left before spiraling up around a thin mountain covered in cascading waterfalls.

Nearing the mountain's peak, Sonic races past one wide waterfall that splashes near his feet. He suddenly skids to a stop. He looks over the nearly-flat sheet of falling water for a moment, before reaching out with a hand to part the flow of it. The action reveals a deep cavern that was concealed by the water. Spurred by curiosity, Sonic proceeds through the barrier of water to explore inside.

Though the cave is dark, a faint golden glow comes from not far in the distance. Sonic heads for the light, and its source quickly comes into view. "No way…" The enormous gold ring that waits in the back of the tunnel floats suspended in the air, rotating on a slow yet continuous cycle. "A Warp Ring!" He runs the rest of the way to get a closer look. "Man, I haven't seen one of these things in years!" Stepping slowly around it, he cranes his neck to get a look at the inside of the ring without getting too close. With one hand, he starts to reach out for it. "I wonder where it goes…" He stops moving suddenly. The rotation of the ring sends it brushing just past his fingertips. "Wherever it goes…" He slowly draws the hand back. "…it won't be as nice a place as here." He looks back towards the inside of the waterfall that separates him from the outside. "Maybe this is all some sort of…weird dream. If it is…" He takes a brief glance back at the Warp Ring. "…what's the harm in staying a bit longer?"

Sonic turns around and strolls back to the cave entrance. He stops as he reaches the waterfall, taking a moment to look at his reflection in the shimmering water. Something's not quite right about it. But before he gets the chance to look any closer, the reflection greets, "Hey there, handsome."

Given another moment to look at the hedgehog on the other side of the waterfall, with longer, thicker fur, two wide eyes, and broad shoulders attached to toned blue arms, Sonic's expression quickly changes from mometary confusion into an understanding smirk. He returns, "Hey yourself."

The other hedgehog takes a step back, holding up his hands. "Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait." He points back to Sonic with a perturbed look on his face. "You're…not my reflection?"

Sonic gestures to the color of one of his own arms. "What, you didn't notice the arms?"

The other hedgehog holds up a finger. "Uh, excuse me a second here." He clears his throat loudly. Then he screams at the top of his lungs, "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sonic recoils back a step. "Whoa, whoa, calm down! Everything's cool, everything's cool!" The other hedgehog finally stops screaming. "I'm…kind of like an expert in this sort of thing, it's fine."

A better view of the other hedgehog shows him to be quite a bit younger than Sonic, perhaps a young teenager. He breathes, "Ohhhhhhh, I get it." He holds his arms out wide. "You must be a fan, does this count as cosplay? You want a selfie? Come here, let me–"

"What? No! I'm not–…" Sonic groans, rubbing a palm against his face. "Here, let's start over." He offers out his hand.

The other hedgehog steps through the waterfall to meet him, and duplicates the motion.

They both at once begin, "I'm Sonic the Hedgeh–"

Teen Sonic recoils back and screams, "Noooo, what does that even mean!? How can you be me!? I'm me!"

"So I'm guessing that means you don't know about the…?"

"Oh, hey!" Distracted, Teen Sonic points past Sonic to the Warp Ring in the back of the cave. "I've been looking everywhere for that one!" He walks past Sonic to the Ring. He touches the bottom of the Ring with a finger, and then flicks it up into the air. As the Warp Ring flies into the air, its size appears to shrink rapidly, until Teen Sonic can snatch it out of the air as it falls. After thumbing it around in his hand for a moment, he drops it into a small brown sack.

Sonic questions, "You carry Warp Rings around with you?"

"Yeah. Gotta keep a handy supply when you… Wait, were you saying something? Oh, right…who are you?"

Sonic looks around for a moment as something dawns on him. "I think…I'm from another dimension."

Teen Sonic puts a hand on his chin as he thinks about that. "Another dimension… Oh, so you're an alternate version of me from another universe! Like, like in that Spider-Man movie! Oh, this is so cool! Does that mean there're other versions of me, too? Is there one where I'm a superhero? Or a detective? Or some hideous freak of nature? Ooh, I want to fight an evil version of myself!"

Sonic raises an eyebrow. "Spider…Man?"

"Wait wait wait, back up. Why'd you say, 'I think'?"

"Well, it's just…I'm not really sure how I got here… I don't even really know where…here…is."

"Well that's easily fixed!" Teen Sonic grabs Sonic by the wrist, and pulls them both outside with a burst of speed.

"Whoa!" Sonic nearly loses his balance from the sudden movement.

Teen Sonic excitedly gestures out over the cliffside at the entire Zone, where the setting sun bathes the Green Hills in a brilliant orange glow. "Welcome to Casa del Sonic…well, formerly." Before Sonic can question that statement, he continues, "Complete with sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, and public access to loop-de-loops! I know, pretty sweet island, right?"

Sonic gazes out across the island before agreeing quietly, "The best…"

"Well, you're free to stay here as long as you'd like, I–"

"I can't. I mean, you have no idea how much I'd love to stay and hang out here, but…I was doing something. Something important. I need to get back to my own world." His eyes move out to the ocean. "I need to get back…"

"Well why didn't you just say so?" Sonic looks over in surprise to Teen Sonic, who has already pulled a ring out of his sack. "What did ya think I used these things for? A quick jump to another planet is nothing."

"Well…that was easier than I was expecting."

Teen Sonic holds the ring out in front of him. "Alright, one portal to the home of my incredibly handsome new best friend, coming right up." He tosses the ring out, and it grows until it halts in the air, matching the size seen before. He suddenly lets out a brief, "Ow."

"What's wrong?"

Teen Sonic scratches at the back of his neck. "It's nothing, just a mosquito bite. What I was getting ready to say was…I introduced you to my home. Mind returning the favor?"

"My world? Well, I wouldn't recommend it, but I can show you if you want."

Teen Sonic gestures towards the Warp Ring. "Well then, after me."

Sonic catches on. "If I insist." He runs for the Warp Ring, Teen Sonic following right behind. They both leap into the Ring, and disappear in a flash as they pass through the inside.

A figure hides in the shadows nearby. He rubs his gloved hands together eagerly. "Hee, hee, hee… And so it begins…"

—–—

The Warp Ring deposits the two Sonics into an empty, black void.

Teen Sonic takes a long look around at the nothingness. "So, this is your world? It's…a little bit different than I imagined."

"What? No, obviously this isn't my world. The Wrap Ring must've brought us to the wrong place."

"Hey, don't look at me. A Gold Ring Portal is supposed to take you where you need to go."

"So why'd you need to go here?"

"I just told you, it wasn't–…" He trails off as the void around them begins to spring full of color, forming kaleidoscopic shapes that shift and twist around one another, shaping in and out of familiar yet nonsensical forms. A flat, colorful road not seen before stretches beneath their feet, off into the distance. "Whoa…"

Sonic looks around with just as much surprise. "Could this be…?"

Teen Sonic comments, "You know, I'm not normally one to get motion sickness…" He somewhat forcefully tries to swallow. "But this…might do the trick. What is this place?"

"I think…it's the Special Zone… But that would mean…" Accompanied by a twinkling sound, an impossibly large Chaos Emerald suddenly shoots over their heads, flying off along the path of the road. "That's the…Chaos Emerald!" Sonic takes off at a run. "We have to go after it!"

A few moments later, Teen Sonic pulls up beside him, somehow going even faster than Sonic while facing backwards. A faint blue electricity seems to course through his entire body. "You wanna race me for it?"

"Wait, how–?"

"Try to keep up!" Teen Sonic turns around and instantly picks up to his own top speed, creating a shockwave powerful enough to blow Sonic completely off his feet.

Sonic tumbles to the floor, watching as the blue streak that is Teen Sonic disappears into the distance. He looks down to the ground, where a shedded quill has been left behind. Cautiously, he picks it up. The same electrical energy sparks through it. "What in the worlds…?"

Suddenly, a blinding light flashes from nowhere, and all is overwhelmed by a shimmering sound.

—–—

Both Sonics are thrown back onto the ground of Green Hill Zone. Teen Sonic, covered from head to toe in soot, complains, "No one told me there would be land mines!"

Sonic sits back up. "Yeah, I would've mentioned that part. If we'd actually stuck together."

Teen Sonic starts to get up, but he slips and falls onto his face. Looking back, he sees that the soles of one of his shoes is flapping most of the way off, hanging on by only a few threads. "Rats, there goes another pair." Getting up a little more carefully this time, he reaches into his sack and pulls out a ring, not of gold, but of grey duct tape. Ripping off a strip, he attempts to rig the shoe back into a usable condition.

Sonic watches with surprise. "Do you wear out your shoes often?"

Teen Sonic tears off another strip with his teeth. "Yeah. Don't you?"

Sonic shakes his head. "No. I've been wearing these ones for years."

Teen Sonic notes, "That is very gross." His shoe job done, he rapidly shakes off all the soot, leaving his fur puffed out in every direction. "Okay, so now it's my turn to catch up. What the heck was all that!?"

Sonic looks down at his hands, finally remembering what it was that he was supposed to be holding. "I wish I knew the full answer myself. All I really know is…when you end up in a Special Zone, there's a Chaos Emerald waiting on the other side. The only way to get to it is to pass the challenge it gives you."

Teen Sonic is partially distracted in smoothing his fur back into place. "Okay, so let's pretend that I actually understood every word of that. This is normal for you?"

"No, it's not exactly common. It's…been a long time, actually. I was beginning to think…that maybe I'd finally proven everything I needed to."

"Proven to who?"

"I don't know. The Lords of Chaos, maybe?"

"The who!?"

Sonic waves it off. "You'll figure it out eventually. The better question is…why is this happening now? After I already got the Emerald?"

Teen Sonic gets back to his feet. "Well, I'm clearly of no help in this conversation, so whaddya say we give this thing another shot?" He reaches into his sack, and pulls out another Warp Ring, tossing it into place.

Sonic stands up as well. "Look, I really appreciate the help, but I think I should handle this on my own." He starts to step towards the ring.

"Wait, but I–"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine. It was nice meeting you, and seriously, thanks." Throwing back a salute, he hops into the portal, and the ring disappears around him.

Teen Sonic still stands mid-expression. "But that was my last Ring…"

The Warp Ring reappears in the air hardly a moment later. Sonic is spat out onto the ground, now covered in soot as well. Staring blankly up at the sky, he comments, "The land mines move."

Teen Sonic bends over him, glaring down judgmentally. "That didn't go too well for you, did it? You know, I'm no expert here, but it seems to me like maybe this is something we might have to work together on."

Sonic sits up, wiping off his face with one hand. "I know you're just trying to help, but seriously, this isn't your problem. I can take care of this."

"Seems to me like it is my problem. I'm just as stuck here as you are."

"Stuck?" Sonic gets back to his feet. "This your home, isn't it? Where else do you need to go?"

"Well, yeah, it's my home, or at least…" He looks around for a moment. "…I think it is…"

"You think?"

"Okay, look, I…haven't been…completely…'honest'…with you." He states the air-quoted word almost as if it were a question.

Sonic's brows furrow in confusion. "Go on…"

Teen Sonic begins babbling at a rapid rate, pacing around and gesturing with his hands as he goes, "Okay, so here's the thing, I'm actually on the run because there are some people trying to steal my powers and I've been travelling from world to world trying to find the perfect one where I don't think they'll find me, and every time I accidentally let someone see me using my powers, Longclaw said I have to pack up and leave immediately, and I think I actually found a pretty good place, but then I woke up back here with my brain all mixed up so I thought, 'hey, a run might clear my head, and maybe I can find some extra Rings so I can get out of here,' and that's when I found you, and to be totally honest when I told you that you could 'stay here as long as you'd like', I actually had some selfish intentions there, because I thought maybe if the people who're after me found you instead then I could finally stop worrying, which was kind of mean of me and I'm really sorry about that, and actually we need to get out of here really soon or they might find both of us."

Sonic gapes at the overload of information. "Okay, so…let's pretend I understood every word of that. You wanted to go to my world, because…"

"Who knows? It could be the one. Anyone there trying to steal your powers?"

"Not that I'm aware of." Sonic puts a hand up to his chin. "Although, now that you mention it…"

"Yeah, doesn't really matter where we go, we just need to get out of here."

"Sure thing. Grab another Ring, let's go."

"Sorry, fresh out. If we want another, we'll have to go find it."

Realizing his fault in that matter, Sonic answers, "Oh… Sorry about that…"

"We'll call it even. Shall we get looking?"

"Yeah. And let's get to know each other better on the way."

—–—

As they jog beneath a starry night sky, Teen Sonic questions, "Okay, so Empire, Rebellion, I totally get it. But are you saying that you have giant talking eggs in your world?"

"Wh-…well…no, but also yes."

"Huh?"

"It's a joke, it's a joke. He's not actually an egg, just a dude with a big belly and a bigger ego."

"Ah, got it. Okay, next question. I've been meaning to ask this one for a while. What's with the, uhh…" He circles the bridge of his nose with a finger. "…the cyclops eye?"

"I don't know, I was born that way. What's with all that fur? Don't you feel like you need a shave?"

"You shave? Is that what happened to your arms?"

"Uhh…"

"Or are you just going bald?"

"What, no, I–"

"Actually, it looks like you don't have any fur at all. Just blue skin. It's kinda creepy."

"Hey, I have fur! It's just…thinner than yours…"

"Whatever you say, baldy."

"Okay, my turn to ask a question. Tell me more about this…what'd you call him? Longclaw?"

"Hey, look." Teen Sonic nudges Sonic in the arm, and they both stop to look up. A Warp Ring sits high atop a cliff. "Race you there?"

"Hey, w–" Teen Sonic takes off, circling around to the top in less than a second. He taps his foot and pretends to check a wristwatch while he waits the few extra seconds it takes for Sonic to catch up. "We need to talk."

Teen Sonic welcomes, "Ah, strategy, got it. You're the expert, let's hear it."

"I can tell you're very proud of your speed, but if we're going to work together on this, you're going to have to tone down those powers a bit. You almost knocked me right off the road that first time."

"Tone…down?"

"Yeah, just slow down a bit. Make sure I can keep up. It'll give you more time to react, too."

"Yeah, I…don't think I can do that."

"Why not?"

"My powers aren't like a dial, I can't just turn it up and down. It's more like…a button. It's on or it's off."

"I'm sure that isn't true. Just…focus on control. From what I can tell, there's a lot of energy going through you. Wherever that energy's coming from, just keep thinking about how much of it you're letting out at once."

"Well…I can try."

"You ready?"

"I think so."

"Just remember. Stick together."

With a nod, the two leap into the portal together.

—–—

The two Sonics run side by side along the rainbow road as it flips into a corkscrew. "That's it, you're doing it! Just keep it under control!"

Teen Sonic's face is held in a permanent wincing state, apparently very uncomfortable. Still, as the road straightens out he begins to pull ahead.

"Hey, hey! Dial it back!"

"Dialing back!" He suddenly shoots backwards as his powers are turned off completely.

Sonic shakes his head with a sigh, keeping up his own top-speed run.

As Teen Sonic pulls back up from behind, he shouts, "Hey, this is really—" He is cut off as he shoots much too far ahead. Turning it off again, he shoots right back. "—really hard—" He passes back from behind just as quickly. "—you know?"

Sonic shouts ahead, "Control! Keep it under control!"

"I'm controlling! I'm controlling so hard right now!"

"And keep an eye on the—"

They both shout at once, "Road!" Each of them crashes headlong into a floating land mine, setting off a chain reaction of explosions that bathes them in a blinding white light.

—–—

The two Sonics are thrown back onto the hard ground of the clifftop. Teen Sonic comments, "Oof. That didn't go well."

Sonic gets back on his feet. "I think it's pretty clear…that something needs to change. So we're not trying this again until I've trained you to control those powers."

As Teen Sonic gets back up, he stops, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why do you keep making this about me? I have to stay out of the way. I have to slow down for you. I have to control my powers. This is supposed to be your task, isn't it?" Venting an increasing amount of frustration, he continues, "Maybe, this doesn't have anything to do with me at all! Maybe, this about you learning to settle for something less than perfection for once in your life!"

Meeting him at the same level of anger, Sonic returns, "Oh, you're one to talk about 'perfection'! You, with the unbeatable powers, and the perfect body, and the perfect home, and the perfect life! Do you know what my Green Hill looks like!? It's a pile of sand! But yours!? Yours is perfect! And you're running away from it! Maybe, if you slowed down and thought about what you have for one second, you wouldn't be running away from all your problems!"

"Oh, you think my life is perfect!? Do you have any idea what it's like, living a life in hiding!? Going from place to place, looking over your shoulder, never sure if this will be the day that the people trying to take everything away from you are going to find you!?"

Sonic's anger seems to be calmed in an instant. "Yeah. I do."

"Oh…I guess you do. Look…it's not like I don't want to be here. Believe me, I know how awesome this place is. But I can't just cling to what I used to have. Nostalgia isn't enough. I can't stay in Green Hill forever."

"That thing you said…about accepting less than perfection…"

"Once something's changed, it's never going to be exactly the way it was. Even if you win this war of yours, your life is never going to be the way it was before you met this Eggman guy. And if all you're fighting for is getting the past back…you'll never make it to the future. You have to fight, not to make things perfect, but to make things better. Things can always get better. But they can never be perfect. And if you keep doing that, then no matter how bad things look, you'll always be able to know that they could've looked worse. I mean, just look at me."

"Where'd you learn all that?"

Teen Sonic opens his arms out wide. "I have no idea!"

Sonic chuckles a bit, properly cheered up.

"Hey wait a second. Did you say I have a perfect body?"

"Uhh…did I?"

"Oh no, I'm not letting you forget that one."

"Right, sure, whatever. So. If you're the expert now, then what do you recommend we do?"

"Easy. Since you're older and more experienced than I am, you've been focusing on what you can teach me." Using his finger for emphasis, Teen Sonic concludes, "So instead, I am going to train you."

—–—

Teen Sonic continues, "You're no slowpoke, so I know you have this power too. But if you want to find all of it, you'll have to reach deep inside. Now get ready." The two Sonics each take up a runner's stance before a long stretch of grassy road. "And remember. It's not about being perfect. Just taking each step faster than your last. You got it?"

Sonic nods. "I'm ready. Speed me up."

"Alright. Now close your eyes." Sonic does so. "Take a deep breath." They both take a long breath in sync, in, and out. "And repeat after me." Teen Sonic looks off towards the horizon, fixing an intense gaze on his destination. Energy begins to course through him, even lighting up the color of his eyes. "Gotta go fast."

Sonic drops his stance entirely, and glares over at Teen Sonic with a dumbfounded expression.

Ignoring the look, Teen Sonic voices, "I'm not heeeeearing it."

With a roll of his eyes, Sonic takes his position back up, and grudgingly mutters, "Gotta go fast…"

"No no. You have to believe it. Gotta go fast."

Sonic repeats more solidly, "Gotta go fast."

"Harder! Gotta go fast!"

"Gotta go fast!"

"Gotta go fast!"

"GOTTA GO FAST!"

"Now go! Go, go, go!" Both hedgehogs take off side by side. "Faster, faster, faster!"

As Teen Sonic runs, some of the energy that flies off of him appears to jump to Sonic, sparking through him and out to his fingertips. Watching the display, Sonic breathes, "Whoa…"

"Feels good, right? But let's see if you can keep it up!" Approaching a loop, the two remain right next to one another, up, and down. The path swerves to the side, taking them into a cave opening. They both curl into a roll as the curving cavern takes them rapidly downwards.

The cave opens into a wide space, filled with dripping stalactites and trickling streams of underground water. But Sonic notices something strange. He skids to a halt and looks straight up, energy still sparking through him. A drop of water slips off of a stalactite above. Sonic waits for it to drip onto him. But it doesn't. It almost seems to hang suspended in the air. Squinting to get a closer look, Sonic can see that it does fall, though at an impossibly slow rate. "Hey, look at–" Sonic looks over to Teen Sonic, who still runs beside him—appearing to be frozen in a running stance, taking the next step at a sluggish pace. "Uhh…" Sonic reaches out to touch him on the shoulder. The moment he does, everything seems to return to normal. Teen Sonic spins around, skidding backwards on his feet to a stop. A drop of water splashes onto Sonic's head.

"Hey, what's up?"

Sonic exclaims, "Something really weird just happened! It was like everything around me was in slow motion!"

"You did flashtime!? That's crazy!"

"Flashtime?"

"Yeah, it's like, when you're going so fast that even your brain is working faster than the rest of the world, so everything around you slows down by comparison. You learn fast, but I guess that isn't very surprising. You've got this down!"

"Wait…so then…why weren't you…?"

"And look! How convenient is that?" Teen Sonic points out across a small gorge, where a Warp Ring waits near the opposite wall of the cave.

"You think we're ready?"

"As long as we can stick together and do this thing right? I know we are."

"Then let's get this done." With a nod, the two leap over the pit, and disappear at once into the portal.

—–—

The two Sonics land once again into the empty, unformed void.

Teen Sonic takes a stance. "Get ready."

Sonic prepares himself beside him. "Gotta go fast."

Teen Sonic lets out a snorting snicker.

"What's so funny?"

"You don't actually have to say it, I was just kidding around with you!"

Sonic folds his arms and rolls his eyes. "Ha ha." He takes his stance back up.

"Hey, uhh…" Teen Sonic starts to look around. "Shouldn't something've happened by now?"

A familiar voice sneers behind them, "I'd say something already has."

The Hedgehogs turn in surprise as a hovering Egg Mobile descends through the void behind them. Sonic growls, "Eggman."

"Dear hedgehog, you insult me." The craft finally settles low enough to see its occupant, with his long white mustache, triangular shades, and striped yellow jacket. "Surely you know by now to call me by my full title?"

Sonic corrects, "Doctor Eggman Nega."

Teen Sonic perks up, "Hey, I know you! You're that, uh…that guy! From the, the Sun World!"

Eggman Nega corrects with a growl, "That's Sol Dimension."

"Yeah, yeah, that's the one!" He looks over to Sonic, explaining, "Pretty nice world, but, uh, too much water. 7.8 out of 10. Had to keep looking for the right place, you know?"

Sonic shows a look of surprise and slight confusion, but chooses to say nothing.

Eggman Nega continues, "Your little visit to the Sol Dimension may have been brief, but you left something very interesting behind." He holds up a long blue quill. A spark of energy jolts through it.

Teen Sonic groans, "Ohhh, not again…"

Sonic notes, "You know, you wouldn't be shedding your quills everywhere you just shaved."

"How exactly do you expect me to shave my entire body?"

"You're the fastest thing alive. I'm sure it wouldn't take that long."

"Gee, rubbing sharp tools over my skin at super speed, that sounds safe."

Eggman Nega grumbles, "It's like sitting in an echo chamber. Multiply the hedgehogs, and you exponentially increase the irritation."

Sonic glances over. "Oh, sorry, we were just waiting for you to finish your evil monologue so we can kick your butt."

Eggman Nega opens his arms out wide. "By all means, don't let me stop you."

Sonic looks back to Teen Sonic. "Would I care to do the honors?"

Teen Sonic smirks. "Don't mind if I do." He takes off at a run. And falls flat on his face.

Eggman Nega snickers in amusement. Sonic questions, "More shoe problems?"

Teen Sonic quickly climbs back to his feet, shaking it off. "No way, my shoes are fine, that was just a–" He tries to run again, meeting with the same result. He mumbles into the ground, "…fluke…"

Eggman Nega's snicker grows into a full laugh. "Eee hee hee hee hee!"

"My powers…they're gone!"

Sonic presses, "Gone? Whaddaya mean, 'gone'!?"

Eggman Nega picks up, "He means that I've stolen them from him."

"How!?"

Another voice answers, "Well, he may have had a little help with that part." The void around them suddenly begins to morph and distort, shaping not into the usual kaleidoscope of color, but instead into far more drab and distinguishable forms, taking on the appearance of some ancient ruins structure, with walls so distant as to still seem concealed by a black void. Standing high atop a precipice, lit by the light of a flickering torch, is Fang the Sniper. On his head, instead of his hat, he wears a strange mechanical device covered in blinking lights. "I didn't expect us to meet again so soon, Sonic. But the timing couldn't be more perfect."

"Nack! What're you doing here!?"

He shouts in a sudden fury, "It's Fang, and I live here!" He clears his throat to calm himself.

"Wait, you live in the Special Zone?" Sonic puts a hand up to his chin. "I mean, I guess that explains a few things…"

Teen Sonic nudges him in the side. "Okay, seriously, who are these guys, and why do they all know you?"

"Well, they're…eh, they're nobodies."

Fang and Eggman Nega at once shout, "Hey!"

Teen Sonic gives an over-emphatic shrug. "Well, if my friend here says that you guys are nobodies, I kind of have to believe him."

Eggman Nega shouts, "You won't be calling us nobodies when we use your power to spread chaos and destruction throughout the multiverse! Eee hee hee hee!"

Fang holds up a finger. "Now Doctor, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I believe our friends here were asking how exactly we were able to do that."

"Of course. How could I forget?"

Sonic rolls his eyes. "And here comes the monologue."

Teen Sonic questions, "If there's two of them explaining it, wouldn't that make it a dialogue?"

Eggman Nega snaps, "Just shut up and listen." He clears his throat. "So, as I was saying, when I came to understand the limitless amount of energy contained within this visitor from another world, I knew that I had to make it my own. But I knew that if I allowed this world-traveller to escape me, it would become impossible to find him amidst the infinite worlds. So, I developed a Dimensional Disruptor that would trap him in his own world, allowing me to do as I pleased."

Fang suddenly leaps from his high place. Sonic takes a defensive step in front of Teen Sonic. Teen Sonic complains, "Hey, I'm not…" He trails off.

Sonic picks up "Totally defenseless?"

He admits, "Pretty much, yeah."

Ignoring the exchange, Fang paces in a long arc towards Eggman Nega, picking up, "The Dimensional Disruptor uses the Special Zone as a buffer space, separating the world of this Sonic from all the others. That became a problem for me, when I tried to return home. I was thrown into that world as well. But then I encountered Ovi here. We got to talking, and realized that we had quite a bit in common. Like our mutual hatred for Sonic. All Sonics."

Eggman Nega growls under his breath, "Nack, I told you to call me Doctor Eggman Nega."

"And I told you to call me Fang! Doesn't feel so good on the other end of the stick, does it!?"

Teen Sonic comments, "Is it just me, or do those two make a terrible team?"

Sonic agrees, "Oh yeah, definitely."

Both Fang and Eggman Nega agree, "Shut up."

Eggman Nega picks up, "With his expertise on the Special Zone and…relatively impressive mechanical knowledge, Fang assisted me in constructing a device that could siphon Sonic's speed energy."

Fang concludes, "And then I just did what I do best." Aimed at Teen Sonic, he mimes the action of firing a gun using his fingers.

Teen Sonic scratches at the back of his neck, this time finding a tiny device planted there. Remembering when the itch had started, he grumbles angrily, "Mosquito bite…" He crushes the device in his hand, though it's too late to undo what's been done.

"You," Fang adds, looking to Sonic. "You weren't part of the plan. But it couldn't have worked out any better. For the plan to be completed, we needed him to run. It might have taken days to drain all of his energy, if it weren't for the fool's errand you introduced to him."

Sonic crosses his arms. "Nice speech. Just one question. What'd you do with the Emerald?"

"Emerald? Ha! There was never any Emerald."

"What's that supposed to mean? You should know it's here, it's what we've been chasing after."

"You forget, Sonic. You're on my turf, now. You have no idea what this Zone really is. It's a realm of thought. You create your own obstacles—and your own tools with which to overcome them. If your worthiness was being tested, it is only because you thought yourself unworthy. The Emerald was all in your mind."

"Wait…but…" Sonic starts to look around in confusion, suddenly questioning everything.

Teen Sonic urges, "Hey, don't let him get in your head. Just kick his butt for me."

Sonic nods. "Right."

Eggman Nega voices, "Well then, Guinea Pig, I think it's finally time to test our new invention."

Fang growls, "I'm a Jerboa, not a Guinea Pig."

Sonic questions, "Jerboa? Aren't you a Weasel?"

Teen Sonic objects, "I mean, he's a Wolf, I thought that was pretty obvious…"

Fang shouts, "All of you, just shut up!"

Teen Sonic notes, "Is 'shut up' your only comeback? 'Cause–"

"I said shut up!" In a flash of blue energy, Fang suddenly zips past Sonic, striking Teen Sonic in the face and sending him flying backwards. Fang looks to his own fist with a smirk, still sparking with energy. "Ooh…I could get used to this."

"Hey!" Sonic dives into Fang from behind, tackling him to the ground. As the two grapple for dominance, both pick up in speed, creating an untraceable blur of motion that sends sparks flying in every direction.

Teen Sonic climbs back to his feet. "I can help, I can help, I can…" He starts to look around a bit frantically. "How can I help?" A pair of mechanical hands suddenly clamp around him from behind.

As the floating hands lift Teen Sonic off the ground, turning him to face Eggman Nega, he answers, "You may not be able to help your friend, but you can certainly help me with my research."

"Uhhh…Sonic? I could really use some help over here…"

Sonic tries to run closer, trailing a sparking aura of his own, but Fang zips in at an angle to block him, forcing him to stop and take off in a different direction. The two continue like this, starting and stopping, creating streaks of blue in every direction, preventing Sonic from getting any closer. He manages, "I'm a little busy right now" Even in the amount of time it takes him to say that, Fang lands a blow, knocking him back.

Teen Sonic looks awkwardly back to Eggman Nega. "So…do you have some kind of eating problem, or were you just born with arms that don't match the size of your body?"

Eggman Nega's attention seems primarily occupied with the readouts on the display of the control panel in his Egg Mobile. "Do you really think it's a good idea to insult me right now?"

Teen Sonic shrugs as best he can with his arms pinned to his sides. "I don't know, I've never really done the whole 'damsel in distress' thing before."

Eggman Nega looks up with a raised eyebrow. "Did you just call yourself a damsel?"

"Hey, you know, that comment contains hints of gender stereotype, which I don't appreciate."

"What do I look like, a feminist?" Eggman Nega shakes his head and looks back down to his work.

In his battle, Sonic changes things up, turning around and sprinting in the opposite direction. Fang does the same, putting immense distance between them. Suddenly, they both collide in the middle at full speed. Each one has a grip on the other's fist, holding them back as they meet eye-to-eye. Sonic is beginning to show signs of fatigue, as he struggles to keep his breathing normal.

Fang sneers, "Face it, Hedgehog. You could hardly beat me before. And now, I'm even faster than you are. You have no hope."

"You're wrong, Nack. It's not about the speed. It's about how you use it. And I'm using it to protect, my, friend!" Sparking energy lights up his eyes.

Teen Sonic becomes enraptured as he watches the exchange, going completely silent

Sonic and Fang push apart, and everything seems to slow down as energy is channeled through Fang's arm, readying for an underhanded blow. But Sonic, in his heightened state, moves at an almost normal speed, weaving to the side, knocking Fang's hand away, and coming around for a kick to his back.

Fang slides across the hard floor. Before he's even gotten up, he begins to shout, "Doctor! I need more!"

Eggman Nega cries, "More!? But we agreed this was the maximum safe–"

"I don't care! Give me all of it! I will not lose to these idiots!"

Teen Sonic questions, "Idiots? I'm not even involved here, you're losing to just one idiot. Uh, I mean–" He's cut off as a dark red energy suddenly shoots through him, forcing him to cry out in pain.

As if in reaction to whatever Eggman Nega has done to Teen Sonic, the lights on Fang's mechanical helmet begin to flash more rapidly, and the energy begins to surge through his body. The energy practically envelops him, arcing off in every direction, no longer requiring him to move in order to generate immense amounts of it.

By comparison, the few sparks that still run through Sonic seem quite feeble. Still, he runs in to attack. But Fang is far faster now. He appears behind Sonic, striking him in the back. Almost instantly he comes back in from another direction. He continues this onslaught from every direction, striking over and over again without ever giving Sonic a chance to recover, until he is finally knocked to the ground.

Teen Sonic appears to have had all the energy drained out of him. A faint amount of smoke rises around him as he pants for breath. He manages a meek, "No…"

Sonic struggles to get back up. "Sonic…you have to…" Fang kicks him onto his back.

Teen Sonic objects, "There's nothing I can do, you have to get up!"

Sonic tries. "You can. You–" He is struck down once again.

"I can what!? My powers are gone! I'm helpless! You're the only one who can save us…"

This time, Sonic doesn't try to get back up. He answers from his spot on the ground, "I guess you weren't listening. It isn't the powers that make you a hero. It's the heart…and the soul."

Teen Sonic echoes, "Heart…" he starts to look downwards. "…and soul…" Something seems to dawn on him. He shouts with a renewed vigor, "Hey, chrome dome!" Eggman Nega looks up, even though the insult was directed towards Fang. "He just said that you don't have any soul! Are you really gonna take that from him!?"

Fang doesn't bother looking back at Teen Sonic as he places a foot on Sonic's chest to keep him down. "A distraction? Is that really the best you can manage? No, I'm not taking my eyes off you until you've drawn your last breath."

Teen Sonic smirks. "Well here! You can have one of mine!" With the strongest flailing kick he can manage, Teen Sonic flings off his torn, taped up shoe, sending it flying through the air.

Fang chooses turn only after it's too late to react, and the sole of the flying shoe connects with his face, knocking him to the ground next to Sonic. All of the lights on the device on his head begin to flash red. It begins to shoot off arcs of electricity not just into him, but in every direction.

A warning chime sounds from Eggman Nega's console. "That isn't good…"

Fang gets back to his feet. "What, what isn't–" The rest can't be heard as he suddenly zips off. A moment later, he rushes back past them, shouting, "I can't—" He vanishes into the other direction. He comes back continuing, "–control—" He gets too far once again. His third pass picks up, "—this thing!" He finally finishes, "Fix it!"

Eggman Nega frantically pushes at buttons on his console. "I'm trying, I'm trying!" It too begins to fling sparks, suddenly catching fire.

The clamps holding Teen Sonic in place shudder, and finally drop him onto the ground. Taking a few steps forward, he voices, "I can help with that." He holds out a leg. On Fang's next pass a moment later, he trips over it, sending him tumbling back onto the ground.

Even as Fang's run is stopped, his legs still flail in a super speed blur, sending him sliding uncontrollably in circles on the ground. "Somebody shut this crazy thing off!"

As Teen Sonic walks up to him, the energy still flying from the device almost seems to gravitate towards him, empowering him with every step. "Well, since you asked so nicely…" With his remaining shoe, he aims a hard kick at Fang's head, shattering the device, and ending the chaos.

Eggman Nega inconspicuously turns his Egg Mobile around. "Well, this experiment was a failure. I suppose I'll just be going then…"

"W-wait!" Fang scrambles back to his feet. "Wait for me!" He grabs onto the back of the craft, and struggles to pull himself inside, as what appears to be a Ring Portal is fired out of the craft's front. The Egg Mobile darts inside, and it and its occupants disappear.

Teen Sonic pulls Sonic back to his feet. "You alright, buddy?"

Sonic takes a moment to get his balance back. "Yeah. Thanks to you."

"No, really, you did all the hard work. All I did was sacrifice my sole. Speaking of which…" He walks over to reclaim his lost shoe. Picking it up, he sees that it's in even worse condition than it was before. "Eh, I'll grab a new pair later."

Sonic starts to look around. "So…if there's no Emerald…and no test…how do we get out of here?"

"Well, he said this was a realm of thought, right? So I suppose, if I just…" Teen Sonic snaps his fingers, and another Warp Ring spawns next to Sonic. Sonic looks impressed. Teen Sonic continues, "And one for me…" He snaps again, opening a Ring Portal for himself.

"Oh…I guess that means you aren't coming to my world after all?"

"Yeah…no offense, but it sounds like a bit of a mess. I'll take my chances somewhere else."

"So then…this is goodbye?"

"I guess it is. Gotta keep moving forward, you know?"

"Yeah. I know. Just…if you don't mind me saying…it's worth searching for peace. But it's when you're in trouble that you find your real friends. And that'll be a lot better than going it alone. Don't forget that."

"I'll keep it in mind. And…thanks. For believing in me."

Sonic nods. "I should thank you too. For reminding me of some of the things I'm fighting for."

Teen Sonic nods, and turns around to face his portal, holding up a hand behind him. "Later, Cyclops."

Sonic turns away as well. "Until next time, Fuzzy."

Glancing back at one another, the two each leap into their own portals, and all is overwhelmed by a bright light and a shimmering sound.

—–—

Death Egg Impact: 0 seconds

"S… …c…? Sonic…can you hear me…? Sonic!?" Shadow's shout stirs Sonic back into consciousness.

Shaking himself the rest of the way into lucidity, he quickly responds, "I'm here… I'm here. Glad to hear you're still concerned for me." Shadow doesn't answer. "Knuckles, you there too?"

Waiting for the response from Knuckles, Sonic looks down slowly at the Chaos Emerald in his hand. "Was I…somewhere else?" He climbs back to his feet, staring out at the ocean around him. Though he doesn't seem to notice, a faint spark runs through his hand, into the Chaos Emerald.

SONIC passed the SPECIAL STAGE!

What're you still doing here!? Go see the Sonic Movie!