It felt like waking up in a dream.

When people enter a dream, they often forget how they came here. They are unable to recall the situation, only thrown into the halfway point and left to connect the dots.

That was what happened to Sonic.

He felt the sins on his back wash away, cleansing him of whatever weights and hardships he had. He was unable to remember what happened. It felt like he was falling. Falling for all eternity. Any faces that he could recall were all a blur.

Rainbolements? What were those? Sounded like a twelve-year-old mashed together the words rainbows and elements and called them differently from the norm. Who knows if he even had powers?

Sonic opened up his emerald-green eyes, which no longer had the scars and mismatching colors within them. He saw a twinkling star in his hands, but it confused him a bit. Weren't they gone just a minute ago, or were they always there? Who even cares at this point, all that mattered was that he was falling, feeling his soul being washed away. Next thing he knew, the air around him slowed down and became thicker, almost like floating underwater. He descended until he touched solid ground, which felt soft to him. This was also the moment when he could begin to move around.

Upon standing up, Sonic noticed that the atmosphere around him became lighter. He could see the place more clearly, with a rising orange sun hidden underneath pink clouds that were moving fast. Very fast. When Sonic took the first step, it seemed as though the ground underneath him was moving past his steps.

The walking did not last very long before Sonic stopped in front of a strange creature. It looked a bit like a squirrel, about the hedgehog's height and a similar body structure. Even though the squirrel was facing away from Sonic, their fur was noticeably smooth and metallic.

"Are you… okay, little guy?" Sonic asked, reaching out to the creature. Before the hedgehog could touch the squirrel, they turned around and slashed at the hedgehog's face with sharpened claws. The squirrel had reddened eyes and acted like an undead creature, and it seemed to be transferring its metallic structure to where they touched Sonic. The blue hedgehog looked at himself in fear, watching as the metal quickly spread around his face. More anthropomorphic animals started to appear around him, every single one of them a different species but similar body structures. And they were all metallic zombies.

Sonic couldn't move. Whenever he tried picking up his legs, it felt like they were stuck to the ground like glue. All he could do was stand and watch as the metallic zombie animals approached him as he was transforming, and they were crowding around him. He tried to struggle from them. He tried to breath. But the air around him was becoming too tight the more the metallic zombies closed in around him.

Next thing he knew, he was in a dark room. The metallic zombies had disappeared, and the liquid covering his face simply washed off his face, dripping onto the floor and spreading across. The blue hedgehog noticed a dark aura was enveloping his body and raising the quills on his head. Rotting hands emerged from the ground around him, with decaying bodies crawling out. Every single one of these zombies neither have a metallic color nor attacked Sonic on sight, and they all looked different from each other.

The blue hedgehog watched as the dark aura around his body enveloped the zombies, and explosions appeared out of nowhere. Gunfire and screams were enveloping his head, filling him with fright as he saw the zombies with his darkened aura attack every living creature. Bullets and missiles flew right through him as though he was a ghost, and the next thing he saw was fire consume him.

Then, the flames vanished. The screams and growls of the undead were no longer present, and the blue hedgehog was in a realm like it was completely made out of vantablack. There, standing in front of him, was a face. And not just any face. This face was distorted and crackled, almost like it was melting into itself. A white turtleneck was hidden underneath a robe of black, though it was hard to tell if there even was a robe considering the room was so dark. In front of his chest were long, boney hands, with each of his palms having a large hole carved into them. The two beings looked at each other in silence, before the alien figure spoke in a voice like those found in a text-to-speech generator accompanied by a dark and sinister voice.

I know who you are.

When the being spoke, he didn't move his mouth and slowly moved his hands in front of his face. Strange symbols generated behind the creature, translated into what he said.

"What the…?" Sonic asked. "What is this place? Where am I? Who the hell are you?"

I am the being that has no name, the stranger answered. Even if there are those that know my past, all I have become is a faded memory. For now, you can call me… an Eye of God.

An Eye of God? What was this creature playing at? Something wasn't right here.

"An Eye of God?" Sonic asked, slowly walking towards the crackled face. "What kind of job you have there?" However, the blue hedgehog noticed he was walking in the same place, unable to approach the alien no matter how hard he tried.

Beings like me have been shattered across space and time, waking up at a point where all alternate universes collide, the mysterious stranger responded. You are currently standing in one of those points: a universe of complete shadow. Dark, darker, yet darker. There is something I must show you. The stranger turned around and slowly expanded his hands apart from himself, revealing windows upon windows of light. Sonic's eyes filled with wonder as he looked around, curious as he saw images playing around.

In each of these windows is a moment in history across the multiverse. Different alterations, different situations, all occurring at the same time. At some point, these timelines cross and give birth to new ones. And my assistance is to guide them to where the Almighty Father sees fit. However, these timelines seem to have… stopped. They somehow ceased to exist. My confirmations have led me to believe YOU were the culprit.

"Now hold on a second," Sonic objected. "I cannot be the source of those timelines stopping. I have survived ten years without being transformed into a trophy, been experiencing visions of a woman purposely created by Tabuu as a distraction, have been captured by Galeem, captured again by his brother and was forced to hang around this time, and now you're telling me I was the cause of those timelines stopping? I've had enough as it is. How much more do I need?" The stranger with the cracked face stared at the blue hedgehog.

I am afraid whatever I say next will not be countered by whatever objections you have in your mind, the creature responded. You had exhausted yourself to the point where your old self was locked away, letting your anger upon others get the best of you. It was through that rage that you had destroyed the planet you were standing on. Not once, but twice.

"Twice…?"

The first time you let your emotions get the better of you, it was out of guilt. Guilt that you could save no one but yourself. You began to create twisted versions of humanity in other universes to express your hatred, but eventually you calmed down and began searching… for other survivors. The second time this happened stopped all the timelines you see here, leading to two different endings to your story: consumed by light… or swallowed by darkness.

Sonic looked at the timelines represented by the stranger, looking into the long hands with the large hole in each one. In the Eye of God's right hand, the blue hedgehog noticed that in one ending, Dharkon's forces of darkness were pierced by the light. The Seraph of Chaos roared in defeat as the Lord of Light vaporized him with beams of light, destroying all the Crazy Hands in the process. Galeem then spread his wings, consuming anything and everything in his light. In the left hand, there was an alternate situation. Galeem's forces were crushed by the darkness, and the Seraph of Order was chained up. The emptiness of space doused the lights of every star in existence, and the only light was the faint glow of Dharkon's eyes of blue and gold.

You see… your liberation of Arcus had destroyed all hope your friends had to save their respected universes. Without the Super Smash Brothers to stop the struggle, there were two outcomes to the situation. Whether everything was devoured by light or darkness, both lead to the same ending: eternal blindness.

"No… no no no no no no no no… no!" Sonic spoke with disbelief. "I… All these universes. All these planets and dimensions I have discovered that my friends haven't even reached out to yet! I failed them all. I failed everyone. Please! You have to bring them back! Make it look like none of this ever happened!"

I am sorry, but I cannot change fate without His permission, the stranger responded. Sonic, however, would not give up that easily. He ran over to the creature and began tugging on his wispy black cloak.

"This can't be how the story ends!" Sonic continued, his emerald eyes filling up with tears. "There was so much more to discover! We've been building up on how we're not just toys in the minds of others! I need a way out!"

Do not push me! the stranger snarled at the blue hedgehog, his crooked mouth and drooping eyes widening to reveal the endless abyss within them. Tiny orbs of light flashed in the creature's eyes as a sign he was serious. It has already been decided. This is how your story ends… with two outcomes. What the Almighty Father decides has been done. You have done this to yourself, and you will be forced to stay in the void for all eternity.

Sonic took a look at all those alternate timelines, watching as they played on repeat around him. He saw how everyone was happy, not a care in the world. However, from the expressions on their faces in different outcomes, he noticed they all split up into the two timelines of eternal light and darkness, vanishing without a trace. Those consumed by the light seemed more welcoming to their blind fate, while those swallowed by darkness were more fearful. The blue hedgehog's eyes began streaming with tears, and he knelt in defeat as his throat tightened. None of this would be happening if he wasn't captured by Dharkon, and the chances of imprisonment within the darkness would be far more decreased if he just used something like the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic curled down, gently planting his forehead to the vantablack ground. The tears dripped down his face as he began to cry, twinkling with a glimmer of hope in a starless world. The creature looked at the blue hedgehog, aware of how depressed Sonic must be. Even though the alien himself could not feel emotions, he could understand them.

Very, very… interesting, the stranger spoke. You want to go back. You want to go back to the world you destroyed. It was you who pushed everything to its edge. It was you who led the countless universes to their destruction. But you cannot accept it. You think you are above consequences. Sonic's silent weeping slowed down, slowly looking over his shoulder to the man who speaks in hands. The blue hedgehog wiped the tears from his face, facing the stranger he was trapped with.

This has not been the first time you wanted to go back after death, has it not? It happened when you confronted the one-winged angel, and previously you were struck down by the mind of the goddess who weeps.

"Mind of the goddess?" Sonic asked before he started getting flashbacks. Attacked from behind by a certain crystalline hedgehog, hearing a princess cry and unleash hell's fire in his dying moments. It all came back to him.

"Mephiles. But… why a mind of the goddess? Wasn't he the mind of Solaris, the Sun God?"

The reason for your enemy's existence will come in due time, the stranger spoke. For now, I would like to come to a bargain. Something we can both agree on. You still have something I want. Give it to me, and I will create a third ending to your story. What you decide to do with it is entirely up to you, but the timelines that have been created will continue to exist if you choose to do the right thing and restore order and chaos. Your determination does grow, fueling the star within you.

Sonic took a good look at the being, ready to accept this deal. But what was he going to give him?

"I'll give you what you want," Sonic answered. "Just please: make sure my friends haven't been destroyed by my actions."

Then it is agreed. You will give me your memories. The blue hedgehog's eyes widened, frightened that he was going to give away everything he had ever worked hard for. It will only be the memories of the worlds you have visited. All the secrets you have discovered. You will still remember the adventures you went with the friends you made on this planet, and you will remember your own past. However, how you left your homeworld will be one of the memories I will take from you. Outside of your speed, you will also forget the powers you were given, but when you discover them you will build them up over time, just like you wished for. The only reason I am doing this is not just out of curiosity, but out of protecting you from those who want to harm you and resurrect the Goddess of Insanity. Your mind is a complicated one, a literal labyrinth of memories and delicate information. I wish to contain them within my possession so that she may never be released. I have no control over what happens in each timeline, for my determination has been scattered. Your old memories may be gone, but your mind will become empty enough to allow new ones and piece together the past of the goddess. Your main objective for now is to traverse the world where photosynthesis and necromancy attack one another. The true message I will give you is this: as long as you fan the eternal burning flame, find the demons who call her name. In front of the mysterious being, held in the strange hands, was a shining star. Sonic the Hedgehog took a good look at the star held in the man's hands, glancing back at the alternate realities. He wanted to keep his memories. He wanted to remember the worlds he visited. But how was he going to relive those moments if they never existed?

"It's a deal," Sonic sighed, grabbing ahold of the star. A smile stretched across the crackled face, with thousands of symbols blinking around the hedgehog, constantly changing letters and meanings a million per millisecond.

Then it is done, the stranger spoke, placing his hands and adjusting them so the holes in the palms were on Sonic's eyes. Reawaken the rebellious spirit within you. Strive who you were meant to be. You and your friends… will be the stars to save us all. Binary code began flashing through the holes, implanting themselves in Sonic's head, altering his mind until the worlds he visited faded from his mind. The light of the star he touched grew brighter, enveloping the room around him. There was a sound, growing louder by the minute until he became completely deaf.

Next thing he remembered… the sound in his ears quieted down and became clearer to hear.


The blue hedgehog slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the bright light above his face.

"He's awake! He's awake!" the Ralsei Spirit called out, noticing that Sonic was up. "Hey, everyone! Sonic's awake!" The blue hedgehog adjusted his vision to see the Spirit of the goat prince float out of the empty room. The blue hedgehog turned his head to hear a heart monitor hooked up to his wrist, measuring his steady heartbeat.

Sonic unhooked himself from the monitor, getting up from the bed he was resting in. He walked around, trying to keep his balance as he walked to a rectangle mirror hung on the wall. The last thing Sonic could remember on this planet was… having multicolored scars and eyes, as well as sporting powers that may or may not have gone out of control? It was hard to piece together what happened, since everything that happened after the fight with Dharkon was sketchy. In fact, he noticed his scars were missing, and his eyes were back to the green they had always been.

Sonic rubbed his face, surprised there was nothing there. A slide door opened, and in walked Fox McCloud and Kirby.

"Uh… hello, I guess?" The two were relieved that Sonic was up, and they quickly ran over to the blue hedgehog and hugged him tight.

"We were so worried!" Fox sighed, breaking apart the hug. "Ralsei told us you'd be up by now just when we were thinking you'd be dead. You really have exhausted yourself out there, haven't you?"

"Exhausted myself?" Sonic asked. "I think I got a little head trauma, so I might not know what you guys are talking about."

"Oh, you know: fire blasts boosting yourself into the air, icicles, magical bursts," Fox responded. "You were doing so much of that that you could not control any of them."

"Really?" Sonic asked with a bit of curiosity. "In that case…" The blue hedgehog quickly jumped up into the air, trying to master the power of flight. It was just as useful as a chocolate teapot, since he landed on his face on his first attempt.

"Wow… that barrier you created was so strong it made you forget the usage of your powers?" Fox asked.

"I… guess so," Sonic responded, suddenly remembering his hands faded into dust when he last used these powers. The blue hedgehog quickly pulled one of his gloves off, exposing a mechanical hand attached to his arm.

"The readings were unstable when the Mii Fighters and Spirits hooked you up to a hospital bed hours ago," Fox responded. "E. Gadd took it upon himself to construct for you brand-new hands just as functional as your old ones. Kirby and I decided to stay while the other fighters went out trying to find the last four Primaries and the survivors. Something must've happened to you, because the last time we visited, you had the scars on your face. Now, they just… kinda vanished. Quick question: can you still run around the Legacy?" Sonic responded by disappearing in a flash and entering into the room a couple seconds later.

"Yeah, why?" Sonic responded, slipping his glove back on before picking up Kirby.

"We were just worried you might be powerless completely," Fox sighed with relief. "Anything you experienced while you were unconscious?"

"Well, there was this dream I had about visiting a man who speaks in hands…?" Sonic answered in confusion. "The dream was a bit iffy, because I completely remember all he said and at the same time… don't. It was kinda an abstract dream. I… can't describe it. Did I miss anything?"

"Not much," Fox answered, walking out the door. "Come with me to the deck. You too, Kirby." The pink puffball squirmed out of Sonic's grasp, following the Star Fox mercenary. Since the blue hedgehog still remembered walking around the Legacy, he knew every nook and cranny about this place. He quickly dashed out of the room, picking up Kirby and Fox and carried them to the main outside deck much to their surprise.

As soon as the two fighters jumped out of his arms, Sonic looked at the planet in shock. The sky was half-and-half, with light and darkness clashing at each other. The planet was no different, with jagged crystals of the two sides decorating the landscape. And there, in the distance of where Master Hands and Crazy Hands tackled each other, were the draconic seraphim themselves, attacking each other relentlessly.