Can You Feel Life, Movin' Through Your Mind?
Chapter 1
Multidimensional Soundtrack
(Uploaded on January 7, 2021)
Summary: Six teams in six moments, during the adventure of a lifetime.
Notes: For the Sonic universe, this fic is set at various points during the events of Sonic Adventure 2. There are no major spoilers featured for the game, barring implications about Shadow's motivations and Rouge's allegiances. Some minor plot points are borrowed from Taranea's Shadow the Hedgehog – First Class.
For the Nasuverse, the cast are pulled from an unspecified point early in Fate/stay night's plot, with no emphasis on any of the three routes. Some sizable amount of spoilers are featured for said VN and Fate/hollow ataraxia—mostly regarding characters' identities and motivations (and also Bazett).
The title is (naturally) derived from the lyrics to Live and Learn, by Crush 40.
The Mad Convoy Race …for Sonic, Shirou & Saber
Central City
Downtown Streets
"Attention, all units. The suspects have been seen heading south. Block all major roads and capture the suspects."
Three figures were barreling down the streets of Central City. A horde of robots were combing the city for them, part of which was already littered with several of their broken bodies. Reports of their 'criminal acts' had long since been brought onto the news and beyond, from everyone's curiosity burning bright.
At first glance, thus might seem like just another high-octane chase between some criminals and the military—and on any other day, Shirou Emiya probably wouldn't have given it a second thought.
However, when it was him and Saber being pursued, in another world with a speedy blue hedgehog—who also happened to be a real, legitimate hero here—
…that made the situation a lot more intimate, to say the least.
Oh, and there was a humongous truck as wide as the frickin' road pursuing them as they went, crashing into cars and other objects with zero abandon.
As if things weren't wild enough already…!
"Whoa, talk about exciting!" the aforementioned speedster remarked—Sonic the Hedgehog, purported Fastest Thing Alive. "They're really pulling out all the stops to catch us! I gotta admit, I'm almost impressed!"
"Pardon me for my bluntness, but I don't exactly share such sentiments," Saber cut in, a small sweatdrop rolling down her head. "In fact, I'm rather appalled by the unnecessary show of force from this nation's army. Do they not have any regard for the innocents caught up in this!?"
"This can't be legal, either…!" Shirou gulped, riding on a spare plank 'liberated' earlier from the G.U.N. helicopter (how he was steering it this well, he had no idea). "What the heck do they have against you!? For someone who's saved the world multiple times, they're sure eager to treat you—and us—as the villains!"
The unlikely trio swerved around another tailpin corner, barely keeping ahead of the impending doom approaching from behind.
"G.U.N.'s never been a fan of my heroics," Sonic conceded—"though, it's not like they've been very successful at dealing with Eggman the way I have. Whoever's framed me for stealing that Chaos Emerald from the Federal Reserve—"
(which was concerning in and of itself, judging by what he'd told them about the gemstones' power)
"—G.U.N. was probably all too happy to use it as an excuse to take me in. It's almost like they're willingly forgetting how I helped during the Square Flood! Ugh…!"
Shirou considered that fact. This world, Mobius, seemed so fantastical at first: a never-ending stream of beautiful, diverse biomes; a level of technology beyond anything he'd ever seen; humans and Mobians, peacefully co-existing and living together—
But just like Earth, it wasn't perfect. Not in the slightest.
(The Great Fire of Fuyuki, the flooding of Station Square… there'd always be a price to pay, no layer where you went.)
Despite all of that, though… Shirou was still excited at the wondrous reality set before his eyes.
This was a world of carefree magic.
This was a world of unparalleled heroism.
This was a world where he could actually, genuinely fulfill his dream— alongside somebody who was more than willing to lend him a hand every step of the way.
"Whatever the case may be," Shirou resolved, "we can't let this slide. We'll clear your name and stop whoever's behind all of this!"
As a Hero of Justice, I can't do anything less.
Even as they were speeding down the road, Sonic raised an eyebrow at the orange-haired teen. There was something in his voice that he couldn't help but recognize: a steel-minded determination to do what's right.
"You're really committed to being a hero, huh?" he hummed. "Heh… I can't say I don't like your spirit! You and Saber are one heck of a pair—if I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were soulmates!"
The corner of Saber's lips tinged upward. "Not quite how I'd describe us, but… I suppose there are worse things to be labeled as." While she had her reservations with everything that was going on—such as being stuck in an unfamiliar world, far outside the domain of the Holy Grail War—she was… admittedly fine working with Sonic and Shirou.
They were good teammates. Good acquaintances, even.
(And she sorely needed that after how her last partnership went and ended.)
The cobalt hedgehog put his focus back on the road and grinned. "Alright, then—'nuff messin' about! C'mon, you two, let's show this hunk of junk what we're made of!" He rolled up into a ball and dashed away, at an even faster pace than his previous velocity.
"Wh-Whoa!" Shirou's eyes widened – he wasn't yet used to seeing someone so speedy dash so flippantly away. "H-Hey, Sonic—wait up!"
He kicked away at the floor in an attempt to catch up, a sight which made the resident swordswoman sigh and shake her head.
"We still have a long way to go, it seems…" she remarked, right before she sped up her own movement.
But then again… that's not a bad thing, in and of itself.
Vengeance is Mine …for Shadow, Illya & Berserker
Central City
Radical Highway
"Hahahahahahahaha! Go, Berserker, go! Tear them all to shreds!"
"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAR!"
Three figures were wreaking havoc on the Golden Gate Bridge, blasting through all the G.U.N. robots and aircraft being sent their way.
They were irregular in every sense of the word: a black-and-red hedgehog, a winter-dressed albino child, and a humongous beast of a Servant. Insane didn't even begin to describe their level—if G.U.N. managed to reacquire them, as they so desperately wanted to, their powers could easily be harnessed for all sorts of purposes.
Pity, then, that this trio was putting their all into making that a firm impossibility.
"Pathetic humans," Shadow the Hedgehog, Mobius's Ultimate Lifeform, sneered. "Do they really think this is enough to stop me?"
"Maybe," Illyasviel von Einzbern chimed in, dissonantly cheerful despite the wanton destruction of… well, literally everything they were coming across. "But that's okay! I've always liked getting new toys to play with." More vindictively, she added, "It's good practice for when I finally get my hands on onii-chan."
As her Servant Berserker continued to scatter robot carcasses all over the floor, Shadow couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"'Onii-chan'…? That is an… unfamiliar term to me." He adjusted his Inhibitor Rings and hummed. "Exactly who are you referring to, might I ask?"
From her place beside the black hedgehog, her smile slipped and fell.
It was clear that whoever this 'onii-chan' was, he had had an incredibly profound effect on Illya—much in the same way Maria's death had permanently influenced him.
It took a couple of seconds before she found her voice again.
"…somebody who took everything from me," she finally stated. "It's his fault. It's his fault Papa never came back."
That could've meant almost anything, but her clear anguish was enough to meaningfully convey her point.
Ordinarily, Shadow would've left things at that. He was the type of person to hyperfocus on a single mission, at the expense of almost everything else. Why bother getting to know his so-called 'teammates', when they'd all be dead either way?
But…
…there was something about Illyasviel that made him pause.
Something about her that he couldn't let go, even if he wanted to.
She reminds me of…
"…tell me more," he implored her.
Her lip quivered.
(Could it be that he understood…?
Understood exactly what it was she had lost…?)
"…my Papa. He… went off to fight in a war for my family, ten years ago. He promised he'd win for them. That he'd come back for me. He never did.
"He—He gave up, right when he was just about to win. Then he just—adopted another child, like I didn't even matter to him."
Shadow grimaced.
That was—
No matter how you sliced it, that was just a cruel thing to do to a child(?) like her.
"That's why I'm going to take onii-chan," she growled. "That's why I'm going to make Shirou Emiya mine. I'll make it so that he won't ever leave me; that he'll only love me and no one else. I promise him—that is my revenge."
"…I see," Shadow said.
He himself had a vendetta against humanity for what G.U.N. had done to his only friend, Maria. It was what he had promised her, what her dying wish to him was (even if that didn't quite sound right in his mind).
And it was then that it hit him.
…me and Maria.
That's who she reminds me of. Me, and Maria.
She was like a fusion of both of them. Their best aspects, and their worst.
Her adolescence, his resolve.
Her innocence, his bitterness.
…hah. Perhaps it was fate that we met at this time.
"If that is what you wish, then so mote it be. Far it be for me to deny you what rightfully belongs to you." Tenderly, the Ultimate Lifeform took her hand. "One way or another, both of us will exact vengeance on those who have wronged us. On that, you have my word."
"Then swear it." She looked at Shadow with an expression close to tears. "Swear to me that you won't leave me too."
"I swear it. Until our quests have been satisfied, I'll stay by your side."
A feeling akin to relief took over her face. "That's—That's good. You better not break your promise, Shadow," she said—firmly, if childishly. "'Cause if you do, I won't hesitate to make Berserker destroy you!"
The muscular titan let out a low hum in agreement.
Shadow smirked. "Personally, I think I could take him—but rest assured, I keep to my pledges."
All of a sudden, another troupe of G.U.N. Hunters and Hornets surrounded the trio, pointing their various guns at them and locking on.
None of the three looked particularly affected by this ambush.
"Hmph," the hedgehog huffed. "Still, they insist on quantity over quality… it's almost as if they want us to destroy their creations."
He summoned a series of yellow energy spears into his hand, while Illya cut off several strands of her hair to create crystallized bird familiars.
"In that case," the homunculus sang, "let's give 'em a taste of the retribution we've got up our sleeves. Oh, Berserker~"
The Einzbern Servant roared furiously at the gathered forces, and the three villains shot off to trash their malevolent welcoming party.
As for the destruction that ensued…?
…it couldn't be described as anything less than 'A Rank'-worthy.
This Way Out …for Tails, Rin & Archer
Prison Island
Airspace
"I can't believe that Emiya-kun! Getting arrested by the military… when I find him, I'm gonna teach 'im a lesson he'll never forget!"
Three figures were flying unauthorized into a classified military zone, hidden by a stealth engine installed into the blue monoplane they were riding on.
They were an eclectic trio: a yellow kitsune and a red-dressed girl sat in the dual cockpits, each of them having twin tails of their own (one in a literal sense, the other only hair-wise). The last of them – a white-haired tan man also clad in red – was sitting on a platform being carted by the jet, his eyes closed and his arms crossed.
The girl—Rin Tohsaka, Second Owner of Fuyuki and classical tsundere, through and through—was grousing about a certain brownie loudly. Very loudly.
"Seriously, I know we're in another world and all, but he should know better than to throw himself into danger like that! He may have Saber and Sonic on his side, but neither of them have the firepower to fight an entire military!"
And Miles 'Tails' Prower, mechanical genius and Sonic's primary sidekick, had to sit through all of it.
He briefly shot a tired glance at the school idol. "Rin, I get that you're annoyed by and all, but you don't have to scream it into my ear. It's not as if any of us could've seen this coming."
She slouched in her seat. "…it's still stupid," she groused, more quietly. "At least back home, we could hypnotize away anything suspicious. Here, everyone knows about magic, there's a terrorist on the loose, the Mage's Association doesn't exist… and I can't do anything to save Emiya-kun. Not under my own power."
And boy, did that sting to admit.
Under normal circumstances, you couldn't ever force such a confession from Rin's mouth—she was too prideful to let such a vulnerability be revealed out in the open.
But here, in this unknown world, stripped bare of almost everything she had ever known…
…denying the truth would only lead to disaster.
Archer—her Servant, perched a fair distance away—looked away upon hearing her dialogue.
So much has already changed, in such a short time… he internally mused.
And this situation… Heroes getting locked up by authority, on the whims of a government that doesn't care about them…
(…it's way too familiar for my liking.)
"Like it or not, that's the way life can be," he stated, somewhat grimly. "Sometimes, we're just at the whim of whatever fate has prepared for us. All we can do is deal with the hands we're given."
…
"That's… rather depressing," Tails remarked.
"Jeez, what kind of Heroic Spirit are you?" Rin shook her head. "Are you really sure you don't remember anything about your life?"
"It's as I tell you, Rin," he shrugged nonchalantly—"I have my powers and my purpose, but not my name nor my origin. Nevertheless, I still retain my blades and my bows – and we'll need every advantage we can get if we're gonna get out of this mess alive."
Tails nodded. "Archer's right about that. Look ahead—we're almost there."
The two out-of-worlders lifted their eyes toward the horizon, and beheld their destination: a green patch of land, encircled by several identifiable military vessels (and a few loop-de-loops, for some reason?).
Rin gulped. "I don't like the looks of this place…"
"There's no mistake about it. This is Prison Island," the kitsune confirmed. "Sonic's gotta be here—they keep all prisoners with unique powers here for trial. It's supposed to be reinforced and super impenetrable."
"Maybe for most others on this planet," Archer said—"but for us…"
He smirked, twin black-and-white blades falling into his grasp.
"…we'll be more than enough to pry open a breach."
"You can say that again!" Tails put some goggles on, similarly ready for a raid like no other. "There's no way I'm gonna let Sonic rot in prison – and the same thing goes for Shirou and Saber!"
(Unbidden, one jealous thought rose to the top of Archer's head.
I never had anyone willing to stage a jailbreak for me…)
The Tohsaka Master let out a small breath.
We're really doing this, huh…?
Fine, then.
Maybe this wasn't what she had been training her entire life for, and maybe this went against most of her principles as a top-class Magus.
That didn't matter. She wasn't about to let two allies rot in prison, not with the threat of all the other Master-Servant pairs still looming.
Yeah, that was her only reason. N-No doubt about it!
She loaded up her cache of gems and steeled herself for the approaching trials.
"Wait for us, Saber, Emiya-kun. We're gonna save you. Both of you."
(That was the least she could do for them.)
Event: Conquest …for Eggman, Caster & Assassin
Space Colony ARK
Central Control Room
"Citizens of Mobius, lend me your ears and listen to me very carefully!"
Three figures were standing in front of the Space Colony ARK's central terminal, two of them watching as the infamous mad scientist Dr. Eggman at last set in motion the denouement of his latest and greatest scheme.
"My name is Dr. Eggman, the world's greatest scientist—and soon to be the world's greatest ruler."
The Eclipse Cannon was whirring loudly, increasing in volume as it siphoned energy from the Chaos Emeralds. The six gemstones themselves were glowing brightly as well—a sight which was very much music to the doctor's ears.
For most other villains—Eggman included—this was a moment to be celebrated. A moment of triumph.
"I have in my possession a weapon of ultimate power, one that can devastate your pitiful world as you know it."
For Caster, once known as Princess Medea of Colchis…
…this was a moment of unease and uncertainty.
She bit her lip, her expression obscured by her hood.
She wouldn't lie: she wasn't what you'd call the most… noble of individuals.
She was selfish; she was cruel. She'd fight tooth and nail to bring her desires to fruition.
But no matter how heinous her crimes could get… she did have lines she'd never cross.
Dr. Eggman, on the other hand, had no such compulsions.
"If you wish to continue with your lives, then heed my words. From this moment forward, you are all citizens of the great Eggman Empire!"
Her own Servant, Assassin, was similarly a fair bit uncomfortable. As affable as he was, even he would rather be anywhere else right then and there.
"…jeez, he sure loves the sound of his own voice," he remarked, frowning intently. "If I'm being honest, I'd guess that's half the reason he's even doing this in the first place."
"That… wouldn't surprise me," Caster quietly admitted. She'd seen the inside of his Hidden Base; his image had been plastered basically all over the place. If that wasn't a big enough testament to his ego, then nothing was. "If it wasn't for his firepower and resources, I'd stay far away from him."
"And if you doubt my claims… then allow me to show you the error of your ways."
Unfortunately, she and Assassin had the poor fortune of crashlanding straight at Eggman's doorstep—and in order to avoid getting killed by him (and hopefully secure a reliable source of energy for herself), she had struck up an alliance of convenience with him.
I'm beginning to regret ever working for this… foul doctor, she thought. But I no longer have a choice.
Whether I want to or not… I'm in this for the long haul.
"Now, witness the beginning of the greatest empire of all time!"
Glancing toward the computer, she watched as the bottom of the ARK exploded to reveal… the Eclipse Cannon, shaped painfully similarly to Eggman's own visage.
Caster blinked.
I… I guess the narcissism runs in the family.
The 'mouth' of the cannon opened wide, an orb of cyan light forming at its core—and then, it fired straight ahead.
But it wasn't aiming at Mobius. Oh no.
It was aiming for the moon.
The effects were immediate, and instantaneous.
Half the crust was blown off, exposing the molten core beneath. No longer was it a perfect spherical satellite—a permanent crescent was all that remained.
Assassin gawked. Inwardly, Caster was doing the same.
"Holy shit," he said.
Holy shit, she swore.
This weapon… it was incredibly powerful, moreso than anything Saber or even Berserker could levy at her. It lived up to its name and then some—with six Emeralds alone, Eggman could raze several cities inside just a single week.
If he managed to get his hands on the final Chaos Emerald…
"Bwahahahahahaha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
…the consequences would be unthinkable.
The mad scientist turned around and met Caster and Assassin's faces with a humongous grin. "This is perfect! The whole world is within my grasp now—and I have you two and Shadow to thank for that. I hope you will continue to work with me, Caster, Assassin. We still have quite a ways more to go—and plenty more things I would love to accomplish with you."
The Witch of Betrayal kept her face carefully neutral.
"Hmm… it would be foolish of me to back out now," she said. "So long as you can keep this lead up, I will continue to assist however I can."
And perhaps, I can find a way to escape this disaster intact.
Assassin shrugged, falling back into a seemingly apathetic façade. "It's not like I can go anywhere else. Just try not to blow up the planet before I can get a fight with Saber in. It'd be a great honor to fight her in a space station like this, and I can't do that if she's blown up beforehand."
"That's easy enough to arrange," Eggman waved a hand. "If I know Sonic and his insipid friends, they can't have missed my little display. When they inevitably come to thwart me… that's when we'll go in for the kill! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho!"
…well, at least two of us here have something to look forward to.
A Ghost's Pumpkin Soup …for Knuckles, Bazett & Lancer
Pumpkin Hill
Church Mountain
"You know, of all the things I expected to do in life… treasure hunting in a haunted canyon wasn't one of them."
Three figures had found themselves in an… incredibly peculiar locale, even by Mobius's wild and diverse standards.
A valley of pumpkin-themed mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see, backdropped by a spooky twilight sky. Scarecrows and sinister trees decorated the area alongside a veritable avalanche of pumpkins, and one could hear the horn of a train echo from the cliffs above.
This place—Pumpkin Hill… 'Halloween come early' was the only possible way to describe it.
And there just so happened to be a signal from the Master Emerald in this region.
Joy.
Knuckles the Echidna hated this place already.
"Me neither," he replied to his spandex-wearing companion. "If it were up to me, I'd stay far away from this kind of zone. But I don't exactly have a choice here."
Lancer crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You've got your duty, and all that. I just wish I had something more to do. I came to the Grail War for the fights, and I've barely gotten any of that!"
The red powerhouse snorted. "And I thought Sonic was hyperactive… if that's the case, then, I'm surprised you didn't try to go after that Rider lady. She seemed up your alley."
"Tch. Maybe if she hadn't run off with her Master and that bat girl." His lips pursed in contemplation. "Though, I could've sworn her Master was this pathetic seaweed kid… wonder what's up with that?"
The two were cut off by a rather exasperated groan. Off to the side, Bazett Fraga McRemitz stood by a nearby chapel top, nursing a headache that was clearly only getting worse and worse.
"I still have no idea what's going on," she confessed. "How is it that you two can take this all in stride…? I'm so lost, I can't even quantify it…"
Both fighting freaks glanced at one another, concerned.
Of the multitude of foreigners hailing from Fuyuki City, Bazett was arguably the most confused of the bunch. From the moment she landed on Angel Island, she was a half-stumbling mess: constantly poking at her arm, gawking at literally single new thing she saw…
Knuckles wasn't exactly an expert, but he was pretty sure she had some form of trauma weighing her down.
Really wish Tikal was with me right now… She'd be better at this than me.
"To be fair, I've lived on Mobius my entire life," Knuckles replied, "even if most of that was spent up on Angel Island. After a while, you learn to just… go with the flow."
"Easy for you to say…" Bazett sighed, utterly dejected. "You weren't bleeding out and limbless not two weeks ago."
The echidna grimaced.
And if that doesn't scream lingering hang-ups, I don't know what does.
Thank Chaos for the Master Emerald – if it hadn't had healed her (somehow), this probably would've been even more discomforting.
Lancer scratched the back of his head. "Oh, boy… I'm no good with this—but…"
He walked to his Master twice-over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Bazett, cheer up. You couldn't have known that shitty priest would betray you like that. He just caught you off-guard."
"I shouldn't have been taken off-guard, though. I'm an Enforcer. I should've done something, anything."
"And I should've been able to stop Chaos three years ago, but there's no use reflecting over stuff we can't change." Knuckles crossed his arms—kind of difficult, given the Shovel Claws on his gloves—and gave the magenta-haired lady a warm smile. "All we can do is learn from our mistakes and grow, as best we can."
"What he said," said the Child of Light. "I've made my fair share of mistakes, too, and I'm pretty good at what I do. C'mon, where's that Master I was so proud to have?"
She looked into Lancer's eyes, and then Knuckles'.
"…well, I guess that's not the worst pick-me-up speech I've ever been given."
She pushed herself off the wall and cracked her knuckles.
"Enough feeling sorry for myself. I'm not dead, I've got my Servant back, and I'm definitely ready for Kotomine now, if I ever see him again. We've got Emerald shards to find, and I'll be damned if I don't help ouuuu—WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"
Bazett abruptly stood up straight, one finger pointed right behind Knuckles and Lancer.
The duo blinked, before slowly turning around to stare at said direction.
A big-ass ghost greeted them, smiling with sharp teeth and yellowed eyes.
"WAA—WAAAAAAAAAH!" Knuckles yelped, reeling back in shock. "A—A GHOST!"
Lancer instinctively moved to attack with his spear, but the only thing that happened was the specter fading away with a sinister giggle.
Both the echidna and the Enforcer breathed heavily, eyes wide.
"Okay, that's definitely new," Lancer remarked, eyebrow raised in curiosity. "I didn't think we had to deal with stereotypical ghosts, too."
"And would you look at that," Knuckles loudly said—"it's time to get back to work! I think I sensed an Emerald shard that way, let's go!"
"S-Sure! Sounds like a good idea!"
Knuckles proceeded to leap off the cliff, followed closely by a rune-powered Bazett.
Lancer wasn't exactly sure what all the fuss was about, but he simply shrugged and let it rub off of him.
"Eh, whatever gets us to a good opponent faster."
He dove down after his ragtag pair of teammates—and so, the hunt continued.
Event: Reflection …for Rouge, Sakura & Rider
Space Colony ARK
Research Lab A
"Wow, look at this view…! You don't get to see this sight every day!"
Three figures stood in the abandoned research lab on the Space Colony ARK, staring out into the vast vacuum of space beyond the glass viewports.
Rouge the Bat, famed jewel thief, was one of them.
"I mean, my one true love are jewels first and foremost," she continued, waving a hand to her equally-gorgeous companions, "but I'm not so stuck-up as to be unable to appreciate this. What do you two think?"
Rider pursed her lips.
"It's… certainly not a vision I expected to see," she said, carefully not letting anything show on her face.
She didn't say anything more, though; she didn't want to admit to her astonishment the first time they had been transported to the ARK.
"Oh, come on, you've got to have a better reaction than that," the bat girl teased her. "No one can just see this for the first time and not feel anything! Sakura, girl, lemme hear a reply—"
But Sakura Matou was preoccupied with other things.
She was sitting on the floor, body scrunched up and her back to the wall. A shadow was being cast on her face, and she was visibly shaking—why, Rouge didn't know.
"…Sakura?"
Why does she look so… panicked?
Sure, we cut it close with the Prison Island heist back there, but we're out of the woods now.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The treasure hunter walked over to the violet-haired girl, all the cheer taken out of her sails. "Are you okay, Sakura? This—This isn't too much for you, is it? I can't imagine you've ever been to space before back home—"
"…I'm a monster."
Rouge blinked. "C-Come again?"
Sakura lifted her head—and for the first time, the bat caught a glimpse at just how empty her eyes were. It was as if the poor girl had been bereft of hope all her life – which was astounding, for all the wrong reasons.
"I'm a monster. There's—There's no doubt about it. I helped steal three of those Chaos Emeralds. I helped blow up a whole island with innocents. I'm partly responsible for helping some madman try to take over the world." She buried her face into her ankles. "Listen at all of that again, and tell me I deserve to be okay."
Oh. Uh…
I knew she had a guilt complex, but I didn't think it was this bad…!
"Honey, you're not a monster. Trust me, you're the farthest person I know from one."
"That's not true," she quietly replied. "I'm dirty. Tainted. I'm not worth anything at all—not my body, not my mind—and after the crimes I've committed…" She sniffed, on the verge of tears. "…even Senpai won't be able to forgive me."
More quietly, she murmured—"But at least he can't torment from here…"
Rider looked as if she wanted to protest her self-depreciations.
Rouge could probably guess why she reluctantly refrained.
What happened to this girl…?
She has, like, all of Shadow's hang-ups turned up to eleven—except worse, somehow!
Now, the bat girl was under no delusions that she could substitute for a good psychologist. She was a martial artist and accomplished jewel thief, but none of those talents exactly lined up with this kind of scenario.
…still, though, she couldn't simply leave Sakura to stew in her misery.
She wasn't as callous as Eggman was.
"Hey, don't be like that," Rouge patted her back. "You've got people on your side who want you to succeed. Like your Senpai—Shirou Emiya, if I'm remembering right. What's he like?"
She hesitated for a bit before replying. "He's… He's kind. He's sweet. He's honest, and the hardest-working person I know. He's the one person who's always treated me well, and—" She started to blush, making it very clear what she thought of the boy.
"He's also the Master of Saber," Rider chimed in. "He treats her well, as far as I can tell."
"Sounds like one hell of a man," the Mobian commented—and one hell of a crush, too. "Now, does that sound like somebody who'd ever reject you for any reason?"
Sakura paused. "N-No…"
"Then he won't. If he's got the heart you say he has, then you've got nothing to worry about."
"Are—Are you sure…?"
Rider crossed her arms. "I haven't seen too much of him myself, but… he makes you happy, so I suppose that's enough for me."
Sakura sniffed again. She seemed to be feeling a little better, which was progress in Rouge's eyes.
"Now, why don't we go and explore the ARK a little?" the bat suggested, as a pick-me-up. "There's a lot of mystery in this abandoned space colony, and exploring it just might cheer you up."
It'll also be good for my own investigation, so there's also that.
"Okay," the violet girl said, getting up and trudging over to her Servant. "F-Fine by me."
As the trio started to leave the facility, Rider couldn't help but glance back at the area.
"Hmm…?" Rouge looked to the amazon beauty. "Rider, what's…?"
"…I don't know why, but…" She frowned. "Something about this place… makes me feel uneasy. Like a great tragedy happened here, one that I can't shake off for the life of me…"
That might be the understatement of the century, Rouge thought, equally as intrigued.
The ARK… Project Shadow… the 'Ultimate Lifeform'…
I wonder—just what could it all mean, really…?
Surprise! Not a crack crossover, for once!
Since the day I first saw an ad for it in the back of Sonic Adventure DX's manual, I've always wanted to play Sonic Adventure 2. There's just something about it that always… intrigued me, you know? Its story, its gameplay, everything about it attracted me like bees to a flower.
I knew I had to play it eventually. So last December, I decided to take a leap of faith: I bought the game on Steam—a first for me; I'm a console gamer at heart—hooked up a DualShock 4, and fired away.
Honestly, I am so glad I finally did—because Sonic Adventure 2 is the most fun I've ever had with an official Sonic game.
It's not perfect, but all three gameplay styles coalesce together surprisingly well. Running in the speed stages, chaining combos in the shooting stages, searching about in the hunting stages… I can really see where people are coming from when they say they consider it their favorite in the franchise.
As a sort of late New Year's gift, I decided to write a little fic in tribute to it. With the Fate/stay night cast, 'cause I think it'd be fun to bounce the Mobius crew off of 'em. It was either this or Sonic '06—and as much as I'd like to do the latter, it'd be a tad bit repetitive after The Whole Academy's on Fire!.
I'm not exactly an expert on the Nasuverse or anything—I read a hell lotta Fate fics, and that's kinda the extent of it. That being said, I did my best to keep true to the spirit of everyone's characters, and I hope their interactions with their character of choice are engaging enough for y'all.
(Though, if you ask me, Shadow and Illya seem to get along a little too well…)
Well, that's all for now – here's to a far, far better year than 2020! I'll be seein' you guys around.
