Sonic loved night runs.
I mean, he loved running at just about any time, but the cool breeze of the night was always a nice feeling on the quills. It seemed to counterbalance the warmth caused by the friction of his running, making him feel like he could run forever. Along the horizon, he could see the sleepy city rapidly approaching. It was the whole reason he was running in this direction.
For reasons he couldn't place, Sonic found himself drawn to the city and wanting to return to it. If you pressed him for a reason, the only thing he could really say was that it seemed familiar, but that didn't make sense to him. Why would a city he'd only ever been through once be so attractive to him?
He approached the walls of the city. Sonic figured there would be guards at the entrance, and though he could easily blow right past them, he decided not to disturb their evening and risk getting them into trouble. He hadn't really spoken to anyone in the city the first time he visited, so it felt rude to introduce himself in a manner that could cause problems for innocent people.
Sonic reached the wall and forced himself up, running parkour-style along the outer wall of the city. As he reached the top, he scanned the inside. Almost by instinct, he found a path along the rooftops so that he could approach the tallest tower - or rather, one of them. He saw three equal-sized bell towers organized in a triangle.
People don't design things in a triangle unless something important is in the middle, Sonic thought to himself, now curious to look on from the tower. As he got to the roof across from it, he noticed a bungee-barrier that he could use as a bounce pad. He turned himself inward and got into a ball shape. As his body enclosed, leaving only his quills to the exterior, he bounced off the barrier and stopped himself at the belfry.
Sonic scanned toward the center of the city, where the three towers triangulated. The bulk of the town had a network of bridges connecting each of the areas. The city had decided not to drain or make major alterations to the network of streams and waterways, choosing instead to simply design around them, raising bridges to cross when necessary.
At the center, there was a great bridge that seemed to span almost the entire width of the city. It was an elaborate structure, echoing an artistic period that predated anything that anyone living had seen built… not that Sonic would know of anything like that. Sonic could appreciate the work and passion that went into an artistic or sculpting project, and could acknowledge beauty, but he lacked both the expertise and the desire to offer any understanding of it beyond basic aesthetic.
The bridge had a satellite room that felt familiar upon looking at it. That must be it - whatever has got me so obsessed has to be in that gazebo-looking room.
Sonic hopped along the rooftops and used his homing attack to avoid the water - above all, avoid water - and finally found his way inside. The only thing in the room was a portal that appeared to lead to a laboratory. An odd thing to have in a city this old-timey… Sonic muttered to himself. Still, the fact it felt out of place was probably a sign that this really was where he needed to go.
Well, no time like the present…
Sonic entered the portal.
…
Blue streak… speeding by… silver hedgehog… no, that's not right…
Princess Elise III, de-facto sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of Soleanna, was spending her night the way she often did: trying to piece together a puzzle of broken thoughts, feelings and memories. During the day, she found herself able to ignore the confusing thoughts; but here at night, all her thoughts scattered to the wind, and she found herself dealing with a confusing tapestry of memories that couldn't possibly make sense.
Fire everywhere, engulfing her beloved city; hedgehogs of multiple colors flying and running through a seemingly endless void; and a swirling turmoil of emotion. It was overwhelming, but for some reason, she had trouble forcing herself to cry, almost as if her mind had put up barriers against herself doing so.
It was all so deeply confusing, and with her family long since passed away she could only venture logical guesses based on what she already knew and what she was feeling. Thanks to her private teachers pushing her to obtain a level of expertise worthy of her position, she was actually quite adept at extrapolating her thoughts to their logical ends.
By now she felt like she had pieced much of this turmoil back together, though admittedly, there were still blind spots. Still, she felt like she was on the verge of a breakthrough. She looked out toward her kingdom from her balcony. The beauty of the landscapes, the structures of the buildings, all of it served to calm her mind. She took a series of deep breaths as she tried to collect her thoughts.
Suddenly, she saw it. A blue blur rushed across the center of the town square. It came from somewhere on the rooftops, cut to the main bridge, and entered the foyer where the entrance to Soleanna's old laboratory was.
As she witnessed this, the familiar rush of memories and emotions came at her again. I suppose it's finally time to face this…
Sonic made it past the long chambers and obstacle pathways and had finally reached the door to the main laboratory. He had certainly enjoyed the challenges presented by the obstacles, but nonetheless questioned their very existence. Seriously, who builds a floor that makes giant magnetic balls to walk on?
As he looks on at the door to enter, he pauses. He isn't sure what he's expecting to see on the other side, but he gets the sense that it can't be something to resolve this feeling of unease. The whole vibe of this area is that it's abandoned for a reason, and it should probably stay that way.
I shouldn't try to change much… but I have to see inside… I've come this far; no turning back now!
Sonic motioned to the door and jarred it open. As he did, the smell of old lab equipment wafted over to his nose, hitting him and making him step back as the cleaner air of the outside ventilated it out. Finally, he walked in.
There were large computer screens that seemed designed to track vital signs, almost like he was in a gallery where major surgeries were held. A concrete platform was in the middle of the room, and while nothing sat on it, Sonic could tell this is where they would lay a subject down if they had one. Then, toward the back of the room, he saw it…
It was an ornate wall decoration, far too fancy for a room of science. In the middle of the decoration, there was a big glass container. It looked like the bottom half of a massive hourglass, like you could fill it with sand or water and find… some practical use for it.
Sonic didn't know what to make of the decoration, but he seemed drawn to it. He stared at it for a time - he wasn't sure how long - and tried to piece together what was so important about this thing. He knew, somehow, that this was a major piece to what he was trying to find, but what was so important about an empty glass container?
As he stood and sought to make sense of the nonsensical string of thoughts, a voice interrupted him from the entrance of the room.
"That container is one of the most important relics in all of Soleanna."
Sonic jumped and looked back at the doorway, seeing Princess Elise of Soleanna had joined her down in the laboratory. How did she even know I was here? And how did I not notice someone was down here?
Before he could ask, the princess continued. "I apologize for startling you, but when I saw you running toward the laboratory's entrance, I had a feeling you'd be coming to this room. For the record, there's actually a straight path to the room if you have a key."
"What made you so sure that I was going to end up here?" Sonic asked, now kind of expecting the answer.
"To be completely honest, I've been drawn to this room as well." Elise said this as she walked into the room and began to approach the container. "This is one of Soleanna's great centerpieces: The House of the Flames."
Sonic crossed his arms. "The House of the Flames, huh?"
Elise nodded, then turned toward it. "It's said that the source of Soleanna's original light - Solaris the eternal flame - once sat here, ever burning and granting prosperity to the whole land."
Sonic thought back to one of his more recent adventures, where ancient ruins were once the home of Chaos, the water god. He thought of his most recent outing, where his friend Chip had been the Light Gaia. "I suppose it makes sense that there would be a fire god in this world, but if it's an eternal flame, then why isn't it still burning?"
Elise frowned. "That's the confusing part. The eternal flame is documented to have existed, and it had always been housed here. We have a festival to celebrate it and seek its blessing. And yet, no one here has a memory of ever seeing it active. It's so bizarre, almost like it just… erased itself one day."
Sonic thought on this for a minute, as the princess looked on at him. In all his broken thoughts, her face cropped up more times than almost anything. It was maddening. He asked, "Is that why you thought I would come this way? Because of the flames?"
Elise shook her head. "Not exactly. In truth…" Elise hesitated, worried what she said next would sound insane, "I think about you, or rather, I see images of you in my head. I feel emotion about someone that until a few moments ago, I'd never met. It's all so strange, and yet, it's always the House of the Flames. I've been drawn here for some time… and I don't know how everything is connected.
"But I do know that you, me, and this container for Solaris all have, or had, some connection at some point. I was hoping, I guess, that you were feeling it as well, and would try to seek it out."
Elise took a deep breath, finally getting to speak her scattered thoughts into reality. There was a pause, a void of silence, and Elise stood with a forlorn look on her face. Seeing this, Sonic finally spoke.
"Well before we do anything else, we should actually have each other's names. I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog!"
As he posed with his introduction, Elise couldn't help but giggle at the self-important stance of the hedgehog in front of her. "And I am Elise, Princess of the Kingdom of Soleanna."
Sonic gave a slight bow, knowing it was probably customary to do so, but also wanting to stay on-topic. "I've thought about you quite a bit, even though we've never met. I just passed through here during a festival a while back and caught a glimpse of you."
"You were here! I knew it! I thought I'd seen a blue streak going by and since then, I've been trying to put together why it felt so familiar.
"All I have are fleeting visions and emotions, but I get the sense… I feel like… we were… close. At least for a time."
Sonic nodded. "I remember your laugh. Your anguish. I remember the feeling like you'd been taken away forever. My friends mean everything to me, and I'd feel sad if I lost any of them. But this… It felt so intense, and I don't know why.
"Or at least, I didn't. If what you say is true, could it be that we did know each other and our memories left with Solaris?"
Elise seemed to agree with the idea. "It's possible. If Solaris did exit from this world, he'd likely change anything that could be tied to the event, but then if that's true, are we risking danger by pursuing answers."
Once again, Elise looked troubled, worrying about catastrophes that might come.
"Elise," Sonic said, "just smile."
Those words rang through her ears like a bell, and in a moment, it felt like everything had become clear. What was it about that simple request that triggered such a sense of trust in this hedgehog she just met? What importance did it have on her?
For the first time in hours, Sonic, feeling like himself again, took a relaxed stance and was almost flippant about the idea. "I don't think we need to worry about destroying anything. I mean, if it could literally be an Earth-shattering revelation, then Solaris would have wiped our minds completely, right?"
"I suppose so."
Sonic began stretching like he was ready to run. "Well, now that I have that nagging feeling wiped out, I'm feeling more like my ready-to-roll, egg-crushing, handsome self again! And I don't like loose ends. They catch on your feet when you run and trip you up!"
He winked as he said this and Elise giggled, though she wasn't sure why. "You really aren't phased by all this? Wow, so what happens now?"
"Well, the way I see it, you were a very important person to me, if I felt those kinds of emotions. I'd like to see what all the hype is about. So I say we head out into the countryside and see this kingdom of yours while the stars are still out.
"I'm guessing you can't run near my speed, so do you mind if I carry you?"
Elise had not been expecting this invite. Maybe it was the past influence, but she did want to pursue this opportunity and see what was so memorable about this other time that might have existed. "You really live without worry, don't you? You're actually asking to carry a princess. I don't think I've ever been so carefree."
She extended her hand, and Sonic took it. "It's like I always say: If you have time to worry -"
"Then run," Elise said, finishing the thought.
Sonic was stunned. "Yes. But how did you–?"
Elise, surprised she knew what he was going to say, laughed a bit. "I guess you impacted my life quite a bit too."
She got comfortable in Sonic's arms, and the hedgehog revved up his legs. "Well then, hopefully this starts to feel familiar to you!"
He burst out of the laboratory at full speed, taking the open route Elise took, and away they went, to see what was so memorable about their past.
A/N: So I've been playing Sonic 2006. I've seen the entire set of cutscenes thanks to various playthroughs, but as I near finishing the game, I'm astounded by how much this game was hated. Yes, it's buggy, but even with the hiccups, it's still very playable, especially with a walkthrough. Did it need another 12-18 months to fix the camera and loosen Sonic's controls so a slight tilt didn't run him into a wall? Yes, but the levels are excellent and the game controls well enough of the time that I could see what they wanted the stages to feel like. Honestly, I think this could have been the greatest Sonic game ever, had it been given good dev time, and Project 06 seems intent on proving me right.
Anyway, what sparked this story was that Sonic 06 was meant as a reboot of the series, and very little, if not, none of the continuity from the old games was set to return. The irony is, it was so poorly received that the opposite happened, everything is up for grabs in the canon except this game. Silver's origin was changed and most everyone's development stops around Adventure 2/Heroes. This got me thinking: The only way to keep Sonic 06 in the canon is to reverse its position in the universe. Instead of replacing the old continuity, the old continuity replaced Sonic 06. My controversial take: Sonic 06 is the story of Sonic's original history, and Solaris being blown out resets the world to the continuity that starts with Sonic 91.
I wanted to explore that idea through the vessel of the Sonelise dynamic that the game pushed. I saw it as an Elisa Maza/Goliath style pairing from Gargoyles. As such, I found it to be an engaging narrative. There seems to be very little material on it, and I'm not that interested in adding to it, but this idea was in my head, so here it is. Hope you all had fun with it!