Chapter Thirteen – Union
Sonic has no idea how long he was out cold. All he remembered was hitting that mountain, finding Sally, giving her the biggest embrace of his life and then passing out. It felt like days, even weeks, but when it finally came round, he felt he was in a bed. It had soft warm covers and pillows all around him, and as he came too, the world clearing, he found himself in the same bed, he's woken up in after the original mutation. He sat up and looked around, seeing a fast sleep Charlie next to him.
He smiled. He couldn't help himself. For two reasons. One, this entire scene felt like coming full circle. Oh, how he'd changed since he last woke up in this bed, and two, how many people did it take to carry him here? He was not light. A half dragon, head and shoulders taller then everyone else (not Dragon), with a skeleton of pure metal, and built solidly of muscle to get his heavy behind off the ground. Sonic giggled. Oh, how he'd wished he'd seen it. Twenty to thirty people desperately trying to coordinate themselves around his awkward physic. It sounded very funny He sighed, careful not to wake Charlie. He wasn't surprised his fellow Hedgehog was here. Loyal to the end, and Sonic wondered if he still deserved it.
He was breathing heavily through his lungs. It was so nice to be solid again. To have his old body back. But it felt different, and yet Sonic couldn't put is finger on exactly what that difference was. It was extremely subtle. Moving his head and hands, felt normal. He flexed his wings slightly. Again normal. Wiggled his toes. Nothing weird there. He frowned. What was it? Still sat in bed, he then explored his powers within. He could feel everything was it was supposed to be, the ability to robotise and de-robotise, his super-speed, his heightened senses. Nothing new there. But as he closed his eyes and concentration, he felt a surge of power, unlike anything he had ever felt, one hundred times more powerful then even the Power Rock.
Sonic struggled to keep the power under control and only just succeeded as someone began shaking him. He opened his eyes. It was Charlie. Sonic must have woken him in his struggle. He was left panting. So there was his difference. Everything was the same as before but now seriously more powerful. Sonic's fear of losing control as now more real then ever except there was one single thing bugging him. He looked down, as he still shirtless torso. There was the enormous deep scar now running the length of his chest. It was obvious that the corrupted Power Rock has been removed and replaced. But with what? What else had the power to fuel him? He frowned, even though it's power was immense, thinking about it, he knew it, but couldn't remember where from. He growled. That was what was bugging him, and he was very keen to get answers, to Charlie's complete dismay.
"Please!" He squealed. "Don't leave, the doctor need's to see you first!" He stammered, as Sonic got out of bed and to his feet. Sonic growled at him, rather sharply, silencing the Hedgehog. Sonic hated doctors. They just didn't understand him, plus he was not the person he wanted to talk to, Uncle Chuck was. Sonic noticed his old black t-shirt on the end of the bed and swiftly put it on. Starting to feel like his old self again, the attitude returned, as he stormed through the hospital and out into the open air, with a hapless Hedgehog behind him. Sonic knew that Charlie could do nothing to harm him, let alone stop him, more so now then ever, however he was grateful for his company. Always was.
But Sonic was very eager to leave. There was another Hedgehog he was more keen to talk to at that movement, and he knew exactly where to find him.
Tower City.
Sonic opened his wings and took to the sky, as easy as ever, and flew to Tower City at astonishing speeds that left even him stunned. He has so much power under the hood now, he was absolutely amazed that it was able to control, keep a lid on it. It should completely and utterly overwhelm him, but it didn't. But how? Sonic got the impression that it was his heart, not his head, that was doing the controlling, and that no matter what happened, his heart would always remain true, a hero, through and through, even though he no longer had one anymore.
By the time he arrived at Tower City, he was very confused. What was in his chest? What had Uncle Chuck done to him? Sonic landed perfectly at his Uncle's open door, to unsurprisingly find an empty room. Sonic got frustrated. Where was everybody? He sighed and looked around the room, for any clues as to the answers he sort. Looking around, he was too distracted to notice someone arrive behind him.
"Arn't you supposed to be at the hospital? Sally looking for you there. She has just messaged me." He asked, very calmly. Sonic whirled round. Uncle Chuck stood there, his usual holographic self, looking throughly unimpressed. Sonic completely ignored him what he's just said, panting heavily.
"I needed to see you." He heaved. "What did you do to me?" He stammered. But Uncle Chuck frowned, walking towards him.
"Don't you recognised them?" He shrugged, pointing towards his chest. Sonic's confusion deepened. Them? There was more then one in there? But of what? They were familiar, but he just couldn't remember. Sonic's frustration began to turn to anger at his Uncle as he growled at him. Uncle Chuck could see that the Sapphire Dragon obviously couldn't remember, so he rounded on him.
"There are the Deep Power Stones!" He spat, very loudly. Sonic eye's widened, his anger immediately dissipated. The Deep Power Stones. Now he remembered. He and Sally has used them to destroy Robotnik, years ago. That was how he knew them. The Deep Power Stones were a pair of legendary crystals. Combined in one way they granted extraordinary power, whereas combined another way they could cause mass destruction. Considering Sonic wasn't currently destroying the world, he guessed that Uncle Chuck had permanently locked into a position of good over evil. Sonic then remembered that the Deep Power Stones are also known to have the same energy found in the Power Rings, but ten-thousand times more powerful.
That was why he was stronger now then ever and why the power didn't overwhelm him. Power Rings never did, as they were only ever designed to be used by someone with the true heart of a hero.
But Sonic was still frightened, now with the Deep Power Stones, that if it turned he could definitely now destroy the world. He was so much more powerful. He very nearly did. But as Uncle Chuck pointed out, the only way he'd become evil now, is if someone ripped the stones out of him and physically reversed them. But that would cause his body to die immediately, as it was now completely relent on the stones for survival, more so now then he ever was under the Power Rock, so the evil of the stones wouldn't take any effect on him, even if they were put back. They can't raise the dead. Basically, he'd save the world or die trying. Sonic found some comfort in that. He was the hero, that was his job after all. He knew that he'd rather die then become evil any day. He sighed, his mind drifting.
Then suddenly Sonic had the vague recollection of Uncle Chuck mentioning Sally. His heart fell. He asked after her. Uncle Chuck sighed.
"Worried about you." He spat. "And missing her home." He added. Uncle Chuck didn't need to explain where he meant. Sally was missing Mobotropolis. Her home. But from what recollection Sonic had of the massive battle there, he suspected it was nothing more then wasteland. Unfit to be lived in by anyone. Sonic felt incredibly guilty, at all the heartache he'd caused her. She didn't deserve it. He wanted to do something for her. Make amends. He looked around the room, at the technology there and then down at his hands. He now had the power of the Deep Power Stones at his fingertips. He was also going to need Uncle Chuck's help. Sonic smirked, raising an eyebrow.
He had an idea.
Sally was both delighted and annoyed at the same time. She was delighted that Sonic had finally awoken from his slumber and annoyed that she'd missed him at the hospital before he left. This angered her. Why didn't he speak to her first? Why did he have to leave in such a hurry? Where was he? Nobody knew the answer. Throughly unhelpful. Even though the Mutant Movement had been extremely good to her and her people. Truthfully, all she really wanted to do was have her Sonic back and to go home. To Mobotropolis. Just like a little girl. Like the way things used to be. But everyone knows that never happens. The city had been completely destroyed. She mourned her home, and missed it terribly.
She tried to make herself a new life here, but found it hard, especially with Sonic gone. Again. Would he come back? Would he actually stay this time? Sally genuinely didn't know, but what she did know was that she'd finally fallen for him. Dragon, monster, whatever, she just didn't care anymore. He'd proved time and again, his undying love for her. Time to give him her love in return. She heard a rumour of Sonic heading to Tower City after the hospital, only to find him long gone, by the time she got there.
The properly upset her. Why could the Sapphire Dragon stay put, for once, long enough for her to find him? Her brother Elise, however, was very unimpressed by this, and sent out an investigation to find him, which came back at the planet surface.
What was he doing there? There was nothing left.
No one knew for months until it revealed itself, quite literally, right into the sky.
Sally was out shopping in Capital City on the day it happened, causing crowds of onlookers and some panic. It rose out of the ground and floated right next to them.
Circular in shape and made entirely of metal, it had a large elegant building-like structure in the centre with ordinary houses and residences surrounding it. The central building had towers and spires, looked incredibly familiar to Sally. So familiar in fact, that she stared as the city rose up and appeared to join the others in the sky. On top of tallest spire, was Sonic, howling, looking triumphant is his achievement. Silence filled the crowd as the this new city came to join them, and then if finally dawned on Sally, as to what this city was.
Mobotropolis!
What? How? The entire city had been rebuild, robotised and risen from the ground. A Floating City. There was no way Sonic had the power to pull this off, even with the Deep Power Sones but she did know of another Hedgehog who had the technology.
Uncle Chuck. The original inventor of the robotiser, the change it from robotising organic material only to robotising anything wasn't actually that much of the leap for the master behind the technology. Looking at the newly resin Mobotropolis, Sally saw that there were aspects of it that she didn't quite remember, as well as some quirks from a long time ago, during before the war against Robotnik.
Then Sally realised what had happened. Sonic had completely rebuild the city himself, from his own memory. Considering the last time Sonic saw the city in its full glory was just before the war, Sally thought he didn't do too badly, considering how sketchy his memory had been of late. Sally also got the impression that Sonic had added some new stuff along the way. Freshly robotised, entirely metallic, it gleamed silvery the sunlight, but it was incredibly rustic around the edges so desperately needed a cosmetic clean up. Keen to take a look, she was surprised that there was no objections from the authorities at the Mutant Movement as Mobotropolis was joined to the others, transforming the Floating Cities from a triangle of three to a square of four. Permission must have already have been granted, and as Elise come over to join her, a beaming smile on his face, he knew this was coming. Sally was furious at him. After all these months of worrying, why didn't he tell her?
As Mobotropolis was fixed into position Sonic flew over towards them, landing nearby. He beamed.
"Well, what do you think?" He grinned. "Sorry, it's not perfect." He added, "And it will need a coat of paint, and some furnishings." He smiled. Sally was still stunned and annoyed at Sonic. She was extremely glad that he was alright and back to his old cocky self, with the Deep Power Stone, but the fact that he had managed to this and that no one told her, when the truth was finally known. The Palace in the centre of Mobotropolis was incredible and almost exactly how she remembered it from just before the war, except that everything was made of metal. As Sally looked around, she realised that she could work with this, make it feel like home again. Sonic was following her around.
"It's yours!" He grinned, meaning the entire Palace. Sally's jaw dropped.
"Wait! No!" She stammered. "I can't take this." She added. She may have once lived in this Palace but she had no right to it now. She was now a residence of the Mutant Movement, and didn't deserve the Palace over anyone else. She has left her royal status long behind her. Sonic beamed at her.
"I had a feeling you'd say that. It is a gift to you from the Mutant Movement. They have never met anyone so willing to fight for her people as much as you, or lost so much in doing so, and yet, no one died. Thats incredible, Sally. Rebuilding and raising Mobotropolis was actually my idea but it was Uncle Chuck's idea to gift the city back to you with the permission of the Council of Elders." He sighed. "You can be Queen again." He added.
Sally was absolutely stunned, looking around. But the word 'Queen' snapped her out of it.
"I'm not the Queen." She spat. "I'm retired now, plus I don't want to be anymore." She added. Sonic raised and eyebrow and a smirk.
"Regent, then?" He asked, which promptly got him glared at. Sally growled.
"We'll work something out." She sighed.
She was absolutely right. They would work something out, as she watched her people move back into their old homes and begin rebuilding their lives. Old faces, new faces, everyone's working together to make a better future.
The future. She looked up at Sonic. This gift was incredible, but his presence was even more so. He wasn't leaving now, and even though he'd never grow old, never have children, Sally felt honoured to have him allow her to choose him to spend the rest of her days with. She would eventually die, he would not, the Deep Power Stones giving him near immortality now, but the fact that he was willing to suffer that lose to be with her, was amazing.
There was no need for the world to fear Sonic anymore. He would never turn and would die if that was to ever happen. At last, it was safe. Until the next evil showed it's head. Sonic was the ultimate hero, defending Mobius until the very end, he had to be balanced by the ultimate villain, whomever that might be. Until then, it was safe. Mobius was finally now able to properly rebuild for the first time in years, without the threat of war.
As Sally looked around her Palace, and the numerous volunteers from all walks of life, here to help her turn it into a home, she felt truly happy for the first time in her life. There were talk of wedding plans in the air between herself and Sonic, and finally all her dreams were coming true. She worked so hard for them. Sonic too was absolutely delighted.
The mighty Sapphire Dragon was finally hers and here to stay. Here to defend us all, for the rest of time.