Me: Heh heh… Oh, look! I did write another chapter… Wow…. Ughhh…. Yeah. So, I had some time on my hands and I figured I'd write this next chapter. And somehow managed to write it in about two weeks.
Team Sonic: Yaaaaay!
Me: Shut up. You're ruining my pathetic rambling- oh wait, no, keep going, it actually makes it worse.
Sonic: Aw, come on! You're enjoying this! Your first fanfiction story!
Me: That no one will read….
Tails: Last I checked you had 7 views.
Me: Out of the billions of people on the planet.
Knuckles: Enough talk! I wanna know what happens next!
Me: Alright, alright, calm down, Knucklehead! We'll get there. But first things first. All rights belong to their respected owners. I only own my OCs… and depiction of certain characters….
Knuckles: What the heck does that mean? "Depiction?" Either you own a character, or you don't!
Me: … Shut up, Knuckles, or I will kill you off.
Knuckles: You wouldn't.
Me: You're right, I wouldn't'. I'm too weak. Anyways, on with the story!
*Sincere A/N*
Not gonna lie, I actual enjoy writing this fanfic. Not a fan of trying to get all my thoughts in order on paper, finding the right songs, and whatnot. But it's still fun. This chapter will be introducing a majority of the characters the story will follow. I hope you like it! Quick note: the "present" time, which takes place 6 months after Sonic Forces, takes place in the year 2020.
Also, if you do find any grammar errors, let me know. I hate grammar errors. Reading stories that have spelling and/or grammatical errors just annoys me. That being said, that would annoy you as well. So please tell me.
Bonus: Can you guess what "game" is crossed-over with the story?
Enjoy!
~ThePhantomHedgehog
UPDATE #1: I was rereading this post and somehow a couple of words got deleted, and only for this chapter. How the hell that happened, I have no clue. Just added the missing words here and there. Don't worry, Chapter 3 is about halfway done.
UPDATE #2: Few minor changes here and there.
UPDATE #3: Fix a few errors... again.
Chapter 2: Unexpected Arrivals
*** October 10, 2020 ***
In a small house, just outside of the town of Blue Moon Village
In the early morning hours, while most other people are resting peacefully, a doctor is woken up by his blaring alarm clock. Reluctantly, he reaches over to the nightstand, where the clock sits, and after a couple of missed swipes, turns the alarm off. He sits up and stretches his arms out, giving out a long yawn. From his full-size bed, the doctor takes a look around the room.
"Ah. It was just a dream," he muttered to himself.
The hedgehog takes a quick look at the clock. The display read '5:32 AM: Saturday, October 10, 2020' in red lights.
"Saturday. Hopefully not too many patients today."
[ Morning Relaxing Music – Positive Energy, Stress Relief, Be Calm (Olivia) ] (Uploaded by OCB Relax Music) (0:00)
The doctor got out of bed and walked into the bathroom, which was located in front of the foot of the bed. He turned on the lights and began getting ready for today's work. He started running the shower went to the sink. He started taking his gloves and shoes off as he stared at his reflection. Looking back was a dark cerulean colored hedgehog. He had four quills growing from his forehead, the ones on the side hanging midair and the ones in the middle growing back, over, and behind his head; and three additional quills growing from the back of his head. Like every other male Mobian hedgehog, he also had two quills growing from his back. His eyes were a dark blue color and his skin was a peach color. After a brief glance in the mirror, the hedgehog reached into the cabinet on the wall adjacent to the mirror and grabbed a couple of Q-tips and cleaned his ears.
Clearly, you don't wanna read about his morning cleaning, so let's make it brief, shall we?
Cleaned ears, took off shoes and gloves, took shower, got out, dried off, put shoes and gloves back on, grabbed the one of four specially made doctor's coats he had in the closet; he's a Mobian, obviously; walked out of the bedroom, and towards the kitchen.
He wasn't very hungry for breakfast, so he just made himself a cup of hot chocolate. The doctor didn't like coffee for a couple of reasons. One of which was he hated the taste. He got some milk out of the fridge, poured some into a mug, and heated it in the microwave. As the milk heated, the doctor went to his personal desk nearby. His workplace consisted of a couple of bookcases filled with an assortment of medical texts, novels, and puzzle books. On his desk, which was against the wall, was a couple of medical journals, some handwritten notes, and his personal medical journal. Between his desk and one of the bookcases was a shorter bookcase, which held all the doctor's medical and personal journals. Mostly medical, of course. On top of the bookcase was a glowing blue orb, roughly the size of a bowling ball…
A glowing blue orb.
The doctor stared into the orb's aura. His gaze intensified as he remembered the day he first saw this orb. It was a heartbreaking memory. After a couple of minutes of staring, the doctor shock his head and refocused on the day's work.
"Never again," he told himself.
He returned to the kitchen and made his hot chocolate; the milk was lukewarm, but the doctor didn't care. He took his morning fuel and went to a door that linked his house to his clinic. Inside his clinic, he went to his desk and checked his appointment list. He counted only four appointments for the day, but he knew at least one person would come without making an appointment. With the exception of emergency cases, the doctor was not a fan of patients showing up without making an appointment beforehand.
It was only 6:30 AM, so the doctor had plenty of time to fill out patient records and do a little research before his first appointment arrived.
Time went by and the patient showed up. A simple checkup, nothing worth noting and the day progressed. Two more patients arrived, one of which didn't make an appointment. Both had similar complaints about sore throats and persistent coughing fits. Since it was the middle of autumn, the doctor suspected either a minor cold or allergies and prescribed an anti-inflammatory an strong cough medicine.
This was pretty much like any other typical day for the doctor in his clinic; working alone, dealing with usually small health concerns, and the occasional emergency. So far, the day seemed to be going that route…
"Helloooo~!"
(Music fades… what you want a record scratch? You add it then.)
… until she showed up.
"Of all people, why her?" the doctor thought to himself.
[ Undertale OST – sans. Extended ] (Uploaded by Etu Tran) (0:00)
He looked up to see a young hedgehog standing by the clinic entrance, scampering up to him with a big smile on her face. She was a cinnamon-brown colored Mobian, with strands of her quills dyed a teal blue color. She was wearing a teal blue gothic waitress outfit; consisting of a shirt, black miniskirt accompanied with a brown belt, black thigh-high boots with teal blue decals (lots of teal blue, huh?), and a blue ribbon tied around her neck. She had heterochromia iridum, which means her eyes are not the same color; her left is an NCS (Natural Color System) blue color while her right eye was an emerald green color.
"What are you doing here, Nephy?" the doctor asked his lively visitor.
"What, I can't come visit a friend when I'm on break?" Nephy teased.
"Not when I'm working and especially not when it's unexpected," the doctor sighed.
Nephy smirked. "Oh, come on, Siris! Stop being such a downer. I came here for other reasons, perhaps?"
Siris raised one of his eyebrows…
Wait… *Record Scratch* (Pause Music) Mobians don't have eyebrows, do they? Hang on… (Continue Music)
Siris raised one of his brows at Nephy.
Yeah, that should be good…
"Nephy," said Siris, "why are you here, then? You know how I feel about people showing up without an appointment made beforehand."
Nephy's smile softened.
"I know," she replied, "but my boss told me that I needed to get my flu shot before flu season hits. Otherwise, I can't work."
Siris raised his brow higher.
"And you didn't get it sooner… because why, exactly?"
"I forgot," she replied with an apologetic look on her face.
"You forgot?"
"I forgot."
"How?"
"I forgot."
"This is going nowhere, Nephy," Siris stated, placing his right hand on his forehead. "You're 20 years old and you still act like a child. I sometimes wonder if you only act like this around me, let alone on purpose."
"I'm sorry," she replied. "Can you give me a flu shot? Pretty please?"
Siris remained silent for a moment as Nephy gave him puppy eyes.
"Can you give me a minute? I need to finish this last piece of important patient information for the records," Siris explained.
Nephy nodded and politely went to sit in one of the chairs Siris had set up as a small makeshift waiting room.
(Music fades)
After completing the task, Siris took Nephy into the patient room.
"Aside from the flu shot, do you have any health concerns you wish to tell me?" Siris asked.
"Nope. I'm as fit as a fiddle~!" Nephy chimed.
"That's one way of putting it," Siris remarked. "Any known family history of allergies or negative reactions to vaccines?"
"Nope."
Siris wrote down a couple of notes in the patient file.
"So… anything interesting happening, doc?" asked Nephy.
"No. Can you roll up your right sleeve and give me your shoulder, please?"
Nephy did as instructed.
"Come on, Siris, there must be something! Any new friends?"
"No," Siris replied as he rubbed a cotton ball with alcohol on Nephy's lower shoulder.
"Don't tell me you've been cooped up her in the clinic and your house all this time!"
Siris grabbed a flu shot from the nearby cabinet before replying.
"I go out for groceries and run errands. Now hold still, you'll feel a slight pinch."
Siris injected the shot into Nephy's shoulder.
"There we go. If you feel any pain or muscle fatigue, then rest in bed for a day. If it persists, come back immediately," said Siris.
"Thank you. Shopping doesn't count, Siris."
Siris took a deep breath and sighed.
"Look, Siris, I know you're still hurting. It's been, what, like 2 years now?" she asked.
"Not now, Nephy." Siris mentally begged.
"I know you miss her, but don't you think it's time for you to maybe find someone else?" Nephy asked.
Siris looked straight into her eyes.
"Nephy…"
"I mean, you're all alone here in this clinic, you have no one to help assist you work, and after what happened-"
"Stop," Siris interrupted, not wanting to continue. "I know what you're trying to do, Nephy. And I appreciate the sentiment, but this is a topic I'd rather avoid. No further discussion."
"But-" Nephy began.
"No more." Siris said sternly.
They remained silent for a few seconds.
"I'll lead you out," Siris said.
And he did just that.
[ Little Busters! Original Soundtrack CD2 06: "Lamplight" ] (Uploaded by LittleBustersFanpage) (0:00)
As Nephy walked out, she turned around and said farewell to Siris. He nodded to her in response and closed the door.
Siris leaned against the door and let out a long sigh. It had been two years since he was with anyone. But after what happened, he couldn't open his heart to anyone again without fear of pain and suffering again. As Siris wiped his eyes, he looked at the clock and noticed it was 5 PM.
"Now might be a good time to close the clinic and do some light shopping."
He locked up the clinic, went inside his home, hung his coat, and did a quick inventory check to see what he should buy. With list in hand, Siris then headed for the town of Blue Moon Village.
Siris' clinic was only half a mile from the town. Even though it's called Blue Moon Village, historically it was a hundred years ago. As time went on and the population increased, expansion was necessary. Shops and markets started to give rise, which led to more homes, apartments, and larger shops to open up. Nearby was a large and vast forest, filled with harmless creatures and many kinds of plant life. The town was somewhat in the middle of nowhere amongst the fields of grass. With the exception of suppliers coming in by road, not too many visitors ever showed up.
Siris moved to Blue Moon Village a little over two years ago after going through a rough patch in life. He had no friends or relatives around. And while almost everyone in town knows of him as the town doctor, he rarely socialized, if ever, with anyone. He first met Nephy about two weeks after moving in. She worked at the small local café. She was no different before than she was now. Nephy always had a cheerful attitude, if not also a bit energetic. Every so often, Siris would go and eat at the café and Nephy would try to make conversation with him. Nephy found Siris to be very… interesting, in her words. It wouldn't be until months later that Siris would tell her why he moved to the quiet little town. Siris wouldn't necessarily call her a friend, since he only sees her either at the café or the clinic, but she was the closest thing to one he had at the time.
His home was a one-story building, consisting of a small entryway, a kitchen, and a living room that were connected without walls or doorways. The living room had a short hallway that led to two rooms; the first being his bedroom, and the other being a makeshift room he could use for emergency patients. Fortunately, in his time living in Blue Moon Village, Siris has never used it in such a case. At least, not yet, as far as he knew. The two rooms were connected by the bathroom. The clinic was originally built as part of the main house, but when Siris bought it, he used it as a clinic.
After buying some laundry detergent and clinic supplies, Siris debated as to whether or not to grab some dinner at the café. After his earlier conversation with Nephy, he decided not to. He didn't want to make Nephy feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about earlier. That was assuming that she was at work at all that evening.
The town had a lovely reddish-orange hue colored everywhere as the sun was setting. If his life was brighter, Siris might have taken a moment to pause and take in the scene, instead of continuing his journey back home.
When he arrived home, Siris put a couple of bed sheets from the clinic's patient's rooms in the washing machine and made himself a small portion of steamed rice. After that, he wrote another entry into his personal journal before heading off to bed. As he laid in bed, his mind kept going back to his conversation with Nephy that day. Although he would never admit it, he knew Nephy was right. He was alone. But he made a promise to himself and he intended to keep it.
"Never again," he said softly to himself as he drifted to sleep.
(Wait until music ends)
A couple of miles outside Blue Moon Village
Deep within the forest, the sounds of nature echoed amongst the trees in the late evening. Suddenly, a rush of wind blew through, rustling the branches and sending fallen leaves up into the air. A couple seconds later, a sonic boom followed, causing many small animals to scatter.
[ It Doesn't Matter (Sonic's Theme) (Short No Vocals) – Sonic Adventure Music Extended ] (Uploaded by BrawlBRSTMs3 X) (0:00)
The cause of the event was none other than the world renown hero: Sonic the Hedgehog.
"Sorry, little guys," he called behind him, "didn't mean to scare ya!"
The scared creatures couldn't hear his apology, as he was already too far away to be heard. Even if they did hear him, they wouldn't have been able to understand what he said.
It had been six months since Sonic, his other younger self, and the rookie had defeated Dr. Eggman and Infinite. While the Resistance was busy rebuilding their homes, as was much of the rest of the world, Sonic decided to travel the world instead. He told everyone that he needed a vacation after everything that had happened, however he had an ulterior motive. After his defeat, Eggman vanished. Some believed him to be stuck forever within Null Space, while others believed him to be dead, or both. A handful, including Sonic, believed Eggman was still around, hiding somewhere on Earth. So, to find the truth, Sonic went searching for him. The only two individuals who Sonic told his real motives to were Tails and Knuckles.
After five months of searching from Capital City to South Island, from Station Square to Apotos, and even the remains of the Egg Carrier and Eggmanland, Sonic was starting to wonder if he was wrong. But he wasn't about to give up that easily. And now his journey brought him to the outskirts of Blue Moon Village.
Boosting through the forest, Sonic dodged trees, rocks, bushes, and cliffsides, searching for anything that could indicate where Eggman could be.
(Music fades)
Suddenly, Sonic caught a glimpse of something that didn't appear to naturally occur in a forest. He skidded to a halt and backtracked a few thousand meters. When he reached the anomaly, he was surprise to see that it appeared to be old base of some sort. Judging by the looks of it, Sonic guessed that the base was abandoned long ago. Yet it looked awfully similar to bases Eggman had built in the past.
"Wait… it IS one of old Eggheads bases. How could anyone have missed that giant moustache'd face icon he puts on every base he builds. Hmm…."
Sonic approached the entrance door and gave it a couple of knocks.
"Trick or treat! Anyone home?" Sonic called out.
The only answer he heard was dead silence.
"Hmm. Guess no one's home."
Sonic noticed an electronic keypad and lock next to the door. It still showed signs of power running the facility, which puzzled Sonic. Normally, Eggman would completely shutdown power to any base he abandoned, assuming it was destroyed. Sonic hit a couple of buttons, but nothing happened.
"Ugh. I'm no tech expert. I'll look for another way in."
After a couple of minutes of searching the surrounding area, Sonic gave up; there was no other way in, at least he could see. With no other options, Sonic activated his communicator.
"Hey, Tails. You read me?" said Sonc.
[ Believe in Myself (Tails' Theme) (Short No Vocals) – Sonic Adventure Music Extended ] (Uploaded by BrawlBRSTMs3 X) (0:00) (No vocals? Yeah, right)
After a moment of silence, he heard got a reply.
"Sonic, is that you?"
"The one and only, pal!"
"It's been months since we last spoke. Did you find Eggman? Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Nah, nothing like that."
Sonic paused for a second, focusing on the tone of his best friend's voice.
"You alright Tails? You sound like you just woke up."
"Well, it is two in the morning here in the Mystic Ruins, Sonic."
"The Mystic Ruins? I thought you were back at Capital City helping the others rebuild?"
"I was, but I decided tinkering with machines and tools would be better for the Resistance."
"If you say so Tails. Sorry I woke you. I'll call you again in a few hours if you'd like."
"Nah, it's cool, Sonic. So what's up. I doubt this is just a social call."
"Right you are. I was blasting through a forest-"
"When you scooped up some field mice, bopped them on the head, and got turned into a goon by a fairy?"
Sonic couldn't help but smile as Tails chuckled to his own joke.
"Nah, that's wishful thinking buddy. No, I actually found one of Eggman's old secret bases. It appears to be abandoned."
"Were you able to take a look around?"
"Around the base, yes. Inside, no. There's still power generating somewhere and there's this electronic lock keeping me out. I figured since you're the tech expert, I was wondering if you could head on over and help me into the base."
"Why would you want to enter an old Eggman base?"
"There could be some intel as to where Eggman could be!"
"Sonic, you do realize that Eggman woud never leave intel like that just lying around, especially in a base he probably hasn't used in years."
Sonic pondered this for a moment.
"Oh, yeah… good point."
"Sorry, Sonic, but I've got other things that take priority over your search. I want to help you out, but I have to help the Resistance first."
"But-"
"I'm sorry. Unless the base has something of use for the Resistance, I can't help you."
That gave Sonic an idea.
"Tails, that's it!"
"What's it?"
"What you just said! The base could hold something useful for the Resistance."
"… Um… I'm not sure I follow you…"
"Tails, there could be intel other than that regarding Eggman. We could look over old plans of his or blueprints of weapons!"
Tails was silent for a moment. "Go on, Sonic. I think I know where you're going with this."
Sonic smirked and said, "If we got our hands on that kind of intel, the Resistance could come up with countermeasures against those kinds of attacks! Even if the plans are old, we could still have some form of defense against another attack, whether it's Eggman, an alien invasion, or a god awoken from the core of the planet!"
"Sonic, that could actually benefit the Resistance!"
"Great! So, you gonna come over or…?"
"I can spare a few days for this, Sonic."
"Thanks, pal! I'll give you my location in-"
"No need to worry, Sonic. Your communicator has a GPS tracker inside. I've already got your location. I'll get going in the morning and I should be able to get there the morning after."
"That's great, Tails! Wait… by 'morning after' did you mean the morning at the Mystic Ruins, or where I am?"
"Where you are, Sonic."
"Okay, just making sure. See ya soon, buddy!"
Sonic turned off his communicator and took a look around. The night sky was clear and full of stars. He wasn't tired at the moment so Sonic took the opportunity to go for a late night run through the forest.
(Music fades)
"Might as well," he thought to himself, "Tails won't be here for another day, and standing still isn't an option to me."
With that, the blue blur shot off into the forest, leaving behind a trail of dust and leaves flying in the air. He was completely unaware that the entire time he was talking with Tails, a pair of glowing red eyes where watching him. A couple seconds after Sonic ran off, the observer took off after him, making sure to not lose his target.
G.U.N. Headquarters
[ Julien-K – This Machine – Instrumental ] (Uploaded by Razor & Zenon) (0:00)
In his office, the Commander of the Guardian Units of Nations was reading over mission reports and signing them off. He had a nervous look on his face, occasionally shifting his eyes to the new orders given to him by the President of the United Federation.
"Is this really for the safety of the world?" the Commander thought, "The president sounded conflicted-"
His office doors opened, and three individuals entered. The doors closed behind them and they waited in front of the Commander's desk for their orders.
But the Commander remained silent. He just stared at the group.
"Sir," asked the first member, "is there something wrong? We were ordered to meet you in your office immediately."
The Commander still remained silent.
"I have better things to do than just stand around like a mindless fool!" snapped the second member.
He was about to leave when the Commander finally spoke.
"I have received… new orders."
He went silent again for a moment.
"You three are to search and recover the Chaos Emeralds and bring them here immediately. Use any means necessary."
The first two members of the visitors gave each other questionable looks. The third remained emotionless as usual, not that he could show emotion.
"You want us to go out on a treasure hunt for the most powerful items known on the planet?" the first asked.
"Yes. Those are the President's direct orders to you three."
"Collectively, those Emeralds haven't been seen on Earth since the Dark Gaia crisis," the first continued.
"Yeah, thanks to Faker leaving them in the core of the planet!" the second remarked.
"That may be true, Shadow," said the first, "but you have one with you now, don't you?"
Shadow pulled out the emerald green jewel from his inventory.
"That was just dumb luck. Even with just this one emerald, we have enough power to protect the planet. Why bother looking for the remaining six?" Shadow questioned as he put the emerald away.
"So we have the utmost defense for the planet's safety," the Commander answered.
"I may have an affinity with jewels, but why look for the Chaos Emeralds now? This seems like something the President should have thought of over six years ago when the Black Arms invaded," the first asked.
"You have been given your orders, Agent Rouge," the Commander remarked, "and I suggest you follow them."
Shadow turned to the silent third member.
"Omega, what do you think?"
The robot just stood there, thinking, or processing, over the mission details and Rogue's question. A moment later, he answered.
"Data insufficient. Possible theories calculated."
"Hm. Well, we still have another problem," said Shadow.
"He's right," Rouge said, "we've attempted this search before and have come up with just that one emerald. Even with Omega's sensors and Knuckles' help, we weren't able to get any readings on the remaining Chaos Emeralds. How are we supposed to find them? I doubt two years will change anything."
"Well," said the Commander, "I guess you have only one other way of finding them: the old fashion way."
"You mean just run around random locations and hope for the best?" Rouge asked.
The Commander nodded.
"You're joking," said Shadow.
"No," the Commander said dryly.
"Is there any available data indicating possible Chaos Emerald locations?" Omega asked.
The Commander shook his head.
"Well then, where do we begin our search?" Rouge asked.
"That's up to you. You three have been to almost every corner of the planet, I'm sure you'll come up with a plan."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
"Any further questions?"
"Do we return them one by one or all together?" Rouge asked.
"That's up to the three of you. Any other questions?"
The members of Team Dark remained silent.
"Then begin your mission."
With that, Team Dark left the Commander's office.
"I hope the president is making the right call…" the Commander muttered.
(Music fades)
On the floating island of Angel Island
[ Mystic Ruin – Sonic Adventure Music Extended ] (Uploaded by BrawlBRSTMs3 X) (0:00)
It was nearing dawn on Angel Island. The Master Emerald illuminated the alter around it in a soft green glow. Its guardian, Knuckles the Echidna, would usually be sleeping next to it at this time. But now, he was standing at the bottom of the alter. In recent months, Knuckles had been thinking about the events that have happened in the past year.
"We almost lost Sonic to that freak, Infinite. And we were fighting a losing battle for six months. If it weren't for that rookie and the other Sonic, we wouldn't be here." Knuckles thought to himself.
Knuckles and the team have had many close calls in the past, but the Phantom Ruby brought it to a whole new level. This kept Knuckles up from time to time. He glanced over to the surface of Earth. He could see a faint, but familiar glow of lights in the distance.
"It's been a while since I saw Station Square, even if it's only seeing it from here. Last time I was there was when Chaos went on a rampage. I wonder how things are now that-"
(Music fades)
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of wind rushing around him. Knuckles instinctively readied himself to protect the Master Emerald. But as quickly as the wind came, it stopped.
"That's strange… the only time a gust of wind blows by is when a storm's brewing."
And none was, as far as he could tell, looking at the sky. Knuckles looked around the alter, making sure no one was around. Although he saw no one, he had a feeling he wasn't alone. He closed his eyes and focused his senses on everything around him. Suddenly, he sensed some kind of presence moving… straight for the Master Emerald!
Knuckles dashed towards the Master Emerald as fast as possible. Just as the presence was about to touch the Emerald, Knuckles' namesake collided right into the presence's head. The intruder went flying across the alter and landed at the bottom of the steps. Knuckles jumped in front of the Emerald.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
[ Suitable Opponent [Vs. Character] – Sonic Adventure 2 Music Extended ] (Uploaded by BrawlBRSTMs3 X) (0:00)
The intruder said nothing. Instead, it got up and turned towards Knuckles. The intruder was the height of the average human male and was wearing a greyish-black cloak. The only feature Knuckles could see was a pair of blood red glowing eyes.
Suddenly, the intruder charged towards Knuckles, and he did so too. Halfway between the stairs, the two collided. Fists were flying, punches were blocked or dodged, but neither one could land a blow on the other. Soon, the two were in a deadlock, their left hands holding back the other's right fist.
"Who are you and what doing here on my island?!" Knuckles questioned.
The intruder still remained silent. The two were straining against the other's immense strength. Knuckles then sidestepped to his left, freeing his right wrist. The sudden change in force caused the cloaked figure to fall forward. Still holding on to the intruder's right hand, Knuckles grabbed it with his free hand as well, and using the momentum of the intruder falling, Knuckles threw him face first into the stone steps. As soon, as the intruder hit the step, Knuckles turned them over and started pounding away at the intruder's body and face. But four punches in, Knuckles noticed something.
"Their body… it's feels like metal… Is this a-"
*WHAM*
The intruder managed to land a powerful uppercut against Knuckles' jaw, sending him flying into the air and landing on the ground near the alter. The force of the attack was enough to make Knuckles lose consciousness for a moment.
With the echidna down, the intruder turned its attention back to the Master Emerald. It slowly floated towards the Emerald, reaching its arms out for it. It grabbed ahold of the Emerald and began to fly away. It would have succeeded, if it weren't for one small detail…
"Where do you think you're going with MY EMERALD?!"
… they pissed off the wrong echidna. And they didn't notice him gliding quickly through the air with his Hammer Gloves placed on his hands.
Before the thief could react, Knuckles sent an armored left fist flying into the Master Emerald, shattering it into multiple fragments which then flew off into different directions, into the horizon.
As the intruder watched the Emerald break into pieces, Knuckles turned around and sent his right fist directly into the intruder's abdomen. His punch was so strong, Knuckles sent the intruder flying a couple hundred meters into the air. The intruder recovered and flew off into the distance. Knuckles glided back down on the alter as he watched the thief escape.
(Music fades)
"Damn it…" Knuckles moaned as he slammed his fists through the air.
Yes, slammed through the air. You know, when you're shaking your fist in the air in anger then you slam it down through the air and they stop next to your hips? Oh, never mind…
Knuckles looked around to make sure no one else was skulking around. Certain he was alone, he opened his left fist and looked at his palm. In his hand was a single fragment shard of the Master Emerald. Just as the Emerald broke into pieces, Knuckles managed to grab one of the fragments before it went flying off.
"Here we go again…" Knuckles sighed, "One down and a about 20 more to go…"
He took off his Hammer Gloves and put them and the fragment in his inventory.
"Well, there's no use in complaining. Might as well get to searching for the pieces of the Emerald and restore it… again."
Unlike the Chaos Incident, Knuckles had a temporary backup source in place, in case the Master Emerald was to ever be removed from its alter. Feeling Angel Island starting to vibrate, Knuckles pulled out a small remote and pushed a button. A couple seconds late, the shaking stopped.
Years ago, he asked Tails to help come up with a alternative energy source for Angel Island. Tails came up with the idea of using a large supply of Chaos Drives in the Emerald's place. After some testing, Knuckles and Tails put together a few energy relay stations around Angel Island, each one powered by a couple of Chaos Drives. While not a perfect alternative, it has the capacity to keep Angel Island floating for about six to eight months before the Drives need replacing. On top of that, Tails explained to Knuckles that there could be long term effects that even he couldn't predict. More the reason for Knuckles to restore the Master Emerald as soon as possible.
Knuckles glanced into the horizon again and noticed another familiar sight in the distance.
"The Mystic Ruins!" exclaimed Knuckles, "Tails' workshop is still there. If he's home, I could ask for some help locating the Master Emerald shards."
With his destination set, Knuckles leapt into the air and glided away from his home.
Midnight in Blue Moon Village
Two Mobians walked around in the dark streets of Blue Moon Village, playfully arguing with each other.
"I'm telling you, that machine was rigged! I should have won those 25 thousand rings, plain and simple!"
"Say what you want, buddy. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
[ Undertale OST – Dogsong Extended ] (Uploaded by Etu Tran) (0:00)
"Stop laughing! I still kicked your ass at the poker table. That reminds me, thanks for the 500 rings you lost to me."
"Oh, yeah? Well I didn't lose 2000 rings playing slots and pinball. Seriously, pinball? How in the name of Chaos did you manage THAT?!"
"First of all, shut up. Second, I only spent 100 rings on pinball. Third… why does a casino, let alone Casinopolis?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, old friend. But I'm telling you now, I'm sure as heck ain't telling Vector where our rings went."
"Well, I'm not telling him."
They were silent for a moment.
"Well, in that case… if he doesn't ask, we don't have to tell him, right?"
"Right… yeah, okay. We'll go with that plan."
"Alright, then. Problem solved…. Seriously though, pinball?"
"Let it go, dude."
"Fine. You know, our little trip to Casinopolis put an eight hour delay with our surprise visit to see Siris, ya know."
"Yeah, that's definitely on both of us."
"Fair enough."
(Music fades)
"Hey…"
"Yeah?"
"You remember the rumors, right?"
"About what?"
"About Siris."
"What about him?"
"The rumors about what happened over two years ago… you know, how he kinda… went crazy?"
"Oh, THAT rumor. Yeah, I remember it, but I don't believe it's true. Why?"
"It's just that, I did a little digging outside of work… and it seems that Siris' relationship with… her… was more than just being friends."
"And? Even if it was more than that, why would that matter?"
"Well… the thing is… there was this one report where it claimed Siris had brutally-"
"Stop. You and I both know where this is going. He would never do such a thing. And I prefer to hear the truth from Siris himself."
"Yeah, but-"
"No 'buts'. Remember the last time we tried to ask him about it?"
"Too well."
"Exactly. But even he has a side to the story. We have no right to… how should I say this… 'interrogate' him. We're not cops. If he wants to tell us, that's up to him."
"Yeah… I guess you're right. Besides, he's our friend and we should give him a chance when he's ready to tell us. Even if he never does, we won't judge him!"
"Right on… Look, I know you're curious, but we don't have all the facts. All we know is that Siris saw or did something two years ago and she vanished. How and why, only he knows. But when he's ready, we'll be there to support him."
His companion nodded and the two continued walking for a while, then took a short break.
"You know, it's really late. I don't mind waiting in front of his clinic, but maybe we should crash at the hotel for the rest of the night."
"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'm still jetlagged. You still got rings on you?"
"Wait… how many rings did you lose? Did you really spend 100 on pinball, or-"
"Oh, shut up. Stop laughing. I'm asking just to be sure."
"Alright, alright. GImme a second to count."
As he counted his rings, his partner was looking towards the distance, around the forest.
"I got about 4000 rings, so… What's up? You look puzzled."
"I thought… it might have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw a flash of blue streaking through the forest a second ago."
"… Yeah, okay. What about it?"
"It looked… familiar."
"It's late, bud. Maybe it was your imagination. Let's head for hotel. I'm exhausted."
"Yeah. Okay, let's go."
*** October 11, 2020 ***
Mystic Ruins: Tails' Workshop
"Man, Sonic sure knows how to ruin one's sleep," yawned the yellow kitsune.
After talking to Sonic a few hours ago, Tails planned on getting up at 8 AM, prep the Tornado, and take off for Blue Moon Village before 9:30. Tails just woke up and it was 10 AM.
"Hope the weather won't be an issue. Forecasts predict some heavy winds on the route I'm taking."
Tails originally planned on using the Tornado 1, but a damaged propeller put the aircraft out of commission until he either ordered a new one, costing up to 3000 rings, or repair it, which would take a whole day. The Tornado could fly in attack mode, if Tails actually made the landing gear compatible… which he didn't.
So, instead of wasting time with the Tornado 1, Tails decided to prep the Tornado 2 instead. It's been a while since either Tails or Sonic took her out for a spin. Sure, she needed some updates to her systems and a couple of bolts tightened, but those concerns were nothing to Miles 'Tails' Prower.
Tails was just linking his Miles Electric device to the Tornado 2's computer system when he heard a knock on his door.
"Be there in one second!" Tails called out, "I wonder who it could be."
Tails wiped his face and hands off with a nearby cloth, trying to get the grease and oil out of his fur, before heading to the door. When he opened it, he was in for a surprise.
"Knuckles! What are you doing here?" Tails exclaimed.
[ Unknown from M.E. (Knuckles' Theme) (Short No Vocals) - Sonic Adventure Music Extended ] (Uploaded by BrawlBRSTMs3 X) (0:00)
There, standing in front of Tails was Knuckles the Echidna. The two friends bumped fists.
"It's been a while, Tails," the echidna said.
Tails let his friend in, closing the door behind them. Tails went back to prepping the Tornado 2, ready to ask Knuckles an endless list of questions. But as much as he wanted to catch up, Knuckles wasted no time.
"I know it's a nice surprise to see me here, but I have a favor to ask."
"A favor? What's up, Knuckles? And where's the Master Emerald? Aren't you…"
Knuckles took out the one fragment he had and showed it to Tails.
"See for yourself."
Tails stopped tinkering with the plane and looked at the object Knuckles revealed. The moment Tails saw the shard, he dropped his wrench to the ground.
"Not again… What happened? Was it Rouge? Did Chaos return?"
"Whoa, calm down, Tails. Chaos isn't around anymore, remember? And Rouge doesn't try to steal the Emerald anymore… at least… I don't think she does…"
Knuckles tilted his head and gave a pondering look.
Ten seconds later…
"Any ways, no, that' not what happened."
"Well, what happened then?"
"Some cloaked… thing… came onto my island and tried to steal the Master Emerald. I managed to stop it from getting away with it, but only because I shattered the Emerald myself."
"I'm sorry to hear that Knuckles. I haven't seen any shards, in case you were going to ask. I was getting ready to leave and meet up with Sonic before-"
"Wait, you talked to Sonic? When?"
"Late last night. He claims to have found an old abandoned base that Eggman built. He also said there might be intel worth finding for the Resistance."
"He could be right. You never know what information Eggman could have left behind."
"Yeah. That's why I'm heading off in a few minutes. I'd like to help you, Knuckles, but I can't help you and Sonic at the same time."
"Actually, I think you can."
"Huh? What do you mean Knuckles?"
"Well, from what I've learned from the previous times the Master Emerald was shattered, the pieces have scattered to almost every part of the world. I can only sense items when I'm within a certain range of them."
"Sure. We all know that. But-"
"What I'm saying is, I could accompany you on your journey to help Sonic. Regardless of how fast you fly the Tornado 1, I'll be able to sense the Emerald fragments. If I happen to sense any during the flight, I'll take off and continue my search while you go help Sonic!"
"But, Knuckles… What if you don't sense anything by the time we reach Sonic? You could help us for a few hours before going off on your search."
"Hm… I haven't really thought about that. I wasn't aware about Sonic until now…"
Knuckles thought about it.
"Tails, why don't you finish prepping the Tornado 1 while I think about it."
Tails nodded and picked his wrench back up.
20 minutes later…
"Okay, Knuckles, she's ready to fly!"
"Nice to hear her purr again. It's been a long time since I even got to get ride from her, too!"
Tails, who was already in the pilot's seat, reached his right hand out to pull Knuckles aboard. Knuckles positioned himself on the back, where Sonic usually sits.
"Hey, Tails!" Knuckles yelled over the engine.
"What's up?!"
"I decided to take you up on your offer! Unless I sense the Emerald at all during the flight, I'll help you and Sonic out for a day!"
"Alright, Knuckles!" Tails exclaimed.
He was excited.
"Looks like we're getting the band back together," they both thought.
Tails punched the throttle and the two were soon airborne, heading off to Blue Moon Village.
(Music fades)
Siris' Home
Siris was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling. During the night, he had another nightmare and it woke him up at 4 AM. Since then, Siris just stared at the ceiling and wondered what he was going to do later that day. It was Sunday, which meant the clinic was closed for the day, unless there was a medical emergency. Siris turned to the clock and saw it was now 6:30 AM.
"I could stay in bed today," he thought.
But after a couple of minutes, he decided to get up and took a shower. While he was drying off, Siris noticed that one of his gloves had a small hole in it. Unfortunately, that glove was one of his only pair of white gloves he had. He had another pair, but they were black and Siris didn't like to wear them during work hours, as he assumed it would make the patients feel uncomfortable.
"Well, I'm gonna regret this within the next two days. Maybe I'll find another pair if I decide to go shopping today."
Instead of replacing them, Siris decided to wear the torn glove and its pair. The tear wasn't too noticeable, but it was of concern because it looked as though the glove could fall apart soon.
Siris put his shoes and gloves on and walked into the kitchen. On his days off, Siris would drink tea instead of hot chocolate. He carried his tea over to his desk, opened one of the cabinets, and pulled out a device he was working on during his free time. As he reached down to grab his tools, Siris heard a soft knock from the front door.
"Who could it be? I didn't plan to meet with anyone today."
Siris put his project away and got up to answer the door. When he opened it, Siris was taken aback.
"Greetings, doc. Remember me?"
Standing there was a purple Mobian weasel. He was wearing a big brown Stetson hat, brown boots with white gaiters, brown gloves with metal plates, and a brown belt with a gold buckle. Siris immediately recognized the individual standing in front of him.
"Fang the Sniper…"
"Yep. Ya got a good memory there, doc!"
[ Custom Themes: Fang the Sniper ] (Uploaded by Purple Jester) (0:00)
Siris was not flattered to be visited by a criminal.
"Last time I was here, you saved my life when I collapsed in the outskirts of town. Even though you knew involving yourself would bring nothing but trouble… I wonder it's just in a doctor's nature."
About six months ago, while taking a stroll through the forest, Siris found Fang unconscious on the ground. He knew Fang was a well-known criminal, but Siris' good nature got the best of him and he carried the weasel back to his clinic to treat him.
"Yeah, and the next morning, you were gone. Didn't even wait for me to check on you. Or, more likely, Fang, you just wanted to avoid paying a fee."
"I apologize that I left at the time without thanking you properly. And please, call me Nack."
Fang held out an open hand.
"Nack the Weasel," he smirked.
Siris didn't bother to shake his hand and kept glaring at Fang. After taking the hint, Fang dropped his hand.
"Aw, come on, doc! I know I have a history of allegedly illegal activities, but trust me; I'm as clean as a whistle now!"
Siris kept on glaring.
"Right. Well anyways, I was just passing through and I thought I'd come over to give you my thanks."
Siris was suspicious of Fang, but he was curious as to why he was here.
"I don't mean to take too much of your time. For now, accept this."
Fang handed Siris a cylindrical item box with a ring symbol.
"At the time, I had nothing on me, so I couldn't even pay for my treatments."
"Funny, hearing that from a self-proclaimed 'treasure hunter' and thief." Siris thought as he grabbed the item box.
When Siris opened the item box and looked inside, his eyes widened. Inside were countless rings. (Assume that item boxes are like Mary Poppins' bag. Seriously, how else would they carry all those rings?) Just by looking at it, he could tell that this was much more than enough to pay for just treatment fees. Siris looked up at Fang with a questionable look.
"This is a lot of rings; more than enough to pay for three times the fee from what I can see."
"My payment was… delayed until now, so please consider it as an apology. Please accept it."
Siris wasn't buying it. There was something else, more than just paying off old fees.
"What's the catch, Fang?"
"Hm… I suppose you already figured out that this is about more than just a late payment. There is one more thing I brought with me, but…"
"But, what?"
"It would be easier for me to show you… inside your home, if you would?"
"Very well," Siris sighed, giving the weasel entry into his home.
"Thanks, doc. Just let me get it from my trailer."
"Trailer?" Siris thought.
"What exactly is it?"
"A gift."
Siris took a peek over the smirking weasel's shoulder and noticed that Fang's air bike was attached to a cargo trailer. The trailer wasn't as large as ones pulled by 18-wheelers, but it could carry a lot… of stolen goods, knowing Fang.
As Fang left to grab the item in question, Siris turned around and walked a couple of feet into the kitchen. There was a dinner table and four chairs around it. Siris pulled out one of the chairs and sat down, waiting for Fang. After taking another quick peek in the item box, Siris placed it on the table.
"Great. He's probably giving me a stolen piece of artwork or a bottle of illegal substances. I should have just shut the door on-"
"Get out here, you!" Siris heard Fang yell.
As Siris took another sip of tea, Fang began marching towards the entrance.
"Well, come on! Get in here!" Fang barked behind him.
Siris was confused; he looked up and asked, "What are you… yelling…"
He couldn't even finish his sentence before seeing his "gift" being dragged through his front door.
"This is my gift to you, doc." Fang smirked.
(Music fades)
Abandoned Eggman Base
As the sun rose in the horizon, the morning light broke through the heavily dense forest. Rays of sunshine landed on the sleeping face of Sonic the Hedgehog, waking him up. Sonic slowly opened his eyes, only to be blinded by the intense light. As he turned his body away from the light, he forgot that he slept high in the trees last night near the base's entrance and fell off.
"Whoooaaaaaoh!" he cried out.
*SLAM*
Even though that little scare gave him a burst of energy, it wasn't enough to make him react fast enough in midair, resulting in Sonic's face meeting the ground, 10 feet below.
"Ow," Sonic moaned as he pulled his head out of the ground, "Talk about a wakeup call."
He brushed himself off and checked to see if anything was out of place on his body. As he did so, his eyes brushed over his left wrist, where he wore a bracelet a friend gave him two years ago. Sonic smiled as he replayed the memory in his mind…
*** 2 Years Ago ***
"Nnnoooooooooooaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh- Oooh!"
Sonic had landed, face first, into the earth.
"Ugh… Mmm… Nnnnnngggghhh- Uuaaah… owww…" he moaned as he pulled his head out of the ground and balanced his footing.
Sonic looked around, finding himself back in Apotos, where his world adventure with Chip began. And laying on the ground just left of his peripheral was the entity of rebirth himself after sealing himself… in the core…
"Huh?"
Sonic took a step towards his pal, but just as fast as Sonic took that step, Chip faded away; leaving behind his green bauble necklace. As Sonic picked it up, he heard Chip's voice in his head.
"I'll never forget you. I'll be here by you, always. A part of the earth you tread."
As the sun rose in the horizon, Sonic slipped the necklace onto his left wrist. Taking in the morning air, Sonic smiled into the distance; his final farewell to his partner; and took off along the coastline.
*** Present ***
Sonic wiped a tear from his eye as the memory ended. Months ago, when it was the day he left in search for Eggman, Sonic was looking at all the memorabilia in Tails' Workshop that he had collected over his years of adventuring and world saving. The Crystal Ring from the Station Square Hotel, the Extreme Gear boards Tails built for him for the EX World Grand Prixes, the Magic Ring from his time in the Arabian Nights; which was now just an ordinary ring, as Sonic freed Shahra after the Erazor Djinn's defeat; stuff that Sonic had held on to as reminders of his past deeds and adventures. But the one thing on the wall that caught Sonic's attention the most that day was Chip's necklace. After Chip sealed himself in the planet with Dark Gaia, Sonic wore that necklace on his wrist for months. Eventually, some time before destroying Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park, Sonic decided to put the gift on the wall. For some reason, Sonic felt like he should take the bracelet with him on his search for Eggman. He couldn't really understand it himself; he knew Chip was gone, deep in slumber for the next few million years, and it wasn't like he would be communicating with him either. But he figured if he was going on the searching, running around the world for an extended period of time, he might as well make Chip's promise a reality with his necklace around Sonic's wrist as a reminder for himself.
"It sure would be nice to see him again," Sonic sighed, "or, at least, hear his voice."
Sonic stared at his bracelet for another moment.
"Well… there's no point in sulking about the past. Time to focus on the here and now and the future!" Sonic told himself.
For good luck, Sonic gave the green gemstone on the bracelet a rub. As he did, Sonic thought the stone was slightly glowing. Upon closer inspection, the stone did look like it was glowing, but Sonic figured it was just the morning light reflecting off of it.
Taking a quick look around, Sonic decided it was a good time to go for a morning jog, if you could call running at sonic speeds jogging. Just as he was about to take off, the ground began to vibrate.
"Whooaa… what in the…?" Sonic cried out, trying to keep his balance.
The tremor lasted for a few seconds before the ground stopped moving.
"Huh…? What was that all about?"
Sonic cautiously waited in place for a moment.
"Guess it was just a small earthquake. Heh, for a moment there, I thought Eggman was gonna show up with some new convoluted invention to destroy me with."
Sonic took another look around before beginning his-
*SNAP*
"Hm?"
Sonic whipped his head in the direction the sound originated from. He darted his eyes around in the general location, but he couldn't see anything. As Sonic turned his head back forward, he gave a suspicious look over his shoulder before firing off into the forest. He was still unaware that the red eyed observer was still watching and following him.
Siris' Home
[ Title Screen – Alternative – Metroid: Other M Music Extended ] (Uploaded by BrawlBRSTMs3 X) (0:00)
Siris was at a lose for words. He was expecting Fang to bring him something that could be remotely considered as gift, but this was the last thing Siris thought was even possible.
"Uh…" was the only thing that came out of Siris' mouth.
Standing a couple of feet away was a young, pale, silver colored hedgehog. She had silver colored eyes, a simple dirty dress that could be considered as a rag from the looks of it, and a pair of, what appeared to be the remains of white gloves; they were old, dirty, and had holes everywhere.; and she was barefooted. The length of her quills reached down to the small of her back, her bangs were shoulder length, and a couple of quills in front were covering her a bit of her eyes. What disturbed Siris the most was her physical ailments; she was really thin, clearly malnourished, and had scars all over her; both sides her neck, her right shoulder, her lower left arm, her right wrist, her pinky and ring fingers on her right hand, a couple of places on her lower left leg, and the whole front of her left foot; they were all covered in scars where fur should have been. But the scar that caught Siris' attention was a lone scar the went down, over her right eye; like a drop of water went down from above her eye lid and went all the way down her cheek. She had bags under her eyes, and she had an emotionless expression on her face. Siris couldn't tell for sure, but judging from her height, which was roughly up the Siris' eye level, she was probably 15 or 16 years old.
"As I'm sure you are aware, a wealthy person died recently in an accident," Fang said, making Siris jump a little.
(Music fades)
"Uh… huh? Oh, you must be referring to Charles Hemberg, the late owner of the Hemberg Estate, correct?" Siris asked, being as polite as possible.
Charles Hemberg was a Mobian rat, both literally and figuratively. He gained much fame for stimulating the local market and boosting the economy. He made his millions buying out small stores and turning them into successful manufacturing companies. He became such a big name, that he managed to get connections with many government officials around the world, including the President of the United Federation.
On the other hand, around Blue Moon Village and in other parts, he was known for his unsavory behavior. He was rude to anyone he thought was beneath him; which was pretty much everyone in town. He was known for his excessive drinking and harassing many women, both human and Mobian, both emotionally and physically, constant experiences with prostitutes (Mobians only, sickos) and destruction of property and goods. He was just a pain in the ass, to say the least. A couple of days ago, Charles was going for a morning drive when his car went off a bridge and caught fire. He was trapped inside and the flames engulfed him. Shockingly, when he died, not one person shed a tear. Though Siris did see Nephy dance a little jig in front of him when he told her the news, since she was occasionally harassed by Charles.
"Correct," Fang continued, "He didn't have any close relatives, so people claiming to be government officials, relatives, and friends came over and stole all of his assets. I have connections here and there, so I was able to get some of the leftovers, but I was also entrusted with a few… troublesome items."
"Did he just… call this girl an 'item'?!" Siris thought, looking at the silver hedgehog.
Siris was really getting mad, but he kept his cool to the best of his ability.
"Yes, this one here is one of them. I am but a humble merchant now and my motto is 'Buy and Sell Anything!', so I was told to sell this off somehow."
Remember that cool Siris was keeping? He's losing it. You can tell by looking into his eyes; which were slightly flashing a blue color every couple of seconds.
"But," continued Fang, "when it come buying and selling people, it'd be find if the one in question could be of use for manual labor, but it's not easy finding a buyer for a brat like this. If I rush things, there is a possibility that I may… suffer some losses too."
Siris' eyes were clearly starting to glow a deep blue color. Fang didn't notice because he was busy pacing around the room and around the silver hedgehog.
"It's not like I need to break even on this one, so rather than doing something stupid, I thought of either disposing her or throwing her away, but…"
"But?" Siris asked with some irritation.
"Even I have some conscience and compassion. I want to avoid anything troublesome, but I didn't have anywhere I could hand this one off to."
Siris noticed the girl was looking down at the ground, her eyes filled with… failure? Disappointment? He couldn't tell.
"So, why here?" Siris asked.
"I was doing business in town, and then I remembered that you had saved my life once before. From what I can tell… it seems that you are still living by yourself. It may not be any of my business, but I thought that you may be feeling a bit lonely. It's a bit sudden, but would you take this one in?" Fang asked with a slight smirk.
"What should I do? I don't know this girl. I can't take her in. What would people think if they saw me with her?!"
Siris looked at the silver hedgehog. She was now looking into his eyes. She looked terrified, almost begging to be helped.
"I… I don't know…"
It felt like her eyes were staring into his soul.
"Yes."
Fang was a little surprised.
"I'm… sorry, could you repeat that?" Fang asked.
"I said 'yes'. I'll take her in."
Fang smiled an evil, creepy smile.
"Is that so? It'll help both me and the girl out. This girl is a slave without any relatives. You can have her help around the house. Or…"
Fang's smile got bigger and creepier.
"Or, what, exactly?" Siris asked.
"Or, if you have such preferences… you can treat her like your toy."
Siris' eyes burned a bright blue color.
"There is no one who would object. If you want to know more about her, you can ask her yourself."
Fang turned to Siris.
"Well, I suppose I'll take my leave then. Once again, thank you… very… much… doc…"
Fang now saw the burning aura coming from Siris' eyes and it scared him.
"I would say 'you're welcome', but I won't. In fact, I only have one thing to say to you."
"Wh-what would th-that b-be… d-doc?" Fang gulped.
Siris walked past him and help the door open.
"Get the hell out of my house. I never want to see you ever again." Siris threatened, pointing outside, "And you better hope I never see you again… because I might not be so charitable."
Fang nodded, understanding that he had overstayed his welcome. He hastily walked out, jumped on his bike, and took off towards town. Siris didn't close the door until he was sure he saw Fang disappear into the distance.
"Bastard," Siris muttered under his breath.
He turned around and looked at his new… guest? He wasn't even sure what to call her.
"What have I just gotten myself into?"
"Uh… hello," said Siris.
[ Undertale OST – Snowy Extended ] (Uploaded by Etu Tran) (0:00)
The girl was silent for a moment.
"N… Nice to meet you… My name is… Sylvie," she said in a soft voice.
"Sylvie? That's… a really cute name."
"Thank you very much for accepting me. I cannot do heavy labor, but I believe I can do any simple chores that you would ask of me," Sylvie continued.
"Chores? Oh, right, you're a... servant. You don't-"
"However, my previous master enjoyed hearing my… screams… the most."
Siris just stared at Sylvie for a few moments, his mind processing what he just heard.
"Oh, God, no…"
Sylvie was clearly nervous and scared.
"Please…" she asked, "treat me gently… Master…"
Siris' heart sank. (So is mine. I'm assuming some of you know by now what the crossover game is now.)
"Sylvie," Siris said, walking up to her, "I won't hurt you. I'm not that kind of person."
As soon as Siris was standing right in front of Sylvie, she slightly flinched back in fear. Siris raised his right hand above her head and Sylvie closed her eyes.
"What's Master doing to me? Is he going to hurt me like the other?" Sylvie thought.
But instead of a painful strike, Sylvie felt a soft pat on the head.
"And, please…" Siris continued, "don't call me 'Master'. Call me 'Siris'."
Sylvie looked up at Siris.
"Master…" she said softly, "I am a slave… I have no right to address you by any other title."
Siris was about to argue, but after looking into Sylvie's eyes again, he decided to let her decide how she would address him. If that's what she wanted to do, Siris wouldn't stop her.
"So… Sylvie?"
"Yes, Master?"
"If I get used to her calling me 'Master', I'm gonna kill myself."
"Uh… would you like anything to eat or drink?"
Sylvie gave a slight look of confusion.
"Uh… I'm fine…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Master."
"She clearly looks hungry… but I can't just force her to eat. Maybe she'll eat later," Siris thought.
"Master… is offering food? No, don't listen to him! He'll just punish me if I eat or drink anything I'm not allowed to have," Sylvie thought.
The two just stood there in silence for a moment.
"Well… if you say so, Sylvie. Um… I don't have much to do today, since it is a Sunday, and my clinic is closed for the day. You can-"
"Today's…. Sunday?"
"Yes, it's October 11th today."
"Oh…" Sylvie replied, with a slightly sad look in her eyes.
"Is there something wrong, Sylvie?"
Sylvie straightened her face.
"N-no! Nothing at all, Master. I was… just wondering, that's all."
Siris gave a confused look.
"Okay," he replied, "if you say so. Anyways, I'll be working on a little project today. I don't have much around here in terms of entertainment, but you're welcome to watch TV or any movies I have on DVD."
Siris pointed towards the living room, which had a wide screen TV, a black leather sofa, and a small bookcase (which the TV stood upon) with a couple of game consoles and a DVD player.
"I appreciate Master's offer," said Sylvie, "but I think I would be of more use if I were to do any chores around the house."
Siris sighed.
"There is no need for any chores to be done, at the moment. I suppose you could watch me work on my project," he said.
Siris walked over to his work desk; Sylvie followed close by. Siris sat down in his chair and pulled out the device he intended to work on earlier, along with his tools. Sylvie sat down, on her knees, on the ground to the right of Siris. He pulled out a pair of goggles and put them on. They were tinted, so Sylvie was unable to see Siris' eyes as he tinkered with his device. As time passed by, Sylvie remained silent, only occasionally glancing over to the device.
"Master appears to be very good with electronics."
The device appeared to be some sort of metal hat or a bowl. Siris was testing out different resistors and capacitors out, trying to get the voltage of each component correct in the circuit. It was a little past noon when Siris turned his head towards Sylvie.
"… Is something wrong?" she asked.
Her eyes met Siris' as he looked at her. Siris reached over and pat her on the head.
"… Um, what are you doing?" Sylvie asked, "Are you… patting my head?"
"Yeah. Is it okay?"
Sylvie looked confused.
"That's fine, but…"
She paused; Siris kept patting her head.
"… Is there any meaning in doing this?" she asked.
Siris stopped patting.
"I just thought it was a nice gesture," he replied.
Sylvie's face showed no particular reaction. Siris gave her a small smile before going back to working on his project. As he worked, instead of the device, he had other things on his mind.
"Sylvie, can I ask you something?"
"…What would you like, Master?"
"If you don't mind me asking… do they hurt?"
"Huh?"
"The… you know… uhhh…"
"Great job, Siris. That'll help earn her trust."
"These scars?" she replied, "They are from long ago… so they don't hurt much anymore."
"That's… good to hear," said Siris as he mentally put a gun to his head.
They remained silent for a moment.
"I'm sure you know, but I happen to be a doctor. Could I take a closer look at your hand?"
"What the hell is wrong with me? She's gonna think I'm some kind of sicko."
Sylvie hesitated, but she slowly showed him the scars on her right arm and hand. Upon closer inspection, Siris saw that the wounds didn't appear to be raw, so bandaging them wasn't necessary. He couldn't determine the cause of the burns, but most of the possibilities were more of a reason for Siris to pity Sylvie.
"I'm sorry these happened to you…" he said softly as Sylvie brought her arm back into her lap.
Sylvie remained silent and Siris went back to work.
"I hope those scars were the result of an accident."
Siris continued to tinker, but he kept on thinking about Sylvie. He had so many questions for her, but he restrained himself. She was in a new place, had no friends or family, and was scared of her new master.
"Reminds me of someone I know," he thought to himself.
(Music fades)
Siris was so focused on his device and his thoughts, he didn't realize how much time had passed until he looked outside and saw the early evening light.
"Ah, I didn't realize how much time has passed," he said.
Siris looked over at Sylvie, who appeared to not have moved at all from her sitting position.
"I'll make dinner in a minute, Sylvie."
Siris took off his goggles and put them, his device, and tools away. He got up and walked towards the kitchen, Sylvie following behind.
"Sylvie, could you sit at the table while I get dinner prepared for us?"
Sylvie looked slightly surprised.
"… Dinner...? Is it fine for me to eat even though I haven't screamed?" she asked.
[ (3) Pure Snows – Kanon AIR Piano Arrange Album Re-Feel ] (Uploaded by Uzlad) (0:00)
"…What… What did she just say?" Siris thought as he turned his head towards her, "Did she just say…"
"Of course, you can have dinner, Sylvie," Siris told her with pity.
"Master is very compassionate. Thank you very much," she said and took a seat at the dinner table.
Siris looked in the fridge and cabinets to see what he could make for dinner. After consideration, he decided to make some spaghetti with tomato sauce with a small salad as a side. As he prepared the food, Siris kept thinking about what Sylvie said.
"Screaming? Just what did Charles do to her? Everyone knew he was scum, but this… even I have a hard time believing it."
A few minutes later, Siris brought two plates of spaghetti, two small plates of salads, and two cups of water to the table. He placed his meal across from Sylvie's. Siris sat down and said a small prayer. He was about to start eating, when Sylvie spoke.
"Uh… Master?"
Siris cringed. He really hated that title.
"Yes, Sylvie?"
"Um… is there a guest coming tonight?" she asked with a worried look in her eyes.
"Uh… huh?"
"Perhaps.. it would be best for me to hide somewhere…" she continued, looking around the vicinity.
"Hide? Why would she… wait, does she think the food is not for her?"
"Sylvie… this meal is for you," Siris said, trying not to choke on his words.
Sylvie looked down at her meal.
"… This is… my meal?"
"Of course! Why would you believe otherwise?"
"Bad question, you idiot," Siris thought to himself.
"My previous master… he would only give me bread and water. Am I… allowed to eat this?"
Siris was mentally kicking himself, but he was starting to really despise Charles more and more.
"So that's why she looks so pale and malnourished. Was Charles really that sadistic to starve Sylvie this much?"
"Sylvie, this meal is for you to eat. You will not be punished for eating this, nor will you ever be punished for eating or drinking anything."
Sylvie looked back and forth between her meal and Siris for a moment.
"… Then… Th-thank you for the meal."
Sylvie nervously picked up her fork and began awkwardly eating. Her expression was stiff, as if she didn't seem to enjoy the meal. Siris thought little of it and the two ate their meals.
15 minutes later...
Siris and Sylvie have finished eating dinner.
"Thank you… for the the meal," said Sylvie.
Siris looked up and said, "You're welcome."
Sylvie looked troubled.
"Um… Master?" she asked.
"Hm?"
"… This… is the first time… I've eaten such a delicious meal. It is also the first time I've eaten until I was full."
Siris felt anger stirring inside again, but he was more glad that Sylvie had and enjoyed a full meal.
"… Thank you… very much."
Sylvie didn't appear to be lying, but she was clearly anxious. Siris figured she was feeling confused due to the drastic change in treatment up until now.
"You are more than welcome, Sylvie. If you ever feel hungry or thirsty, don't be scared to ask. I'll provide you with meals," Siris told her with a supportive smile.
Siris looked outside and saw it was getting late.
"Well, it's late. I think we should head off to bed," he said as he got up and took the empty dishes to the sink.
"Master?"
"Yes, Sylvie?"
"Where… should I sleep?"
Siris thought about that for a second.
"Follow me," he said.
The two walked down the hallway. At the end, Siris opened the door opposite to the one that led to his room. There wasn't much inside, but there was a bed, a window, a desk, and a drawer inside.
(Replay Pure Snows)
"This room was meant for emergency patients, but I'll let it be your room from now on, Sylvie," Siris told her.
Sylvie stepped inside the room and looked around with curiosity.
"Is it fine for me to use this room? And… this bed? I'm fine with sleeping on the floor…" Sylvie said softly.
Remember that gun Siris mentally had to his own head? He now wished he had it pointed to Charles' head… if he was still alive.
"Sylvie," Siris replied, "This room is yours now. You are allowed to sleep on the bed. In fact, you may do as you wish in this room since it's yours now."
As he said that, Siris noticed a pen and one of his blank journals was on the desk nearby. That gave Siris an idea.
"And… you can use that journal over there in any way you see fit."
Sylvie looked up at Siris.
"… If that is the case… then I will gladly accept this room."
Siris smiled and gave her a pat on the head.
"That door leads to the bathroom. You can use either the bathtub or the shower to bathe, which ever you prefer. You may also use my shampoo and soap. If you'd like-"
"… Um… Master?"
"Yes?"
"I… What will happen to me from now on? Will I… Will I have painful and terrible things done to me?"
She seemed to think there was an ulterior motive behind the way she's been treated.
"Never, Sylvie," Siris replied, lightly ruffling the fur on top of her head.
"R-really? I don't mind having painful things done to me if it please you, Master. My previous master really enjoyed hearing me scream in pain… I will do anything I can do to help. I'm fine with… just small meals."
Every word struck Siris' heart like a thousand knife stabs. He wanted so badly to give the girl a hug, but he knew she wouldn't understand its meaning. Instead he gave her another couple of pats on her head.
"So please… have mercy," Sylvie said, looking down.
"Sylvie…" Siris said, but he couldn't find the words to help comfort her.
"Ah… I-I'm very sorry…" she said.
Siris removed his hand from her head. The two just stood there in silence for a minute.
"Well, good night, Sylvie. Sweet dreams."
"Um… Good night, Master."
Siris walked out and closed the door behind him. He stood at the door and pondered over the day's events.
"What have I gotten myself into? Taking in a slave? One who's been traumatized by God knows what kind of awful treatment. And how long has she been like this?"
Tears were forming in his eyes.
"Well… if she thinks she's a slave now, she's wrong. I'll prove to her that she's no longer a slave… I suppose she could do some chores around the house. I'd hate for her to feel useless. That would probably make her anxious. I wonder…"
"Ah, it's late. I should get some sleep."
Siris walked into his room and went to bed, wondering what the future would bring. If only he knew that he was about to embark on the most emotional adventure of his life.
(Music fades)
Blue Moon Hotel
"I can't believe we slept in the entire day! We were supposed to go to Srirs' and hang out!"
"Well… we still can. We'll just do it tomorrow."
"It'll be Monday, then. I don't think he'll appreciate us just dropping by as a surprise visit on a work day."
"So, you'd rather go back to Station Square? This will be a wasted trip, then!"
"… Yeah, you're right. I'm sure he'll be glad to see us regardless!"
"Yep… only, now that we've slept all day, what should we do now?"
"I dunno… explore the forest for the night?"
"Sounds like a plan. It's almost midnight anyways, so we'll have about six or seven hours to kill."
"Well, lead the way!"
Me: Well? What do you think so far?
Knuckles: YOU SAID YOU WOULD REVEAL 'WISPS' REAL NAME!
Me: Yeah… yeah, I did. Look, I was gonna make this chapter longer, but I decided not to. I needed more setup for the whole story. Technically, this was suppose to be Chapter 1, but FFN doesn't have a dedicated Prologue or Epilogue chapter. So, I have to make do.
Sonic Team: Meaning?
Me: It means I had a lot to cover. Look, at least this chapter was longer than Chapter 1! Story-wise, of course. But don't worry, the next chapter will absolutely, 100%, honest to God and Chaos, will have 'Wisps' and his real name revealed. *Ahem*
Sonic: What was that?
Me: Nothing. Just clearing my throat.
Tails: You're lying.
Me: Guys, guys… come on, let's not do anything rash… guys…? Oh, shit. *Runs out*
*Sincere A/N*
A bit of trivia for you guys; this chapter was originally going to be at least twice as long as what was given, but I decided to split it into two. I wanted some more action for the build up for the start of the adventure, but I needed more planning and rewriting. What? I actually have notes written down.
Don't worry, the next chapter will definitely have a lot more action, and it will be as good (if not better) than the Knuckles fight. As I'm writing this story, I'm starting to fear that I might have bitten off more than I can chew with the number of characters I planned on using in the story. I think some of them will end up as minor characters with only one or two appearances (I.e. the Babylon Rogues; they're on the list, of course they'll show up), but I'm not sure yet.
I'm sure some of you will be critical on how I describe the characters, like Sylvie and Nephy. I'm trying to be as descriptive as possible, so bear with me when I do this for one or two more characters. I have some sketches of Siris and Sylvie done, but I don't know if it's worth posting… I'll think about it. IF you guys want 'em, sure.
Anyways, hope you liked this chapter, I'm sure some of you know what the other game is that I'm weaving into the story. Don't worry, I have plans on how to weave both THAT story and this one together. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't. But we'll see. I'm not gonna say what that game is, yet.
You can suggest music tracks if you want, I doubt I'll actually use them, but you never know; but don't ask me to use your OCs, I've got enough characters to worry about.
One last piece of business, I decided to re-rate the story T. I'm sure that will bite me in the ass later, due to certain events. I'm not sure yet. But if need be I will re-re-rate (God, that looks like shit) the story M if need be… BUT NO LEMONS! … Explicitly, that is…
Again, I own nothing but my OC characters. All rights and characters belong to their rightful owners. Same goes with all the music and videos.
Please review!
~ThePhantomHedgehog