A/N: Fourth chapter done. Hope you enjoy.

Bittersweet Encounter: Part B

(Continued from the end of previous chapter)

"So, the rumor was true... Crimson and Lilith indeed got a child who is possessing the ruby of her father. I can finally see why our bitch of an arachne leader was madly after this girl for years. Too bad the poor hedgy queen won't be able to save her daughter even after she brought those heroic hedgehogs from Mobius."

The half human half beetle, whose name was Vex, stated.

Unlike my mother and other liminals, I had some superior capabilities because I inherited demonic genes and a powerful ruby from my demon father. I never saw my father because he died when I was just born. That's why mom had always been overprotective of me.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" I yelled to pretend unaware but my eyes widened in horror to hear his reply,

"Let's just say...you need to be ridden off, or else we won't be able to rule over the liminals as well as the humans."

"Vex...you can't kill her." Sei interrupted, "Or else, Regina will have your head." I started to look for chance to get rid off them. But I hurt myself by bumping to tree earlier and it was really painful. Yet I tried to get myself ready to dash off quickly. That bug and that slime were not supposed to be fast as me.

"Tch! Just because that arachne bitch is an immortal, doesn't mean that she can do anything she wants!"

"Actually it does. Did you forget already that she is a demon arachne? She'll rip every piece of them whoever gets in the way of her plan. She won't even consider about Rook, and you're out of question-..."

I made proper use of the chance as I quickly dashed but kept their conversation in my mind. The pain in my body was now really hurting and I became slower after running a while. But perhaps, the almighty spirit (God) finally wanted to teach me a lesson for life. That's how, I got myself found by...two more arthropod liminals. While still dashing, I looked back for a moment to see if Sei or Vex was in view, then I was hit by something in front of me. I fell down on the ground with another massive pain. After groaning, I looked up to see a young liminal boy with wings and lower-half like wasp and a pretty girl with large blue butterfly wings which actually knocked me out there. If it was another time, these creatures would be no match for me. But my body pain stopped me from fighting. They grabbed my hands from both sides and started to flight to somewhere. In a while, I saw that beetle and the slime again, but now with a new creature...A giant brown wolf male it was. Wait, he was not a liminal wolf because he had no feature like human except for his clothing and standing on two legs. He rather looked like anthropomorphic...just like the Mobians. I radically wondered but my thoughts broke by,

"Good thing that I followed you idiots here with Jess and Nancy." The wolf said in a deep voice to Vex and Sei. "Or else, we could never have caught her again."

"Sorry, Rook." Both Vex and Sei apologized.

"Now let's take her to Regina." The wolf whose name was probably Rook, smirked. "I would love to see my spidey's face when she sees this little princess."

"So...boss doesn't know anything yet, does she?" Sei said.

"No, I wanted to give her a surprise. That's why I didn't tell her that I tracked down that hedgehog queen and her daughter."

I really did not pay attention to their conversation now, my body was being numb in pain and I was unable to fight back. I thought to escape later from wherever they were taking me. But it is for sure that, they have a boss who wants to kill me. So, an uncertainty came over me about that when I would get to see my mother and friends again, or if I ever would see them after this...

"Anyway, Jess, Nancy... grab and take her to the base. We'll be following." Being ordered by Rook, the wasp and the butterfly started to fly with me. But...

"Not so fast, babe!"

That voice seemed familiar... I suddenly heard a spinning noise which pretty much sounded like my own whirlpool dash spin move.

The wasp and the butterfly were knocked hard as a large green-black spinning ball like thing appeared from nowhere and hit them in a super fast speed. Since both of my captors were knocked out, I began to fall and braced myself to get hurt once again. But I was startled by Rook's voice.

"What?!...NO! Sei, you said that they were not gonna work together!" The wolf yelled at the liminal slime.

"Rook, I swear I heard the princess insulting them because she did not want to deal with them!"

"Watch out, you too!" Vex yelled, before I saw two more balls, a blue and a black-red, coming over to them.

Meanwhile, I realized that the pain I was expecting from falling on the ground, never came. Because I was still falling in...an awfully slow motion. I noticed a cyan glow around me which seemed to be some kind of power. Finally, I felt myself being caught by arms of something. By that time, a fear came over me to think if there were more insects or evil liminals who were after my life. I closed my eyes and cringed,

"Don't kill me, please! I didn't do anything to you!"

"You're safe now, Princess."

My eyes shot open to see the creature that was beyond my expectation at that time.

"YOU...!"

Half an hour earlier:

General P.O.V:

"If you would like, you can dismiss yourselves from this program and return to your own planet."

The half hedgehog queen of the liminals was literally upset, as her attempt was just failed. She did not think that her daughter had been being furious inside. As for the Mobians, Sonic never thought that someone who was not an evil, would hate him and his fellows for saving the people of the earth. But he realized that he could not blame her though.

"I'm sorry to know what you've been put through because of us." He said to Lilith. "Your daughter has reasons to get angry. We still are willing to attend this program but I'm not sure about the princess."

"To be honest, I really needed you all to stay with my daughter." She replied, "But looks like we've to take care of that ourselves."

The centaur or horse liminal Zord walked up to Rouge, "Miss, could you please get the officers out for a while? Her Majesty might have something to say in private." As per his request, the bat escorted the humans out of the room before she came back. Then there were the two liminals and the five Mobians.

"Your Majesty, I think you should tell them the truth now." Zord said, "The actual reason for you wanted them to stay with our princess."

The trio of heroes were now really surprised, but Scourge and Rouge already figured that something was fishy behind this inter-species program, or at least regarding the princess. They all anticipated for what the liminal hedgehog queen had to say.

"I don't know how much you all have been informed about us, but my daughter Sierra is not like me or any average liminal. Her father Crimson was a guardian demon who chose to protect us instead of living in hell. He used to possess a ruby which was very special not because for value but for its power. He once lost it, or rather it was stolen, but he did not care because the ruby used to emit negative energy which only Crimson could control it. Later, he knew that the ruby had been used by a few users who committed evil doings in here as well as other worlds. So, he managed to retrieve the ruby back but did not use it anymore which made him vulnerable. Crimson knew this would risk his as well as everyone's lives. When I conceived Sierra, he explained me everything and escorted me to live somewhere else without anyone knowing. But he went back to our kingdom to avoid any suspicion. Finally, on the day our daughter was born, Crimson came back for one last time with Zord." Lilith started to tear up again, while talking.

The Mobians also became a bit sad while listening about Sierra's father, as they did not expect to hear anything like this. There was a silence before the queen wiped her eyes,

"Before he left finally, Crimson sealed the ruby inside Sierra, so that no one could never ever find or use it. He had been planning this since I became pregnant that's why he did not want anyone to know that he was being a father. Crimson asked us to keep Sierra always safe until she properly learnt to use and control the negative energy from the ruby that is sealed within her."

"May I know who killed your husband?" Shadow asked. He had some thoughts within himself.

"A strong rebel used to lead the evil liminals in our kingdom back then." Zord answered. "Her name is Regina, she is an arachne, which is a liminal from spider species. She wanted to have the ruby to become powerful and to rule over not only the liminals, but also the humans and other worlds. In order to defeat our king, she gathered the insect liminals under her wings and formed a team named 'Rebel Riders'. And as insects can breed and populate themselves in a very quick rate, it only took few years for Rebel Riders to outnumber other kind of liminals. King Crimson realized it very well that Rebel Riders would revolt and destroy the kingdom anytime, that's why he escorted me to the queen before that. A week later, I went back alone to the kingdom to find complete destruction and no sign of the king, nor anyone from Rebel Riders. But, a few wounded and runaway liminals were there, to whom I knew that the king was killed by Regina and his body disappeared in rays. Rebel Riders searched for the queen and me but failing, they left to search somewhere else. So, I gathered those liminals and came back to the queen. When the princess was a toddler, queen Lilith managed to build a new kingdom in a secret island faraway from any kind of society. And we never revealed about our kingdom and our princess whenever we were outside. That's why, during our interaction with the humans, people only knew about the queen. And they know the girl who rescued the mermaid last year, was just another liminal, not the princess."

The anthropes listened everything carefully...and understood why the strongest Mobians were invited by the queen of Liminals to join this program.

"So, does that mean that you wanted us to-..." Again because of his silly nature, Silver was about to state the obvious. But before he could do that,

"Madam Lilith!" The lamia returned interrupting, she had an horrified look on her face.

"Ceska, what's wrong?!" Lilith worriedly asked. "Has something happened?"

"I-I was following Sierra and she went ahead too fast. But when I entered the main entrance, I noticed something in the fountain. I saw a slime girl coming out from it. First I thought she was here attend to the exchange program, but then I realized that was not possible. So, I stopped and silently watched what she would do. I saw her calling someone over phone...she was giving information about Sierra and talking about kidnapping her! I am slow to move so I came back to tell you."

"...No way!" Lilith choked and sat down in horror, "All this years...I tried to protect my daughter by hiding her existence! How did Regina find out...?!"

"Your Majesty, pardon but I think, right now we have to look for princess urgently!" Zord tried to keep her steady.

"I saw Sierra going straight." Ceska assumed. "So, she must be going at the forest of the hill over there if she goes to one direction."

"Alright. Let's go then." Lilith said, before she and Ceska rode on Zord's back. When they were about to leave, they looked back to the Mobians, as they heard,

"We'll be coming with you."

Later:

Sierra's P.O.V:

"YOU...!"

Despite the pain, I was dumbstruck to find myself in the arms of an anthropomorphic hedgehog from planet Mobius, whose name was same as his fur color.

"Yeap, it's me..." Silver grinned, which made me want to change his name officially into Crown-headed Clown.

"What're you doing here now?" I tried to keep an unfazed look.

"It doesn't matter, right now the important thing to do is to make up with your mother." He put me down.

"Mom...?"

"Sierra!" I saw the Mobian bat, my centaur guard with my mother and my snake friend of his back. They got off from him before my mother ran to me.

"Sierra, my baby...! Are you okay?!" This was one of those very few times when I saw my mother sobbing. I replied by hugging her, and assuring,

"Yes, I am alright, don't worry. I just got myself hurt by hitting against a tree. Or else, I would've taken care of those morons myself. You know that."

"See...you're not invincible!" Ceska unlikely grumbled crossing her arms, "Get that into your dumb head before running away alone like that next time!"

"Sorry, Cesk." I hugged her too. "This won't happen again. But please don't tell anything to Phel now." Then turning to other way, I noticed that liminal slime Sei was not there who probably had fled away at first. Only the anthropomorphic wolf Rook was fighting the blue ball, before he made an attempt to run away when the other two balls joined after knocking out the beetle man Vex, the wasp boy Jess and the butterfly girl Nancy. Now I did not need anyone to clarify, what actually those 'balls' were.

Did they just save me...?!

Finally the evil liminals managed to escape, or rather those three hedgies let them go. When they were done, I really had trouble to face them.

"Thank you very much for saving my daughter's life." My mother was immensely grateful. I could tell she was now satisfied to think that bringing those Mobian hedgehogs to stay with me was a perfect decision. I felt ashamed as I figured out something from the evil liminals and that wolf's conversation.

"But someone made a blunder a while ago...who I think, should say something now." Ceska made a snarky comment, with that I found all the eyes staring at me. I hugged my mother again,

"I'm so sorry for telling you those, mom. I totally forgot that my life was in risk. So now I understand why you invited those Mobians. Is that why you wanted to frame me as a threat in outside, so that no one suspects me as princess?"

"Yes, honey." Mom patted me, "I should've told you in the first place that, but I guess it's useless now. Regina and her team Rebel Riders, seem to know that Crimson's child exists and possesses his ruby. Now they won't stop anymore from getting you. This is what for I've been always scared. Since, these Mobian hedgehogs rescued you, so I hope you wouldn't mind them now." She pointed to the four.

"Ow ow...it hurts a lot." I acted to be pained for avoiding. "I need some urgent medical treatment."

"Sierra... maybe your body hurts, but not your mouth." My mother furrowed her brows as she caught me pretending, "So, stop this naught and apologize right now."

"Fine, fine." I sighed before going to the four hedgehogs, "Okay listen. Look, whatever I said back then, was not personal...I mean, I didn't mean it to be personal. I just messed up because of misunderstanding. So...sorry if that hurt. And thanks for saving me."

"So...does that mean, we're staying?" Scourge eagerly asked.

"...No." I replied taking a pause.

"Ehh?! Why...?" Everyone reacted except for the dark hedgehog named Shadow, who was gazing me with an unreadable look for a while.

"Is Regina the arachne you mentioned that have been being our nemesis for decades?" I asked Zord instead.

"Yes, my princess."

"And...was she the one who killed my father? Were they evil liminals from her team who're responsible to kill humans for putting the blame on us?"

The horse looked down. "That's what I heard from others who witnessed. And yes, Rebel Riders don't have any problem to kill anyone."

"Okay...in that case," I took a long breath, "I'll have to take down Rebel Riders. Since, they're after me so...they won't hesitate to hurt any of you or others in our realm."

"What?!"

"Why...? I'm now surprised to know how you guys let it go on all this time?!" Now I was kinda annoyed to see my people's reaction, "Just because to protect me...?! Yes, I never faced a real fight, but does that really make me weak?!"

"That's not only about that, Sierra." My mom replied, "I have no doubts on your abilities but you're not ready yet. Right now, you're not that strong enough to defeat Regina. You need to learn and work for controlling the ruby inside you...so that you can use it to defeat them."

"That I understand, but...we don't need to involve them for this!" I pointed the Mobians before turning back to them,

"Look smart hedgehogs from Mobius, don't get me wrong. I just saw how strong you're, and maybe I'm nothing comparing to any of you yet. But...this is about avenging my father, protecting my mother, friends and people. I don't want anyone else to get in the way or to get themselves into risk because of my issues. And since you saved me once, I certainly won't want to involve any of you here. Besides, from whatever I heard about you guys, thousands of people have their expectations from you...why would you waste your time for one person, huh? So, thank you very much for taking all the trouble for us but you don't need to bother anymore...this is not happening. I believe that I'm capable to take care of my problems myself."

With that, I turned my heels to leave with my people. But stopped as I heard,

"You're still mad about it, ain't you?...That us aliens had become heroes in your planet, where you were supposed to be."

The blue hedgehog now seemed to get my point that I confronted earlier about, but I was not going soft on him easily. So I said coldly,

General P.O.V:

"You didn't hear a thing I just said now, did you?"

Despite she said making an indifferent face, Sonic heard...every word of her. Maybe she really did not want him and his friends to get into her problems, as a gratitude for rescuing her. But that did not mean that she immediately erased all the grudges that she held against him...yes, him. Sonic could tell that among the four, she disliked him most. After all...two egoists with high attitudes, have barely any tolerance of each other's bragging. His thoughts broke by,

"You're right, Princess." Silver was the one who spoke up now, "All the demons we defeated previously, were threats for every kind of creatures in the entire galaxy. But, we achieved our compassion and power by helping little animals at the beginning. Every big thing has small starting. I'm also sure that you're strong enough, yet clearly you need more strong people for you and your familiars. And it's your life which is at stake right now. So, if we don't stay at your side to fight along with you, if we don't try to save a life like yours...we'll never be able to save a single life in future. So I'm willing to stay for your protection until the threats are gone for good."

The liminal hog princess awfully stared the silver-furred Mobian hedgehog male. Didn't she just name him as a clown or something?

"Well princess, you can't have that 'compliment' for me...as I'm the outcast here." Scourge carelessly said while dusting the dirt off his jacket. "In fact, if it wasn't for this exchange program, I would've been getting beaten at No Zone at this time. Me staying here and keeping you out of danger, will benefit both of us. You realized that those evil bugs were actually no joke, didn't you? So just like Potleaf-head said, you need a number of expert people in fighting, and I'm certainly one of that and don't want to go back at that hellhole. So, take me as a business, sweet cheeks."

"Now, that sounds something convincing. Because, you cleared your deal here." She retorted, "But you know what, you just made yourself a jerk comparing to them."

"Good...I feel honored now." Despite he said that, she could tell he was hurt. The other three had some achievements to prove themselves worth to protect people, this green one was empty-handed with only bad markings...just like herself. Thus, he was the only one whose situation was kinda similar to her own.

"Queen Lilith," Finally Shadow spoke up after a long, "I remember you said the ruby emitted negative energy, right?"

"Yes...this is the reason for all. That's why, I've restricted Sierra from many things so that she accidentally never loses control on her."

"And...instead of red, the ruby contains magenta color, right?"

"Yes, it is-...Wait! How did you know that?!" Lilith as well as her daughter and others were surprised now.

"Let's just say...not only Regina or any evil liminal, but also others will be coming after your daughter." The ebony hedgehog remarked, "The thing she is carrying, is one of the most powerful gem ever and can be used only by the evil ones. So, there's high possibility that your daughter would destroy every single thing."

"But Crimson was capable to handle that, I believe that Sierra also-..."

"Mom, keep quiet for a while." The girl finally spoke up, "And you, I'm not deaf and dumb, okay? I'm the problematic one here. So, talk to me." She stood right in front of Shadow, looking directly at him.

"Wait a second, what're you talking about, Shadow?" Sonic also impatiently asked.

"Here's the news..." The black hedgehog finally stated clearly, "...It's the 'Phantom Ruby' that we're talking about."

"WHAT THE...?! You-you can't be serious, Shades!" The blue hedgehog was in utter horror, as he faced it himself.

"Believing is your choice, but it's the scenario. There could be no other reason for disappearance of Phantom Ruby."

"But it was gone about one and a half years ago. How could she carry that?!"

"It was lost exactly 15 Mobian months ago...from Mobius."

Now Sonic had nothing to argue. A Mobian month equals to an earth year. Which meant when the ruby was gone from Mobius to the Earth, it was 15 years ago on the earth.

"Hey, you guys are talking as if this ruby is more powerful than an anarchy beryl or chaos emerald." Scourge muttered.

Silver gave him a look, "It's capable to outclass Master emerald...or any kind of power source that you could think of." Hearing that, the green hedgehog gulped. "We won't be able to go super form if we're around her."

"Then it's your choice." The hog princess smirked, "...whether you'll stay with me without using your power to risk yourselves, or you'll happily go back to your celebrity life full of powerful gems."

"I don't like the look on your face, Sier." Ceska irritably said.

"And that's exactly why, I won't be leaving you alone now." Shadow sternly said, "Besides, I'm the ultimate life form, so nothing can happen to me."

The liminals gave each other confusing looks. "Say what...?"

"I'm a hedgehog created in lab."

"Are you...an android or something?" The princess asked.

"Androids aren't organic, are they? So, I'm not an android." The Mobian replied. "That's why, even if I have to deal with you empty-handed...So be it."

She stared him...wondering if this was the only reason for him deciding to stay. She turned to the other hedgehogs,

"What about you guys? Changed your mind after knowing that you can't use your whole power around me?"

"Our deal is already sealed, Princess hedgy girl." Scourge prompted within seconds.

"Right." Silver confidently nodded after a pause, "My decision won't change either."

Sonic was silent to think something. Now, he could go back to his friends at Mobius without worrying, since three hedgehogs were up for that so it was not necessary for him to stay.

"Then you're most welcome to return to your home so that you can keep using those powerful emeralds of yours to fight thousands of demons and save million of people." Noting his silence as his unwilling to stay, the egoist princess made it cleared that the blue hedgehog was not needed for her either.

"You didn't have to say like that, Sierra." Queen Lilith again started to get annoyed by her daughter's rudeness.

"Like what, mom? I just welcomed him to do what he actually wishes-..."

"I'm staying."

"What the...?!" Both mother and daughter liminal turned to hear the awfully cold voice of the blue Mobian.

"Since I am here to attend the inter-species program," Sonic closed his eyes crossing his arms, "I'll do what I came to do."

"Suit yourself, then." He heard an equally cold reply, "I guess, I should maintain the formalities now. I'm Sierra Star, a hog girl and the princess of the liminal beings." She let out a fake wide smile, while gritting her teeth, "Hope, we'll get along very well."

"So...that's where the phantom ruby is now."

The oddly fat human, who was an incredibly genius scientist, rubbed his chin on his transporter 'Egg Mobile'. He was accompanied by three of his robots, Orbot and Cubot in the Egg Mobile and a floating Metal Sonic. Ivo Eggman Robotnik was particularly closest with these three robots since he created them with the best AI ever possible, by which the said robots achieved their own unique personality, thinking abilities and independent willpower...just like humans. But Metal Sonic was in another level, as recently, he had been upgraded with feeling ability. Eggman replaced his cold and dark personality with outgoing and cool personality...just like his organic counterpart, Sonic. They all were observing and eavesdropping the liminals and the Mobians from a safe side.

"But boss, are you going to kill the girl? The ruby can't be retrieved until she's dead." The smarter among the two worker robots, Orbot asked.

"No, he's not that type, right boss?" Comparably sillier personalized Cubot replied.

"For once, I agree with Cubot." Eggman nodded, "She is a lovely little girl. I can't bring myself to kill her. But even if I don't, her life is still in danger. Those four hedgehogs cannot keep protecting her for long. Because they're in risk themselves as they can't use any chaos emerald around phantom ruby."

"I'll watch her."

"Eh...Metal Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog robot did not turn away his eyes from the liminal hedgehog girl, "I'm a user of phantom ruby, so I don't have any problem to use chaos emeralds. I'll sneak in and take the girl away from those hedgehogs so that we can use her to conquer your dream. How does that sound, Ivo?"

"Hmm..." The scientist thought about his best robot's idea, "Sounds actually great. But..." Something crossed his mind, "Why do you want to guard her, Metal?"

The robot paused for a second before replying, "Because, this time I'll win over Sonic. Fighting and defending are completely different. And Sonic may be a good fighter but he's definitely not the type who would protect someone sitting away from his friends that he's obsessed with. You get my point, don't you?"

"Right...how can I forget that you're still on target to defeat that blue hedgehog?" Eggman shrugged before looking back to his enemies, "Anyway, we should go back to Death Egg or they might notice us if we stay here for long."

"I want to follow them..." The blue bot said, "To track down where they'll be living."

"Fine. Just don't be late to return."

"Later, Ivo." With that, Metal Sonic flew away after the hedgehogs.

"Metal Sonic's idea is impressive, isn't it?" Eggman said to his other two robots, "Looks like the upgraded personality created more brilliance in him."

"Also..." Orbot monotonously retorted, "...Awakened some romance along with that..."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading. The main antagonists/villains will also be OCs along with some Sonic villains. So, here is the information about one of the two main villains. The second villain will appear soon.

Main Antagonist 1:

Regina

Race: Arachne/Liminal spider (Upper half like human, lower-half like dark spider)

Hair: Dark purple

Eyes: Eight pupil-less red eyes

Subordinates: Sei (slime), Vex (beetle), Jess (wasp), Nancy (butterfly) and other evil liminals

Alignment: Evil

Love interest: Rook the Wolf (Mobian)

Gang: Rebel Riders