Chapter 3 - The Alpha World

"What do you mean!? You! You built the dimensional leap machine, you sent me here!" Thorn shouts.

"I wasn't the one who sent you here. According to my theories, Beta-182 shouldn't even exist. It could have been another version of me, but it seems unlikely."

"It was you, I swear it."

"Look, you aren't getting anywhere with this. I have no clue who you are. Yes, I invented the dimensional leap machine, but I only used it to send myself here, and no one else."

"I'm sorry, it's just all so hard to believe. I've found you, this person I've known for years, but you don't even recognize me."

Nobody says anything for a few moments.

"Thorn, that was your name, right? Being that you're from Beta-182 and have come here, that must mean that your dimension was destroyed as mine was."

"Yeah. I came here in hopes that someone could help me save my world." Thorn pauses, then asks "Maybe... we could work together?"

Rayl thinks for a bit, then sighs, "I'm sorry, kid. I don't know how I could possibly help you."

"But why?"

"I'm here to complete a mission; to save my universe. Thorn, do you know what dimension we are in right now?"

"No… nobody here even knows about the existence of other dimensions, let alone which one they're in."

"Well, I do. The dimensional leap machine knows."

That's right! That's how the Rayl from Beta-182 was able to figure out what universe she and Thorn are from in the first place; the machine had the miraculous ability to determine its current dimension.

"Currently, we are in Alpha-267. If my theories are correct, then that means we're in my universe's past. I am here to stop the war from ever happening in the first place. If I can pull this off, then my world should be safe."

"So that's why you can't help me," Thorn realizes, "if you stop the war from ever happening in the Alpha timeline, that won't affect the Beta timeline at all."

"Correct. If you help me with my mission and we succeed, though, then maybe I wouldn't be opposed to trying to figure out a way to reach your Beta timeline. Then, we could go through the same process and save your world as well."

"It's a deal."

"If you don't mind me interrupting," Tails says, "I think Sonic and I could stand to help as well. If it's our future you plan to save, then that affects us all, doesn't it Sonic?"

"I guess so, Tails. It's settled then!" Sonic agrees.

"So, what is it that we must do, Rayl? Do you know the steps that we need to take in order to save the Alpha timeline?"

"I believe I know exactly what we have to do," Rayl nods, "We need to stop the King and Queen from being assassinated three days from now."

"No way," Sonic exclaims, "King Roland and Queen Alice are going to be assassinated?"

"Yes. It is foretold that their future son would become the one to save the universe. Unfortunately, their deaths in my universe meant that this prophecy could not come to fruition."

"I see." Thorn finally begins to feel as if he has a grasp on the situation at hand. "How are they going to be killed?"

"If I'm remembering correctly, it was poison," Rayl explains, "I think something in their food or drink ended up taking them out."

"A bit harder to detect than your average murder," Thorn figured.

"Yes, but we don't need to figure out who did it. We just need to make sure that the food doesn't get to them."

"Interesting," Tails remarks, "how can we do that?"

"It's getting late now. I'll tell you all what I've come up with in the morning."

"Fair enough," Sonic says, "so are we crashing here for the night, or…"

"Oh, yes!" Amy says, after being out of it for quite a while. "You can all stay here, I don't mind."

Later that night, Thorn realizes he can't sleep despite being extremely fatigued since arriving in Alpha-267. He decides to get up and go for a walk to clear his head. On his way out of the house, he notices Rayl sitting on the front porch, looking to the stars.

"Rayl?"

"Huh?" Rayl turns. "Oh. You do remember that I don't know you, right? I'm not the same Rayl you-"

"Yeah," Thorn interrupts, "I know. I was wondering if we could talk."

"You know it's improper to interrupt a lady."

"I learned it from you," he replies, flashing a smile.

For the first time in what seems like forever, Rayl smiles too.

"It's so weird," Rayl observes, "talking to somebody who knows so much about you, yet who you've never met before."

"You think that's weird? Try knowing someone your whole life and finding out they didn't even know you existed until today."

"That must be hard, truly."

"I suppose so, but just having you here makes it all right."

Neither of them knows what to say after that. Nothing can be heard but the loud chirping of crickets for at least a couple minutes. After a while, Thorn is able to muster up the courage to speak again. "What did you mean earlier… you know, when you spoke of how my dimension shouldn't exist?"

"Right. I have discovered that if a Beta timeline were to exist, it would have to have diverged off the Alpha timeline. The only way that can happen as far as I know, is if somehow, some event was to have multiple outcomes at once."

"But that doesn't even make sense."

"You're right, it doesn't, which is why I didn't think a Beta timeline could even exist. And yet, you stand here before me."

"You're amazingly smart, Rayl, but nobody can understand everything. Don't worry about it now, I'm sure you'll have answers some day."

"Yeah…"

"Well, I think I should really get to bed. We have a lot of work to do in these next few days, I'm sure."

"Right. You go. I think I'll stay out here for a little while longer."

"Mmm." Thorn withdraws to the house.

"Oh, Thorn?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for speaking with me. I've never really had someone to talk to like this before."

Just then, it hit him. Thorn is the only person Rayl had ever truly gotten close to. In a world where he never exists, Rayl would have nobody. All the hardships that they went through together, she had to endure alone.

He figures he has to say one last thing before going back to sleep.

"You really are amazing, Rayl."

Rayl doesn't know how to take that. She stays awake for quite a bit longer, continuing to stare at the stars above. Simple moments like these are something she always wished she could have experienced in her own world. Eventually, she is lulled to sleep by the ambient sounds of nature.