Onboard the Grand Egg-Imperium, Dr. Robotnik was making repairs on Metal Sonic after seeing the damages Sonic and the other two hedgehogs dealt to him.
"Curse that hedgehog," He fumed. "He wouldn't know outstanding technology if it punched him in the face. You did punch him in the face, didn't you?" Metal Sonic gave a thumbs up. "Attaboy."
"What are we gonna do now, Uncle Ivo?" Eggatha questioned, sitting on a stool as she idly kicked her feet. "We don't have the queen, and with three hedgehogs, nothing we have on hand can stop them."
"Believe me, I know. We have got to find some way to level the playing field. I won't let that meddlesome hedgehog beat me again."
"Say what you will about Dr. Robotnik," Orbot commented off to the side. "He never admits defeat."
"Yeah," Cubot agreed. "Especially when he loses."
"We haven't lost yet," Stone insisted. "After all, the Queen can't exactly leave Soleanna. She loves this country too much."
Suddenly Robotnik perked up, shooting up a pointed finger as he did. "Stone?"
"Yes sir?" Stone replied, turning to him as Robotnik turned around.
"You may have accidentally stumbled across the inklings of a good idea."
"Good enough for the yes-man pool?"
Robotnik pointed at him. "Don't push it. Now, set course for Soleanna. We have an announcement to make!"
…
At the summer cottage, Elise went upstairs to compose herself as Sonic rejoined the others, having heard the details about the Solaris Project.
"And then we returned to the present," Silver concluded.
"Incredible," Blaze commented.
"That's one way of putting it," Amy replied.
"At least we know how Iblis and Mephiles came to exist," Rouge commented.
"And how he was sealed away," Shadow added. "And if he was sealed in the scepter once…"
"He could be sealed again!" Hope concluded in excitement.
"But the scepter was destroyed," Chessie reminded.
Shadow paused for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Topaz, do we still have the files Mr. Stewart was able to get off of Stones' computer?"
"We should, yeah," Topaz confirmed.
"I need all of them. Specifically what metals and components the original Scepter of Darkness was made from."
"Shouldn't be too hard to find a metalsmith to make the thing for us," Rouge added. "I'll ask around."
"In the meantime, Omega," Chessie spoke up. "We need you to go on Mephiles hunt. Get a fix on the guy and report back to us as soon as you find him."
"Acknowledged," Omega responded. "New mission objective, locate Mephiles."
Omega quickly took off, the rest of Team Dark following close behind. Shadow, however, held back for a moment.
"Sonic," he let out, throwing him his Chaos Emerald. "It should be safer with you."
"Right," Sonic agreed. "Good luck."
Shadow nodded before heading off, leaving the others to plan their next move.
"Guess they got that handled," Sonic noted.
"Now what?" Keith wondered.
"Now…" Silver spoke up. "I think it's time for us to go back."
Blaze perked up at that. "Silver?"
"I know how we can stop Iblis for good. Without changing the past."
"Are you sure?" Amy asked. "You were pretty deadset on this."
"I'm sure. This will work. I'm sure of it."
"Might not be a bad idea," Sonic conceded. "If something goes wrong here, we could use a plan B just in case."
"Whatever happens, I have faith in you, Sonic." Silver held out a fist, giving him a warm smile. "Thanks, for giving me hope again."
Sonic smirked, giving him a fist bump in return. "Just save your world and we'll call it even."
Silver nodded as the two hedgehogs held up their Chaos Emeralds. They both focused on the future time before snapping their eyes open.
"Chaos Control!" they both said at the same time.
The combined energies opened a portal above them as Silver handed Sonic the Chaos Emerald.
"The Chaos Emeralds are on Onyx Island in a secret passageway in the side of the mountain," Sonic informed him, making Silver blink in surprise. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they're there."
"Alright," Silver replied. "Thanks again."
Sonic nodded as Silver and Blaze made their way to the portal. They both leaped through just as the portal closed behind them.
"Think they can save the future?" Keith asked.
"I'm counting on it," Sonic replied.
…
In the future Crisis City, Professor Schlemmer was going over some equipment in his lab. Just then, a portal opened up behind him, catching him by surprise.
"Vhat in the world?"
Just then, Silver and Blaze leaped through the portal, landing in front of him.
"Silver? Blaze? You're back!" Schlemmer let out.
"Good to see you again, Professor," Silver replied as the portal closed.
"Has Iblis been spotted recently?" Blaze inquired.
The professor blinked. "Uh… no, not recently."
"Good," Silver responded. "Then we still have time. Let's go!"
Blaze nodded as the two rushed off. Professor Schlemmer just sat there silently as they went off.
"Uh… nice talking to you."
…
Back in the present, Sonic and the others took the time to discuss their next course of action.
"So… if Solaris is the key to forging the worlds together," Kat pondered. "How do we merge Mobius and Earth without it?"
Knuckles gave her a sad look. "We don't…"
Kat gave him a look. "What?"
"I hate to say it…" Tails lamented, "but Knuckles is right. With Iblis still inside Elise, there's no way to remove it without causing her to unleash the monster on Earth. And even if there was, the chances of hurting Elise are too great.
"So… we're right back where we started," Keith realized.
"I'm afraid so," Chuck replied. "Our only chance to save our worlds…" he looked up at Sonic. "Is for you all to return to your world."
The blue hedgehog remained silent, looking away as his fists clenched. His silence spoke volumes of the pain he was in. "You're right… but first, we need to stop Eggman. If he tries to unleash the Flames of Disaster it's gonna be game over for all of us."
"We'll stop him, Sonic," Keith reassured. "No matter what it takes."
"Yeah," Kat agreed, releasing a breath. "One last adventure to save the world."
…
Out in the city, Omega was surveying the area, looking for any sign of Mephiles.
"No sign of target," Omega lamented. "Increasing power to sensors and widening scanning range."
Omega's eyes flashed as if he was gazing out to a wide range of vision. After a few seconds, something seemed to click for Omega.
"Target sighted. Moving to pursue."
Omega then took off, leaving a massive cloud of smoke behind him.
…
Meanwhile, the rest of Team Dark managed to collect the materials they needed and were bringing them to a local metalsmith Rouge had found.
"You're sure this guy will make the Scepter the way we need it?" Chessie asked.
"Trust me," Rouge reassured. "This guy is the best craftsman in all of Soleanna. If anyone can get what we need, it's him."
"I'm just glad we were able to get everything we needed," Hope commented. "Some of these things were pretty tricky to find."
Rouge smirked, looking more than a little smug. "There's a reason I'm on the team, kid."
"It certainly wasn't your sense of humility," Shadow remarked.
Rouge just rolled her eyes as they walked inside. The man inside was working on a forge when he saw the group walking up to him.
"Hello," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"We have a job for you," Topaz replied, pulling out a picture of the Scepter of Darkness. "We need you to recreate this artifact to the exact specifications listed."
"It's of the highest urgency," Shadow informed.
"And we'll be sure to properly compensate for a speedy delivery," Hope added. "The sooner the better, so long as the quality is assured."
"Quality, you can count on," the man replied. "Give me a few hours and you'll have your order."
"Alright," Chessie responded, turning to the others. "For now, I say we follow up with Omega. See if he's found anything."
"Hope, do you mind staying here to wait for the Sceptre?" Shadow asked. "I want to make sure it's in safe hands the moment it's ready."
Hope smiled, easily reading between the lines. He didn't want Mephiles using her as a hostage again. "Not a problem. I'll call you as soon as I have it."
Shadow nodded before turning to the others. "Let's get moving."
…
Back in the future, Silver carried himself and Blaze across the lava ocean toward Onyx Island, both of them touching down near the old Master Emerald shrine.
"Alright," Silver let out. "Sonic said that the secret passage was on the side of the mountain.
Blaze nodded as the two ran up to the mountain. The looked along the side of it for anything that could resemble a hidden passage until Blaze caught sight of a stone that looked out of place. She pressed a hand against it, opening the secret passage. She and Silver rushed inside, looking along the walls for any sign of the Chaos Emeralds. As they ran along, Blaze suddenly slowed her pace, spotting something embedded in the cave wall.
"Silver, over here," Blaze called out.
Silver quickly ran over and saw some kind of compartment carved into the rock. Blaze used her fire powers to carve out the compartment so Silver could use his psychokinesis to pull it out.
Once it was out of the wall, Blaze grabbed hold of it and opened it up, revealing the seven Chaos Emeralds inside.
"Here they are," she realized. "Just like Sonic said."
"This is our chance," Silver realized. "To save the world and end Iblis forever."
Just then, there was a low rumbling that shook the island, startling the two.
"It's him…" Blaze realized. "I sense his flames."
"Then we don't have much time," Silver responded. "Come on, let's save the world!"
…
Back in the present, Mephiles was out on the beaches of Soleanna, stopping for a second to kneel in the sand. He brushed some sand away, revealing the red Chaos Emerald buried beneath. He chuckled to himself as he picked it up.
"How fortuitous. Wouldn't you say so… Omega?"
Mephiles turned around to see the Goodnik towering over him, his weapons at the ready.
"Target acquired," Omega reported. "Opening fire on Mephiles."
Omega began blasting at Mephiles repeatedly, causing him to stagger back with every shot. However, none of the blasts seemed to do much damage to Mephiles himself, much to Omega's irritation.
"Having trouble, Omega?" Mephiles taunted. "I would hate to think you weren't giving me your best shot."
If Omega had proper eyes, he would've scowled at that remark. He quickly retracted his hands and extended his gatling guns, opening repeated fire on Mephiles. The fire was so intense it caused the creature to fall to one knee. To Omega's surprise, however, Mephiles just chuckled in response.
"There's the battle vigor," he commented. "The reason Robotnik created you. To stop Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform."
"This unit is no longer tied to that objective," Omega countered. "I have my own mission now."
"Oh, I know. You may have been programmed by Robotnik, but what you did to Shadow in the future… that was your choice."
Omega remained silent at that.
"What?" Mephiles remarked. "You didn't know? I'm surprised you never considered-"
Omega suddenly opened up two back panels, launching several missiles at Mephiles. The blasts knocked Mephiles to the ground. Mephiles didn't even bother trying to get up. He just cackled maniacally as he faded into the shadows, leaving Omega disoriented and conflicted. At that moment, the rest of Team Dark came running up to him.
"Omega, did you find Mephiles?" Chessie asked.
Omega remained silent, much to everyone's confusion.
"Omega?" Shadow inquired.
"Shadow," Omega spoke up, turning to face him. "Should this unit pose a threat to this team… you have authorization to terminate me."
"What?!" Topaz, Rouge, and Chessie let out.
"Why would I need to terminate you?" Shadow wondered.
"Because the one that defeats and seals you in the future…" Omega resumed. "Is me."
Shadow was shocked by that, turning away in disbelief. Chessie squinted at that, confused.
"How is that even possible? You were in complete stasis until your timer ran out…"
"Someone could've overwritten the stasis lock," Topaz pondered. "Considering the technology we saw in the future, it's not impossible."
"It's still not fair," Rouge chimed in. "Shadow's always been there to save the world. And despite that, people still…" she closed her eyes, not being able to find the words.
"Human nature," Omega spoke up. "When something or someone is seen as too powerful, humanity views it as a threat," he turned to Shadow, who was looking out at the ocean, "and then, the world becomes its enemy."
Chessie noted Shadow's disposition, walking over to him.
"You gonna be okay?" she asked.
Shadow just closed his eyes, unsure of how to answer. She just took one of his hands into her own, causing him to turn toward her. He looked down at her vest, remembering seeing it on his future self, and what Mephiles had said about her staying by him til the end.
"Look, no matter what Mephiles says, the future isn't set in stone," Chessie promised. "We can make a better future. For everyone."
"She's right," Rouge commented, walking up to them. "And even if the whole world does turn against you, just know you still have people willing to fight by your side. Just… remember that, okay?"
Shadow looked back at his team, seeing the reassuring looks on their faces. For a moment, this brought a small smile to his face.
"I will…"
…
Back in the future, Silver and Blaze made their way outside and up the side of the mountain. Once they were up there, they saw a pool of lava starting to bubble. After a few moments, the lava suddenly shot up, causing the two to cover their faces for a second. When they finally uncovered them, they were face to face with a new form of Iblis. This one towering over the previous form the two had faced, with only two arms and new rock-like armor that featured many spikes, as well as claw-like fingers that seemed ready to tear into the two heroes at a moment's notice. Iblis let out a roar of intimidation once he was fully formed, but Silver and Blaze just stood their ground.
"Come on, Iblis!" Silver challenged. "This time I'll finally stop you!"
Iblis let out another roar as he raised his hands, summoning several molten boulders into the air. He then shot his arms out, launching the boulders at the two heroes. Silver and Blaze quickly scattered to avoid the blasts, with Silver flying into the air and catching several of them with his powers. After a few seconds, Silver launched the boulders right back at Iblis, each one nailing Iblis dead on. Silver then grabbed some chunks of rock and lifted them into the air, allowing Blaze to leap from rock to rock so she could launch some fire blasts at Iblis, damaging his rocky armor. Iblis launched a hand out at Blaze, but she quickly leaped off just before it hit. Silver quickly launched forward, catching Blaze so she wouldn't fall into the lava. Seeing that the two had survived, Iblis launched several waves of flame energy out at them, forcing Silver to dodge and weave between the blasts.
"He doesn't let up," Silver admitted.
"Get me in close," Blaze told him. "I'll see if I can weaken him any."
Silver nodded as he flew in close to Iblis, dropping Blaze down on his head. Summoning all the fire energy she could muster, she focused it all right on top of Iblis' head, shattering his rock coverings and causing him to cry out in pain as Blaze was flung forward. Silver summoned several rock shards for her to land on as she hopped back down to the island, joining up with Silver.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes… thanks," she replied, smiling gratefully.
The two's moment was interrupted however when they heard another roar of fury coming from Iblis. The two turned to see the Iblis lumbering toward them, bringing his massive fists down on top of them. The two head in opposite directions to get away, but the impact knocks them both back, sending them tumbling across the ground. Silver slowly picked himself up off the ground, looking up to see Blaze laying on the ground as Iblis towered over her, a fist raised. Just as a fist came down, only for Silver to shoot a hand out, using his powers to stop the fist inches before it made contact.
"No!" Silver declared. "Not this time!"
Blaze managed to pick herself up, seeing the frozen fist, and turned to Silver.
"I'm not… losing anyone… anymore!" he cried out.
Blaze nodded before shooting several fire blasts at Iblis, disorienting the monster enough for Silver to send the fist right back into the monster's face, knocking him back. Silver then summoned several chunks of rock and hurled them at Iblis rapidly.
"You've taken your last life, monster!" Silver declared.
Iblis managed to stabilize himself, growling at Silver in a fury. Iblis reached his hands into the lava, pulling out a sizable amount that was forged into a giant fireball. Silver remained undaunted, simply hovering into the air and giving a "come at me" sign to Iblis. Letting out one final roar, Iblis lobbed the fireball toward Silver. The psychokinetic hedgehog remained stationary, holding out his hands as the fireball came closer and closer. Once it was close enough, he managed to grab it, but the strain caused him to move back slightly, making him grunt in pain. He remained steadfast, however, managing to hold the fireball back as he steeled himself.
"This ends… now!"
With one final thrust, he launched the fireball right back at Iblis. The fire blast hit the monster dead on, destabilizing his form as he began to sink back into the lava. Silver meanwhile dropped to the ground exhausted, with Blaze quickly running over to him.
"Silver! Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling to check on him.
"Yeah… Iblis?"
"He's down," Blaze reassured, helping him up. "But I don't know for how long."
"It'll be long enough. Trust me."
The two then looked back, seeing the primordial flame of Iblis beginning to form. Not wasting a moment, Silver pulled himself free from Blaze and walked forward, pulling out the purple and silver Chaos Emeralds as he approached the edge.
"Chaos Emeralds… lend me your power," the gems glowed brightly in response to Silver's command. "Eternal sun! The living flame that has been entrusted to the royal family! Fall into slumber with my soul, Iblis! You cursed Flames of Disaster!"
Silver held the Emeralds up high, waiting for the power to pass through him. Unfortunately, when the power of Iblis passed through the Emeralds, it only bounced off Silver striking him repeatedly and refusing to be contained.
"No!" Silver let out. "It's not working! Why won't it accept me as the vessel?!"
"I think…" Blaze spoke. "Because it was entrusted to the royal family, you need a royal soul to contain it."
"Then… it was all for nothing?"
Blaze paused for a second, then stepped forward, placing a hand on one of the Emeralds, much to his surprise.
"Blaze?" he let out.
"Let me try."
"But… you're not royal either."
"No, but my soul is already alit with flames," she explained, taking the Emeralds from him. "There's a chance I might be accepted."
The Emeralds glowed brightly in her hands. She held them out to the flames, causing them to pass through the Emeralds and into her body. Although contained within, flames still seemed to be emanating from her body, as if they were trying to escape.
"Is it working?" Silver asked.
"Yes… but barely," she replied, straining against the power. "We don't have much time. Use the Emeralds… to cause Chaos Control. Seal us in another dimension."
"What?! But… what about you? I can't do that to you!"
"Silver, we both knew there were risks," Blaze insisted, turning back to him. "We agreed to save the world at any price!"
"But… you're my friend," he responded, tears building in his eyes. "Maybe… the last one I have. We fought side by side to save the world. I… I don't know what I'd do without you…"
"Silver…" she replied, her voice sounding softer. "I wish I could say more… tell you more… but what I can say is… you are the most resilient and enduring person I've ever met… I know you'll keep up the fight, no matter what. You're too stubborn to lose hope. I know you'll stay strong."
Silver took in Blaze's words, wiping the tears from his eyes as he nodded. Summoning his power, he manipulated the remaining Chaos Emeralds, as well as the two in Blaze's hands, causing them to circle around her.
"We will see each other again," he spoke. "Right?"
Blaze chuckled a little. "You're still so naive. But… I always liked that about you."
Silver cracked a small smile, before readying himself for what he had to do.
"... Chaos Control!" he cried out.
With those final words, the Chaos Emeralds sparked with energy, creating a blast of white that slowly began encompassing Blaze.
"Good luck Silver!" she cried out before being completely consumed.
Silver winced at the bright light before him, slowly readjusting himself as the light died down. As he looked back, the Chaos Emeralds dropped to the ground, and Blaze was gone. Silver then looked back out into the city, seeing the lava hardening, the flames dying down, and the skies began clearing to show natural sunlight shining through once more. In the city, Professor Schlemmer and the soldiers came out of the bunker to see the fire and lava had disappeared, signifying that the evil they had been fighting against for years had finally been defeated. Cheers rang out from all present, happy for the chance at a new future before them.
Back on the island, Silver just looked down at the Chaos Emeralds in sorrow. The world he had long fought for and was willing to do whatever it took to bring about had come, but at the cost of his closest friend.
"Goodbye Blaze…" he spoke, looking up to the sky. "I'll never forget you."
…
Back at the Metalsmith shop, the Metalsmith finished putting the final touches on the order Team Dark had requested. As Hope sat at the counter, he came up with the finished product.
"Here you are," he announced, setting the Scepter down. "As requested. I gotta say, this is an unusual piece. May I ask what it's for?"
"You may, but I can't really say," Hope replied.
"Very well. Now, I believe I was promised ample compensation for the speed of completing this fine piece of work."
"Oh, right. Uh… I'm uh…"
"Here," Shadow's voice interjected, holding out a black credit card with the GUN logo. "This should suffice, right?"
"Lucky for you, yes," the Metalsmith confirmed. "One moment."
"Whoa, nice timing," Hope commended. "Did you find Mephiles?"
"He got away, unfortunately. But according to Omega, he's scouring the area for Chaos Emeralds. He must need all seven so he can join with Iblis again. Rouge is already looking for others in the area."
"Meaning we need to find them first."
"Exactly."
"Here you are," the Metalsmith replied, returning the card. "Have a good day."
"Oh, we'll definitely try," Hope replied, carrying the Scepter as they left.
As the two walked outside, a large ominous shadow suddenly swept over them. They looked up to find the source, only to see the Grand Egg-Imperium sailing over the city.
"Uncle Ivo…" Hope realized. "What's he up to now?"
"Whatever it is…" Shadow pulled Hope closer, "it can't be good."
…
Back at the summer cottage, Cream was resting on the couch with Cheese napping in her lap as Helen wheeled up.
"Hey, Cream," she said. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay," Cream replied, her face still down. "Did you hear what the others were talking about?"
"Yeah… about how you have to go home soon.
"I guess we would have to go back sometime… but I wish we could stay longer."
"Me too…" Helen turned to Cream, trying to smile for her friend. "But I'm still glad we got to be friends."
Cream smiled back in response. "Me too."
Spotting the TV remote, Helen picked it up and turned on the TV, hoping whatever was on would alleviate their situation. However, what they saw only made it worse.
"Mom!" Helen cried out.
"What is it, Sweetie?" Dr. Birnbaum asked, walking into the room and freezing at the sight of TV. "Everyone! In here, quick!"
Everyone piled into the room, seeing news footage of the Grand Egg-Imperium flying over the castle town
"Queen Elise," Robotnik proclaimed over the intercom. "Monarch of Soleanna. By refusing to negotiate with me, you have forced me to take drastic measures. I have it on good authority that you have chosen to abandon your palace in the city… I hope the staff has the day off."
"Oh no…" Amy let out, realizing what he meant. "Sonic, we have to-"
Just as she turned to him, Sonic had already dashed out the door, running as fast as he could toward the city.
…
At the palace, the staff and advisors saw the Grand Egg-Imperium hovering outside, prompting them to scramble to get out. Only a small handful managed to before Eggman fired his laser at the building. As the energy blast trailed across the sky, Sonic ran toward the building, moving at impossible speeds that made the entire world seem like it was standing still. He rushed inside, looking around to see if anyone was close by.
Spotting some people heading down the stairs, Sonic dashed forward, grabbing them one by one and carrying them out before heading back inside. He ran up the stairs to see if there was anyone else trying to escape, spying a pair of people running out of a room. He grabbed both of them and rushed outside Sonic quickly ran back in just as the laser connected with the castle. Sonic continued moving, seeing the cracks starting to form along the walls as he moved to the back part of the castle. The second he spotted some kitchen staff struggling to open the back door, he spin dashed through it, and ran back to grab them and carry them out.
With the staff moved to safety, Sonic ran back inside for anyone else. As he made his rounds around the castle, coming across a staircase to the lower levels. Sonic quickly ran down, seeing a barracks full of soldiers. He didn't waste a second rushing in and out, grabbing each soldier and carrying them out of the blast radius before rushing back inside. He searched every room in rapid succession as chunks of the palace rained down in slow motion. Sonic quickly leaped on top of one piece and leaped off several more before checking the last room, seeing a single handmaiden looking out a window as she was feeding a caged eagle. Sonic wasted no time scooping up the handmaiden and grabbed the cage before crashing through the window, landing on the ground as he looked back and saw the castle crumbling to pieces. He clenched his fist as he watched the senseless destruction, only shaken out of it by the sound of Eggman's cackling from his ship.
"That was but a small sample of my power. And I can't guarantee your knight in spiky armor will always be there to come to the rescue. I will have a convoy waiting at Wave Ocean at four o'clock. Failure to comply and I will reduce your kingdom to nothing but ash!"
…
Back at the cottage, the heroes were all floored by the display before them. Cream was clutching her mother's skirt as Helen clung to her mother. Everyone had their jaws on the floor, and Elise looked completely pale. Her eyes were also a lighter shade, almost the color of amber with flames flickering in them. She quickly closed her eyes, struggling to regain her control. Without a word, she turned toward the door, an act that didn't go unnoticed by Keith.
"Where are you going?" he asked, getting his attention.
"... I won't let my kingdom be threatened by this madness anymore," Elise replied.
"Your Highness." Kat reached out, grabbing the Queen's arm. "If you go, you will die, and the world will die with you."
Elise turned to her, gently removing the girl's hand. "That will not come to pass. I have faith, and I pray you find yours."
With that, Elise walked out the door, the heroes within concerned about what the future would hold.