Like I said before, I sincerely apologize for the chapter mix-up last chapter. I promise that it will not happen again while I'm working on this story, alright? Good. Now for Chapter 5. Enjoy!

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After a few days of planning, the trio headed to Cybex Capital,. It was a town in the middle of the Nocturne Mountain Range, and rather small despite it's name. Possibly due to this, there were no maps anywhere that had the town on it, so the kids had gotten there by use of their parent's old airboards, along with the directions from Chak.

Cybex Capital was quite different from most other Mobian cities. The houses weren't too odd, but were primarily made of metal. What was really weird was the lack of stores. There were only a few stores here and there, and barely anyone was at them. The buildings were small, and there was something about the people that was...off. Both Akumu and Yume felt it, and even Amythyst thought something was odd. The population of the town was mainly hedgehogs, echidnas, bats, cats, rabbits, foxes, and a few mixes of those species, mainly the former three. What was even weirder, was that some of them looked oddly familiar. Once, Yume could have sworn that she saw a fox with two tails like Mr. Tails, but she managed to convince herself that she was just tired from the trip. It was almost mightfall, after all. Eventually, the three teens decided to find a place to stay when they weren't searching for their parents.

"That looks like a good one," Akumu said, pointing out a small red building. A sign that read "Silvergem Inn" hang above the door.

"That's the only one we've seen," Amythyst noted. "I swear, this town isn't too great for travellers. In my opinion, it doesn't seem to great for anybody."

"It doesn't matter," Yume said sharply. "Look, we found an inn, so let's just get a room." The three entered the Silvergem Inn, which was run by A fluffy white cat, who was currently busy cleaning the main entrance when the kids entered.

"Oh, visitors," the cat said, rushing behind the counter. "I'm sorry, not a lot of people come around this inn. My name's Tony, what can I do for you?"

"We'd like a room for the night," Yume said. The cat eyed them.

"A little young, aren't you kids?" He cat asked. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"I'm afraid we aren't," Yume replied. "We're here for some...er, business."

"No problem," the cat replied. "Right this way, please." The white kitty led the kids up flight of stairs. As they looked at the rooms they passed, most of them seemed to be empty.

"Excuse me," Akumu said, "but where are all the people?"

"Not a lot around here," Tony replied. "If you ask me, I say that this is a real strange town."

"We kinda' figured that," Amythyst mumbled.

"No, you don't get what I mean by 'strange,' kiddo," The cat's fur seemed to fluff up a little as his fur stood on end. "The people in this town don't always act like people, you see. Sure, they have jobs, homes, kids, and all that, but they don't have the same limits as some of us do. Sometimes, I've seen people here who have been working nonstop, and they aren't even tired!"

"Weird," Yume muttered. "We're just here because our pa-I mean, friends, got themselves lost around here." Yume didn't think it was a good idea to blab about their parents to this guy. He seemed talkative, and who knew what he would say to other folks. People might get suspicious.

"Then I'd be careful," Tony replied. "I've heard rumors that this town was originally a base for Dr. Eggman. He was a madman, you know. Some say he disappeared about two years ago, vanquished by the Master."

"Master?" All three kids asked at once.

"Yeah, that's what they call him around here," Tony mumbled. "The townsfolk call him that, but his name is really Zynth. He's basically the head of the town. He's nice to the people and all, but I've always found him a bit off. Now that I think about it, he sorta' looks like you kids." The cat pointed at Akumu and Yume.

"Us?" they both asked.

"Uh huh," Tony replied. "Zynth's a black hedgehog, real odd looking. He also sorta' has stripes like you too, and they're crimson. And his eyes...they're all red, and it's really creepy. A lot of the girls think it's cute, and some guys respect him for it. I just think it's creepy."

"Can you tell us where this 'Zynth' guy is?" Yume asked, a plan beginning to form in her mind. From his description, he sounded a bit like their father. It probably wasn't a coincidence, since black and red weren't commen colors for a hedgehog. That meant that maybe he had something to do with this.

"Just look out the window." The three did so, seeing a large building that looked like a large fortress. It was a wonder that they hadn't noticed it before, for it was pretty eccentric looking, especially in a place like this. It was tall and mechanical, looking almost like a robotic version of a fairy-tale castle, if only a tad bit shorter and modernized. It was painted gray and black, adorned with red flags that had a black gear in the middle.

"Well, here's your room kids," Tony said, taking them to the next room over. "We can negotiate pay in the morning, alright? Good night." The cat left the room, leaving the kids alone.

"That was odd," Amythyst noted. "What a strange place."

"It is," Akumu agreed. The black bat looked over at his sister. "You have a plan, don't you?"

"But of course," the scheming theif replied. "I'm thinking that this 'Zynth' guy might be Dad. The description fits, doesn't it? Black hedgehog, red eyes and stripes, and defeated Eggman. The note our dad left two years ago said that he was off to fight Eggman, and Tony did say that Zynth defeated Eggman about two years ago."

"Yeah, that's right," Akumu said, flapping his wings a little in excitement. "And since this town is small, and not on a map, it must be pretty new, right? Like, about two years old or so."

"Even more reason to prove that Zynth's really Dad," Yume exclaimed. "Tomorrow, I think we should head to that fortress and see what we can find out."

"Good plan, except for one thing," Amythyst said. "Do you really think he's going to let you all in with open arms? I mean, if he moved away from you guys and changed his name, he must not really want to come back, now does he?"

"Shut up, Faker," Yume snapped, using the same nickname her dad used for Sonic. "There is obviously a reason for all this. We're going to check it out tomorrow, alright?" The three kids ended up agreeing, and then went to work setting up their room for the night.

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That night, as the kids were asleep at the inn, there was a bit of a stir at the fortress. A light blue hedgehog was running through the place, carrying important news. He pulled up his emerald green robes, covering his left side and left arm. Both of these had been defective for as long as he could remember, the latter having been severed. His dull yellow eyes surveyed the area, until it fell upon a black figure standing by the window.

"Master Zynth, sir," the hedgehog said, "I bring a message."

"Mech, how many times must I ask you not to be so formal?" The figure turned around to reveal a black hedgehog, Master Zynth.

"I...I apologize sir, but I bring important news," Mech replied. He was Zynth's personal assistant, but he still feared his master's power as much as everyone else did, if not more. "The security camera's, the camoflauged ones you set around the city...they spotted the two hedgebat twins, Akumu and Yume. I believe they are the Ultimate Lifeform's children, are they not? They...they also came with Sonic's child, Amythyst. Should I set the city on alert?" The assistant was literally shaking in his shoes as Zynth's bloody gaze met his own. Zynth chuckled.

"So, the kids came looking for their parents, eh?" Zynth laughed, an unusally pyschothic laugh for such a leader. "Leave them, I'd like to enjoy watching them struggle. Any other news, Mech?"

"We..well sir, Commander Shade captured Rouge the Bat last night. The Ultimate Lifeform's wife, I believe. All the other prisoners are still in suspended animation." Mech lowered his gaze from his master, waiting for a reply.

"And the Main Prisoners?" Zynth asked.

"Still in their cell," Mech answered. "I believe that they may be planning their escape, though."

"Let them try," Zynth said, letting loose another laugh. "Then they can see what they're really up against."

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Okay, I didn't really like this chapter as much, for it's sole purpose was to introduce Cybex Capital and Zynth. Yes, I realise that this story has a lot of OC's, but it's all part of the story, and there's only one or two more anyway. As noted before, I own all OC's. The only one I don't is Tony, who is owned by a friend of mine. (Nichole, I know you're reading this, so...hi!) The next chapter may have a slight delay, due to a slight case of writer's block and the fact that I'm busy on my next update-day. Hopefully, I will get it up, but chances are I might not. Either way, until next time, Goodbye!