I've decided to post this chapter early for going dark a while. Honestly, I meant to upload this yesterday, but I forgot. So today.

Christian Ape99: Yes. I do like the idea of having fan characters of my readers join this universe. I've decided the story I was on the fence about will have fan characters as well. I haven't gotten any guesses as to what game it will be based on, though.

Song: Event - Disquieting Shadow

"Get back here, monster!"

Samuel ran for dear life. He jumped onto a vine to get away, and began to swing. He kept going, though he was very tired. He'd been running for hours.

He kept swinging, but he ran out of vines. He fell onto the cold, unforgiving ground.

"You'll pay, beast!"

Samuel was scared beyond belief. He lay face down with his arms over his head. "Leave me alone!" he screamed.

He woke up startled, his hand above his heart. "Why?" he asked. He got up and dressed in normal clothes. Green shirt, blue pants, and yellow shoes. "Why did I have that dream? Why is it bothering me? I'm different. I'm stronger."

Song: Hollow Bastion - Kingdom Hearts II

Samuel and Ray walked across town.

"So what'll it be like?" Ray asked.

Samuel stared ahead blankly. "I dunno. But the entrance exams placed us exactly where we should be." Then he smirked. "Maybe you'll get to hang out with Cream."

Ray blushed, and didn't respond.

"Oh come on. Don't be like that! Come on! Say something! Anything!" Nothing.

Ray and Samuel got to the school building and began looking for their friends.

"Why couldn't Big come too?" Ray asked.

Samuel tapped his knuckles on Ray's head. "3 reasons. He's a little old to be in school. We need someone to hold down the fort. And… Big guy no like school. Dunno why."

They gave up on finding their friends and headed to the office to get their schedules.

"And of course… you're three grades below me. So we'll be parting ways soon." Samuel added. Ray looked up at him as Samuel looked around a bit more for someone they knew. "I don't see anyone important." 'Why can't they all come here? I don't wanna look for them!' Kyle thought. He turned around and looked down to see sweet brown eyes.

"Hello there, Mr. Samuel."

"Cream! Just call me Samuel, please. I'm not even that much older than you!" Sam said.

"Ok. Hello Ray."

"Hey." Ray replied.

Samuel laughed a bit. "OK. BYE!" And he ran off.

"Wait!" Ray yelled. Samuel was already long gone.

"It's ok, Ray. We should get to class."

Sam arrived at his first class. History. He saw Cosmo's sister there. "Hey… um… it starts with Gal, right?" Sam asked.

She turned her head and giggled. "It's Galaxina."

"So I actually have a class with someone I know. I was kind of afraid I wouldn't."

Galaxina tilted her head. "What's there to worry about? You could just make more friends."

Samuel smiled. "Make… friends? I don't make friends."

Galaxina frowned. "Why not?"

Samuel laughed. "Because I suck at it."

"We're friends, right?"

Samuel stopped laughing. "Yeah."

"Then that means you've made a friend." Galaxina smiled, but Samuel just frowned.

"Nope."

Galaxina's smile frowned. "What?"

"Nope."

"I'm not following."

Samuel thought out how to explain. "Having a friend does not require making a friend. In my case, my friends flock towards me. Simple as that. Making friends requires effort and charisma. Flocking towards friends only requires will."

"That's… deep." Galaxina said.

"It's logical." Samuel replied. "I don't have charisma. I rarely start conversations, because I never have anything to say." Their conversation ended abruptly because class was starting.

Song: Riku's Theme

After First Block, Samuel found himself all by himself. He left History in kind of a hurry. "They were just like me."

He entered his next class to find a bunch of older kids.

"Well look what we have here." One of the boys said. "Some kid has the wrong class."

Samuel wasn't feeling too confident. He had no friends nearby, no cloak to protect his identity, and no protection given by the darkness of night. He was all alone. "This is the right class." He walked to one of the chairs only to have his way blocked.

"You don't belong here, kiddo." Samuel looked up to see a mobian that was Big's height, but his appearance was very intimidating. He was a large rooster, which wouldn't sound very frightening if you weren't looking one in the eye. Next to him was a human, just a little bit shorter, about 6 feet.

"How many levels of math are you skipping, shorty?"

Samuel turned to him. "2." He felt so lonely. 'Is this what it's like? I haven't felt this helpless since...' Max didn't finish that thought.

The teacher walked in at that moment. "In your seat. Everyone." Samuel hadn't moved from his spot. "You there. Aren't you a bit young to be taking Algebra?"

"That's what I said!" The rooster yelled.

"Silence." The teacher said.

'Screw this!' Kyle thought. Samuel ran out of class and went straight to the bathroom. When he got there, he started puking. 'What's wrong with me?' Billy thought.

Song: Castle Town-Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess

Ray was in class with Cream and Marine. Ray had one of them with him every class except Gym. But that's an hour or two away. Right now they had math. Group work. Yeah…

"So four times seven is… twenty-seven?" Ray asked.

"I think it's thirty, mate." Marine corrected him… incorrectly.

"It's twenty-eight." Cream said.

"Are you sure?" Marine asked.

"I thought you said to always trust Cream with this." Ray said.

"Oh, I know what I said." Marine snapped.

After class, they ran into Samuel.

"Hey, Sam!" Ray said. Samuel turned to them.

"You're in this hallway second block?"

"Yeah. Ms. Jasmine's here too."

Samuel turned around and indeed saw Jasmine walking towards them. "Hey."

Charmy, Cosmo, and Amy showed up as well.

"Well… this is better." Charmy flew up to his face.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Where are you guys off to next?" Science was the answer almost all around.

"I've got gym." Amy said.

"And I'm going to Gardening." Cosmo replied.

"Well… ok." Samuel said again.

Song: Finale… The Adventure Must Go On - Sonic Heroes

Samuel's third and fourth block classes, Biology and Programming, were ok. Nothing major happened though. No friends shared the classes, but a lot of them were nearby for Biology, and Rouge was close during Programming, so that was nice. It also helped that, although Sam was skipping levels again, none of the kids in these classes were really mean either. And in fifth block, Drawing, he was right on his level, and Cream had an art class that block too.

By the time fifth block was over, it was free period. For forty minutes, kids could do whatever they wanted as long as they weren't damaging school property and, if they left school, were back in time for their next class.

Samuel and Ray's entire group of friends decided to meet up by the woods just a little down the road from school. Everyone simply decided to hang out. They would eat lunch, but it was warned against by the Chaotix, who, by the way, were the only ones in the group not new to the school.

"So if we aren't eating at school, then where are we eating, moron?" Shadow asked Sonic.

Sonic turned to Shadow and looked him in the eye. "Haven't thought of that." Shadow punched him in the face.

Samuel got up. "That's where I come in." Cream walked up with a glowing backpack. "We made a picnic." Samuel dug his hand into the backpack and pulled out a large table cloth.

"Did you enchant the backpack, Cream?" Amy asked.

Cream giggled. "Nope. Samuel did."

Song: VS. Rival Team - Sonic Heroes

Samuel was about to get some pizza when a knife was thrown in front of him. "What the…" He stopped himself from finishing that sentence and looked around. He saw a figure in a tree.

"Prepare to die!" The figure, which appeared to be female, jumped out and swung a scythe at Sam. He jumped out of the way and ran from the picnic. 'Let's hope she's only after me. Let's use this to make Blyxil look good.' Max thought. He slowed down time with his ring and hid a ways away. He used his (newly learned) skill to magic up his cloak and staff. He let time return to normal and went back to the picnic. He hid behind a tree to get a glimpse of the situation.

Song: Ventus's Theme

"Jennifer!? Why would you do that!?" Jasmine asked. 'She knows her?'

Jennifer was also a bat, but she was green. About Rouge's height.

"That boy you're hanging out with is friends with Blyxil! And they're both Boteracs!"

"Now class, it's the first day, so I won't lay any real big stuff on you. Who can give me a basic outline on the Boteracs."

This immediately caught Samuel's attention for some reason.

One kid raised his hand. "The Boteracs were creatures that seemed to be a cross between lions, wolves, and monkeys. They were very violent and were the natural enemy of the ancient Soreans."

Samuel looked to his left and saw Galaxina taking notes on everything.

Another kid felt the need to raise her hand as well. "Many people saw the Boteracs as monsters. And most reports we have today show them to be just that. They attacked the humans as well as the Soreans. Some have even eaten the heads of humans whole."

The instructor nodded. "This was covered last year, yes?"

Half the class nodded. And a mobian raised his hand. "Some people believe Mobians to be descended from the Boterac, but many people, both Mobian and Human, ask how a being so brutal could evolve into one so sophisticated."

Samuel slammed his fist onto his desk, which got the classes attention. "Humans evolved too, right? How do we know the Human's ancestors weren't just as brutal as the Boterac? Even some Human's today are pretty brutal." Half the class laughed at him. "What?"

The teacher, who also laughed, answered. "A savage mind cannot become less savage through evolution. The mind becoming less savage must cause evolution. And it's not only the mind, but everything else. The Boterac were a lost cause that would never change. Nature's garbage that was thrown away long ago."

The bell rang, and Samuel bolted.

"He can't be. He's too kind. Too civilized." Jasmine argued.

Amy walked up to Jennifer. "There's no way one of those monsters is even still around. They're extinct. Thrown to the wind."

"Shut up." Samuel said. Everyone turned towards him.

"It's Blyxil!" Cream yelled. Samuel glared at her and watched her quake in fear. He turned towards Jennifer.

"You have no right to judge me! I barely know what a Boterac is!"

"Bullshit!" She yelled.

Song: The Other Promise - Kingdom Hearts II

Jennifer

Jennifer rushed at Samuel and swung her scythe. Samuel jumped on top of the scythe and whacked her on the head with his staff.

She shook her scythe and turned it as Samuel jumped off of it. She swung at Samuel again, but he blocked it with his staff.

"How does a wooden staff block a steel scythe and not break!?"

Samuel pushed back and body slammed her. He jumped off and yelled, "MAGIC!" He let gravity bring him back down and spun around while swinging his staff for massive destructive power.

Jennifer barely managed to escape a direct hit, but the sheer force Samuel hit the ground with knocked her over.

Song: Byrne's Theme - The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks

Samuel was about to deal his final blow when a kendo stick blocked his attack.

"I may not have magic on my side, but I can at least reinforce my weapon with a special material on the inside." Sonic said. Sam swung his staff again and caused the blade to snap. He looked around and saw the younger Soreans cowering in fear, and the older ones ready for a fight. He met eyes with Ray, who seemed to be asking "Something getting under your skin?"

Samuel saw Jasmine holding Cream, both terrified. He turned back to Jennifer. "I guess this isn't helping my case, now is it." He turned to leave, only to see Shadow barring his path once again.

"You'll pay for what you've done."

Samuel looked past Shadow to see Maria, then turned to Shadow.

"Oh, come on! I didn't do most of the stuff you've accused me of, and I delivered the red ring!" Maria immediately glanced at her hand. "Yup. The ring that got you out of the hospital so fast."

As he said that, he felt a major headache in his head. "What?" He held his head in his hands and fell to his knees. "What's happening?" He turned to Jennifer and saw her right hand glowing. 'That's the purple one!'

"How do you like my new Mind Crush Ring?"

Samuel slowed down time and got away. He magiced his Blyxil outfit away, and switched his staff for another wooden staff that was distinguishably different design. He returned to the picnic and hid in the trees.

"I don't believe Samuel and Blyxil have any connection." Cream said. "Samuel's too nice, and sweet, and kind."

"It's all a cover!" Jennifer said.

Jasmine walked up to her. "You're being rude."

"Who're you going to trust? Your cousin? Or some boy you don't even know?"

Samuel threw an apple at her and began to eat one. "I think I have a fair chance. I am pretty trustworthy." He spun his staff around in his other hand.

"YOU!" Jennifer jumped up to him, but Shadow intercepted her.

"You both have some explaining to do." He turned up to the tree. "Starting with you."

Samuel looked down. "Why me?"

"What's your relation to Blyxil?"

Samuel jumped down from the tree. "Before all these accusations started flying around, we were the best of friends. Then he disappeared. Simple as that. Last time I saw him was about… I dunno. Seven years ago. It was before I met Ray and Big." He waited to see if Shadow accepted his answer. Shadow gave a silent nod, and turned to Jennifer.

"Where did you hear that Samuel and Blyxil were Boterac? And how do you know that they know each other?"

Jennifer shook her head. "I was given information that they know each other, and I'm in his History class. He defended the Boterac."

Samuel threw another apple at her. "That doesn't mean a g… anything."

Jasmine grabbed his arm. "Please stop throwing things at her." Samuel looked at Jennifer.

"Where'd you get the ring?"

She spat at him. "I got it where I found it, and you're not getting it!"

Sam performed a spell he managed to make up on his own. "I already have it." He held it up for all to see, and Jennifer checked her hand to see that it was gone. "I'd tell you why I want it, but I have a feeling it wouldn't matter to you, so I'm just gonna keep it and let you wonde… what?" Samuel saw the purple glow of the ring and saw it envelope everything.

Song: Never Cry, No Matter What - Sonic 06

Samuel watched events unfold that must've been locked deep within his memory. He was in his old house with no control over his body. He was running towards the kitchen.

"Mommy!" Came the childish voice he could barely remember. "Those kids picked on me again!" He was crying. In the memory, and he could've sworn he felt tears on his actual face. 'What the hell is going on?' Kyle asked.

His mother scooped him up and held him. "It's okay, baby. Our history is known here. We need to prove that we can live here with Humans and Mobians. Boterac aren't well liked, anywhere really."

"What does it mean to be a Boterac?" Samuel asked. 'I don't remember this. Sure I was picked on, but the word Boterac never came up, did it?' Max asked.

"That's not important. What is important is that we're trying to fit in. Your father's old village is signing the peace treaty today. Let's go see it!"

The memory soon switched on itself and showed one that Samuel could remember.

"Mommy! Where are you!?" He screamed. He ran from the burning house trying to find someone. It wasn't just his house, either. The entire village was burning down. When he got to the outskirts, he found most of the villagers. He thought he was safe, but he couldn't have been more wrong.

"There's one of the kid's! Get him!"

They accused him of burning the village down. Called him a monster. Samuel was sure he was drowning in his tears by now, but then a new event was uncovered from his memory.

He was in a ditch, and had no strength to get up. He thought he would die in there, until shaky arms carried him away. He soon awoke to see a face not unlike his own.

"Blyxil." He said weakly.

"Shhh. It's okay, brother." He was also very weak. "I'm here."

"Where's Mommy and Daddy? And Clair?" Blyxil began to cry. "Blyxil?" All he did in response was point behind him. Samuel turned to see three gravestones.

After that, the memory faded to black. A voice could still be heard.

"Mother will you sing for me, will I ever hear your voice again?"

"Father please fight for me, I will never feel safe again!"

"Sister please come with me, we will never be warm again."

Song: His World - Sad version

Samuel found himself back in the waking world. There was a steady stream from his eyes to the ground to who knows where. He noticed everyone else was also just coming to. Some seemed to have just been knocked out, some of the kids were crying, and some of the teenagers were also pretty sad. Samuel got up and left. He took the purple ring off of his finger and put it in his pocket.

Ray walked up to him with tears still in his eyes. "Where's Blyxil now?" He sniffled out.

Samuel shook his head. "I don't know." He sniffled a bit. "A few minutes ago I couldn't remember there actually being a Blyxil. I knew I had a brother and a sister, but I couldn't remember either of their names or whether they survived or not. I couldn't remember if any of them survived. I assumed they all died.