"So", asked Riverheart, "What were you doing in that thing?" Sonic frowned as he explained about the cloaked figure and all he could remember about the incident. "It was the Cloaked Sorcerer that did it then" said Riverheart after hearing Sonic's recount. "It was probably just as well he put you into that thing and hid you.
"Tell me Sonic, what's today's date?" Sonic told him. Riverheart and Whitefang exchanged glances. "Um, Sonic" began Riverheart, "I'm afraid that's not the right date." "You're joking" responded Sonic with a disbelieving look. Whitefang chose that moment to speak. His harsh, gravelly voice added to the bluntness of his statement. "You've been in that oversized piece of jewelry for ten-thousand years." Sonic's jaw dropped. "No way, I can't have been. I'd look older, I'd be dead!"
Riverheart was about to say something when he gasped, "The emeralds!" They all whipped around to see the Chaos Emeralds sink into the depressions they had been placed in before any of them could reach them. The room began to shake with amazing force, rattling everyone to their bones as they ran out of the room. Sonic was the first out of the temple, followed close behind by Riverheart and Whitefang. Suddenly, Riverheart pointed at the highest point of the temple. Flying away from it in different directions went seven colored arcs of light, fading away soon after.
"The Chaos Emeralds" moaned Riverheart; the otter looking saddened as he watched said things fly away. "All the work we had to do, and they're gone, just like that." Whitefang patted the otter on the shoulder, causing him to jump in surprise. Before he could say anything though the wolf snarled a warning and left it at that. "Well" said Sonic in an attempt to break the growing silence between the three of them as the temple fell to pieces, "What now?"
"We get out of the forest" responded Riverheart as he and his compatriot covered themselves with their hoods. "Then, back to home sweet home." Making a follow us gesture, Riverheart led the way out of the forest, waving his hands every now and then. When he did this, the fog seemed to recede. When the forest's edge appeared, Sonic was ready to dash out of there, eager to stretch his legs. And he did, much to the concern of his two new allies. Ignoring their shouts he ran out of the forest and into the moonlight.
The next thing he knew he was surrounded by robots. They looked like S.W.A.T. Bots but were less bulky, sleeker, and had no spikes. One of them turned its red visor on Sonic and said, "AREA OF LIMITS. ALL NON GAURDIANS IN AREA ARE TO BE ROBOTISIZED OR DESTROYED. WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?" Sonic smiled his old smile, glad to have a chance to smash bots again. "Easy, neither!" He ran around the battalion in a circle, leaving only a trail of blue light. Before he could land a strike a bolt of lightning shot out of nowhere and struck the robot he was aiming for, destroying it completely.
Sonic turned in time to see Riverheart point at another robot and cause of bolt of lightning to shot from his finger, frying it. When the robots aimed at him and started firing a barrage of lasers, he drew his sword, a long and somewhat large curved blade with a razor edge like a shark's tooth. He also drew a dagger that curved slightly like a shark's dorsal fin from beneath his cloak and charged the robots, Whitefang at his side with his own blade drawn.
The battle, such as it was, lasted two minutes. It took that much time for the three of them to smash and slice the robots into pieces. Sheathing his blades, Riverheart pulled out a rectangular communicator and spoke into it briefly, "Mission accomplished area clear. Open the gate please." Replacing the communicator he took a step back and waited. "That S.W.A.T. Bot said Roboticize. Did Eggman start a family or something" queried Sonic. Whitefang snorted while Riverheart responded, "I wish. It's Eggman himself who did all this.
"Sonic, I don't know why you haven't visibly reacted to this yet, but there are only four people left alive from your era, you being one of them and Eggman another." "I've learned to cope with loss" was Sonic's only response. "Two questions, how did Eggman live so long and who else is alive from my time?" Whitefang muttered something about someone taking so long while Riverheart chose to speak again.
"We don't know. Our scientists think he turned himself into a cyborg or some sort of machine. Whatever the reason, he's brought most of our homeland under his heel. As for the others, you'll find out. Now answer me a question. Why aren't you surprised that I can manipulate energy?" Sonic grinned. "Oh that. Simple, when you've been around like I have, things don't surprise you as much. So, you're part of a resistance?"
The otter almost answered when Whitefang grunted. Looking around, they saw a swirling vortex hanging in the air nearby. "Took the kid long enough" Whitefang grunted, and entered the portal. Riverheart was about to enter when Sonic stopped him. "Where does that go?" Riverheart smiled and pulled the hedgehog into the portal. Upon coming out the other side, Sonic gasped. They were on top of a large hill that gave a good view of a great plain that went on for miles. In the distance he could see a large river and on the horizon, mountains larger than any he had seen, the clear sky giving the whole scene the perfect finish. "Welcome" said Riverheart as he waved his arm, "To the War Torn Lands."
Sonic couldn't help but comment on the name didn't suit the place, causing Whitefang to snarl, "That's it, the next person who says that will meet death courtesy of my blade." The sound of grass rustling made them turn around. Walking toward them was a young looking leopard, maybe ten years or so, and wearing a tan cloak that hid his figure. "Oh man" he moaned, his voice confirming his age, "I screwed up didn't I Riv?" Said otter lowered his hood and patted the leopard on the shoulder.
"Don't let it get to you kid. So we're off by a mile or two. Makes no difference considering we can cover that in three minutes if we go top speed." Sonic decided it would best not to comment that he could cover that distance in less time, rule of tact in play. "Oh, I'm such an idiot, introductions. Sonic this is Dash and no, that's not his real name. Like mine and my fri…" Whitefang snarled, "Partner's over there.
"Dash can manipulate space, a useful ability for our operations. Like us he's a…" Riverheart never finished that sentence. Another rustling sound distracted him, and when he shouted "Bloodbot!" Sonic didn't know how to react. Then he felt something cold and metallic leap onto his back. The next thing he knew something bit into his neck and begin to drain his blood. Oddly, it didn't hurt, but the feel of the teeth or whatever in his jugular was uncomfortable. As his senses began to fade, he heard someone shout "Riv, cut its power!"
It was too late for Riverheart to cut the power for the Bloodbot, a small, grey robot the looked like a dinosaur with an oval shaped head and a glass jar in the head itself. The jar now full of Sonic's blood, the head ejected and flew away to the east. Riverheart fired several bolts of lightning after it, but they all missed. "Damn it all! Dash, portal to HQ, now!" A look of fear crossed the young leopard's face. "B-but the General…" "Forget the General for now" retorted the furious otter as he helped Whitefang lift Sonic, "Just open the portal!"
The young cat jumped from being shouted at and turned about. Tapping a spot in the air in front of him, he created a white dot where his claw had been, as if he had pierced the fabric of space itself. He face scrunched up in concentration, the dot expanding until it was wide enough for them to travel through. The leopard stood guard while the others pulled the limp hedgehog through the vortex, then followed through and the vortex closed behind him.
At first Sonic could only see inky blackness, and feel nothing. At least until he felt what seemed like ten-thousand volts zap him. Waking up with a yelp, he looked around to see Riverheart holding his hand close to Sonic's side. Noticing it was crackling with electricity he moved out of the otter's reach. "So you're awake" said the otter as he pulled his hand back. "You see Doctor, I told you it would work."
Sonic heard someone humph and stalk out of the room, turning in time to see a rabbit that looked oddly familiar. "Who was that?" Sonic inquired as he sat up. "Dr. Malai, head of the medical division, and before you ask, it was a Bloodbot that did put you in here." Sonic blinked.
"A Bloodbot?" Riverheart nodded. "A new robot that drains the blood of its victims and flees. Why it does this we have no idea. One thing's for sure though, Eggman will know you're here if he's gotten the chance to analyze your DNA." As Sonic digested this information the two warriors stood. "Now come with us please, the General wants to see you." Turning their backs to a confused Sonic, the two left the room and, after a moment, he got off the bed and followed.
The hallway was a tunnel carved into the living rock of what Sonic suspected was a mountain. The ceiling was lined with various sized crystals that gave off a soft white light. Every now and then a door with a number appeared in the wall, from which a Doctor or Nurse would emerge occasionally. Wondering where Dash was, Sonic inquired to the more open otter.
"As far as I know, the poor kid's getting a shouting at from the General about what he did, despite the fact it was for your own good." "Who is this General guy anyway" Sonic queried as he made room for a nurse to pass him, "He doesn't sound like a nice guy." The otter nodded and Whitefang only grunted. Soon they had exited the medical area and entered the actual military part of the base. Numerous creatures wearing identical dark green uniforms with assorted decorations walked these halls. Approaching a highly decorated door with a familiar looking symbol on it, Riverheart was about to knock when it slammed open.
Dash ran out, tears streaming, and bumped into Whitefang. The wolf looked down at the young cat and growled angrily; further scaring the leopard and making him run behind the more friendly otter. "Ease up kid" said Riverheart as he patted the sobbing cat, "Did the General read you the riot book?" "And more" sobbed Dash. While Sonic took a turn at comforting the young cat, Riverheart held a quick and silent discussion with Whitefang.
"Go see Lady Anna" said Riverheart as he turned around. "She may have something to lift your mood." Dash nodded and walked off, sobbing and sniffing all the way. "That kid is an insult to our unit" growled Whitefang. Riverheart made as if to hit him, but thought better of it. "Go easy on him man, he's the youngest of us all." The white wolf only grunted and shoved Sonic unceremoniously inside the office.