AN: Well guys, I got a broken leg, so I was able to upload this in the midst of the week! Have at it, my lovely readers!
Disclaimer: I neither claim nor own anything from Sega, Sonic Team, or Sonic '06. Ghost, Chameleon, and Imperious are property of Nobel Six. Thunder is property of Gnat1. All music is property of the respectful artist. Please support the official releases.
Claimer: I claim and own this plot and all characters not affiliated with the above mentioned.
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September-20-2506
13:55 Mobius Time
[Now Playing: "Session" by: Linkin Park]
Darkness… never-ending darkness. Tails tried to open his eyes, but the light was so bright and blinding that it prevented him from even sliding them open a smidge. Someone was shining a bright light in his face, and he had no clue why.
A headache… a massive headache. The kit felt like his head was splitting from the intense pain. He tried to shake his head clear of the pain, but he found that he was immobile. His limbs were attached to some surface. The way gravity acted on him though, he felt like he was lying down on a table.
A voice… a very distinctive, dark voice pierced through the darkness, "Has the subject been implanted?" Tails furrowed his brow at the question. Subject? Tails thought with slight concern. Who's in the room? Where is this subject? What's going on?
Another voice… not as deep, and slightly familiar to the kit, "Yes, the subject has been successfully implanted." He decided that enough was enough. He opened his eyes and he found himself quickly adjusting to the light, though painful as it was.
One light… that was all that shone in the room. And that light was on him. He looked over to two figures. One was hidden in the dark… but, he appeared to be a large figure, possibly rivaling the ten-foot mark. The other figure was in the embrace of the light and he could easily identify him as Chameleon; the very Mobian that had taken him.
The two seemed to be in conversation; discussing something of clear importance based on their deepness of thought. Tails noticed that they were surrounding a certain point and he assumed that whatever they were around must've been the subject.
He turned his head to get a better look… he found that his splitting headache only grew worse upon movement of his head, and he was forced to remain immobile. As he got used to the light, the two figures became contrasted to the bright light, growing darker and nearly unrecognizable silhouettes.
He sighed lightly, not wanting them to know that he was awake. He had to know who this subject was. He continued his eavesdropping as they continued to speak. "Have you made the necessary precautions?" The deep-toned figure spoke, swerving his head as if looking at Chameleon, a large, scaly tail sweeping across the floor as he turned.
Chameleon replied, "I have. John knows where the portal is, and he is waiting for the one you called Silver." Tails perked up his ears more, trying to catch every word. "If all goes according to your plan, then the duo should be making their way to us in a few hours' time."
The tall one nodded, giving a smile that could only be defined as toothy from its pure whiteness in the black. "Excellent," he muttered evilly. "As soon as the subject is rescued, we will be following their every move… and the sleeper agent will make the rest of our endeavors simple."
Tails frowned, not having caught any names, and with the headache still distracting him. He decided that they were only going to use descriptions, and he wouldn't be receiving a name. He decided to relax for a moment, looking back up at the light with squinted eyes. In the reflection of the glass, he saw himself… with his cranium sliced open. He could clearly see the pink, gelatinous mass that was his brain, and he let out a scream of terror before fainting from shock.
The two figures turned to face him. Chameleon went to tend to Tails while the tall figure viewed from the darkness, narrowing his eyes slightly. He then looked to his servant with a deep, piercing glare and muttered darkly, "The subject has awoken prematurely."
[Stop Music]
^/\^|v\/v
~ ("'I wish it need not have happened in my time,' said Frodo.
'So do I,' said Gandalf, 'and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'"—J.R.R. Tolkien) ~
Syaoron the Fox presents
Following the Events of Sonic '06
Accompanied by Various Music and Themes
Remnants of the Past
Chapter 4
One Step Forward…
^/\^|v\/v
Soleanna Cemetery
September-20-2506
14:36 Mobius Time
[Now Playing: "Hey You" by: Pink Floyd]
I was lying in bed that morning, next to her. She said she'd been having unusual nightmares lately, and I suppose she just wanted my comfort… I'd have slept with her anyway. After all, I do love her.
I looked at her, seeing her eyes closed, but not tightly. I smiled. It appeared as though she wasn't having a nightmare… not yet, anyway. She began to toss a bit, rolling slightly into my embrace and shivering. I wondered what was going on in her mind.
It happened quickly, as if someone flipped switch. Her little tossing fits turned into whimpering and crying and she mumbled pleadings under her breath. As if someone was doing something to her. Something horrible…
I shook her slightly and her eyes burst open, into tears. She looked up, into my pale blue eyes and I gazed back into her emerald irises. I held her close and stroked the hair on her head, whispering, "It's alright Sammy… I'm here now… It was just another nightmare."
Just another nightmare…
Just another nightmare…
Just another nightmare…
I can't believe how much of a fool I was…
…
The man snapped his eyes open, looking at the silver hedgehog that had shaken him awake. With a sigh, the two merely looked at each other before Silver finally spoke, "Funny place to be sleeping. You do know it's raining, right?"
In his grogginess, he looked up and saw the water pouring down, like the heavens' sprinkler system. He blinked as water dropped into his eye and he groaned. He was wet, and he hated being wet. He stood up, leaning against a tree as he shook his blonde hair hair out of his eyes, giving him a more clear view of his sentient alarm. "You've got some nerve, just waking me up like that," he scolded Silver with a scornful glare.
Silver backed away, raising his hands in surrender. "Listen, I didn't wake you up so I could get a lecture, okay?" he clarified while pointing behind him. In the space, not ten meters from them was a black, pooling sphere, with streaks of blue and white circling through it. "I wanted to ask you about that."
The man looked at the void with great interest. It wasn't exactly something you saw every day. The mass just floated there, as if threatening to pull in anything that got too close. "You got a name, kid?" he asked, his voice teeming with suspicion. He gave Silver a sideways glance as he investigated the strange phenomena.
"Silver," the reply came. Silver gazed at the ominous orb as well, holding his hand aloft and attempting to use his psychokinesis on it. He concentrated on the orb, a blue aura beginning to generate from his body.
"You're not going to do anything that way," the man said as he tossed a pebble into the orb. In an instant, the pebble disappeared into the void. "My name is Ghost, by the way."
With a nod from Silver, he reached forward to touch the portal. He was about to touch it when Ghost grasped his wrist and pulled him away. "Rule number one of dimensional travel, Silver," Ghost said with a piercing glance. "Never enter a portal unless you are completely prepared for whatever may be on the other side."
"You seem to know a lot about this," Silver observed skeptically. He scanned the man, wondering what he may have to do with all of this. He was tall, even for a human, that much could be said. His pale blue eyes were hidden in the bangs of his pale blonde hair and most of his body was masked by the great grey trench coat he wore over a black shirt. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, but for the stiletto dagger kept at his hip.
Ghost only nodded, keeping silent as he remembered the yellow kitsune that had been dragged off only hours ago. With a raised brow, he asked, "It's a funny time for you to come to a cemetery, isn't it?" Silver cocked his head to the side as he clarified, "You're friend was taken through that portal a few hours ago."
Silver grimaced, gritting his teeth in the knowledge that he had been right. "What have you been sitting here for, then?" he asked in slight fear. He decided that he didn't know enough about this man to make an accurate guess on his trustworthiness.
Ghost only nodded to Silver. "I've been waiting for you," he explained cryptically. An apathetic expression from the hedgehog was all that he received. Then, with a smirk, the human patted Silver on the shoulder and strode toward the void. "See you on the other side, kid," he called to him as he jumped into the portal.
Silver, in his surprise, stared at the mass of swirling black, blue, and white. To follow him or to stay behind; that was the dilemma. To go forward, into the unknown, brought him closer to the others… and to Blaze. But, he had no clue of the dangers that lay ahead. He was in the dark, with not a single light to guide him. With determination pressing him, he clenched his fist and jumped into the void.
The scene was quiet once more. Only the patter of the rain existed in the cemetery. Their fates had been sealed, a bond wound between them. The entirety of their journey had begun, and an inevitable end was to come of it.
The wind stopped blowing. The rain stopped falling. All that hung was the lingering shadow of the clouds as the portal collapsed into nothingness.
[Stop Music]
^/\^|v\/v
Silver landed unsteadily in his destination, stumbling forward and onto his face. He blinked his eyes, noticing that it had become much darker, and looked around. "I didn't go blind, did I?" he asked into the wide open, as if hoping someone would hear him in the midst of the bleak darkness.
Almost upon speaking, a few torches lit up the surrounding area. Their soft blue glow was enough to illuminate the small hallway, and show the hand that was outstretched in front of him. Silver looked up and noticed Ghost offering his hand, accepting it and standing up slowly. "Where are we?" he asked in surprise. None of it was what he had expected; that much was to be certain of.
"We're in the belly of the beast, kid," Ghost said, not afraid in the least. With a clenched fist, he walked ahead, turning his head to Silver and nodding. "I suggest you come along," he suggested dryly, crossing his arms, as if impatient.
With the mysterious torches alongside his path, Silver hesitantly nodded back and rushed up to Ghost's side. He looked around, curious as to their new location. "I've never seen a place like this," he observed while looking out of windows they passed. Little light was let through in the dark world, and a constant rain of flames pelted to world. "Where in the world are we, anyway?"
"We aren't anywhere," Ghost answered with a peculiar tone, as if it would be hard to explain. "We are in a pocket dimension. Like a dimension between dimensions. There are many mythological pocket dimensions, and I'm sure you've heard of a few of them, like Valhalla or Agartha. Even Heaven is just another pocket dimension."
Silver, still somewhat confused, shrugged and looked around. "So, what pocket dimension is this?" he said while absentmindedly walking into a wall.
Ghost rolled his eyes and forcefully turned the hedgehog to the right, and down the hall. "This is none of them. This one was crafted by chaos energy and magic," he explained as they neared the end of the hall. "The ruler of this dimension is the enemy. He coordinated the kidnapping of your friends."
[Now Playing: "The Past" by: Korn]
As they walked out into the room, its walls suddenly burst into flame, the hundreds of red flamed torches lighting up the building as though it were a fireworks exhibit. At the end of the throne room sat a black dragon, his form leaning against the arms of his throne and his wings spread wide. "You speak oh-so highly of me, Jonathon," the dragon mocked in his booming voice, his red irises gleaming with excitement.
Silver noticed several red symbols and tattoos emblazoned across the dragon's body, the most defined of them all being the upside-down pentagram that glowed red on his chest. "Who are you?" Silver interrogated him, even though something about the dragon breathed the vibe that he wasn't to be trifled with. Perhaps it was the black aura that seemed to emanate from him, or his glare that seemed to transcend reality.
"Young mortal, I am Imperious," he said in his deep voice. As he lent against his arm, he rubbed his claws together menacingly. "That is probably not what you should be worrying about, however." He contracted his scaly wings after saying his piece, revealing the captives that were hidden behind them.
Three spherical cages hung from the ceiling, all of which were occupied. To Imperious' left was Knuckles banging and rattling on the cage bars. "Hey, let us out!" he yelled incredulously, teeming with anger at the dragon. "When I get my hands on you, I swear I'll rip your throat out, you hear me?!"
As his rants continued with added viciousness, Silver turned to the cage on the far right, holding a weary and pained kitsune, which he immediately recognized to be Tails. Dried blood appeared on the rim of a scar on his scalp, and he appeared to be only semiconscious.
What got the attention of Ghost was the final captive, a woman who appeared to be twenty-one years of age; barely an adult. Her green eyes were almost lifeless and she breathed unsteadily. Burn marks covered her body, some of which were hidden by her flowing blonde hair. Ghost's eyes widened and he shouted to her, "Samantha!"
He was about to run forward when two figures in black armor suddenly stopped him. The held their arms in front of him, blocking his path. "Already enticing my underworld creatures into excitement, John?" Imperious said with a smirk. "You never cease to amuse me."
Ghost looked at the figures that blocked his path, both of which appeared formidable. He saw into the masks they wore, seeing their obsidian black eyes. The one on the right nodded to him, showing a purple glint, and Ghost nodded back. He gave a pointed glare back to Imperious and backed away, slightly.
"Now, I'm sure you know the deal, Silver," Imperious assumed with a click of his claws, creating a wall of blue flames separating him from the two. "You give me what I want, and I'll return your friends."
Silver gritted his teeth. Though it occurred to him that Imperious had seemingly pulled his name out of thin air, he thought nothing of it and nodded, allowing the dragon to continue.
"I will return your friends to you…" Imperious granted him while rubbing his fingers together. "In exchange, you must tell me everything you know about the monster Iblis. I want to know every last detail." Out of the corner of Silver's eyes, he could see Chameleon looking up toward the dragon in complete surprise.
Silver was a respectable person; at least, he thought that about himself. Knowing well that he would hold his end of the bargain, he argued, "Release them first. Then we'll talk."
With a nod, Imperious clicked his claws together again, dissolving the cages into nothing. Knuckles glided on his spines, catching Tails before he completely hit the ground, and landing safely on the ground. The two ran toward the wall of flames, which Silver parted with his psychokinesis. As soon as they crossed, Silver raised his brow. "What about her?"
Imperious grinned widely and made a disregarding motion with his claw. "She is not part of the deal," he declared, and Ghost's eyes visibly quivered with a few tears. "By technicality, she is not your friend, Silver. She is not even an acquaintance yet, and she will remain with me."
"Give her back!" Ghost shouted in resilience, but he was held back by one of the armored creatures. The creature was about to unsheathe its sword and slice at Ghost when the second armored being kicked it, disarming it. It pulled of its helmet, revealing the head of a green lion.
"Not right now, Ghost!" The lion yelled at him while looking over at Silver with an almost desperate look. "There's no time to explain! Give me your emeralds!"
Silver, though surprised, handed the lion his white emerald while Tails weakly handed him the yellow one. The lion held these emeralds aloft, shouting out, "CHAOS CONTROL!" Almost immediately, a vortex of swirling colors appeared, just like the one Silver had used to travel through time with Blaze once. "Everybody inside!" the lion shouted while waving them to get in.
Hurriedly, Knuckles jumped through first with Tails, followed by Silver. Ghost remained, staring up at the woman and his wrist was grasped by the lion. "We've got to go, Ghost! There'll be another time! She will still be here when we return!"
He was speechless and merely nodded. "If you say so," he whispered while jumping through the gate with him, leaving the court empty…
^/\^|v\/v
They all met up in a sort of vertigo. As Tails regained full consciousness, he looked around at the gleaming golden space they were in. Images flashed by like visions; only there for a brief moment. "What's going on?" he asked, confused somewhat at the entire situation. It had all gone by like a blur to him.
"We just rescued you guys," the green lion explained while gesturing to John. "John and I are pretty much strangers to you, so we might as well introduce ourselves while were in the Temporal Vestige."
"I'm sorry?" Knuckles interjected in confusion. "The Temporal what?" This phenomenon was new to him, as he'd never taken a trip through time. He gave nervous glances all around, as if he expected an enemy to pop up out from any corner.
The green lion floated around a bit, gesturing to the space around them. "This place is called the Temporal Vestige," he explained carefully. "It's a passage of time we take when we're not exactly sure of our destination. Here, we can exit at any point or place in time if we can narrow down our decision."
The lion then gestured to himself. "My name is Thunder," he introduced himself. Then, pointing at Ghost, he said, "and that solemn fellow over there John Murray."
Ghost turned his head to the side and groaned, "I'd prefer it if you called me by my call-sign: Ghost."
Thunder felt a drop of sweat form on his head and he chuckled. "That works too," he said with a cheesy smile as they all floated through the wormhole.
Tails was still somewhat confused, and he shrugged somewhat. "So, why did you pull us into a time passage?" He asked skeptically. "I mean, you could've just teleported us out."
Ghost shook his head and spoke up. "Listen, all of you. This whole hunt for the Sol Emeralds is bigger than you imagine," he explained, his tone deepening to sound strict. "Imperious is hunting for these things so he can take over the world. It's imperative that we acquire them for ourselves, before he does."
"That still doesn't explain why we needed to travel through time," Silver stated, trying to get to the point.
"The Sol Emeralds are scattered across the timeline," Thunder explained as he swept his vision over the passing images and time periods. He scanned for any indication of the emeralds' existence as he looked back and forth. "To collect them, we'll have to start roaming around; looking for unusual power sources that may indicate their presence… such as this, for example."
He and the others paused in front of one of the time zones. Flashes of moments in time phased in, displaying events that happened in that period of time. The events seemed jittery though… as if some foreign energy was pervading them from witnessing everything. "Normally, when time-travel hasn't made much of a disturbance, a time period is perfectly normal, remaining in its own history," Thunder tutored them, gesturing to the other images and playbacks, which weren't distorted.
Tails scratched his chin as he examined the faulty playback and concluded, "Therefore, if this period is faulty, then some sort of paradox has occurred." Thunder nodded, egging the kit to go on. "And if a paradox has occurred, then time travel is most definitely involved… leaning toward either an interloper, or a Sol Emerald."
Knuckles sported an arrogant grin, cracking his knuckles as he floated toward the period of time. "Shall we go, then?" he suggested with a wide smile, touching the image and promptly disappearing in a flash.
Undeterred, though suspicious of what lay beyond, the others followed, each disappearing in a flash of blinding light.
[Stop Music]
^/\^|v\/v
Koran Federation
April-15-2499
13:16 Mobius Time
The group fell from a portal moments later, landing on the hard ground. Whether they landed on their feet or their faces, they all stood up and looked around at their new environment. Knuckles rubbed at his face, having been among those who landed on their faces. "Ugh, where are we?" he asked groggily, rubbing the dirt from his face.
Even as Tails looked around, he was unable to identify their location and simply shrugged. However, with a single glance at a nearby tower, Thunder pointed to it and surveyed, "Anyone ever heard of the Koran Federation?"
As they turned to look, upon the tower, emblazoned in vivid crimson neon, was a sign that proclaimed the words Koran Federation. Tails clasped his hands together as he remembered, "Oh yeah, this place!"
Ghost turned to the kit and raised his brow. With a look of mediocre surprise, he questioned, "You've heard of this place, kid?"
"Yeah, this is the town I was researching for a while," Tails explained. "Rumor was that a few years from the present, the town's people suddenly spiked in chaos energy levels. No one knows how, but it couldn't have been due to chaos radiation. Sonic was in possession of the emeralds when this happened."
With a glance to Silver, suggestively hinting toward their goal, Tails continued, "The source of all this power was probably the Sol Emerald… but, something must be amplifying it, to affect every—"
He stopped suddenly as a raccoon ran through, passing them all and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Clear the streets! Clear the streets! They're at it again!"
Suddenly aware of their environment, the Silver and the others noticed that they'd come upon what seemed to be a collapsed stone bridge in the midst of a town. Buildings stood on either side of the bridge, but none stood alongside it. While they didn't run as the raccoon had suggested, they did back up against each other, getting ready for anything that may happen.
Slowly, they noticed that the rooftops of buildings on both sides of the bridge were becoming populated with Mobians of all kinds. On one side was a band of Mobians that all wore bandanas upon their heads, while the opposite side was populated with Mobians whom wore scarfs round their necks.
One of the bandana-topped Mobians jumped forward, displaying himself as a haughty, red falcon. With a decisively pointed finger, he targeted the scarf-garbed Mobians. "We end this today, Katsuyo!" he shouted while the rest of his gang aimed their hands at the scarf gang.
A green-scarfed wolf from the opposite side stepped forward, giving Silver the assumption that he was this 'Katsuyo' person. "Yes, it will end today, Hideki," he responded, giving the signal for his gang to raise their hands in offense.
Ghost could feel the tension rising, as if some thick mist was settling upon them all. From the way he felt however, he knew it must've been more literal than that. The air around the two groups seemed to glow, as if they were using a strange power. With a strict sigh, Thunder groaned, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"