"Ooooohohohoho! Citizens of Mobius, lend me your ears! My name is Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik!"
"I am the ruler of my newly established presence across the world, the Eggman Empire! Funny story, I almost went with 'Emperor Robotnik', and 'Robotnik Empire'. Neither are technically incorrect choices, but they don't fly as well off the tongue. Alliterations, am I right?"
"Now now, relax. As bad as that may sound to you, I, personally at least, do NOT intend to bind anyone within the Empire's established territories and influence to slavery or anything like that. I can, with my brilliant mind, quite easily build my own robotic workforce that run on their own power, therefore I don't really need slaves of that nature. It's just that word from close associates helped me decide on something else. It's far more fulfilling for people to willingly give their loyalty to you rather than always try and brute force it, especially when it's generously and genuinely rewarded. As such, I'm going to mostly let you all keep living your lives. ALL of you. That's right. From the benevolent, to the malevolent, from the goody goodies to the monstrous, to the gray in-between, all of you are mostly free to keep doing whatever you want. For the most part, I'd like to be a bit hands-off...unless I'm pushed. Or something catches my interest. Whichever comes first."
"I'm also giving some of you a choice. Swear fealty to me, and you'll have my support and backing. If not, I won't even be super mad about that. Somewhat disappointed, but not mad. Because it'll be quite hard to endure the era that's to come if you don't have my support and protection. A lot of dangerous folk are going to be running around and about soon, and you'll need my help to keep safe and protect yourselves against them, right? I've already proven that my forces are among the most powerful and numerous on the planet. I'm more than prepared to further back up my claim if you still doubt it. In fact, I even hope some of you do. Try and stand in the way of some of my plans. It's yet another opportunity to prove my innate superiority!"
"Continuing on, anyone who not only joins me and prove their fealty, but also impressively pulls their own weight? You might have the honor of becoming one of my Egg Bosses for the Egg Army. Badniks will be at your command to crush any enemies that antagonize you! Or simply help you keep your house looking nice and tidy, whichever priority places higher for you. Isn't that a kind offer from me?"
"Despite my reputation, I wish to be a fair and reasonable leader towards my precious faction. I can handle disagreements on my choices, as they can be discussed like gentlemen and gentlewomen. If certain territories choose to leave the Empire and become completely independent? Also fine, I won't even punish it by taking away the resources I already gave. You can keep them free of charge, even! Unfortunate though, because you'll also fall out of my jurisdiction, and thus no protection or support from me will come, and I don't think that will end well if you're in a serious bind at the worst possible time. As I said, there's quite a bit of monstrous folks out there, and they might be quite brutal and cruel to you when you're at your weakest. Doesn't sound like a coin flip that will end well, does it?"
"Thus concludes this world changing announcement! And now you must choose. Will you choose safety and guidance under my great order? Or will you take your chances with this world's innate chaos outside my protection? The Era of Eggman has begun! Hopefully your choice doesn't end with an Egg in your face! Ohohohoho! OHOHOHOHO-gack! Agh! Whooo! Took it too far, took it too far! Cut the feed, you morons! And get me my cough syrup!"
On that day, both ominous and...eccentric, a challenge has been issued.
On that historic day, Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik challenged the world. Who's hopes, dreams, and freedom are powerful enough to overcome his own, as well as the various malevolent forces in the world that also takes advantage of these things or takes them for granted?
It will be immensely difficult to overturn someone with his range and influence, especially when the world is 'just' divided enough due to chaos within their homelands, that uniting to stop him is currently impossible, and some are desperate enough to turn to him for some sense of stability. Discontent and malevolence within and across the world only allows for his order and position as one of the top forces in it to be all the more unopposed. A status quo he himself perpetuates in order to keep it that way.
Hence, the challenge the world faces.
Tyranny, Nightmares, and Destruction. Who is willing to combat such things on a worldwide scale, to free anyone that doesn't deserve such misery healed upon them?
Hopes, Dreams, and Freedom. Hoping for Freedom, Dreaming of Freedom, and being Free to Hope and Dream. Can such a way of life be restored all over? And if it can, who is brave enough, who has the resolve to do such a thing? Will they dare, with such monumental forces prepared to stand in their way?
It may take some time. But just as well, in that due time...
That challenge WILL be accepted.
The twin tailed fox fell down in a heap, crying out in pain as he held his head to hide and protect himself. He whimpered as the impact had him scrape his knee slightly.
"What kind of fox has two tails?!"
"Is that a mutation or something?!"
"Freaky!"
Miles wished that he wasn't so used to this that he didn't cry nearly as much anymore. He winced, he whimpered, he yelped. Sure, all of those things, he's done plenty of times.
But he doesn't cry over it anymore. There was no point. Crying wasn't going to make them go any easier on them, so he simply never bothered to cry anymore. Oh sure, the tears would threaten to leave his tear ducts because of his body reacting to the physical pain, but the emotional attachment to those tears was barely there at this point. He's gotten so used to it that the emotional pain simply doesn't register.
And he knew that was wrong. Something told him that this wasn't a healthy mindset for five year olds to adopt, but he couldn't help it. After quite a while of this, it was hard to really care. And that only made it more unbearable for him. He has no emotional attachment to this abuse yet he also can't bring himself to stand against it.
He was too weak. In body and spirit.
"Hey! Are you ignoring us?!" A thrown rock.
"Look at us when we're talking!" A kick.
He barely paid much attention.
Miles simply hoped that they would eventually get bored and leave, as always. They were bound to get bored, or at the very least tired, eventually. He just had to wait it out. Then they would leave, and he could go and nurse his bruises, and sleep them off. Until next time. Yes. Next time. Why couldn't this just stop entirely? Why does there need to be a next time? Why can't he bring himself to just stand up to them? Because he wouldn't, and they took advantage of that. Because he couldn't, and also took advantage of that. He should, but he didn't try. All of these just discouraged him even further from acting out against it.
It wouldn't really change anything except for how much worse it gets.
He didn't have an answer to this situation, except to endure, wait for it to end, nurse his wounds, rest and repeat. Nothing else. He can't control this problem, he couldn't alter it. His agency was fairly limited. There was little else he could do, but to simply endure it and hope that it eventually ends.
Little did he know, that the pattern would change in the most unexpected way.
They gasped as they heard the sound of mechanical marching in the distance. Their eyes widened in a bit of surprise.
"N-No way! Isn't this area supposed to safe?!"
"Either way, we better beat it!"
Miles was dropped to the ground as he landed on his side, groaning as he rubbed his head, hearing the bullies run away. He wasn't nearly as naïve as people might think of him. He knew all too well what that mechanical marching meant. He barely needed to look behind him to even confirm it. But unable to help being scared, he looked anyway.
It slowly approached from behind a tree it casually smashed aside. It had a primarily orange color, with a round body and a dome-shaped head, resulting in a strangely egg-like form. It's glowing cyan eyes were blank yet also haunting and menacing. a sharp yellow nose, with a wide glowing panel for a mouth, and a black lower torso section. It's cyan eyes flashed for several moments, smashing a boulder right beside it, before marching towards the young fox with another menacing flash of it's eyes.
Miles turned tails and ran away, heading the mechanical menaces continuing to chase down the young fox in his desperate bid to flee. He tried spinning his tails to increase his speed, but he ended up tripping over himself and crashing against the ground. He yelped from the sudden pain as he slowly turned towards the scary robot attempting to happen upon him, reaching out it's hand towards him. His eyes wide we as tears filled them in a hurry, turning around and cowering with a fearful whimper.
Someone please, help me!
He heard the sound of something being smashed, as well as the wreckage of the now smashed robot flying past him. With a rather surprised, open mouthed look of shock, he saw the wreckage for himself before turning to the one who caused it, and there he was met with the source of it, as well as the one who saved him.
Course he didn't expect to see a rather smug smile on said savior, childishly kicking the head of the destroyed robot.
"Bot bullies get smashed, ya jerks! Hehe!"
Said savior, whom beamed while briefly swiping his noise with a laugh. Miles looked towards the older boy in awe. He appeared to be at least four or five years older than he was, or somewhere around that range. Close enough for the gap to be pretty significant, at the very least. One thing for sure, the boy before him was his elder.
And he just saved his life.
"Yo!"
"Eeep!" Miles gasped as the hedgehog appeared before him in a blue blur and a wave, with his hand on his hips with a tilted head, ear clicking slightly and his foot tapping rapidly.
"What's a kid like you doing here all by yourself? Especially with Badniks about?" The blue hedgehog asked rather quizzically. And if Miles didn't know any better, he could also sense a hint of concern as well.
"I...uh, I-I didn't m-mean to...I just-"
"C'mon, kid! We're gonna be here all day if you stutter!" The blue hedgehog pouted impatiently, his foot tapping faster, enough to pick up dust. "Mind speeding up a bit? Because if ya don't, more Badniks will be all over us by the time you finish, and that's no good!"
Miles swallowed for a moment before shaking his head. "I was here, bullies were picking on me, and then that robot came and scared them away. Then it tried to get me, but then...you appeared."
"There! See? Quick, simple, over in a flash! That wasn't so hard, was it?" The blue hedgehog harrumphed. "It ain't safe around here, so tell me where your folks are at so I can take ya to them."
Miles looked solemnly at the ground. "I...I don't have any...folks." he briefly hugged his knees as his tails wrapped around himself, sniffling. "I'm...I'm all alone."
"...Well. How about that." The blue hedgehog blinked.
"W-What do you mean...?" Miles muttered in confusion. The blue hedgehog kneeled to his level, and what he said next contrasted the big smile on his face.
"Because for a little while, I was alone, too!"
Miles blinked, looking up at the blue hedgehog curiously. "Y-You were?"
"Yup! For a pretty good while!" The blue hedgehog hummed as he sits next to Miles. "I was sad during that time. But I tried to take my mind off of it. Because hey, there's a big world out there! A world of adventure filled with endless possibilities!" The hedgehog soon pouted and sunk his chin in his hands. "Although after a bit, I got bored, and even sadder. A great adventure sounds cool and all...but where's the fun of adventure if you've got no one to share it with? All those awesome memories kept only to yourself? That doesn't seem right, does it?"
Miles shook his head. "No, not at all."
"I know!" He stood up and stretched. "Lucky for me, I came across a pretty decent group that kinda share how I see things. I'll take you there, instead." The blue hedgehog extended his hand with a smile. "Name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."
The young fox blinked as he gently reached his hand out to grab the offered limb. "M...Miles, Prower."
"Miles Prower? As in, Miles Per Hour? I'm just guessin', here." Sonic helped him stand up, before swinging him around on his back and dashing off in a flash of blue light. "By the way, your twin tails. They're pretty soft and fuzzy."
"How can you tell?"
"You're kinda wrapping them around me, bud."
Miles gasped as he realized that his twin tails instinctively and gently wrapped around Sonic in order to hold onto him a bit better. "B-Bwah! Sorry! I-I didn't mean to!"
"What are you apologizing for? If this is how you wanna secure yourself, I'm not gonna yell at you for it. It's not like they're distracting. They're pretty cozy, actually."
Miles muttered while looking away, with So if effortlessly jumping over several logs at a time while crossing the fields. "Well, my bullies don't seem to think that way. They think my tails are freaky."
"They think that's worth bullying you over? Man, they must have been really bored." Sonic rolled his eyes. Though they soon narrowed as something stomped in front of them, forcing Sonic to a stop. "Oh boy. Not good."
Miles' eyes widened as they looked up towards a robot much larger than the one before. Miles meekly hid behind Sonic, who narrowed his eyes at the much larger bot, which came with a squad slowly surrounding them. They surrounded the duo menacingly, appearing to be closing in.
"Well look at that. These guys swooped in quicker than last time."
"Hedgehog. Priority One. Hedgehog. Priority One."
Sonic blinked. "Whazzat? Me, Priority One? That's new. I'm almost flattered!" He then smiled cheekily. "Are you guys really scared of a ten year old kid? Pfft! Talk about sad!"
"S-Sonic, they're surrounding us...!" Tails whimpered while holding Sonic close.
"Heh, no problem! I'll smash right through them in no time!" Sonic grinned, though it lessoned as he kept attention on Miles. This is going to pretty rough, because he needed to keep close to Miles and make sure he didn't get hurt during a fight. He wasn't sure if he could win this one and get out unscathed...
He heard the sound of several things being smashed apart, before the bots were swiftly sliced into multiple pieces, and something slammed down on top of the leading bots head, destroying it a single blow.
Miles whimpered at the suddenness of it all, though he eventually stopped trembling once he sees Sonic not only refuse to panic, but instead smile with a sense of familiarity.
"Longclaw! Just in time! I was about to lay the smackdown on these guys!"
The new arrival, which appeared to be an owl in golden armor, briefly flapped her wings before gracefully hopping off the bot she effortlessly destroyed.
"Sonic, you've been gone for too long, which is unlike you. You should have contacted-" The owl known as Longclaw blinked as she turned curiously to the two tailed fox on the hedgehog's back. Miles gasped before hiding behind Sonic with another whimper. "Oh dear. Who is that?"
Sonic looked to Miles, and then back to Longclaw, with a big smile. "A new friend!"
Miles blinked. Friend...?
Longclaw sighed tiredly. "Sonic, from why I can tell, you've just met the boy. You can't..." The owl gently face-winged. "Nevermind that. I'm just relieved you're unharmed. Come along now, we can discuss this while returning home."
Sonic sighed with relief, before he quickly turned to Miles with a smile. "This is great. Let's get back home. We've got even more friends to meet. And we'll be safe there, kinda."
"We will?" Miles blinked softly. Sonic turned to him with a thumbs up.
"Trust me."
Longclaw landed with a gentle flap of her wings, and Sonic stopped right beside her, with both of them overlooking the forest ahead. Miles had held onto his back the entire time, before he was gently set down. Sonic smiled as he stepped back and gestured to the area ahead.
"Here we are! Home sweet Knothole!"
"Knothole...?"
"Yep, where-"
"SONIC!"
"That's my name, don't we-oof!"
The hedgehog turned to see someone gleefully catch him in a tackle cuddle. A young, feminine chipmunk that was just around his age hugged him, nuzzling his cheek with her own. "You're safe!"
"Of course I am, Sally." Sonic was somewhat quick to return the cuddle, before the tackler pulled back to punch him in the shoulder. "Ow! Only to be endangered by you! What was that for?!"
"You ran off without telling the rest of us! Again!" Sally pouted angrily at Sonic, both arms down, and her knuckles up. "Lady Longclaw keeps telling you that we're not ready to go out that far yet! It's too risky right now!"
"Now look at what yah done. Sal's mighty upset with you again. Not good." Another girl could be heard teasing.
"You're gonna give me a heart attack with stunts like that, Sonic." Rosie The Woodchuck, another dear friend, and nanny for the young ones, sighed to herself.
"Bunnie, you're not helping. Miss Rosie, I was fine! And Sal, I know. I'm not trying to worry you like that. I wasn't going out very...very far." Sonic nervously defended as Sally's irritated stare was locked onto him, complete with puffed cheeks. "A-And besides! I came back with someone this time! Say hello to our new friend!" Sonic gestured beside him...only to find no one there. "...Huh. Could have sworn he was standing right next to me..."
Longclaw hummed comfortably, before she lifted her wing to reveal Miles hiding behind it, looking anxiously at the group gathering around. She smiled softly towards him. "You've no reason to be afraid, little one. You are safe here. You're among friends." Longclaw gently caressed the top of the young kit's head to further soothe him. "Since you're here, we might as well begin to have you situated. Go on and introduce yourself."
Miles briefly breathed in and out, unsure if he could really do it. But eventually, he managed to bring himself to step out a little from wing cover, and very meekly wave. "H...H...Hi."
Sally smiled as she walks up to Miles, kneeling to him. "Hello there. It seems that my friend here brought you along during one of his adventures. I hope he didn't cause you too much trouble. He can't completely process many words related to 'stay put'." Sally quickly glanced at Sonic, who sheepishly turned around while whistling innocently. "But, knowing him, he probably came across you while you were in trouble."
"Y-Yeah..."
"Got it in one." Sally hummed. "In any case, my name is Princess Sally Acorn."
"Princess?!" Miles retorted with wide eyes.
"Princess. But please, do call me Sally. The story around that is...complicated."
"It's never good when someone explains something as 'complicated'. Am I the only one who noticed this?" Sonic called out.
"What about you, what's your name?"
"M-Miles, Prower."
Sally blinked. "As in, Miles Per Hour?"
"That's what I said!" Sonic exclaimed with his arms raised.
Sally chuckled while rolling her eyes. And for a moment, it even got Miles to laugh. She then turned to the other friends that have gathered around them. "We have more friends amongst us. There's Rotor. Over here is Antoine. And right here, is Bunnie."
"Friends, all of em." Sonic hummed. "They're pretty cool, although, Antoine could use a little bit of work..."
"Are you trying to pick a fight again?" Antoine grumbled in annoyance.
"I mean, I wouldn't really call it a fight. We both know who'd win."
"Yes, of course we do. Moi!" Antoine confidently placed a hand on his chest. Sonic blinked, then actually chuckled.
"You're getting cocky, Annie. I like that."
"Why of course! It rewards to have a health-hey! It's Antoine, not Annie!"
"Ah, Annie's not working out for ya? How's Toni/Tony? Anne? Or how about 'Oui!'?"
"Your mockery will cease!"
"But it's one of my best distraction tactics! Who else am I gonna practice it on but you?"
Bunnie, in the meantime, wasted little of it happening upon the young fox, kneeling in front of him with rather friendly eyes. "Why hello there! Aren't you cuter than a button!" She cheerily greeted as she didn't hesitate to caress his head. She briefly slowed down in case he didn't react well to it it. Fortunately, he seemed to relax from her touch, closing his eyes as his tails waved about in a relaxed manner. "Those are such lovely tails ya got there, Miles! Ya think that Tails would be a lot easier to remember!"
Miles blinked. "Tails...? Tails..." The fox briefly thought over the nickname, pondering it for a moment, before he smiled and nodded, hopping up and taking flight as his namesakes began to spin. "That's it! Call me Tails!"
"Woah?!" Sonic and Sally exclaimed in unison.
"Well I'll be, little one has a surprise in store for us!" Bunnie shocked with a hand over her eyes.
"He can use his tails as propellers to fly?" Rotor rubbed his chin in a truly baffled manner. "They don't get tangled up or anything. It's like they're a part of him, but simultaneously aren't actually physically attached to his body..."
Antoine gestured wildly to the scene. "How does that even work?!"
"Pfft, who cares? It's awesome!" Sonic cheered. "People were picking on him for having two tails that can do something this cool? What the heck were they thinking? Or were they not thinking at all?" Longclaw looked pleasantly surprised at the little ones ability. "That's such a cool ability, Tails! You can pretty much fly wherever you want!"
"Now now, Sonic. It must be physically taxing to do such a thing. He probably can't do it for very long, young as he is." Longclaw reasoned.
Tails hummed as he descended back to Bunnie's level, recognizing something as he saw a brief flash of something glowing around her body, before it vanished. Bunnie raised an eyebrow. "What are ya eyin' me fore? I'm that pretty to you?"
"Huh? Well, no." Tails blinked and shook his head when he noticed Bunnie pout at him. "Wait, I m-mean, you are pretty! I w-wasn't trying t-"
"Aw relax, I'm just messin'! Yah gotta have more confidence than that when speakin' to a lady, hun." Bunnie lightly patted his head. "Now then, what're you tryin' to say?"
"I was just wondering..." Tails tilted his head. "I feel a certain energy from you, like, Power Core energy. Are you bionic?"
Most of the gang blinked in brief astonishment at him being able to guess something like that, let alone know what those terms are. Bunnie herself seemed the most surprised, but she also took it rather calmly. "You're able to tell at a glance?"
"Kinda. It seems like the energy from a Power Core merged with you, rather than you simply absorbing energy from one. Did I guess right?"
Bunnie sighed a bit, with a tired smile. "Bullseye, little guy." She briefly stood back up and brushed herself off. "It sounds like this little cutie comes with quite a big brain in that noggin of his!"
"I think we've warmed up enough." Longclaw hummed with a smile. "Why don't we head inside and form our introduction/sharing circle?"
They soon headed in the hut, where they each sat down in a gentle circle, with Longclaw and Rosie being the only ones outside of it. The latter was gently pacing around the circle, gently caressing each of the children's heads as she attempted to soothe them into the whatever they were trying to do.
Tails looked around, wondering what the purpose of this was. At the time, Sonic placed a hand on his shoulder, while Sally gently petted his head herself.
"We're in the sharing circle, now. To better our understanding of one another, we tell each other, including the new arrival, something about ourselves. You don't have to share every single detail if you're uncomfortable." Rosie explained, as if she oversaw this kind of thing quite a few times. "Young Miles. Would you like to start?"
Tails looked around the group for several moments, before signing and hugging his knees again. "I...I don't remember much about it...but I was separated from my parents. I was never able to find them, and I ran away, really far." His tails hugged tightly around him as he closed his eyes. "They might dead..."
Sally could see where this were going. Tails was very young. His intelligence seems higher than most kids his age, though he's also very much naïve because of that same age. That being said, he's also not that oblivious to the implications of his current situation. And to think he was all by himself.
Sally gently pulled Tails into a hug, and she was happy to feel that he didn't hesitate to cuddle into her comforting embrace. "Remember the whole complicated story thing around the Princess thing? I'll make it simple. That's because my Kingdom was taken over. I've had to leave a lot of things behind if I was going to survive. No idea what was going on." She lightly rubbed her wrists, which appeared to be cased with blue rings. "My father left these with me to help protect myself, and the friends I still have. Rosie is my nanny, and is now a nanny for us all." The Woodchuck in question nodded with a warm smile. Sally then held out a handheld of sorts. "I was also entrusted with a super reliable partner, from another friend of ours."
"Princess Sally, is it time yet?" The console spoke out, briefly projecting the face of what appeared to be a lynx.
"W-Woah!" Tails blinked in surprise.
"Not just yet, Nicole. We still need time to train. A lot of time. Especially you." Sally reassured. "Until then, I'd like you to meet our newest friend, Miles Prower. Though I guess we're going with the nickname Tails, for simplicity."
"...Acknowledged. Miles 'Tails' Prower designated under 'friend'." On the screen, a smile emote appeared. "Hello, Tails."
"H-Hi?"
"Unfortunately my development and processing of my abilities is still quite incomplete, but I will be sure to show you when they are. If I am to become reliable to Sally and company, I must be completely ready for when the time comes."
"Don't worry, buddy. I was just as surprised as you the first time. She's also really cool." Sonic lightly nudged Tails' shoulder. "Just wait until you see her true form!"
"Sonic, Nicole is not ready for that. She can't sustain her form yet." Sally repeated more sternly.
"I know, I know. But when she is ready, it'll be great! She'll be great! She'll finally be able to kick butt alongside the rest of us!"
"It will be like, totally awesome, yo! They'll never know what hittem!" Nicole responded with a fist pump emoticon.
Sally looked blankly at Nicole for a moment, before she turned back to Sonic with a deadpan stare. "Please stop teaching her these things."
"But imagine how much she could mess with people with how seamlessly she can switch from smart speak to slang speak! It'll totally catch the baddies off guard!"
Bunnie chuckled, then realized it was her turn. "I was involved in a mighty rough accident, Tails. Arm and legs were pretty much kaput. Feared I was never gonna walk again. Mighta even had to lose these precious limbs. But..." Bunnie gently raised her hand, as digital lights appeared around it, and around her body, in regards to her skin. "Some mighty fine folks performed an op on me. Gave me somethin', customized special Power Core called a 'Nano-Core', that's been injected into mah spine, the energy mergin' with mah body. Process managed to save me, and give me bionic powers."
"I was right!" Tails pointed out, which for a laugh from the others.
"Indeed you were, cutie!" Bunnie giggled with a pat to his head. "Thanks to this, Ah was able to get back on the saddle again, after a bit of time gettin' used to it of course. Still feels mighty weird, not gon' lie." She clenched her fist as the glowing lines spread around her body again, smirking. "But just wait until ah get the hang of this cybernetic power. I'll be plowin' through those enemy bots like it's no one's business!"
"She's like a cyborg, but a little bit more low-key and subtle. Fully organic, but with cybernetic powers after some modifications." Rotor noted with a nod. "It's a method that took a lot of work and research, but the ones who did the work considered it worth it if it would help and save her life."
"Cool! Who did that for her?" Tails tilted his head. There was a brief air of silence in the air, one that he didn't miss the implications of. He blinked, as his ears folded downwards. "Was...was that a bad question...?"
"Oh, no-no-no, sweetheart! You ain't dun' nothin' wrong! Don't worry your cute little head over it." Bunnie reassured while gently petting the top of his head. "Ah just figured that's about where my little intro ends for now. Maybe after we get to know each other better, you can hear the whole thing."
"Ah, okay!"
Bunnie lightly hit Antoine across the back, startling him with a smile. "Yer turn!"
"No need to hit me over it..." Antoine sighed. "In any case, I was also there when the Kingdom was attacked. Among them was my own family. They were among the casualties..." Antoine shook his head. "I had to escape by my lonesome. I...am somewhat ashamed of that, even if I truly had no choice. I don't know what I could have done. I just knew that I had to help protect the Princess. No matter what happens, that's my primary duty." He scratched the back of his neck. "Of course, it also requires me to ignore the annoying impulse to run away from danger. I'm not proud to admit that I'm a bit...jumpy."
"All the more reason to prove how brave you are, Antoine!" Sonic gave a thumbs up.
The coyote huffed, folding his arms with a smirk. "Hmph! Of course! Maybe now you're beginning to truly-"
"Boo."
"AH!" Antoine jumped up a bit as Sonic zipped around him and tapped his shoulder within the moment it took him to blink. He glared at Sonic as he keeled over laughing. "Grr, was that really necessary?!"
"Nope. But it sure was funny!"
"Why I oughta-"
Tails blinked, while Rotor gently patted his shoulder. "Don't mind them. They're like this sometimes." He hummed while raised a paw. "As for me, I don't really have much of a personal connection here. I just had the worst luck of being here at the wrong time. I heard great things about this Kingdom, only to have been right in the middle of the madness. That's when I met up with everyone else. And now, I can't really find myself to turn away." Rotor chuckled solemnly. "In short, I arrived at the worst time. Now that I'm here and can't leave, I might as well help."
Longclaw hummed, resizing it was her turn, and simultaneously Sonic's. She gently used a wing to pat the top of his head, before gazing at everyone. "As for me. I am Knothole's protector, until you kids have reached your coming of age. Your times will come. But for now. Your mentoring, care, and protection are all part of my responsibilities. That is a promise I made to cherished friends, for cherished friends." Longclaw gently hoots. "I've known Sonic the longest, as we, like Rotor, are not natives to the Acorn Kingdom. And overall, I've been entrusted with safeguarding their future. Because they might just grow to being it's best hope. And I must protect that hope, until it nurtures into something strong and undeniable."
Tails blinked as everyone finished up with their stories. Sonic then gently patted his shoulder.
"Remember what I said? There's a whole big world out there. Lots of things to see and do, many people to meet. Epic things, relaxing things, all sorts of things! I wanna experience life to its fullest! And...I want others to have that experience too. It's an awesome world out there." Sonic sighed as he laid back a bit. "But some jerks are getting in the way of appreciating it. All sorts of them. They keep messing things up for everyone. Longclaw did tell me that from her own experiences, some of them have their reasons for being the way they are...and some don't. Either way, one thing is sure. People don't have a lot of hope or freedom in the world because of these guys. Not a lot of people are brave enough to want to help them."
"Because everyone's scared?" Tails blinked, with Sonic nodding.
"That's why someone's gotta give them a boost, ya know? Be the wind that pushes them forward, stuff like that." Sonic briefly looked upwards. "I guess you can say, more people should have the freedom to live their lives the way they want to live them. And I'd like this world to be even more awesome, so that everyone, if they want to that is, to be free to explore all of it's amazing things to their heart's content." He shrugged. "I mean, that would be pretty cool, wouldn't it?"
Tails eyes sparkles briefly, before he hopped up with his namesakes spinning. "I'd like a world like that!"
"As would I." Sally declared. "There's plenty of things that should be done, before I can become the me that I want to be, for my Kingdom. But before I can ever do that, hope needs to be restored. And that hope will give others the strength to reclaim their freedom. The world will be a much better and happier place, so that it's denizens can see it in a better light."
"We'll be right behind ya, Sal!" Bunnie cheered with a holler and wave.
"I'll follow you and protect you whenever need be, Princess." Antoine declared.
"I may not be from here, but I'm more than willing to help protect my new home." Rotor nodded.
"You'll need much training and preparation, young ones. But rest assured, you'll be ready." Longclaw assured.
"To keep being able to see the stars together, I will keep assisting you in your hopes and dreams, Princess Sally." Nicole also promised with a shining smiling emoticon.
As the other three young ones proceeded to high five, Nicole beeping happily from her console, and Longclaw overlooking them with a smile, Sonic and Sally turned towards each other.
"Restoring hope and freedom, we'll do it together. Promise?" Sally asked softly.
"It's a promise." Sonic smiled. Both of them then proceeded to confidently bump fists, only for Tails to pop up and bump his fist from a third side.
"Promise!"
"Hey! You trying to get in on the fist bump, little buddy?" Sonic playfully chided as he cheerfully messed with the fur on Tails' head.
Right before her eyes, Longclaw was happily overseeing the future.
I really shouldn't be doing this.
And yet despite that, here we are.
Pfft.
Anyway, here's a Sonic thing.
It'll likely have elements from all across the Sonic media. Expect elements from nearly every version of the franchise, such as the games, Satam, Archie, IDW, and such on and such forth. The games might be among the strongest influences, but it certainly won't the only one. Overall I'd like to try my own spin on the Sonic universe with a bit of everything.
With all that said, let's see where this grand new adventure goes!
Until next time... probably.