Ever since I started this fic I've learned a lot about Sonic Underground now that… I actually watched some episodes, and it looks fun (and wack)! Might watch the entire show.
Enjoy the show!
As Sally, Nicole, and Wachowski discussed this supposed return of Eggman, X trailed off from the group as the conversation failed to catch his attention, instead, the neighborhood was much more captivating and the house that was next to them was odd, to say the least, firstly, their design was old-fashioned as if they belonged to an old tribe but they were also modern enough not to be considered that. As he was peeking around admiring the craft, someone had spotted him from the inside which was embarrassing causing him to get away and back to the others.
"Is someone here?" he asked, looking at the mailbox at the entrance. The trio looked at him and then back at the call of another question.
"Sally?" Archie and Prime had arrived and Archie slowly approached analyzing and noticing the different behavior of the robot, once he realized the full change, he smiled "Your Highness…" he said as a cheeky introduction, knowing full well that the Sally he knew didn't like to be called like that, that was until he remembered that he didn't even know if this Sally was royalty shaking his head in embarrassment.
"What…" said Wachowski "You're a queen? That's so cool!" The chipmunk smiled, and this grabbed Archie's attention to the presence of the other two hedgehogs exchanging small waves and smiles all around.
"How did… this happen? When did it happen?" Archie talked to Sally once again but this question wouldn't have an answer as three figures dashed into the conversation, one after the other, three hedgehogs that had followed Prime to this location under the persuasion of none other than Boom Sonic. Their entrance gained the eyes of everyone except for X and it derailed the mood of the situation.
"What are you doing here?" Prime asked.
"Just wanted to know where you going," Boom added with an obvious tone to the comment "I missed too much of the story already, I don't want to- wait! Is that the supposed Sally we're saving?"
The awkward silence confirmed it and Boom approached the robian who was unsure as to what to think of this Sonic.
"Were you together with the group at the Death Egg?" she asked and Boom was confused about this question.
"I thought you said she was evil?"
"Heh, well… we both missed out on a lot," Archie explained "And if you can't figure it out, then yeah- Not evil".
Boom looked at him and then back at Sally.
"So it's over?" he felt disillusioned by this idea but really tried not to show it this way. Why would you dislike the fact that evil was beaten?
"No, it's not," said the young hedgehog trying to get the newcomers up to speed.
"Who are you?" asked Boom curious about this blue-armed Sonic.
As they were all discussing amongst themselves X was playing detective. Not really, but he was walking back to the mailbox, the front door, the side windows, and the back of the house not sure as to what he was he was trying to find but there was something peculiar about this little hut, especially the mailbox, his main question was if Sonic lived here and he was about to get that question answered as he stepped in front of the door, ready to knock if it wasn't for the fact that it opened on its own, revealing a lavender-colored hedgehog with a yellow hair strip on top.
"Can we help you with anything?" she said in a sweet and kind tone, X 'uh'd' at the comment, taken by the surprise of the door suddenly opening. She saw how all looks now were in her so she added to it with an invitation "Actually, wouldn't you all like to come inside?"
The offer surprised everyone, some hospitality was nice but the stranger inviting them to their house was unexpected. The female hedgehog noticed their reaction so it was better to elaborate.
"We wouldn't want you staying outside in the middle of the night, please…" She kept the door open inviting them and this gesture was irrefutable, X naturally entered first followed by Wachowski and the rest of the hedgehogs as they one-by-one entered and greeted her on the way in whether by a kind wave, a smile, or similar. The last one being of course Prime Sonic himself who was worried-ish at the sight of this many Sonics entering this location.
"You think this is a good idea?" he asked.
"Your father suggested it... Son, you look tired".
Prime sighed.
"I am tired," he said with a usual smile but with eyes that were longing for some rest.
"I guess they all could for some rest as well," she said and Sonic mentally agreed but honestly he didn't know half the Sonics that were at his house at the moment and this didn't mean that he didn't trust them or anything. When they created the device, they used the positive chaos energy to rule out the "good" Sonics but still, he had first-hand experience with alternate versions of himself and knows how different some can be.
"I guess they could," he said entering the house but there was still someone left "Sally?"
"Oh, no, it's okay I wouldn't want to crowd the house anymore… Besides, I think I have other places to be, I believe that's what Nicole came for me".
Very well then, with a smile and a nod for goodbye, the door closed.
-X-
"Thanks a lot, ma'am!" Wachowski thanked the hedgehog lady.
"You can call me Bernadette," the aura of the situation was as awkward as you could imagine when six people get invited to a stranger's house just like that "Please, make yourselves comfortable".
There was a middle-sized couch along with a table for four people so the whole gang decided to spread out with X, Boom, and Archie sitting on the couch –with X in a very laid-back manner–, Wachowski and Little Sonic on the table, Main standing up next to the couch, and Prime who was leaning against the door. They were all looking around, analyzing the cozy house they were in, and it was Main Sonic who noticed a sign attached to a door. It said 'Sonic', nothing else but it was quite obvious for him as to where they were.
"Is this your room?" he asked and a smug grin from Prime confirmed it.
"Wait, is this like your actual house?" Boom joined "Because mine is, like, way bigger"
There was a third question that it was Little Sonic who was going to ask if it wasn't for a dog, a full quadrupedal dog rushing to tackle Prime and receive pats.
"Ozzy?" Wachowski leaned on the table in excitement
"Huh?" Prime reacted through his pet's licks "His name's Muttski".
Archie looked as if he was gonna choke upon that line.
"Muttski as in… Ben Muttski?"
"No, Muttski as in Muttski".
"You have a pet dog?"
There was a pause as every Sonic looked at Prime in confusion, every Sonic except for Wachowski who also found the confusion of the group odd.
"You guys don't?" he stopped petting the dog, finding their reaction funny.
"Well, every zone is different" another voice popped up, a blue and grey robot came into the living room catching the attention of every hedgehog by the unusual body type gaining some suspicious looks from some of them "I can assure you, I'm not affiliated with Eggman in any way".
"Big day for weird robots," Boom added causing a chuckle from the robian "I also know a few".
"Well, I was expecting alternate versions of my son to look visually… distinct".
And all the air in the room felt as if it had stopped as one simple word was enough to drop all of their hearts in disbelief, looking at each other as if to confirm they heard the right thing. Ultimately it was Main Sonic who said what everyone was thinking.
"You're his parents…"
"And proudly".
"You're… his mother" Little Sonic added looking at Bernadette still not processing the situation and Prime was coming to the sad conclusion that he hadn't really thought about at all and that was the relationship of these other Sonics between them and their parents. After all, he had lived without parental figures for a long time, and judging by the reactions, these variations were clearly in awe which didn't paint a happy picture. Nevertheless, he tried to keep the mood.
"Sonics… Meet my dad, Jules, and my mother, Bernie!"
Archie and Main had a smile that felt as if they were proud of this, X couldn't believe it, Wachowski was also happy but with an enormous sense of nostalgia over him, Boom was in awe but also found the image funny and Little Sonic was with his head down lost in his thoughts.
"Sonic, your dad's a robot," said Boom. Apparently, that was his most significant focus.
"The correct term would be robian" Jules corrected.
"I don't see how that's a problem" Prime seemed to take offense to Boom's humorous tone.
"Well-... I don't-... I-" his pauses came from his eye itching and blinking, flickering to a red one ultimately becoming too much to continue speaking, resorting to rubbing them.
"Uh, are you..?" Archie asked, wondering what was happening to Boom until suddenly, he felt his pain again –although much less severe than before–… And he wasn't the only one, Main got freaked out as he saw his arm, along with half of his head suddenly turn into the shiniest of metal and X's fur darkened again and finally Little Sonic feeling an uncomforting pain in his stomach, like a heavy ache. Wachowski looked at all of them in dread looking at himself awaiting for something painful to happen. Still, nothing did, and naturally, everything faded away as fast as it came leaving the whole room dazzled and confused, with everyone staring at each other searching for some sort of answer.
"Wha- what happened?" asked Wachowski with Prime sighing.
"Uh, your bodies don't like being in the wrong world… But I guess that forcefully jumping through zones while reality is getting shaped around does that" he said that so casually but instantly realized that everyone –including his parents– didn't fully grasp it.
"Huh?" Little Sonic spoke up "What does that mean?"
Prime looked at the hedgehogs and then at his parents… it was time to explain
"No one remembers this but, Eggman once rewrote this world, like… changed the past or reset it entirely, I managed to reverse it until a few days ago when he was gonna do that again. And that's where you all come in, literally. Tails, Rotor and Nicole made a device that would bring one Sonic to this world using positive chaos energy to make sure we picked the right ones… or something, Tails can explain it better".
Most of these names were unfamiliar to some of the Sonics but regardless, they followed.
"I can't understand why only six of you came through but what I do know is that activating that device managed to override the Genesis Wave".
"Genesis Wave?" Archie asked.
"The reality change, that's how Eggman called it anyway… And I guess that on your way here your bodies got all fried up".
"I think this is a bit more than 'fried'" said Archie and Boom had the great idea of tapping Archie right there causing a light shock between them.
"Does that explain why that happens?" Boom asked with Archie clearly annoyed by this.
"Maybe… And maybe… that's why the Warp Rings-"
"But you were looking for another Sonic? Why?" Wachowski interrupted Prime's thought process being fascinated by all of this. Archie, Boom, and Little in confusion as they already knew the answer to that question, and X and Main also being curious about it, an answer that Prime didn't know how to reply to that. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he began to explain.
"I've been through different zones before, they haven't been the most pleasant but what can you do about it… We imagined that there had to be more versions of Sonic, versions that could help".
"Help with what?" Prime took a few seconds to answer that.
"To save Sally," X hadn't really caught who Sally was but he could take a guess, Wachowski now with his new sense of hindsight, finally understood that Sally had always been a victim and Main also connected the pieces "She got roboticized a while ago now and I've traveled through some dimensions but we call them zones, some of those zones are far behind this one while others are ahead by a few years, and we thought if we find the right Sonic-".
"-Then someone who already saved Sally could arrive," Boom finished it for him "Yeah, we know, but this Sally is outside acting not-evil-robot-y-like so… mission accomplished?" the hedgehogs all looked at Prime as if waiting to confirm it but it was Wachowski who spoke up first.
"No, Eggman is still around".
"Yeah, Eggman's always around, that's not new," said Boom "Again, who are you?"
"Huh? I'm Sonic… we're all Sonic".
"I thought you were the one that knew who everybody was" Archie pointed out to Boom.
"Eh, haven't heard of him" more blabbering by Boom which by this point, everyone knew not to follow, Wachowski was just confused at him.
"I was just saying that we saw Eggman returning, and we should stop him… right?" as they were talking, Jules and Bernie whispered among themselves before leaving to another room.
"The bandaged Sonic's right," Prime said.
"Name's Boom and they're sport tapes," he rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Right… look guys, I don't know what's gonna happen to you all if you stay here any longer and Sally's fine, really, the mission's done. The Tails' are already building you guys a way home-".
"You know this isn't a workshop, right?" Boom Tails explained, quite disappointed "It's a plane warehouse".
"I thought this is what you asked? It's where I work" Prime Tails tried to clarify.
"Don't you have a place where you can build anything you want? Like a house where you keep your tools and big machines?".
"Oh, I do..! Kinda" Archie Tails joined "In Central City".
"Well, I don't think it's that simple".
"-After that, we'll handle Eggman on our own, and you have your own Eggman".
"The mission's not done, Sonic," Archie interjected "Look at what your Eggman has done, Sally, Antoine, he destroyed Knothole! And totally destroyed our ship and I know that he can do much more".
"You said that Eggman can alter reality! What's stopping him from doing it again?" Main Sonic added "If we're already here, might as well finish"
Prime didn't like where this was heading.
"He's always gonna return," he said "It doesn't matter if we beat him now or tomorrow, and I know you all fight Eggman or have fought him at some time, or even constantly you don't have to tell me, and that's why you all have to return, you have your own worlds to deal with".
The hedgehogs looked confused so Prime continued.
"You've already helped but you have to go" there was more silence that was broken by X chuckling.
"Dude, I thought you were sleeping," said Main.
"Yeah," X stood up stretching "You said you brought us to help… I don't need a reason to help someone and I'm not finished. Fighting Eggman, saving this Sally, helping Knuckles-" staying with Chris "-I'm gonna help anyone that needs it, it doesn't matter how many times Eggman returns, and you look like you want the help".
I just said I don't. Prime thought "-Wait, you were with Knuckles?!" his surprise caused him to naturally grab X which in turn caused a shock for both of them.
"Yeah, I was with him…" X said after composing "Him too".
Archie raised his hand wiggling his fingers.
"What were you doing together?" Prime asked and X just replied with a slick grin.
"I think you already know that- Just a lot of talk about chaos and very little robot-kicking".
Chaos, that word made Prime stop to think for a moment and everyone could see that.
"Um, hello?" Boom broke them out "What are you two talking about? Knuckles is here?"
"He decided to leave," X answered the Boom counterpart without taking his eyes off Prime "Do you know about this chaos? Maybe we can find a solution for Knu-".
"You're all going home!"
"But we can beat Eggman!" it was Wachowski "I brought down his ship! We can totally do this!"
Prime was getting frustrated, stammering, and trying not to snap, getting a piece of his own stubbornness wasn't pleasing.
"I can't. Let. You lose, okay?" deep breath "It doesn't matter how many times we beat Eggman, we always do, but I know you guys have that one place you can call home, I know the friends you have and how much they all mean to you, Tails, Amy, Knuckles… Sally. Even your two Overlanders friends"
"You mean Chris?"
"Tom?"
"Yeah, them too, they've already been hurt, right? I know we're all way past cool and awesome heroes but they aren't, our homes, our friends… And now you all are getting hurt as well, you guys could lose a lot and I can risk anyone into this. I'll handle my Eggman whenever he returns and if I win, I win, If I lose… you won't be involved".
"But Sonic," Little Sonic spoke up "You could lose a lot".
All Sonics now paid attention to him with Prime only half-looking at him as just that little line threw him into a retrospective. Yes, there was a lot that was constantly at stake, and at the same time, so many battles had been lost, which was precisely what he wanted to protect his counterparts from.
"When Robotnik took over the world our mom had to hide... she sent us somewhere safe and we're still trying to find her and fulfill the prophecy! And… you have your mom so I would like to stay here and protect that," he said standing up with a wide smile on his face.
"What the little guy said," Main joined crossing his arms "Look, this Sally girl must be pretty important to you to reach out to another dimension. I'm in".
"It sucks to lose a home," Boom added with a very somber and uncharacteristic tone in his voice "You, your friends all relaxing then all of that disappears, I can't imagine... At least that's what I've been told, I love beating up Eggman every week and I wanna do that to the Eggman of another dimension. I pretty much did that already and I wanna up my resume".
"I also got rid of Eggman in my world anyway," Wachowski said proudly.
"Sonic," Archie called out to Prime's attention "How did you call this? New-..."
"New Mobotropolis?"
"Yeah, that".
"Mobo-whati?" it was Boom "Pretty weird name if you ask me".
Luckily no one was asking him.
"You talked about a home far away from home, yeah, I know that feeling, I spent most of my time in Knothole, still do, our Knothole is still standing and we also know that yours isn't… And yet here we are in your actual house, your parent's house, one that he can take away. Already did that once, didn't he?"
"I'm not changing your minds, am I?"
They all denied it in their own way, and Prime liked that deep down. He was aware that Sonic would never say no to a challenge let alone an invitation to help, no matter how many times someone tried to stop him, if it was the right thing then he would be there and that was the end of it and now all these six hedgehogs were doing exactly that. He meant every word he said, he still wanted to say how there was a second robot Sally around, the dimensional plan went wrong from the very beginning, and not forgetting about the Super Sonic they had casually left at Freedom HQ. They had destroyed the Death Egg and that was supposed to be the end of it but apparently, Eggman had returned off to do who knows what, and now it wasn't the best time for a bombastic attack, he was afraid, he didn't show it but if you knew him more personally you could see it. He really admired them all, seeing a piece of him in each of them which was the main reason why he was so fixated on them leaving, the last thing he wanted was to put them through any hardship.
But of course, there was no backing down, they all wanted the same thing he did: Save everyone.
"You know that's impossible, son," Jules had returned bringing a red jacket with him and his presence gave all six of the alternates a weird cozy feeling in their bodies, followed by Bernadette carrying a pair of brown leather gloves causing both Wachowski and Little Sonic to smile.
"You still have that?" replied Prime upon seeing the red jacket.
"I do… but I don't think there's any use for me now and we were just discussing that it would be nice if you could differentiate each other".
The message was obvious but it was Wachowski who said it out loud.
"Oh, he means you two! A jacket for one and those gloves for the other!" he was talking to Main and Archie who looked at each other from head to shoe seeing how similar they were in pretty much everything, with not a single fur of difference, which in turn made them almost a copy of Prime, it was perfectly understandable for the parents to know who of the three of them was their son.
"You wanna give us those?" asked Archie as Main scratched the back of his quills in embarrassment.
"I don't see why not, you must be about the same size" As usual, they were both hesitating to accept a gift like this out of the blue but at the same time, they were not going to refuse it, especially with who was the one gifting. Ultimately, Main grabbed the jacket and Archie swapped his white gloves for the brown leather ones, moving his fingers around to test it.
They looked good. Real good, even Prime seemed to like the style.
"Thanks," said Main refraining his tongue, stopping the word 'dad' from slipping out.
"It is us who have to thank you," Bernie followed "To all of you for wanting to help, we wouldn't expect anything less".
It was a sweet line, you could see it in everyone's face –especially Little- and if there was any doubt about staying to save this world then one look at these two brilliant people cleared any doubt.
"Alright, you… Where did you see Eggman?" Prime asked Wachowski and as he was ready to answer, a loud, ballistic explosion was heard from outside as if the sound barrier had just been broken. Naturally, their curiosity led the whole group outside looking as to where the sound came from, as Prime looked to the dark sky he found his answer: The shadow of a hedgehog figure floating, standing in front of the full moon.
And it was staring right at them.
YES! I finally made it! This was my most anticipated chapter to write and I quite enjoyed it. A lot. Maybe the chapter I've had the most fun writing so far. I hope that you were able to enjoy it as much as I do.
Next time we'll be checking in with the other group, the ones that stayed behind to babysit our yellow super friend and I am also looking forward to writing that one.
As always, I appreciate all of the support you've given me and I'll see you soon! :D
