SONIC RESURGENCE

by DarkShadowGames451

AU! Elements of the games, SatAM, Underground, OVA, and the Sonic X Anime apply into one separate universe. The villainous Dr. J. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik has teamed up with a powerful sorcerer that plans to take over the world of Mobius. Sonic must team up with a group of Freedom Fighters under the command of a royal princess straight from Sonic's mysterious past.

26. Chapter 24

Review Response:

Boss Teal: Yes, this will be explored during this arc.

Campcrystallake11: Thanks for the feedback, man. You don't have to worry about "power scaling" too much. If you had context, it would make more sense. The three big villains that you need to know from least to greatest are Vichama, Dr. Robotnik, and Naugus. Metallix, while evil and powerful, serves both Eggman and Naugus for revenge. And while there are an ever-increasingly large number of characters in the cast, I will try not to underutilize and sideline them into irrelevancy. This story is building up to something big that will happen in the third act. Right now, we're at the beginning of the second act.

---

What must be done… …The servers are the seven Chaos.

Chaos is power. A power enriched by the heart.

The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos.

…Feel within… The sea of Chaos… And the ancient waves.

May the light of its power shine down eternally and protect us all.

---

Forest Clearing, Great Forest, Acornia

One of Rouge's hobbies besides adding precious gemstones to her private collection and shopping was honing her skills as a hand-to-hand combatant.

While she specializes in espionage and retrieving intel as a double agent, Rouge was not afraid to get physical when it time calls for it. And for a person who can go toe to toe with Knuckles, a Mobian who Sonic considers to be the Strongest Thing Walking, through her fighting prowess and powerful legs.

And right now, she was honing that skill by training with her partner and close confidant, Shadow the Hedgehog.

For her attire, Rouge wore a black form fitting pants, boots with purple accents, a black collared vest under a dark purple shirt, and black/dark purple gloves with light silver plating. She also had glowing blue accents in the form of crystals that served as accessories for the sides of her boots and a buckle for her silver belt.

Currently, she had been knocked five in the air by her partner before using her wings to recover mid flight.

From there, Rouge found Shadow using his Jet Shoes to rocket up to her with a hand cocked back. The agent managed to guard her face, then counterattack with a deadly high kick that could split an average Mobian in half.

This was known as the Silent Scythe attack.

Shadow managed to weave away from the kick and lunged at his partner to chop her at the back of the neck. But Rouge managed to catch his right wrist, then threw him to the ground. Then, she channeled her voice and let out a burst of an ultrasonic soundwave that stunned Shadow.

This was the aerial variant of her Beauty Shock.

Seizing this opportunity that was a disoriented Shadow, Rouge descended towards the black and red hedgehog, spinning around on her vertical axis at such speed that she created an illusion of a tornado around herself before sticking her right boot down with the intent to strike Shadow.

'Got him!' Rouge smirked while executing her signature attack.

Unfortunately for the bat, Shadow quickly recovered and spotted the incoming attack coming from above. Having no other choice, Shadow utilized Chaos Control to slow Rouge's movements down just enough for him to grab her and pin her down to the ground.

For Rouge, it was instantaneous. One moment, she was looking down at her partner with certainty of her victory, then the next, Shadow was over her, now pinned down on her back.

"W-what the–!?" The white bat whispered.

"I won." Shadow stated matter of factly as he let Rouge go.

Rouge was not pleased at this response as she got up and dusted her clothing with her gloved hands.

"Ugh, you cheater! Using Chaos Control to win was cheap and you know it!" Rouge said, pointing at Shadow's white chest fur.

Shadow gave Rouge a half lidded gaze, gently removing Rouge's left index finger and said, "You never complained about it before when I used my power to save you. And besides, I saw no other option."

"Oh really? And why's that?" Rouge frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

Shadow explained, "Your Screw Kick is one of, if not, the most deadly attack in your arsenal. But the glaring weakness behind your attack is that you gain tunnel vision from only being able to move in one direction while using it. If I moved away, you could have hurt yourself upon impacting the ground, and I couldn't physically stop it without taking off one of my Inhibitor Rings. And I didn't want to risk hurting you by resorting to that."

"Oh," Rouge uttered with her ears lowering in shame.

"That wasn't to degrade your performance. The fact that I was forced to use Chaos Energy to slow you down goes to how much you've improved physically. I am certain that a kick from one of your legs could have knocked me out." Shadow clarified, reassuring and validating his partner with an even tone.

Rouge smiled, giving Shadow a thankful expression.

"SHADOW, ROUGE." A robotic voice called out.

The two Mobians swiftly turned to see E-123 Omega walking towards them.

Since Sonic's speedy recovery, he was given an upgrade. The development team of GUN had installed a newly experimental synthetic Null Drive, made from the late Professor Gerald Robotnik's Chaos Drive blueprints but contained the power of Erebite.

This was why the light in Omega's "eyes" were changed from red to violet. In terms of model, Omega remained largely unchanged. But his main color scheme had. Instead of having gold accents, it was chrome. The joints, claws, and chest frame were silver, rather than its old chrome look. This was the same for the green markings being changed to red. However, the biggest difference in Omega's color scheme was that the red coating around most of the robot's body was changed to a dark blue while GUN's emblem was painted on his left shoulder.

"O-Omega? What are you doing here?" Rouge inquired.

"I HAVE RECEIVED A TRANSMISSION FROM HEADQUARTERS AND WAS GIVEN SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO PROJECT IT TO THE BOTH OF YOU." The robot confirmed.

"Alright, let's see it."

Using his eyes as a projector, Omega formed a solid holographic screen that displayed an elderly male Overlander with fair skin. The older man had a big nose, gray hair and very large eyebrows that covered his eyes.

For attire, he wore a brown coat with dark brown buttons, brown pants and dark brown shoes. Below is a white shirt with a red bow.

"Who could this be?" Rouge questioned.

"Good morning, good afternoon, and/or good evening, agents. My name is Professor Dillon P. Pickle, it is an honor to be of service to you and the Guardian Unit of Nations."

Rouge tilted her and said, "...Uh, who?"

"He was a scholar from Spagonia that worked in the same field as Professor Thorndyke." Shadow quickly explained.

"I feel like I should have known this." Rouge frowned.

The son of Black Doom stated, "You were never deployed in Spagonia, so why would that information be relevant to you?"

"..."

"I was informed of the passing of fellow colleague, Professor Charles Thorndyke. Truly, a tragedy. Thankfully, I was given an opportunity and the privilege to finish his work. And so, I will grant you my assistance." The professor explained. "On a positive note, the research team in Headquarters have deciphered some important information from the thirty-year-old book Agent Black Wind has found."

This caught everybody's attention immediately.

"As you know, Walter Gaunsun was the author of the journal. And while our assumption of him being a resident of Soleanna had been confirmed, what we didn't know was that he was not a native to the land, making his place of origin unknown."

"A foreigner, huh?" Shadow muttered to himself. "Hmph, like that matters."

"One of the other few details we've unearthed was his relationship to the ruling government." Professor Pickle mentioned in the transmission. "As it turns out, Walter was the leading scientist that the last Duke of Soleanna had selected to foresee what seemed to be a large and costly project. We are still working to seek further information about this project, though if I bet my favorite dutch crunch roll ham and cheese sandwich that their patron deity was involved in it."

"Solaris?" Rouge pieced together. "But what kind of project would the Duke want to fund in relation to his god?"

Shadow's brows furrowed as he said, "This almost sounds occultic. Call it a hunch, but I'm getting the strong feeling that whatever this project that the Duke has conducted might have led to Soleanna's complete destruction."

"You just might be onto something, Shadow." Rouge agreed.

"The last bit of information that the team and I uncovered was that not only was the man a brilliant scientist and researcher, but he happened to be a skilled sorcerer. In fact, the journal stated that he ascended to the title as high wizard of the royal court." The professor stated. "Though, we are currently focusing our efforts to find out what kind of magic he specializes in."

"He was a wizard, huh?" Rouge questioned.

"...That would explain the presence I've felt in that home. And why has it been protected, let alone untouched for so long." Said Shadow.

"...Well, that is my report for today. I will make sure to send more updates on our findings as consistently as possible. Until then, I bid you agents, adieu." Said the Professor before the transmission ended.

"I don't get it, guys." Rouge stated, scratching her head. "I thought Eggman was into dabbling into ancient powers and horrors to study. What business would Soleanna's leader have to start a project that involves a magician and their deity?"

"THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF REASONS FOR SUCH A NOTION, ROUGE. ULTIMATELY, IT IS IN MANKIND'S NATURE TO PURSUE POWER BEYOND THEIR COMPREHENSION TO COMMAND FOR THEMSELVES." Omega pointed out

"Mankind?" Rouge questioned with an eyebrow raised before crossing her arms. "I know a few Mobians who are no different from Overlanders."

While Rouge and Omega talked amongst themselves, Shadow recalled the time when he held the Scepter of Light in his hands. This led to him remembering seeing a figure with glowing eyes snarl at him while flaring its devastating supernatural presence at him.

'Back then, what I saw...Could that thing actually be…Solaris?' Shadow pondered to himself before discarding the thought entirely.

---

Bunyip Garden, Castle Acorn, New Mobotropolis

To say that Castle Acorn was a maze was underselling the architectural marvel. The two hundred and thirteen feet (or sixty-five meter) tall castle has a 143,591 square meter land area, making it the largest castle in the Mobian Alliance and one of the most prominent landmarks in Mobian history.

So, it was fairly easy for anybody to get lost. Even the Fastest Thing Alive.

Thankfully, The red hooded Sonic found where he was supposed to be, however, he gasped at what he was looking at, for calling it Bunyip Garden, a mere garden would be a great disservice to the area. For starters, the garden was more like an entire grove with shrubs, bots of smaller plants, stone roads that served as pathways, and four distinct areas that had specific kinds of plants homegrown with the center of the garden having a giant fountain that spouted spring water.

"...Check it out!" Sonic said after whistling, wandering in the garden.

As he walked along the stone pathway, Sonic eventually stumbled upon a marble wall that had a mural depicting what seemed to be the origin of the kingdom. This included an amorphous creature coming from a pool of gold with matching golden eyes, that creature watching wars going on for ages between ancient Mobians and the Overlanders (humans) tribes, then the being approaching what seemed to be a young Mobian male brown-furred squirrel. The amorphous entity then brought the squirrel to the same golden pool that the creature originated from and baptized the squirrel in it before giving him a crown and a sword. The last three pictures depicted the squirrel gathering the surrounding Mobians and battling with the Overlander tribe which ended in the ancient Mobian's victory. Because of that, the mural's next picture showed the squirrel being hailed as a hero and the Mobians bowed to him as their king, leading to the last picture being what seemed to be a very similar but different castle with the same royal banner that the House of Acorn uses to this day.

"...What is this?" Sonic asked himself.

"The founding of Acornia." A familiar voice said from behind Sonic, causing the blue hedgehog to turn his head around, seeing that was King Max.

"Y-Your Majesty." Sonic addressed, formally acknowledging his new ruler's presence as how Rosey had taught him. "I, uh, didn't see you there."

The king chuckled, saying, "I snuck up on you, didn't I? I suppose you need a bit more time before you can fully adjust to being on both of your feet again."

Sonic chuckled back, saying, "Ya got me there, sire. So, this mural is the kingdom's origins, huh?"

"That it is, son." King Max confirmed. "Has Sir Charles ever told you the story since you've arrived?"

Sonic answered truthfully. "Nope. I haven't had the time to ask to be honest. He did tell me about my motherland's background. I think he mentioned that Azuron's founding happened during the era of Acornia's first king."

"Huh, I suppose that deserves a bit of an explanation," King Maximilian said, walking to the beginning of the mural. From the primordial days post-creation, the rest of the third all-encompassing force of existence was sent to the depths of the earth."

"That was the Source of All, am I right?" Sonic inquired.

"Yes, it was." King Maximilian confirmed, "One day, during the dawn of the current era, a consciousness manifested in the essence of that force and rose into a pool of pure golden liquid form. That consciousness decided to take a physical form, and it manifested a body that looked familiar yet foreign to nature. A creature that never existed."

"Ah," Sonic understood. "So, like, a cryptid? You know, Bigfoot, yetis, and El Chupacabra?"

"El-what?" King Max said, raising an eyebrow before shaking his head. "Never mind. Throughout the centuries, this being of the Source helped Light Gaia spawn the first lifeforms of Mobius using its essence, who would later be named after their father and known as the Proto-Mobians; the Bunyip."

'The Bunyip, huh? I guess that makes us cryptids in a way. Heh, nice.' Sonic mused in his thoughts before asking a question.

Sonic questioned the king while crossing his arms, "So, what did the Dad of all Mobians do? And what does it gotta do with the kingdom's foundation?"

"Hold on, I'm getting to that, Oliver," King Max said as he continued. "Throughout the ages, the original Bunyip had watched the conflicts between his children's various tribes and the early Overlanders tribe. He saw the potential damage the two groups could cause with their intelligence, so he devised a plan to unify the different species of his people under one body."

"Cool. And since we're here, it all worked out." Sonic assumed. "So, how did it go down?"

King Max explained, "Well, according to legend, twelve generations before me, the Original One walked out of the Source of All when a young male Mobian squirrel stumbled upon his ancient grove of dwelling. Seeing his heart, he chose Alexander Acorn to become his champion and tasked him to bring all species of his children together."

From there, King Max took off his crown and took out a dual-sided silvery-gray bladed broadsword with a golden diamond-shaped rain guard (Chappe) with the House of Acorn's insignia engraved in the center of the hilt. On the blade were inscriptions with a mystical enchantment, presumably written by the Source of All's physical form.

Sonic whistles, impressed with the sword's design before realizing, "Hey! That's a different sword from the one you drew two months ago. Where did you get it?"

King Max chuckled and said, "This, along with the crown, Oliver, are the heirlooms of the royal family that every firstborn claims when they ascend to the throne. And these items were used by the first king to banish the Overlander tribe back to once they came. With the Crown of Acorns, the king maintains near-peak conditions and is protected from all forms of mental attacks, illusions, and hypnosis. And with the Sword of Acorns, the king can take away one's power and neutralize all evil with a single touch while also discerning one's intentions. Both are very powerful on their own but put together, the sword's true power can be unleashed."

"Is that so?" Sonic questioned with a skeptical glance. "Well, I'm no stranger to mystical empowered artifacts. Compared to the seven Chaos Emeralds, how powerful could you be with the two of these items?"

"...I wouldn't say that the Crown and the Sword could match the Gems of Miracles' raw power, but I can definitely say with confidence that even with the power granted to you by those seven stones, I can easily take it away with a mere touch of the blade alone. But I am not certain what would come of the result if I found myself coming to serious conflict with a person in possession of near unlimited power. And I hope it doesn't come to that in the future."

Sonic nodded stiffly, saying, "That's fair. But please, continue."

"Certainly. With the crown and sword, Alexander banded all of the Mobians from different lands together and defeated the Overlander tribe in a united front. And for his leadership and bravery, most of the people that fought beside Alexander stayed and chose him to be their king. Other Mobians who wished to lead their own independent civilizations departed from the battlefield but never forgot the day. The Original One would vanish, leaving his will for peace to Alexander and the future generations of the House of Acorn. As a way to honor the Original One for his help and wisdom, the land that the spirit occupied was used to create Acornia and the capital that would later become Mobotropolis. That is where the pool of the Source of All is located to this day."

"That's right, 'cause Uncle Chuck made those artificial Power Rings with it," Sonic stated, prompting the king to nod.

"Exactly," Said King Max, placing the Sword of Acorns back in its scabbard and putting the crown back on.

The squirrel then turned to Sonic and approached him again. "Tell me, what does it mean to be free?"

"Freedom?" Sonic repeated, scratching his right temple. "That's kind of a loaded question, don't you think?"

"That is to be expected, child. Concepts like freedom are not easily defined. And what it can mean can differ from one person to another. But can you give your own answer?"

'...Man, these Acornians sure are philosophical. Now I see where Sally gets it from.' Sonic thought to himself before coming up with an answer.

"...I don't know, sire." Sonic answered softly, shaking his head in hesitation. "If ya asked me this about a month or two ago, I'd say that to be free is to be like the wind. Now, I am not so sure."

"I'll accept that answer," King Max nodded. "Though, I am rather curious about the thought process you had that led to this conclusion."

Sonic sighed, then looked up to the sky as he said, "At a young age, I was inspired by my caretakers to explore the world that I lived in, unaware of the horrors it held. I wanted to see everything and on my own terms. With no regrets. And I guess I've been doin' it, in a sense with my superspeed. But recently, it's been bitin' me in the tail due to the dumb mistakes that I've made throughout my past adventures. And it turns out, me runnin' around at my leisure and the cripplin' need for it has been causing more harm to people than I could have ever known. Myself included. Here I am, now, got my speed back, but I'm on thin ice with two of my oldest friends, one ally is giving me the slight treatment, a good chunk of the world hates my guts, and now I'm filled to the brim with regret."

Exhaling again, Sonic looked at the king and admitted, "I ain't sure what to think anymore. Maybe I never knew what I was talkin' about."

"No, I believe I have a bit of an understanding as to what you are trying to convey," King Max said. "You are a free spirit at heart, Oliver; carefree, full of energy, and compassionate for the beauty of nature and all life. Yet, when faced with adversity and oppression, you're wild, quick to confront its injustices with eagerness to return the peace that nature and life that your belief of freedom brings to you. Some would normally conclude this to be the wonders of a fleeting whimsical childhood, but I believe that your upbringing on South Island, a former neutral territory, is the result of the ideology you've adopted and lived by throughout your life."

The young hedgehog looked down on the ground, muttering, "I guess that makes sense…"

"Yes. With that being said, however, the ordeal you're struggling with is that your current standing in life does not reflect your beliefs right now. In fact, I'd say it's quite the opposite. Regardless of your leg and speed's recovery, the damage in your mind and body has had a lasting effect on your spirit."

Upon hearing this, Sonic frowned deeply before turning to the king, inquiring, "Is there a reason behind you summoning me all the way out here, Your Majesty?"

"There's always a reason behind the actions we take, son," King Max said with wisdom. "Even if they were to ultimately become missteps, they were with good intentions. As for your question, I wanted to see where your mind was for myself. And albeit bleak, you seem to be mentally sound. Emotionally, you've grown cynical, slightly hardened, perhaps bitter even."

King Max began to walk away from Sonic for a moment before slowly pacing around Sonic, saying, "Now, all that's left is to test you physically. That shouldn't be a problem, no?"

Sonic blinked, then hesitantly asked, "...Uh, are you sure about that? I mean, I'll do it if I've gotta but I don't want to hurt ya…or myself."

"I am serious, but this will be a light spar. Nothing more." King Max explained. "The first one to yield is declared the winner. Are you willing to rise to the challenge?"

Taking a breath, Sonic nodded as he took off his hoodie and cracked a ghost of a smile as he said, "Alright, I'll scrap with ya. It's not every day where you get to be challenged by a ruler of an entire nation."

"That's the spirit," King Max smirked as his body began to manifest a golden and white aura, catching Sonic off guard.

'He's glowing, just like Sally did back in the oil refinery!' Sonic recalled mentally.

From there, Max took his right hand and formed a standard spadroon from the magic that the Source of All bestowed onto him. Taking the spadroon, he threw it in the air as the whole weapon gleamed a bright gold.

"What the-!?" Sonic whispered.

After being launched ten feet into the air, the light from the sword split into multiple rays that showered the garden around them. When the light show died down, Sonic found himself and King Max enclosed in a circle of spadroons, acting as a fence of sorts that was roughly fifteen feet wide.

Looking back, Sonic swore under his breath, "Shit. That doesn't give me a lot of wiggle room to work with. Not that I can really run around a whole lot, to begin with."

Sonic then turned back to his opponent, who took out two spadroon swords and inspected them while talking to him.

"Do not be alarmed, Oliver. These blades are not strong enough to cleave through limbs. But they are sharp enough to inflict piercing damage. But this circle doubles as a magical barrier, so fleeing the battlefield is prohibited until a victor is decided." The king stated, duel-wielding two of the many spadroons he littered across the garden.

"...H-How did you do that!?" Sonic shouted. "With the swords and the light and stuff!"

Much to Sonic's irritation, King Max retained his smirk as he answered, "...Magic."

"Of course it is," Sonic groaned bitterly.

"You're free to pick up a sword if you wish." King Max offered before taking on a serious expression with the two blades facing toward Sonic despite being spread apart. "But be warned, I'm not to be taken lightly, as it could cost you your own life in a real fight if you do. So prepare yourself."

Sonic took his own fighting stance, with his legs spread out like a boxer but his arms and balled fists were placed close to his chest as he did during his battles against Gemerl back when he was Emerl in Central City after the Space Colony Incident.

While this occurred, an invisible Espio had been tailing Sonic throughout his visit in Castle Acorn and watched their entire interaction in silence while standing on a tree.

'...So, he is deciding to fight.' Espio thought to himself.

"With all due respect, I may have been out of the game for a while but I'm no slouch either. And I ain't gon' act like something I'm not, now." Sonic stated, putting on his game face. "I'm ready when you are, sire!"

"Very well," King Max said as he closed his eyes, before looking at Sonic with glowing golden irises and pupils while the golden and white aura faded around his body. "Your lesson begins…now!"

Sonic's reaction time allowed him to perceive the incredible speed King Max had, and boy could the king move. Max closed the four-foot gap between himself and Sonic in a matter of seconds with a single step that led to a dash. The teenager narrowly avoided a thrust of one of the king's swords by using his Quick Step ability.

"...Such speed!" Espio whispered in awe from on top of a tree.

Sonic thought to himself while dodging swipes and stabs, 'Holy crap! He's fast up close!'

The blue hedgehog studied the squirrel's swings, then noticed the intensity of King Max's face. This was followed by a dominating presence that hit Sonic at full blast, causing him to tense up and lose his nerve for a moment. This served to be a mistake as Sonic was then cut on his right cheek, stabbed in the top of his shoulder, then was swiped across his chest before being slammed against the magical barrier by a spin kick from the monarch.

Sonic got up, coughing up saliva, thinking aloud, "O-Okay…That was some cold moves, sire."

"NO DISTRACTIONS!" King Max lectured loudly, with one blade aimed to split Sonic's head open, which Sonic rolled out the way in ball form before cartwheeling a few feet away from him. "Keep your eyes on the enemy at all times!"

Sonic gritted his teeth and decided to spin in place before firing three bursts of his Sonic Wave attack at King Max. Much to the adventurer's surprise, King Max crossed his swords defensively, allowing him to repel the attack thrice before his first set of blades shattered upon the third wave. Seeing this as an opportunity, Sonic rushed toward the king with the intent of overwhelming him with his superspeed and combat experience.

Unfortunately for the blue hedgehog, the first punch he threw was halted by swiftly taking hold of Sonic's right hand. The Azurite was then kneed in the abdomen to get the wind knocked out of him. While taking his right wrist, Maximilian got behind his old friend's son, and twisted it to his back, causing Sonic to yelp in pain before he was placed in a headlock that had the sixteen-year-old struggling.

Espio couldn't admit but admire the sheer skill and fluidity of the experienced warrior king. But while watching the king, the purple chameleon suddenly detected a great power within King Max. And by connecting himself with nature itself, he felt this power gather towards the squirrel's brain and eyes.

'...What kind of power is the king using?' The shinobi thought to himself.

"You hesitate, Oliver! My presence dulled your nerves significantly, and that led to your downfall!" The king spoke in the hero's ear. "Had I been a true enemy, I would have either slit your throat or snapped your neck! …Do you yield, child?"

"...No way!" Sonic growled as he continued to struggle and thrash in the clutches of the monarch.

"Hmph, glad to hear. I know you can do a lot better than that." King Max said, letting Sonic go before backflipping towards the edge of the circle and grabbing his second set of spadroon blades.

Sonic rubbed his neck while glaring at his opponent, asking, "Shoot, that hurt! …How did you track me so easily? I didn't feel any power that you were using come off of your crown or that fancy sword of yours."

"You ask that as if I'm not Super Mobian like you." King Max dryly chuckled.

Sonic and Espio's eyes widened, with both of them sharing the same response, "What/Nani?"

"That's right," The king confirmed while wielding his blades, not facing his opponent. "See, there is a difference between myself and the first king. Alexander was merely bestowed with tools made from the Source, leading him to become a unifier and a great king. But when history repeated itself with the Great War, I followed in my ancestor's footsteps and took it one step further.

Turning to Sonic, with his golden eyes gleaming at the teenager, "I bathed in the sacred pool, bonding with the Source itself."

"Y-You bonded with that stuff?" Sonic echoed, trying to wrap his head around the concept of a man willing to allow himself to submerge and create a symbiotic relationship with a pool of sentient primordial ooze.

"Indeed," Max nodded, looking directly at Espio's direction, causing him to shift in his place slightly out of shock and discomfort before looking at Sonic again.

'...D-Did he just spot me from way back there?' Espio questioned in his mind. 'But I'm invisible! I'm twenty feet away while on top of a tree!'

The king continued, saying, "Thanks to the Original One and the Source of All, my body, which was already at its peak, has been enhanced by its magical properties. My perception and senses have been augmented, and with my new eyes, I can see the makeup of anything composed by the Source down to the molecular level. Even if there was a small trace of it, I can see it."

Espio and Sonic's mouths parted in awe and fear, recognizing how much of a threat King Max was as they contemplated what could have happened if they were to cross him.

Swallowing saliva down his throat, the scarred and slightly bloodied Sonic steeled his nerves once again while returning back to the fighting position.

Espio took notice of this and said, "...He is focusing. Perhaps there's a counterattack that Sonic-san has in mind."

"Alright, sire. I'm not takin' any chances this time!" Sonic declared before blurring to the edge of the barrier.

Sonic then proceeded to take six swords in his hands, throw them in the air, then kicked the blades at the monarch. King Max's enhanced perception and reflexes allowed him to react by knocking all of the blades out of the way with the pair he held in his hand. Sonic used this distraction to strike King Max directly with three consecutive Homing Attacks. Well, he managed to land the chain attack, but King Max managed to perry each attack with lightning-quick reflexes. At the third and final strike, Sonic and the king struggled for dominance as the hedgehog's sharp spines ground against the thin but sharp ends of Max's swords, creating sparks. However, Sonic managed to break King Max's second set of spadroon blades, then used the momentum he used through the spinning of his body to land a diagonal spin kick to Max's arms while he guarded himself with the use of his arms.

The force behind the strike caused the king to be blown backward and roll to the edge of the barrier. Sonic blurred past him, then charged and successfully knocked Maximilian Acorn to the ground on his stomach that left a miniature crater with an upgraded version of his signature attack, appropriately named the Homing Smash.

While huffing a little, Sonic questioned, "H-How was that? Had enough yet?"

King Max got up with mild injuries to his body as he thought, 'Jules, old friend, this is a strong and unyielding son that you've got. It's like you never left us at all. You'd be proud of him.'

Chuckling out loud, King Max held out both of his hands, prompting two more spadroons (one from different sides of the circle barrier) to travel to him.

"Son, I've fought in a decade-long war. You may be gifted in your specialties, but you're several decades too green compared to one of my caliber." King Max stated before slashing the air twice, creating thin but sharp golden waves of magic at Sonic, prompting Sonic to dodge quickly before he could be struck by them.

'Crap! He's reading my every movement!' Sonic swore in his mind as he continued to dodge the waves of magical slashes from the king. 'Okay! Okay! I'm way in over my head, here!'

Sonic then blurred close to the king and kicked one of the swords out of the king's hand and took it in his right hand. While not being trained in swordplay, the Blue Blur's survival instincts were all that he needed to decently perry the fast melee swipes of Max's spadroon.

Upon witnessing Sonic's first time handling a sword, or any weapon, Espio found the moment to be an interesting one.

'...He lacks form, practice, experience, and discipline with that sword, but his speed, hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and reflexes make up for it. Still, he won't last long solely ' The shinobi analyzed. 'Hm…Maybe…'

Going back to the fight, King Max smirked as he continued to clash with Sonic with his single spadroon, saying, "Adapting to this situation, are we?"

"N-Not like I got a choice!" The red hooded Sonic said, swinging for his life to deflect the swift swipes of King Max's sword.

"I commend your ability to improvise in moments of high stress, however…" King Max complimented before jumping overhead in a front flip and breaking the blade in half with a single slash.

The next thing Sonic knew, he was struck from behind by the monarch with a swipe of his blade. He was then sent sprawling into the ground face first where the Azurite's nose was inches away from touching a spadroon blade lodged in the ground.

"...It'll take more than improvisation to defeat me." Said King Max, taking another blade from the ground nearby as he took three more steps towards him. Especially how predictable your movements are."

Sonic, while nowhere near dead, felt blood seeping through his shirt and jacket due to the cuts and few stab wounds inflicted upon him. The power behind King Max's strikes, however, did take a toll on his body, forcing him to his knees, but he shakily stood up and persisted to continue the fight.

'T-This is crazy! I've taken guys who are stronger than me before! wounds inflicted upon him. The power behind King Max strikes, however, did take a toll on his body while forcing him. But Sonic shakily stood and persisted to continue the fight.

'This is crazy! I've taken guys who are stronger than me before!' Sonic thought to himself while panting. 'But then again…'

Sonic's mind flashed to his defeat at the hands of Metallix, causing his body to stiffen and shudder. Suddenly, he could feel the heaviness of his right leg. Of course, it was all in his head given that the limp was slowly becoming less and less noticeable, it was still there.

'...I've been proven wrong before.' Sonic grimly recalled.

King Max approached the beaten Sonic slowly, holding spadroons apart as they were burning in a gold light.

"You would be staring at your death had this been a true battle." King Max said in a cold tone while glaring at the teenager. "I'm giving you one last chance, Oliver. Yield, and we can end the spar right now. If not, I will not be as merciful with my next attack."

Sonic's eyes hardened as a spark of blue bio-electricity coursed through his green irises.

"Sorry, sire, but Granny Owl didn't raise no quitter!" Sonic proclaimed, pointing at himself with his right hand's thumb before crouching on the ground.

"I'm goin' to keep on runnin' and I'm goin' to keep on fightin'! Right till the day I die!" Sonic proclaimed, preparing for a final attack by curling into a revving up in place while glowing light blue.

This indicated Sonic in the process of utilizing the Light Speed Attack.

King Acorn saw this, then gave the sight a legitimate smile, and said, "You may not realize it, but truly, you are your father's son, Oliver. I suppose you've earned this."

Spreading his legs apart into a horse stance, King Max spun his swords and then crossed his arms together, summoning a tremendous amount of magical power around his body.

The power behind the radiating power was so great, it shook the garden and made Espio hold on to the trunk of the tree as he covered his eyes to avoid being blind.

'WHAT POWER! He may be the strongest monarch in the world!' Espio stated mentally.

Focusing his blades at his opponent, King Max N. Acorn whispered,"...KingStand: Magnum Blitz."

When Sonic stopped spinning in place, both he and King Max charged at each other and landed their respective blows at the speed of light. To Espio, it was merely a flash of light before seeing Sonic and the king standing on opposite sides of where they were.

Max's jacket was torn, indicating the lightspeed Spin Attack damaging the Mobian squirrel more than he anticipated. The blood that trickled from his mouth was the result of the grinding his body endured.

Meanwhile, Sonic stood up tall with seemingly no damage taken. That was until the teenager gasped in pain as two streaks of light form across his body appeared, forming an "X". Without warning, Sonic was engulfed in a pillar of light that erupted for five seconds before the light show subsided.

At this point, Sonic collapsed on the grassy terrain, on the verge of fading out of consciousness. But he and Espio knew that the match was over.

"Sonic-san!" Espio uttered not-so-quietly, "alerting" the king of his presence.

Turning in Espio's direction, King Max deactivated his KingStand ability, releasing the barrier and spadroons littered around them, and then spoke to him.

"Come out, child. I knew that you were watching us from the very beginning." King Max commanded.

As a response, Espio was instantly visible once again as he appeared beside the fallen Azurite, helping stand up. King Max inspected the chameleon's armguards and noticed the emblem of a Torii over a fully grown tree.

'...So, he is a shinobi.' King Max deduced.

Sonic turned his head slowly, then said, "...H-Hey Espio. Thanks for the help man."

"Bakayaro!" The chameleon growled at him. "Were you trying to get yourself killed!? Why did you not surrender when you were given the opportunity!?"

Sonic gave him a solemn grin, saying, "...Sorry, I can't help but fight on till the end. I don't know how to explain it. Somethin' inside of me just says go, ya know?"

Espio shook his hopelessly, sighing at the hedgehog's stubbornness.

Approaching the two teenagers, King Max "Can any of you explain why a member of an assassination ninja clan is on Acornian grounds?"

"I shall, Heika," Espio said, bowing to him formally. "I have been excommunicated from my clan for some time after being stripped of my status as clan heir. Now, I operate under an agency that takes various jobs. And currently, Sonic's safety is my responsibility and protecting him is my job."

King Max looked at Sonic for verification to which he was given a thumb's up.

King Max then asked Espio, "What was your given name?"

"Hiyashi Hanzō. But I am professionally Espio the Chameleon." Espio responded.

"You say that you were their former heir? Then you must be the son of Mikoto, the famed Maiden of the Constant Vigil, and the late Satori, the Hidden One." King Max identified.

Espio remained stoic as he nodded in confirmation.

Sonic, while still exhausted, raised an eyebrow, uttering, "Uh…what?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself with, Sonic-san." Said Espio, prompting the blue hedgehog to leave the topic be. "Now, please be still."

"...I mean I kind of have to, but what for, though?" Sonic questioned.

Then the chameleon did something that took Sonic by surprise while it interested King Max. Espio took his left hand and performed a series of three hand signs, then placed a hand on Sonic's chest before pouring the natural energy from the surrounding area and channeling it throughout Sonic's body, healing all of the blue hedgehog's wounds in the process.

After fifteen seconds, Espio removed his left hand from his ally, allowing Sonic to stand on his own.

"H-Hey, I'm good now!" Sonic cheered before groaning at his torn and burnt clothing. "But now my clothes are ruined. Great, I'm going to get an earful from Rosieand Uncle Chuck."

"Here. Allow me," King Max said as he touched Sonic's jacket.

Sonic was then imbued in a golden light for a brief moment, only for his clothes to be returned to its state before the spar.

"How did you–" Sonic asked, only to be given a half-lidded look and a knowing smirk by the king which gave Sonic the answer he wanted yet hated. "–Oh yeah, magic."

Turning to Espio with a similar question, Sonic was given the lame excuse by said shinobi, "Ninja power."

After Sonic groaned out loud, his former opponent asked him, "Do you know why you've lost, Oliver?"

Sonic looked down in shame, saying, "...Cause I rushed in the fight blindly, underestimating you in the process."

"That's definitely part of it," King Max nodded, accepting that answer. "Hanzō, could you name another factor?"

"Hai, Sonic-san fell into your intimidation tactic, Max-ousama." Espio explained. "He became hesitant to strike, which gave you the advantage."

"Very good," Said King Max before adding something else. "And lastly, but certainly not least, not only are you inexperienced as a close ranged fighter but because of that, you're very predictable."

"How, though?" Sonic inquired. "Normally, people don't see me comin' through!"

Espio further explained, "Sonic-san, normal people can't see a bullet fly at them when a gun is fired. You can. But you don't battle against normal people. And given how well known you've become over time, it was only a matter of time before your abilities and attack patterns were researched and figured out. That's how Max-ousama countered your speed and capitalized on your impulsive behavior in a matter of seconds."

Sonic's mind flashed to his battle with Metal Robotnik and understood why he had such a hard time battling against the mech, disregarding the Ixis Magick enhancement.

'...No wonder Eggman's been catchin' me lackin'! All this time I've been so caught up in the hype of my speed that folks began to pick my moves apart! Even Metal's gotten the jump on me!'

Sonic gripped his hands until his knuckles turned white as his frown twisted into a scowl.

'...Shadow was right. I really have gotten careless over the years. And look what that's cost me!' Sonic bitterly lamented.

"...What was the point of the fight, anyway?" Sonic questioned. "I know that I'm not ready to rejoin the Freedom Fighters. And I ain't nearly as strong as I used to be."

King Max placed a comforting hand on the hedgehog's shoulder, King Max said, "Do not be so hard on yourself. I could have easily ended the fight if I wanted to. In fact, the goal of the spar was not solely to see your physical development, but to see if you still possess that indomitable resolve you had before. And I'm pleased with the results."

"He is right, Sonic-san." Espio added, prompting Sonic to listen to him. "A man without conviction lives a life with little meaning."

Sonic remained silent, thinking about Espio's words. From there, he thought about freedom and how his view of the concept started to come into question.

He wants to get better and rejoin the team. He wants to help end the Naugus War and free the planet from his terrorism, but Sonic doesn't know what freedom is anymore. What it meant to be free to himself had been shattered by the atrocities of Metallix thanks to his mistakes.

This existential problem started a war within Sonic the Hedgehog himself.

Sonic then stood before Sally's father, asking "King Max, what do you think it means to be free?"

King Max smiled at the question and responded, "To be free is to be at peace."

"Peace? Well, what does it mean to be at peace?" Questioned Sonic.

"To enjoy the moments you have with your comrades and family, and to live life as best you can with honesty and integrity." King Max answered carefully.

"Okay," Sonic nodded, falling silent as he stared down at the ground, lost in thought.

'...He's thinking.' The shinobi noticed mentally.

"But how does one gain peace?" The hedgehog queried.

"One does not simply gain peace, nor does it last forever." King Max stated. "As there are periods of war, there are periods of peace. And both periods can happen internally or externally, sometimes both. But through the hardships of war, most of those who participate in them come to appreciate peace."

"Why stoop to war for folks to appreciate peace?" Sonic questioned in confusion. "I lived in a tropical paradise for a long time and loved every minute of it."

Espio sighed, recalling the stories of the period of warring states between the clans of Shinto.

"War is ugly. It spares next to nobody caught in them. But you have to understand that it is a necessary evil, child." King Max explained. "To people like us, warring is not only a sacrifice but it is also an opportunity. A chance to risk everything to fight for something greater than themselves and for their families. Through shared losses, both sides will eventually come to an understanding and see the value of peaceful times."

"...I see," Sonic muttered.

Espio then told his friend, "Sonic-san, that is one interpretation from one walk of life. If you are not satisfied with that answer, perhaps you need to discover what freedom means to you again."

With that being said Sonic and Espio were dismissed, with the quiet blue hedgehog leaving lost, confused, and hollow.

---

Never Woods, Christmas Island

Sally and two-thirds of Team Rose landed just outside of Never Lake on Christmas Island. It took them a few hours for them to get to the location thanks to the advanced Hyper Tornado.

Upon their arrival, Sally got out of the pilot seat with Amy and Cream following behind from their passenger seats, the Mobian girls got their lightly packed bags out of the back of the plane.

Sally and Cream stared at the pristine lake and admired its beauty.

"Gosh! Just look at it," Sally whispered, amazed at the Never Lake as she stared at her own reflection. "I've never seen a lake so…clear!"

"I know! Isn't it just wonderful?" Said Cream, walking next to Sally.

Amy walked in between them as she added, "Yup!~ I can never get tired of such a gorgeous view~! In fact, it's one of my favorite places in all of Mobius."

"Oh, that's right. You're from Little Planet." Sally recalled.

"Uh huh, though older people would call it the Miracle Planet," Amy noted, holding her right index finger.

Nodding Sally then asked, "Alright. Which direction is the Never Wood in, Amy?"

"Leave it to me, Your Highness," Amy saluted as she marched East, directing both Sally and Cream to a trail that led them to a dense forest made up of fir trees.

As the girls journeyed through the forest Cream's incredible to hear the slightest bit of creaking from branches from the trees that surrounded them.

'I-Is something out there, or am I hearing things?' The daughter of Vanilla questioned while looking upwards. 'I-Its got darker all of a sudden. …I don't like this.'

Due to this, Cream started to look behind her every so often while becoming on high alert. The two older Mobians didn't pay much attention to this, but Amy's empathic ability to sense the emotions of her best friend and noticed the tense fear beginning to emanate around the ten-year-old.

"Cream, what's gotten into you?" Amy inquired as the group stopped for a moment. "Are you okay?"

Cream held Amy's hand for comfort as she said, "I'm sorry Ms. Amy. B-But I'm getting this strange feeling about this place. I don't like it."

Amy gave Cream a smile, then gently squeezed the Mobian bunny's gloved hand as she reassured, "Hey, there's no need to worry. I've been here a few times, so I know where I'm going. And best believe, I won't let anything happen to you, Cream. I'll always have your back."

"T-Thank you," The child said, sticking to Amy like glue.

When Sally saw this, she instantly imagined a younger Sonic and an even younger Tails doing the same thing in their place. This caused the chipmunk to smile before remembering the specific words that Cream used to describe the Never Woods.

'While that does sound reassuring, I think Cream's onto something about this place's atmosphere. Despite the sudden dreary look of this forest, the air, while clean, feels…of. It almost feels like it's alive.' Sally analyzed mentally, based on inspecting the area.

The princess then took out the handheld that held NICOLE as Sally questioned, "NICOLE, can you scan our surroundings in search of any form of supernatural energy."

"Scanning now," NICOLE responded before her screen projected a bright blue light as Sally helped moved around to help capture data better.

After a full minute of scanning, NICOLE concluded, "Scanning complete. I have detected a high amount of raw magical energy from within the forest."

This information shocked both Sally and Cream. Meanwhile, Amy, while not so surprised by the fact that magic was in the forest, was relatively impressed that the entire area had been surrounded in the stuff.

"T-The whole forest?" Cream inquired, now buggy-eyed.

"Affirmative, Cassidy," NICOLE said, communicating to the small bunny.

"Wow, she's even stronger than I remember," Amy thought aloud.

"Could you identify the kind of magic?" Sally asked, speaking at the handheld.

"Negative, Sally. Origin, unknown," The AI responded.

"You know what? I don't even know what kind of magic Wendy uses." Amy thought about it out loud. "I never thought to ask her…"

"I have an idea!" Cream blurted out loud before turning to the Acornian. "Ms. Sally, could NICOLE help us find that cabin Uncle Chuck told you guys about?"

Sally thought about it, then gave Cream a head pat while saying, "That's a wonderful idea, Cream."

Scanning the area yet again, NICOLE guided the girls through the forest and managed to stumble upon a stone path that was seemingly paved by man/Mobian.

After forty-five minutes of walking, NICOLE stated, "We are approaching our destination princess."

"Oh, thank goodness." Sally sighed, not wishing to waste any more sunlight. "We haven't even got to finding Gwendolyn the Light yet."

"Woah! Check it out," The pink hedgehog pointed out, jogging over to the end of the stone trail.

"Hey, wait for us!" Sally called out before the princess and Cream ran after the pink hedgehog

This led to a small but cozy handcrafted brown log cabin sitting in the middle of a forest clearing. There was just enough sunlight peeking through the taller trees to hit the structure. Downhill from the log cabin was a large pond that had smooth rocks surrounding the edges, possibly for fishing.

"It's so well made," Cream admired. "I wish Cheese, Gemerl, Mama, and Chocola could see this."

"I'll say! Isn't it just stunning~? It's like a small dream home! It would be perfect for me and Son…" Amy cooed before stopping herself from mentioning the blue hedgehog's name.

Sally and Cream could visually find Amy almost physically souring from her slip-up before shaking her head and saying, "...Anyway, let's go inside!"

'...She must still be upset about her last talk with Sonic.' The princess suspected in her mind before refocusing on the youngest Mobian in the group.

"Wait, we can't just go inside. Don't we need a key in case it's locked?" Cream inquired.

"Say no more, girls," Sally smirked as she casually took out a pair of keys from her vest pocket as she walked past Amy and Cream.

The auburn-haired chipmunk unlocked the door, allowing all of them to enter the house. Much like the log cabin's exterior, the interior was built on top of piled-up logs which had cement wedged between the gaps to keep the frames and the foundation sturdy. The structure had four walls and was rectangular, allowing more space for items and other furniture to take up. The cabin has a living/entertainment room, two hall closets, a hall restroom, a master bedroom with its own bathroom, a planned baby room, a kitchen, and a small hidden bunker which was covered by the living room's large red carpet.

Despite this version of the cabin being built roughly twenty-eight years ago and hadn't been used in fifteen years, the place was not dusty at all. In fact, it seemed to have been well-kept. Almost like somebody's been cleaning it for Sir Charles.

"Oh my gosh! It's even better from the inside!" Amy gushed, looking at the interior of the cabin before turning to her best friend. "We've got to check out all the rooms!"

Cream laughed wearily at her older, yet easily excitable friend but nodded so that Amy didn't lose her jovial sense of self.

Sally then took her time to speak up before Amy could rush into all of the rooms and said, "Okay, let's just take a little moment to breathe before we wander around the place without thinking. Remember, Amy, this is Sir Charles' property. So, we have to be mindful of that. Since we're staying here until we find Gwendolyn the Light, we have to treat this place with respect like it's our own home."

Cream and Amy nodded with the rabbit saying, "We understand, Ms. Sally. We're great at housekeeping."

"Good to know. Now, let's take off our shoes and place them on the shoe rack by the front door. Then, we can place our things in the guestrooms and get to look around." Sally instructed, much like that of an older sister to which the younger female Mobian agreed.

After placing their shoes on the rack and putting their clothes away in the guestrooms, Sally, Amy, and Cream began to visit each room. While the hall closets and restroom weren't anything to gawk over, it took Cream and Sally to nearly drag Amy out of the baby room (Sonic's room) given the amount of cutesy items that were present inside there. Cream marveled at the amount of luxurious pots, pans, and cookware that were within the cabinets of the kitchen. The little girl began to imagine all kinds of dishes should make with them, as the girl's favorite hobby was cooking thanks to spending a lot of time with her mother and Amy baking cakes and other pastries. The younger girls then approached the master bedroom, but Sally forbade entry into the bedroom out of respect for Sonic's parents, his Uncle, and Sonic himself.

After that, the girls managed to head to the living room. Amy and Sally were about to sit down on the long brown sofa across from the small roundtable when Cream called them.

"Ms. Amy, look up there!" Cream said, pointing at a large picture frame up above the fireplace at the back of the living room.

Amy (along with Sally) looked up to see the portrait of what seemed to be two Azurite Mobian hedgehogs, only one male, and one female. In the portrait, the male hedgehog wore a black tuxedo under a white collared shirt while the female wore a beautiful white wedding gown with a bridal face.

The male hedgehog, while bearing some resemblance to Sonic and Sir Charles, had Egyptian blue-colored fur, quills that slant upwards rather than arching downwards like Sir Charles and Sonic's, and possessed chocolate brown irises instead of light blue like Sir Charles. The hedgehog's left eye was scarred but wasn't blinded. His skin had a uniquely darker tone, surpassing Shadow's tan skin. Along with his quills and spines appearing more wild than Sonic, what the portrait didn't show was that the male hedgehog had well-developed chest fur. Speaking of the chest, compared to Sonic, the male hedgehog had a larger upper body and thicker-developed arms. Finally, the muzzle of the brown-eyed hedgehog had tufts on each side, signifying his maturity.

The female Azurite hedgehog was another story. Her fur was a light lavender with her dark purple quills resembling hair curled downwards while retaining some level of spikiness to them. Her nose was rounded, like all female hedgehogs were, with slightly rounded ears, and had shining emerald green irises that resembled Sonic's. Her skin was peach colored, also like Sonic's skin, but had a thinner and petite frame which juxtaposed her husband's broader and well built frame. Under her right eye on her muzzle was a small but visible beauty mark.

Amy gasped before letting out a girlish squeal for everybody in the house.

"This wedding portrait is to die for!" An overly giddy Amy squealed in excitement. "Ooh~! I want one made just like this! I can only imagine how it'd look! It'd be sooo romantic!~"

Cream and Sally weary sweatdrop at the sight as Amy swayed her hips back and forth as she continued to fantasize about her own marriage and a painter crafting the portrait.

With Amy calming down, Sally thought aloud, "It didn't feel like I'd see them again after a long time…"

Hearing this, Cream asked Sally, "Do you know who the people in the portrait are, Ms. Sally?"

"Well, of course. I've known them since I was born." Sally explained as she pointed to the male Azurite. "See, the man in the tuxedo was legally known as Sir Jules Hurst in Acornia, but he's technically Sir Jules Hedgehog of Azuron. He was Sir Charles' younger brother and Sonic's father."

While Cream lightly gasped, Amy's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets as she eyed the chipmunk, then the portrait of Sir Jules.

"That's Sonic's Dad!?" Amy blurted out in bewilderment. "My Chaos, no wonder why he looks hot! His father's gorgeous!"

Sally giggled at Amy's unfiltered comment, recalling conversations she had with Bunnie given that they both reached a similar consensus when it came to the late knight's looks.

Cream tilted her head out of curiosity, then pointed out, "...Sir Jules kind of looks like Mr. Shadow too. Or at least he does in the face."

"I can kind of see the resemblance," Amy agreed after staring at the late hedgehog's face before looking at his wife. "What about his wife? She looks fabulous with those long luscious and silky locks!"

Sally then explained with a serious expression, "I'll get to that in a second, but you guys need to keep what I'm about to tell you a secret. If this information gets out to former enemies of Azuron, it could spell trouble for both Acornia and especially Sonic. Can you two do that for me?"

Amy and Cream matched Sally's expression while nodding.

"Great," Sally said, which she then questioned afterward, "What do you know about the Azuron's royal family?"

"A-Azuron?" Cream echoed back in unfamiliarity. "I never heard of that name before. What is that?"

"Oh! I can answer that!" Amy said, volunteering her knowledge. "Azuron was an old yet powerful nation from Mobian territory that existed for hundreds of years and was said to be the origin of all blue-furred hedgehogs. I think its capital city was called Lazuciel or something like that. Anyway, according to my uncle Kingsley, the kingdom was established by the legendary hero king, Arthur Cobalt, who traveled the world and vanquished many evils that threatened his kingdom. Some say he fought with his sheer might alone, and some say that he wielded a holy sword that was pulled from stone."

"Azuron was a Mobian kingdom?" Cream asked. "Mama never told me about it before. I've spent most of my life in small towns outside of Overlander cities."

"That does make a lot of sense, Vanilla didn't want you to be exposed to the horrors of war," Sally explained, seeing what the mother had done as she turned to Amy. "Though, I wonder how you know so much about Azuron's history."

"Well, I'm not the one to brag but I happen to be of Azurite descent! …Well, on my mom's side at least." Amy answered with pride.

"Oh! Now I see," Sally recognized as she mentally hypothesized, 'When Azuron fell towards the end of the Great War, the very few survivors scattered across the world! Some of them must have settled on Little Planet to escape Naugus and the rest of the war! That must be it!'

"Anyway, what does Azuon have to do with…him?" Amy questioned, still refusing to speak Sonic's name.

Cream and Sally frowned once again, noticing Amy's behavior towards their mutual friend.

'...I'll have to pull Amy aside and talk to her soon.' Sally thought to herself as she answered Amy's question.

"Right, well as you know, the House of Cobalt is made up of fifteen generations, starting with King Arthur I, who lived during the era of my ancestor and the first king of Acornia, King Alexander. But by the tail-end of the Great War, Lazuciel and the rest of Azuron had been invaded and destroyed by dark forces led by Naugus the Dark. Fortunately, there were survivors. A few notable survivors were members of Azuron's trusted knights known as the Order of the Azure. Two of them, you guys met."

"I know that Uncle Chuck came from Azuron but I can't think of anybody else. Who else are we missing?" Amy queried, recalling at least one Azurite knight.

"I am not so sure, Ms. Amy…" Cream said, shaking her head.

Sally commented, pointing at the lavender-colored hedgehog in the portrait, "Sir Arthur Mongoose, but that's beside the point. Back on topic, another miraculous survivor of Azuron's fall happened to be Azuron's last Queen, and that's who's standing in the portrait as Sir Jules' bride."

Gears began to turn in both girls' brains as the hammer-wielding hedgehog whispered, "W-Wait, you're not saying that Sonic is…"

"A prince, practically royalty? By blood, you'd be correct." Sally confirmed as she told them Sonic's mother's identity further. "This is Queen Aleena Cobalt, the fourteen monarch of Azuron, not only making Sonic, or Prince Oliver Maurice Cobalt, the fifteen generation but the last remaining member of the House of Cobalt. But upon seeking refuge in my kingdom, she had to take on the alias of Bernadette Hurst to hide her status as a royal for her safety."

"Wow, so that would mean that Mr. Sonic is just like you!" Cream said, finding the blue hedgehog's lineage to be a fascinating one.

Now, normally, Amy would gush about her crush being the prince charming that she'd always dreamed of being. But with the context of Sonic's secret history and her previous encounter with him not being a pleasant one, the reveal felt rather…hollow.

"...Sonic is aware of all of this, right?" Amy calmly asked, looking at Sally. "His background, I mean."

"Yes," Sally nodded, slightly put off at the tense aura Amy had despite her calmed demeanor. "My father told him on the day he arrived in New Mobotropolis with Tails."

Hearing this answer, Amy immediately sighed in disappointment

As the pink hedgehog turned around while obscuring her face, she bitterly muttered, "Of course. He keeps Tails and Knuckles in the loop with certain things but doesn't tell me jack squat. Typical."

"Ms. Amy, what's the matter?" Cream asked, walking up to the clearly upset hedgehog. "What's bothering you?"

Amy shook her head then said, "Forget about that, let's just go find Wendy."

With that, Amy began to walk out of the room after putting her boots back on and headed outside.

Sally and Cream immediately followed the pink hedgehog while calling out her name.

However, the moment the three girls had set foot outside, the ground shook beneath them.

"EEEK!" Cream shrieked before clinging on to the nearest person she could find, which happens to be Amy.

"W-What's going on!? What's happening!?" Amy shouted towards Sally.

"I don't know! I-I think we've been caught in the middle of a tremor!" Sally guessed.

Without warning, three large roots erupted from the ground and tightly wrapped themselves around Amy, Sally, and Cream, preventing them from moving their arms and legs.

"I-I can't move a muscle!" Sally grunted, trying to move while attempting and failing to summon her Ring Blades. "Not good, I can't even summon my blades to free myself. It's like something's suppressing my connection with them."

Amy tried summoning her Piko Piko Hammer, but to no avail.

"Are you kidding me!? Out of all the times…WHY IS IT NOT COMING TO MY HAND!?"

"...My, oh my," An elderly, yet feminine voice spoke. "Look what we have here?"

The girl's paused their struggle when they saw a tall robed figure appear before them, slowly walking towards their direction.

"Wait," Amy said, detecting a supernatural presence that she instantly recognized alongside the voice. "I know that voice."

When stopping at the terraformed structure and gazing at Amy, the white robed female said, "Still getting into trouble, are we, Little Amelia?"

Amy gasped and asked, "...W-Wendy, is that you!?"

"What?" Said both Cream and Sally. "Wendy!?"

Taking off her hood, the mysterious figure revealed herself to be an elderly Overlander that bore some resemblance to Naugus minus the pointed ears, demonic eye color, and pale skin. In fact, Gwendolyn the white had tan skin and red irises. Her untamed hair was a grayish white while being long enough to make it pass her neck and reach down to her upper chest. Her nose was angular but not pointed like Naugus, given that she looked more human than the terrorist. She seemed to be tall for an Overlander, standing to be about five feet and eleven inches tall. Her frame was petite in contrast to her powerful mystical presence.

For her attire, she wore an olive green cloak over white robes. Her boots, belt, and gloves had colors of earthly green and brown with hints of yellow in the form of buckles, finger rings, and round pearl-like earrings.

"Yes, I am Gwendoyln the White. And you three shouldn't be here." The sorceress said with a frown on her face.

---

Uncle Chuck's Apartment, New Mobotropolis

-Within Sonic's Dream-

Sonic was running, no, sprinting, towards the direction of New Mobotropolis. The scent of iron, smoke, and burning flesh was all too familiar to him. It was the smell of death, and it was filling his nostrils. That made his heart race thousands of beats per second.

Sadly enough, the teenage blue hedgehog had grown accustomed to the stench of death when he came to the realization that he was a part of war. And the familiar sight of blackened smog replacing the clear blue skies of Acornia's capital did not spell anything positive within the mind of the Fastest Thing Alive.

Currently, Sonic was filled to the brim with energy, running on nothing but anxiety, fear, and determination.

He had only one goal in mind. Get to the city and save his loved ones.

'Okay, I'm almost there! If I can just get to Red, Tails, and the others, we can hold off whatever the threat is and beat it together! Just hold on for a little bit longer, guys! I built up enough power. I just gotta rush to the city, and then save…'

Sonic brought himself to a full stop when he found a decimated New Mobotropolis burning in violet flames.

"...Everybody?" Sonic muttered before gasping and said, "...No!"

He then wound up his legs in a figure eight as he muttered loudly, "No, no, no, no!"

Sonic took off in a blue streak, using his Super Peel Out skill to zip around to the destroyed landmarks that he had grown attached over his time in his "new" home.

"The Lake of Rings…" Sonic mentioned as he zoomed past a burnt clearing that would have led to searing crater where a beautiful lake once stood.

Within a few seconds, Sonic found that his uncle's eating establishment was reduced to rubble with a familiar body laying under the rubble.

"Uncle Chuck's Stand…and Tiara…" Sonic uttered while flinching at her burnt corpse.

Sonic then found himself passing the residences of the other Freedom Fighters and his uncle. Every single building in that district had razed to the ground as if something inhuman laid it to ruin.

"Damn it! The Prowers' House, the Rabbot's Estate, the apartments… the whole neighborhood's gone! Where the hell is everybody!" Sonic said, on the verge of a panic attack when one place came into mind. "...HQ! I got to head to Freedom HQ, and fast!"

Sonic curled into a ball to drift and zig-zagged his way through the burning streets of New Mobotropolis. He was then bombarded with the sudden appearance of half a dozen purple and black crystal Phantom Knights on skeleton horseback, with the horses leaving a trail of demonic energy behind.

The knights tried to slow Sonic down by taking swings at him with his sword. Sonic found this to be bothersome, to say the least. He easily dodged each swipe of the homonculi's broadsword while rage seeped into his heart.

Angered by their insolence, Sonic radiated with light blue bio-electricity as he screamed, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

Like an EMP, the blue hedgehog unleashed a powerful shockwave that sent the six hellish fiends flying before disintegrating upon impact. Within fifteen seconds, Sonic found himself approaching the building of a relatively untouched Freedom HQ.

"Yes, I made it just in time! Don't worry guys, I'm here! Everything's gonna be alri-" Sonic yelled before a huge flash of fire and heat engulfed the building from the inside out, knocking Sonic back several feet.

"NO!" Sonic screamed while falling back to the scorched ground, landing on his face and stomach.

Getting up from the ground, Sonic noticed one of Amy's golden bracelets on the ground next to his right hand. His body began to tremble in fear and sadness before looking ahead to see the Freedom Fighter's former base of operations now surrounded in flames. As he approached the remains of the building, his eyes dilated to the horrific sight that befell him. It was the charred bodies of his friends, both old and new. Tails, Amy, Cream, Knuckles, Bunnie, Antoine, Rotor. Hell, even Team Dark had perished.

He was too late to save them.

Sonic immediately sprinted towards Tails' burnt body. He kneeled down and cradled the fox kit's head.

'I failed,' Had constantly been placed on repeat like a broken record in Sonic's mind as the weight of the words began to take a toll on the teenager's sanity.

He could feel his body tremble with the electricity surging all throughout. He could feel his chest grow heavy as the Azurite's breathing became more and more erratic. Sonic could feel it. The grasp of reality was crumbling away. His sanity was slipping. The darkness within the fallen hero was approaching fast and would have consumed him if it weren't for an ear piercing scream that caused Sonic to snap back to reality.

"AHHH!"

Sonic immediately recognized the voice, then gasped, "...Sally!"

Putting Tails' body back down on the ground gently with Amy's bracelet, Sonic rocketed in the direction of Castle Acorn and made it to said location in a matter of seconds. Now, he was faced with his worst nightmare. In front of him stood Metal Sonic, no, Metallix. The Ixis-infused Badnik held the bruised and bloodied yet still living Acornian princess, Sally, by the neck while behind them was the decapitated body of King Max, who also had his crown crushed and his own sword (Sword of Acorns) impaled through his back. And right beside metal was a broken handheld and a shattered ring, signifying that NICOLE wasn't going to be able to help neither Sally nor him fight the monster.

Both Metallix and Sally turned to see Sonic upon his late arrival.

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to show up. Welcome to the party, Sonic," Metallix heckled. "I hope you like the redecorating. It took some time and effort on my end."

"...Metal!" Sonic said, gritting his teeth while his power surged around him. "Put. Her. Down."

Tilting his head, the coy machine responded, saying, "Oh? And why would I do that? The princess and I were getting to know each other better. Besides, it's not like she truly matters to you anyway. You don't even remember her."

"I don't care! Let her go now, or I'll-!"

"-Or you'll what?" Metallix challenged, causing Sonic to recoil a bit. "Wake up, you stupid brat! I've won. Nothing on this planet can threaten me. Not this nation. Not your little milita. Not your pitiful friend. And certainly not you. Even with all of the Chaos Emeralds, you're nothing but an insignificant speck compared to me."

"S-Sonic…" Sally managed to whisper as tears ran down her cheeks, only for Metallix to tighten his grasp around her neck with his right clawed hand.

"Hang in there, I'll get you out of there. I promise." Sonic muttered quietly with a hardened expression as he prepared for an attack.

It was here where the flag of Castle Acorn fell from the top of the building as Metallix laughed.

"Oh, you poor naive child." Metallix belittled in a condescending tone before taking a darker and low tone. "You shouldn't make promises that you cannot keep."

In a jerk of hand and enough crushing force, a loud snap echoed throughout the area roughly the same time as the flag fell onto the scorched ground, setting the castle flag ablaze.

Sonic, who entered bullet time, watched his oldest friend and confidant's lifeless body descend to the ground after meeting her end by oldest rival and second oldest foe, who had the chipmunk's windpipe crushed. He immediately rushed to catch her body, allowing him to grab Sally's body before returning to real time.

"...Pathetic." Metallix said in disappointment. "...You've time travelled, reached to the stars, and warped reality itself. All of that power and speed, and you still couldn't save them. You're not worth staining my hands."

With that, Metallix took off to the dark skies, leaving Sonic alone while holding Sally's corpse/lifeless body.

"...Red?" Sonic muttered, gently shaking Sally's head with his arms, hopelessly trying to wake the princess up, to no avail.

Then his mind took him back to the promise he'd made to Sally back before South Island was destroyed.

Listen, don't feel so glum. We'll make it through this together, no problem! I'll have ya smilin' by the end of this. Count on it!

...You promise?

Mhm! That's a promise, from me to you!

Now, Sonic could never fulfill such a promise. He had failed Acornia, and he had failed the princess. No, his princess.

Now bearing the full weight of such a heavy loss, Sonic's eyes dilated as intense feelings of negativity festered within his mind and flickers of black and violet sparks were discharged from his body erratically. His teeth gritted and sharpened, his fur turned darker with each second and his eyes lost their vibrant and noble green, replaced only with a glowing intense white, filled with rage and misery. The same words echoed within his volatile mind.

"Give in to your hatred. Unleash the rage in your heart. Let the festering pain guide you. Snap. Snap. Snap. SNAP!"

With that, Sonic let out a primal roar before unleashing a devastating geyser of negative Chaos Energy, wiping out the rest of Acornia off of the map before everything was consumed in a dark smoke.

-Dream End-

Sonic immediately woke up drenched sweat, gasping for air as if he was searching for an air bubble in Westside Island's Aquatic Ruin. He felt his heart palpitating hard and fast, placing his pawed right hand on his chest to try and ease the wave of emotions that he was going through. As the blue hedgehog sat up while trying so desperately to calm himself down, he feel salty tears escape from his eyes despite closing them.

At that moment, while focused on calming himself down, he felt someone's weight on his bed before a head ended up laying on his belly. Looking down, Sonic saw Muttski laying beside him with his head on his body. His ears were lowered and bore an expression filled with pity and longing.

Sonic, saying nothing, place a hand his service Mobini and faithful pet, causing his breathing to soothe and gradually slow down.

'...I can't stay in here… Not like this.' Sonic thought to himself as he got up from his bed.

Grabbing a towel from his closet, Sonic wiped the tears and sweat from his face before opening a drawer from his dresser. Looking at the time, he could see that it was two in the morning. The teenager then put on a white sweater with a red hoodie, white sweatpants, and his old Power Sneakers before grabbing a green leash to place on Muttski.

The St. Dane tilted his head in confusion, only for Sonic to shush the dog with a shushing gesture, saying, "C'mon, boy. We're goin' for a little late night walk."

-Several Minutes Later, At Julayla Memorial Park-

Sonic wasn't happy that he had to sneak out of his room early in the morning. He was sure if his uncle found out about it, he'd surely be grounded for weeks. But he needed this so bad. He could see that monster wherever he went. The blue hedgehog needed an escape somehow. Just five minutes of peace, if he could afford this point, the teenager was desperate and he decided to take his chance now.

With his hoodie over his head, Sonic walked his dog while minding his own business. Very few people were out at the time, and he knew how to stay relatively hidden from any law enforcement that may pull him in for questions given he was technically a minor out past curfew.

Now, he and Muttski were resting on a bench that was located by the local fountain. He was no longer shaking from anxiety, but could still vividly recount the nightmare that plagued him. There were bags under the hero's eyes that signified his weariness. Sonic was mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. Truly, at his most vulnerable state.

The hedgehog could only give a dead stare at the fountain.

Then, he instinctively looked at his naked pawed hands and notice them tremble as he questioned out loud, "Chaos, what is goin' on with me?"

Muttski licked Sonic's hand to comfort him. Sonic responded by patting Muttski's head as a response to soothe his dog's worries.

Sonic looked up to the moon and then said, "I can't keep living like this."

Behind him, the faintest sound of rustling from a bush was heard by Muttski, for his ears perked up. In response, the St. Dane got up, hopped off the bench and began to growl at the bush before barking.

Sonic turned his head towards the dog Mobini and the bush. Due to his mentally, emotionally, and physically drained state, Sonic did not pick up on what his service hound had detected.

Therefore, Sonic hushed his dog, whispering, "Down boy. Ain't nothin over there."

From those words being said, six thin but sharp needles were thrown from a nearby tree and were embedded onto Muttski's side. This caused the pooch to whine before spazzing out and falling limp.

Sonic immediately jumped up to check on his pet, concerningly shouting, "MUTTSKI!"

With the blue hedgehog distracted, his hearing barely caught the sound of rattling as he failed to react to a metal chain constricting both of his legs before an electrical current flowed through the chain and shocked Sonic.

The boy let out a yelp as he convulsed and thrashed onto the ground in pain.

When Sonic was surely paralyzed, the holder of the chain descended onto the ground while holding the end of the weapon with a wooden handle and a curved blade.

The figure was male Mobian feline based on the shape of his ears, clothed in navy blue attire while wearing a full mask that only showed his cold electric blue eyes.

His vision was blurred. He could barely make out the dark figure that the moon cast its light on. But the footsteps that he heard made with the sound of chains rattling made it clear that this wasn't an illusion. All he could do was focus on staying conscious and stare at his dog.

'...Why is this happening to me?' Sonic repeatedly questioned his mind.

The masked assassin then took out a kunai from the pouch that he wore around his waist, then kneeled before the hedgehog he was tasked to eliminate. Turning the Azurite to face him, the assailant stared into the eyes of Sonic, which were void of life and filled with suffering and weariness.

'...He's not the same boastful but honor-bound warrior. No, you've been reduced to a suffering child. Fate has been unkind to you, Windbringer. If things were different, maybe we could have been rivals, or even allies of some kind. Perhaps, what I'm about to do will be a mercy for you.' The assassin tried rationalizing his actions as he steeled himself.

"Taihen'na me ni aimashita ne e?" The cat assassin spoke in a whispered, using the same language as Espio's native tongue.

"...W-What?" Sonic inquired, groaning in pain. "Who a-are you?"

Switching to English, the masked cat held out his kunai and coated it with his nanite's yellow electricity, while coldly stating, "...Someone you should have killed when you've had the chance, Cobalt."

Sonic's eyes widened, instantly recognizing the voice right as the masked assassin lunged at Sonic's neck for the kill. However, his movements were halted and the would-be assailant was pushed away from Sonic with an audible gust of wind being heard.

The masked assassin crossed his arms and stood his ground as he let go of the kusarigama but held on to his kunai.

"Nani!?" The cat muttered before getting into a defensive position with his kunai. "Where did that gust of wind come from?"

Suddenly, the assassin felt a strike towards his stomach, then another to the side of his head. Before he could react, he was struck from behind in the back, then several times in rapid succession in the sides of his torso, forcing the assassin to his knees and drop his kunai

By this point, Sonic had managed to sit up and crawl to check on his injured dog when he turned to see his would-be killer in a vulnerable position.

"Dō natte iru nda!?" The cat inquired in a growl, not knowing what was going on. "How is the hedgehog hitting me with air!?"

Looking back at Sonic, he went to charge at all fours at the conscious teen with the intent to murder him while lowering his mask and bare his fangs, saying, "No matter! I'll just have to finish him off!"

Before he could even plan out his next move, the assassin felt another heavy blow to his stomach, then several more which travelled up his torso, striking his chest, neck and then face. An even stronger strike had then launched the assassin into the air with great force, then upon being suspended in the air, was hit once more by a strong blow that sent the assassin plummeting to the ground, kicking up dirt and grass from the impact.

Finding the means to stand as he picked up his dog, Sonic stuttered, "...N-No way!"

The dark clad figure tried to get up while coughing up blood, only to choke as he felt something wrap around his neck while cold yet sharp sensation appear poke the cat's said neck

From there, the invisible force had faded into view, revealing Espio the Chameleon with an murderous aura surrounding him while being paired with a grave expression.

"...Espio…" Sonic whispered in shock, leaning back on a nearby tree with his dog in his arms.

The would-be killer gazed upon one of his attacker's hands and recognized the clan insignia with fear and disdain in his eyes.

"...HIYASHI!" The cat spat, gritting his teeth as he came into the realization who came to Sonic's defense.

"Yamaneko Raikō," Espio the Chameleon spoke in English. "What you have attempted could have clearly caused an international feud in several different countries and potentially nullify an alliance between two global superpowers. If you value your life, you will tell me who sent you on this mission. Because if you don't…"

Gathering natural energy, Espio's kunai glowed light green as it sharpened and started to cut Lightning Lynx's neck, drawing out blood from the sweaty ninja.

Lightning growled, finding himself caught between a rock and a hard place. Not only did he fail at his objective, but is now faced with the consequences of attempted murder of a global symbol and hero. If this Hiyashi clan member wasn't going to take his head off, then Acornia surely will. He was in a difficult position and did not know how to proceed.

It was when his…creator contacted him through the nanties in his ears while creating a telepathic link to convert Raikō.

[I see that you have failed, Lightning Lynx.] Vichama stated through the nanites.

'...Hai.' The ninja droned.

Vichama explained, [Normally, I'd make you wish you were never born, but there's been a change of plans.]

'What do you mean by that, Vichama-sama?' Lightning Lynx asked mentally.

[Never mind that. Relay this message, then return to your current safe haven. Understood?]

'...Hai.' The shinobi responded in his mind before speaking to Espio.

"...My body is not my own, for my actions are the will of Vichama." The lynx stated to both Espio and Sonic.

"The technomage sent you!?" Sonic shouted, causing Espio to slightly loosen his grip in bewilderment.

Feeling this, Raikō generated a current through his assailant's kunai strong enough to stun Espio and jump a few feet away from them to relay a message to Sonic.

"...This is nothing personal. But heed these words, as they come from an enemy hidden in plain sight. Your suffering has only begun. Until we meet again, Sonic the Hedgehog." Lightning Lynx said before throwing a smoke bomb onto the ground, producing a dark cloud of smoke that engulfed the area.

In mere moments, when the smoke cleared, Yamaneko Raikō had vanished like was never there to begin with.

Sonic and Espio looked at each other, then back at where the shinobi was, waiting for a few mintues to see if there was another trap that never came.

-Five Minutes Later, Sonic's Room, Uncle Chuck's Apartment-

Sonic and Espio managed to sneak back into Sonic's room to patch up Muttski. They kept the lights on, but Espio closed the curtains and locked the door for the time being. After carefully pulling out the thin metal needles out of the St. Dane and disinfecting his wounds, Espio then used the same strange technique on him to heal Muttski, which Sonic was grateful for.

Sonic at on the bed, while relieved that everything turned out okay, was shaken as to how fast he was put to near death. Not even Eggman was as close and as fast moving as Lightning Lynx. And he was the one who spared him. Had it not been for Espio and whatever god that was watching over him…

Sonic pushed those dark thoughts away.

"...There," Espio said, standing up as he walked away from a bedridden Muttski that had bandages wrapped around his stomach as he slept. "Your Mobini companion should be fine. He just needs rest."

"Thank Illumina," The younger hedgehog sighed in relief. "Again, I can't thank you enough for savin' our tails back there, Espio."

"You show your gratitude by informing me about this Vichama, person." Espio requested, folding his arms. "And what his relationship with a former ambush ninja clansman."

"I don't know much about Lightning Lynx's deal with him, but from what Sally told me, he's a international criminal that was an alleged understudy of Naugus the Dark." Sonic explained.

"The evil sorcerer, correct?" Espio inquired, seeking clarification.

Sonic nodded, stating with a serious experssion, "Yeah, that's the one. Anyway, he's known as a sorcerer who would experiment on Mobians to create these advanced cyborgs unwillingly through his techno magic or whatever its calle."

Espio pondered out loud, "...If what I've heard from my outside sources are true, Yamaneko would have done anything to acquire the power to gain the hand of Raijū clan's mistress. I wouldn't put it past him that the electrical powers was this foul sorcerer's doing. But why put a hit on you?"

"Well, Lightning knew my heritage. Maybe it has something to do with that." Sonic theorized.

"Heritage?" Espio questioned.

Sonic shook his head, saying, "Its a really long story, man. I'll tell you about it some other time. Hey, listen, about me heading out-"

"-Stop," Espio said, cutting the hedgehog off. "If this wasn't a special case, I would have notified your uncle upon immediately detecting your departure from the apartment before heading to take you back. But I saw that you have been having a dreadful nightmare from the way you were thrashing about in your sleep."

"You were watching me sleep?" Sonic dryly questioned, slightly disturbed at Espio's bluntness.

Espio nodded before stating, "I have been following you the whole time. And I quickly noticed the despair that befallen you the whole time that you traveled to the park. You were shaking by the time you sat down."

Sonic's eyes widened as he asked in a whisper, "...You saw all that?"

"Hai." Espio nodded as he sat down next to his friend on his bed. "...I don't expect you to answer such a personal question, but I would like to know what that nightmare was about."

Sonic frowned, falling into an uncomfortable silence for a long thirty seconds.

When he found the words to respond approriately, he asked, "Why do you wanna know a badly?"

"Because Sonic-san, you and I both know that you could had easily dealt Yamaneko if you were in your right state of mind." Espio said matter-of-factly.

Sonic looked down at the floor, took a deep breath, then said, "...I had a dream that I was running through the Great Forest. I had just got through buildin' up speed and power after doin' my usual thing, you know. Then, I started to smell smoke, burnin' wood, and people's flesh and fur burn. Screams and explosions were rangin' through my ears. When I got to the city, it had been laid to waste by Metallix."

"Metal, huh?" Espio said with a hardened expression.

"Yeah," Sonic nodded, looking bitter. "It was just like South Island again. He had destroyed everything. Bodies were everywhere. Nobody was spared. Not you, not Tails or Knuckles. Cream. Everybody was dead! …Well, execpt for me and…"

"And?" Espio echoed, missing a detail. "And who else was there?"

"Sally, I… I saw her being held hostage by Metal. But he…" Sonic said, shaking his head while holding the sides of his head with his hands.

"-He killed the princess, didn't he?" Espio presumed in a grave tone.

"...Yes, right in front of me." Sonic answered in a quiet tone. "He just crushed her neck like it was nothing. T-Then he said I wasn't even worth his time to kill, so left me at the ruins of the kingdom while I held Sally's dead body. Just looking at her lifeless corpse, I just-"

Sonic took a deep breath, then exhaled, "-I lost it. Something in me snapped, and I wiped out the ruins of the city. Then I woke up, and you know the rest."

"...This nightmare, fear, is the root of it." Espio stated. "Do you fear losing this war?"

"It ain't just about some war, man. I guess just the thought of not bein' fast or strong enough to get to my friends sets me off." Sonic confessed, looking at the ceiling.

"...I see."

Espio closed his eyes, analyzing what he heard and began to make a list of Sonic's current issues. The hedgehog had a lack of discipline when it came to his emotions, behavioral problems due to his unresolved emotional trauma, which affects how he performs in battle. And with his battle against the king, Sonic was in desperate need of a fighting discipline. But this would call for an instructor. But could he listen and follow instructions?

It was here where a plan to help both Sonic and Sir Charles had been formulated.

"Sonic-san?" Espio spoke. "Have you been participating in your group therapy activities and discussions?"

Sonic glanced at his friend with an inquisitive expression.

"...You know about that too, huh? Well, I do the tasks there, but don't talk much there." Sonic admitted, folding his arms to his chest. "I don't like folks pickin' at my head."

'...I have received my answer.' Espio dryly concluded.

The Chameleon asked, "I see. And you wish to return to the battlefield with our comrades?"

"More than anything!" Sonic exclaimed, staring at Espio with determination

Nodding, Espio also asked, "What if I told you there was a way for you to help reach that goal? A way for me to get you back into the Freedom Fighters?"

"Could you!?" Sonic asked while shouting and placing his hands on the ninja's shoulders, only to be hushed by Espio with his hand on his mouth.

After staying silent for a minute to see if Sir Charles was up and heard nothing, Espio confirmed, "...Yes. I can help assist you. However, Sonic-san, there are conditions to this agreement. Firstly, you must be willing to follow instructions when given them."

"That's fair…" Sonic said, nodding slowly.

"Secondly, you are to participate in all of your therapy sessions' activities and pour all of your effort into them as if you were carrying out a mission." Espio added, causing Sonic to smack his lips in displeasure.

He curtly nodded in agreement, nonetheless.

"And lastly, in exchange for withholding the finer details of this early morning's assassination attempt, you will endure whatever kind of conditioning that you are to undergo." Espio listed, completing his three conditions.

"...Wait, conditioning? What are you tryin' to say?" Sonic inquired, tilting his head. "Are you goin' to train me or somethin'?"

Espio stared at Sonic silently waiting for Sonic to catch on. This was where the lizard held his right hand and generated a calming light green aura made of nature energy, catching Sonic off guard.

This was where the hedgehog realized what Espio was implying, Espio smirked and said, "You did say you want to know what this is, right? Well, what do you say, Sonic-san?"

"...What is it?" Sonic questioned, amazed at the green power that Espio seemingly possessed.

"This is one of the things that I'm willing to teach you. To harness the life essence of nature itself. You are going to know how to wield Sol Energy."

To Be Continued…

---

Author's Note: Hey guys, its your boy, DSG451. And I'm back with another chapter of Sonic RESURGENCE!

Rouge's redesign is based on her Elite Agent costume from Sonic Force's Speed Battle. Omega's color scheme is based on a redesign of him is original, though I was inspired by War Machine's Iron Patriot design from Marvel Comics.

Rouge has improved and grown in strength as a combatant. She is a Mobian that is at her physical peak. Her skill and the conditioning she put her body (specifically her legs) is what allows her to battle and stalemated with a Super Mobian such as Knuckles. Now, regardless of whether or not he held back, the fact that she could do this is a testament to her prowess. Now, her attack speed has increased to the point where Shadow has to slow her down using Chaos abilities also speaks volumes. Because if someone like Bunnie couldn't react in time, Rouge could decapitate her Mortal Kombat style with a Scythe Kick.

The Bunyip, or Original One, is technically an OC but serves as the consciousness and physical entity of the Source of All. It has the visage of any and every fauna on Mobius and serves a preserver of the planet. It chose the House of Acorn to become its herald and champion, making the Bunyip the patron deity of that household. Bunyip has also created the Sword of Acorns and the Crown of Acorns. In this continuity, only Maximilian N. Acorn had bathed in the pool where the Source of All lies, turning him into a Super Mobian with abilities unique to him.

I had based on his fighting style on King Bradley (Wrath) from the manga series Fullmetal Alchemist and the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Though, you can make a comparison of King Max to Ra's Al Ghul in terms of his overall experience in combat due to the Crown of Acorn granting Max his ancestor's battle experience. However, when he wishes to hold back, he simply spawns spadroons like King Bradley.

The KingStand skill serves as a mode for King Max that he naturally has access to, similar to the Light Speed Attack, the Maximum Heat Attack, and/or Shadow's Chaos Boost. The Magnum Blitz is a technique that serves as a rush down move derived from his KingStand. The idea of the KingStand came from the beta and final versions of Sonic and the Black Knight where they had the Blitzes and Soul Surge techniques that Sonic and the other Knights of the Roundtable possessed. However, Max's KingStand is NOT a Soul Surge move as being submerged in the Source of All has tied his very soul to the magic of the Source itself. More on why it isn't, later.

Sonic's identity/existential crisis is tied to his ideology of freedom being shattered by the consequences of his actions that led to South Island's destruction and the development of his character while within the walls of Acornia. He's in a turbulent state that is essentially hindering his mental state and his physical abilities. This is a big fact that led him to lose against King Max and to be nearly killed by Lightning Lynx.

Lazuciel is the name of the capital city of Azuron, RESURGENCE's take on Queen Aleena's nation and the stand-in for Sonic Underground's Mobotropolis. But remember, Aleena only had Sonic, so there is no Manic or Sonia here. Sir Charles and (Sir) Jules were born and raised in this nation before escaping to Acornia.

Sonic's father does not look like Jules from the Archie Comics. He has the scowl and serious facial expression of Shadow, Metal Sonic's quill shape, but longer, has darker skin than Rouge and Shadow, chocolate brown irises, a wider body with well-developed arms, chest fur, and a much darker shade of blue fur with a scar on one of his eyes.

Amy has two for being upset with Sonic. One is similar to Tails while the other goes back to the last time when he spoke to her. Do they hold up? Or are they flawed? That will be further explored next chapter.

Wendy is a benevolent sorceress of Christmas Island and an old friend of the Hedgehog-Cobalt (Hurst) family. She is based on Wendy Naugus from the Archie Comics and Witchcart from Tails' Skypatrol. Her character will be explored further through the story arc and next chapter.

Sonic's Nightmare takes a lot of cues from the 175th issue of the Archie Comics much like a previous chapter did so during his fight with Metal Robotnik. However, the end of his dream with him going Dark Sonic and destroying New Mobotropolis was a nod to Meliodas' freakout after one of Liz's deaths from the anime, Seven Deadly Sins.

The finishing combo that took Lightning Lynx down was a nod to Naruto's refined five-hit combo move that he used against Isshiki and Sasuke from the Naruto/Boruto series.

Sol Energy is starting to be explored here. Remember, it is defined in this story as the spark of life. It breathes life into nonliving things. But it's much more complicated than that and will be further discussed within the next chapter as the diversity of Sol Energy will be revealed.

…Espio is not going to turn Sonic into a ninja or have ninja abilities. That's not my direction for RESURGENCE Sonic and Espio are going to make that abundantly clear next chapter. However, utilizing Espio's disciplined character I feel is the best way to give both characters something to do and serves to give Sonic a certain move set that I feel will be used for him as the story progresses. Besides, those of you who've played the recent game prior to Superstars' release date are going to adore the references that I'm going to incorporate.

Anyway, please leave your comments, questions, concerns, and criticisms in the Reviews. Tell me what you like, dislike, what could be better, and what you enjoy about the saga and/or story so far by writing a detailed review for me. What are your favorite moments? Who do you like to see more of? Let me know these things, guys! It helps me grow as a writer, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on my work.

Anyway, I'll see you guys later!

-DarkShadowGames451