Once Robotnik had left, Orbot was alone.

He had a choice to make.

He slowly emerged from behind the statue, briefly looking back at it. Robotnik was posed with his hand pointing forward - onward to the supposedly bright future he was leading everyone towards. His already large frame was yet made even bigger by the flowing cape he wore behind him.

It was designed to be imposing, but it was more of a joke than anything else.

However, what was truly disturbing - was just how many of them there were. They completely lined the office's walls. The room could have been a tenth of the size if he hadn't just wanted more room to cram his statues and memorabilia.

It was the home of a narcissist.

Orbot feared trying to rummage for answers, he felt like if anything was moved even the slightest bit out of place - the doctor would notice.

Yet this was all impossible to ignore.

What had those two meant? What other realm? What did they need with Knuckles? It all seemed like nonsense, so much so that Orbot had to wonder if he had somehow imagined the conversation altogether. It didn't feel real - like it could have been a dream, that's what organic beings called it - right?

However, he already knew he couldn't dream or imagine anything. It was impossible for him to do so. What he just saw... it was real.

Hesitantly, he hovered closer towards Robotnik's desk where the hourglass lay, a purple coloured smoke swirling within it. The doctor had been fixated on it through the whole conversation, as though he were actually talking to it.

The more he thought about it, the more questions he had. How had Robotnik been talking to a man that had died thousands of years ago? His databases weren't somehow incorrect, were they?

When he finally reached the desk, he felt relieved to know that getting closer to the hourglass had caused nothing to happen. Pachacamac wasn't talking anymore, perhaps he was gone.

Orbot began to rummage through the drawers undeneath of the table. The robot was fully aware of how unorganised Robotnik was, after all, he was often unfortunately placed on cleaning duty - but these were something else. There were heaps of wrinkled documents, and for some reason random tools and bolts strewn throughout. There were even empty food packages, despite the fact he had a trash can right next to the desk.

The robot had to resist the urge to go into cleaning mode. Eventually, fighting against his insticts would pay off - as in the bottom drawer, he finally uncovered something that looked... promising.

It was a large case, simply labelled: "Project Chronos'.

What could it possibly mean?

Flipping the case open revealed a collection of tapes.

Orbot removed the first one he saw, titled 'Egg Memo 1'. They were all numbered, and there appeared to be a lot of tapes in total. He was pretty sure Miles had a device he could play audio...

Orbot looked over his shoulders just in case Robotnik was on his way back, but thankfully that didn't seem to be the case.

All that was left were the statues, staring and pointing at him - awaiting his next move.

"A pyramid is an odd location for a bunch of space shuttles…" Rouge remarked, dragging her feet through the sands of the desert. "Yet again, Robotnik makes weird decisions all the time…"

It took a considerable amount of effort not to groan. How many times had she repeated the same phrases over and over, expecting him to answer? If he didn't say anything the first time, he wasn't about to now.

He held in a quiet breath of frustration. The hot sun beamed down on the pair of mobians – and Shadow's body had yet to regulate its body temperature. His dark fur absorbed the surrounding heat as beads of sweat clung to each strand of fur.

"No dice?" Rouge spoke up again from behind him, eventually letting out an exhausted sigh. "You know, maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. Maybe I'm just asking the wrong questions. How about you start off a conversation for once?"

Shadow stopped, and although she couldn't see it – his eyes threatened to roll into the back of his skull.

"Surely there's somethi-"

"Rouge." Shadow said firmly, turning himself around – hands placed behind his back, in a largely unintended militaristic stance. "Clarify something for me."

Now that Shadow was actually initiating an interaction, a spell of stunned silence had appeared to overcome her. Funny, wasn't it?

He wasn't going to wait for her, his patience had worn thin. "Is my purpose to aid you in killing Robotnik?"

"… Yeah-?"

"Or are you looking for a new friend because you've burned all your former bridges?"

Stunned – Rouge stared at him with wide eyes. "I- Wh- What's that supposed to mean?" Annoyance now edged her voice.

"If it is companionship you seek, I will not be providing it." Shadow narrowed his eyes. "I am a weapon – designed to destroy. Friendships do not come under my objectives."

"Jeeze, where is this even coming from?" She asked him, confused but ultimately a little irked by his initial question. "Obviously I'm still trying to kill Robotnik –but I'm also just trying to be nice to you!"

"Then let me make a suggestion." He said dryly. "The nicest thing you could do for me - is stop talking. I will communicate the details that I need to."

"Are you sure about that?" She questioned him with a raised brow. "Because you've been doing a very poor job at communicating… anything. I'm still confused as to why we're boarding the shuttle now – wouldn't it make more sense to get the Emerald first?"

"If any of your prior questions had been as relevant as this one, I may have answered them earlier." He watched her frown at his response. "If we wish to activate the cannon, I need to get the ARK's systems back online and running ahead of time. As soon as we get our hands on the Master Emerald, we will be pursued. I'd rather have all the setup done prior to having adversaries on our tails."

He watched Rouge huff – knowing she hadn't wanted to argue with him but couldn't find a real reason to object. Instead, she searched for another question to drill him with. "And then what? Rock back up to the planet and take the emerald? Aren't you worried about the Guardian?"

"Why should I be?" He asked her impatiently. "He isn't even at his own altar; he's left it vulnerable. And even if we do end up in a confrontation, it's a fight I can win."

"Can you really be that sure of the outcome? I mean… I've seen him pull some weird shit. If you go after the Emerald – I doubt he's gonna hold back."

"Then neither will I."

Shadow ignored her sceptical expression.

"Is that it? Have you run out of all your beneficial questions?"

Rouge pursed her lips.

"Then let us only talk when necessary from this point forward."

Without giving her the chance to respond, he turned his back to her – walking forward with lighter shoulders. Pretending to be her ally had only gotten more and more frustrating as he had been in her presence, and she felt more and more like a heavy weight he was forced to lug around on his back. The irritation he felt was hard to contain – and he was glad he got to let it out, even if slightly.

If he were completely honest, he didn't even need her around anymore – she had helped him navigate his way across the continent and overseas, the rest was all up to him.

Everything about the bat managed to encapsulate the entirety of humans and mobians as species. The self-centred lives they lead, their inability to listen, and their foolish ignorance, she had it all.

He shouldn't have expected anything more from her, really.

There truly was no hope for them. Destroying it all was the only option. No doubt if he didn't, they'd all end up killing each other in a senseless war anyway.

At the very least, Rouge was there to serve as a constant reminder of their failings as a species. It helped him eliminate any doubt.

The more time he spent with her – the more he knew he was on the right path to justice.

"Yeah... looking at this now, I definitely don't think I would have figured out how to control this thing." Sonic admitted, his eyes scanning over the various coloured buttons, levers, and switches. "If this thing didn't have autopilot, we might have been screwed..."

"Let's just be grateful we're actually getting somewhere now." Knuckles said from the seat beside him. It was also lucky for them that the ship had two seats in it in the first place, considering there had only been one pilot. "You're certain they're headed to the desert?"

"It's the only reason I could think of for the trail leading us down the road to Apotos. They probably boarded a ship." Sonic explained.

"Do you think they somehow have a way to track the emeralds?" Knuckles asked.

"It's possible they could have gotten their hands on a device or something - but I doubt it." Sonic admitted, leaning back in the leather chair. "I'm pretty sure Shadow is like you a bit - he can only sense an emerald when he's near one, I don't think he can even detect trails if an emerald were to travel. Besides..." He took the time to breathe in. "I have a theory."

Knuckles rose a brow silently, letting Sonic elaborate.

"Egghead has some space shuttles within a pyramid base." Sonic said. "I'm pretty sure they're wanting to board one to get to the ARK."

"But they don't have all the emeralds yet - why now?" Knuckles asked.

"Don't know." Sonic told him. "But I know for a fact that one emerald, or even two would not not be enough on their own to fully power the cannon and activate the code." He assured him.

"So... you're saying that we still have time."

Sonic nodded slowly. "Still time to talk him out of it."

Knuckles averted his gaze out to the window - and Sonic was still fully aware about Knuckles' hesitance regarding the pacifist approach Sonic was insistent on. Of course, he could sympathise with how Knuckles felt - but Sonic wasn't about to change his mind. He knew Shadow could be good, he knew Shadow didn't really want this, he just knew Shadow.

Sonic wasn't about to give up on him. Just like he wasn't about to give up on Miles.

Something within Sonic's chest felt like it was being twisted. His heart felt bruised, thumping uncomfortably - making Sonic want to somehow squirm and recoil from himself.

"Allow me to robototicize you - and then, you'll be able able to defeat it." Miles held his hand out. "It makes sense, does it not?"

No, it didn't make sense. Miles' expressions of superiority paired with his snide and condescending tone was such a far cry from the little buddy he always knew. Yet, there he was - somehow wearing the same face.

No matter how hard he tried to avoid thinking about it - no amount of rides through Central City could truly make him forget about his own role in this. The cold truth was that Sonic was to blame. Eggman only had one reason to brainwash him.

It was because he wanted to hurt Sonic. If Eggman couldn't win a fight against him - then he'd seek victory another way. All he had to do was take away those that Sonic loved.

Like it or not, he had dragged his friends through many battles - and now they were the ones paying the price.

Sonic's gaze drifted towards the echidna, knowing how lucky he was that Knuckles hadn't been hurt in the creation of the timeline. Although Knuckles' life of isolation was less and ideal... at least it had meant he was safe.

He needed to stop this. What use were these thoughts? They brought a pain he'd just rather do without.

"Hmmm... wonder if this old thing has got any snacks." Sonic said abruplty, breaking the silence. "Could you search around the compartments for me?" He asked Knuckles.

Knuckles obliged, lifting up every little latch and looking for anything edible. It actually didn't take him long. "I... believe there's something. As odd as it is-" Knuckles reached in and produced a plastic see-through bag that he held up for Sonic to see.

Popcorn.

Sonic's eyes shone eagerly. "Yo! What type?"

"Type...?"

"What does it say on the packet?"

"Ummm..." He peered closer. "Sorry, my speaking of modern language is better than my reading-" Knuckles admitted awkwardly. "I think it's... sweet?"

"Oh, dope!" Sonic said with a smile. "You should try one."

"Um... I suppose I could. I guess I just need to remove this protective seal-"

Suddenly, Sonic swiped the bag from Knuckles' hands. "Hold on there, Knucklehead! I know what you're like - as soon as you tear this open the popcorn's gonna fly everywhere."

"I-? Huh? You didn't even give me the chance!" Knuckles huffed indignantly.

Sonic snickered. "Sorry, Knux! I just know what you're like." With a light tug, the bag was opened up - and the sweet smell of sugar graced Sonic's nose. It had certainly been a long time since he'd had something truly sugary like this. Needless to say, he was ready to savour every morsel.

"Here." Sonic said, holding the bag out to him.

Slowly, Knuckles reached in and picked up a single kernel. He held it up close to his face, staring with a narrow-eyed suspicion before smelling it. His expression shifted into surprise - as though he were surprised by how pleasant it was. However, he was still hesitant when placing it in his mouth.

After some slow chewing, he eventually swallowed.

"It's alright I guess." Knuckles shrugged. "Not as good as the food on my island."

Sonic rolled his eyes fondly. "I suppose nothing can beat fresh fruit and veg... except a chili dog, of course."

Knuckles' expression suddenly paled in alarm. "You eat dog?!"

"Woah! No, no, no!" Sonic quickly exclaimed and shook his head. "It's just a name! It's uh... well, it's kinda hard to explain if you've never seen one before. One day, I'll have to make sure you taste one."

"Right, right..." Knuckles heaved a large sigh of relief. The popcorn obviously couldn't have been that bad, as the echidna reached in for another.

"Aye, do me a favour - chuck one at my mouth, I wanna catch it." Sonic said casually despite the odd look that Knuckles gave him.

He didn't argue though, and launched a kernel at Sonic's face. Unsurprisingly, Sonic caught it in his mouth easily. Once swallowed, he gave a smug smirk. "Boom."

"You're an idiot." Knuckles remarked with a small sigh.

"An idiot with many talents." Sonic countered.

Kzzt.

The two suddenly heard static. Sonic's ears perked as a small beep went off.

"Um, Thunderbolt? We've noticed your ship left Central City borders some time ago... i-is everything alright?"

Sonic and Knuckles stared at each other blankly.

Shit. What were they going to do now?

Maybe he could...?

Sonic decided to pick up the small device that the voice had come from.

He pressed the button, and breathed in deeply - getting as much air in his lungs as he could.

"STOP ASKING ME USELESS QUESTIONS!" Sonic screeched in the most high-pitched voice he could manage, Knuckles flinched and desperately attempted to cover his ears. "I AM CARRYING OUT THE WILL OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR - THE GOLORIOUS ROBOTNIK!"

"O-okay! Okay! I uh- Yeah um, good luck with that, Th-Thunderbolt - Sorry I'll just- I'll go now-" Their voice quivered, and while Sonic felt a little bad for the poor guy - he was glad that they were now in the clear.

Knuckles lowered his hands. "I... can't believe that actually worked." His expression of annoyed disbelief eventually cracked as he broke into a smile, and his chest rose with a steam of laughter. "Hahaha! That actually worked!" He exclaimed.

Sonic chuckled alongside him. "It did! Hahaha! So stupid!" He let out through his laughter.

At least in moments like these, the Empire came off as much less of a daunting force.

Ever cautious, Orbot was constantly looking behind and around him to ensure no one was around to follow him or even see him in the first place carrying the case. He finally made it to Miles' room, shutting the door quickly behind him. Who knew how much time he had to listen to everything before Robotnik called him for yet another chore? He couldn't afford to waste more time.

He flipped the case open, retrieving the first Egg Memo and inserting it into Miles' audio player.

All he had to do was press a button... and listen.

Egg Memo #1

"It is important to learn without first experiencing failure. Time and time again, I have faced Sonic and his friends with my newest machines and my latest shcemes, only to find myself defeated yet again. Blast that hedgehog! My entire life's purpose, everything I stand for - all torn down by a pesky rodent! There is only so much a man can take! I am tired of watching my dreams shatter to pieces! It's time I did something about it, it's time I learnt."

"I have tried to make Gods bend to my will before, yet even with the world's most powerful beings in my corner - Sonic always finds a way to triumph... and those cursed creatures always end up betraying me anyway! I have tried to match Sonic's power with my own robot creations, but such endeavours have failed repeatedly. Metal Sonic simultaneously manages to be my greatest creation... and greatest failure."

"No, I need something greater than a robot. I need Gods. Those three hedgehogs think they're the only ones that remember Solaris? They can think again - I remember the events as clear as day. Although... even I am uncertain as to why. Anyhow! I know Sonic's defeat is possible. Mephiles managed to kill him! Kill him! And Mephiles is only half of a God!"

"But how am I ever going to find a God that won't turn on me? The answer was right in front of me this whole time..."

"I could just make one."

"Imagine it! The ability to bend reality itself! To design the world, exactly as I had envisioned! It's the perfect plan! And finally, it will allow me to finally take care of the root of all of my problems... Sonic the Hedgehog. HE has always been the wrench in my plans! It is HIS existence that has ruined my life!"

"If I was in control of reality... I would make it so that Sonic had never been born..."

"I have Dark Gaia energy extracted from his last remergence still safely locked away, and I should be able to replicate Mephiles' old energy signatures I have recorded. If I were to combine the two, what sort of being could I create?"

"Well, only one way to find out."

Egg Memo #4

"The first prototype for Project Chronos has been created. It doesn't look like much admittedly - what, a cloud of purple smoke I trapped inside an hourglass? It's mostly aesthetic table decoration... is what I would have said if I hadn't just made a breakthrough!"

"I seem to have fractured reality in some form, as today - I have found myself in communication with the dead. And do you know what's more strange? I spoke with Pachacamac himself - the last chief of the Knuckles Clan."

"I find it odd how willing he was to speak with me, considering he's notorious for believing echidnas superior to all other species but... we had a chat. Turns out he knows my name, has seen all my accomplishments - he says he's impressed! I have to tell you, that means a lot coming from a fellow dictator..."

"Apparrently, not all souls are given clearance to pass away to whatever waits beyond. Those that lived unhappy lives, lead by feelings of regret and lingering bitterness - they are prevented from moving on as their souls naturally cling to life, desperate for another chance. It's quite morbid when you think about it actually... and it has been the fate that Pachacamac was subjected to."

"He seemed interested in my plans to rewrite history... and I fear for the wrong reasons. No, I am absolutely not going to create a world in which his plans suceeded! I am to be the ruler of the new world, not him!"

"Whatever... let's just see what comes from this, shall we?"

"Blah blah blah! It's too dangerous to be out on your own! The Empire will catch you!" Charmy mocked the adults in his life. "Uh, excuse me, how long have we made it so far without getting caught?" Charmy asked.

"Way further than they ever thought we could!" Ray smiled with pride.

"And if you speak any louder that might just change." Cream added.

"Jeeze, you're such a buzzkill!" Charmy told her. "You obviously can't handle this so why are you even here?"

"Hey, come on-" Ray suddenly said defensively. "She may be a bit cowardly but she's trying her best."

Cream's expression turned sour as Ray acted as if he hadn't told her the exact same thing earlier in their journey. "You can call it that if you want..." The rabbit sighed, not wanting to argue and risk causing a scene.

"Meh." Charmy shrugged. "Whatever."

She couldn't believe how fortunate they were that the streets were so empty, and then the robots monotoring them seemed to be so spread out. In fact, their absence seemed almost worrying. Like this was all... too easy.

Inexplicably, there was a low, rumbling growl behind them.

The three children paused, their hearts skipping a beat.

"What... what was that?" Ray whispered.

They turned around - and screamed.

A gigantic, dark furred wolf sprinted towards them at full speed. The ground thudded with each individual step. It glared at them with soulless, red eyes - and its sharp teeth were bared - primed, ready to pierce through flesh and kill in an instant.

Yet they were paralyzed.

Powerless to change their fate, their own brain working against them.

Helpless.

"Chao!" Cheese shot forward through the air straight at the beast.

"CHEESE!" Cream yelled desperately, tears brimming in her eyes.

The wolf suddenly yelped. Cheese stopped mid-flight. A hole had pierced right through the body of the monster, and the kids watched with baited breath.

Another hole yet appeared as they could all hear the sounds of electricity crackling. Green blood spurted out the beast and out onto the concrete as yet more parts of the creature suddenly exploded and erupted.

Its corpse disolved into red dust, and disappeared - revealing that there was someone stood behind it. It was a platypus wearing a purple coat, holding up a rifle of a unique, steamlined design. He peered at the weapon he held, and smiled. "Broke through the forcefield..." He remarked. "My genius never ceased to surprise me."

His smile immediately faded as he laid eyes upon the children.

"And what are you three doing out here during work hours?" He questioned tiredly, stepping closer towards them. "Show me your Empire IDs."

They slowly exchanged confused looks.

"You... you don't have empire IDs. Do you?" He narrowed his eyes at them. "Where did you three even come from then?"

All three of them were in agreement that it would best to not respond.

"Right... you three must be rebels." He concluded with a disappointed sigh. "Their children running loose in the streets - shows just how competent their forces are, doesn't it?" He commented. "If it were up to me, I'd end your lives where you stand. Fortunately for you - Robotnik sees the worth in converting the youth to our cause - we have to ensure the longevity of the Empire, after all."

When the three gave no response, he continued his monologue.

"This means you get to live another day, congratulations. You are to be taken to Eggmanland, and at last recieve the education you've been so sorely lacking in." Before they could even think, Starline aimed his gun at the three of them and fired - but they were no laser blasts. The three suddenly found themselves wrapped in a string of crackling energy. They fell down to the ground, and no matter how hard they tried - they couldn't get up with their arms trapped.

"Chao chao!" Cheese exclaimed angrily. The platypus shot again at the creature, but Cheese was fast enough to evade it. "Chao!"

"Pesky runt..." He mumbled.

"Chao!" Cheese looked back towards his friend.

"Cheese..." Cream's breath shook.

"Chao." The little creature suddenly took off through the air, away from the scene - leaving his dear friend and owner alone to face whatever lay ahead. The platypus seemed rather surprised at this outcome.

"Huh. It would seem your pet just left you." He remarked. "It's almost funny."

Cream could no longer hold in her tears. She had tried to be strong, she had tried to be there for them - but she had failed, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Egg Memo #9

"I decided to talk with Pachacamac again today with my progress on the newly dubbed 'Project Chronos', and he had some... rather interesting insight. I spoke of my plans to create an alternate timeline in which Sonic never existed. Of course, I spoke of my plans for my Empire - how I plan to conquer the world and such, and I also spoke of how in the future, I plan to be conquering the entire universe. And he actually had a suggestion..."

"He said if I can truly rewrite history - then there's something I should know. Apparrently, ever since the echidnas took on the position of guarding the Master Emerald - the Guardians have earned the ability to use the power of the Master Emerald itself. At first I told Pachacamac I knew this, and that I didn't see how it would help my cause at all. Sure, Knuckles had a connection to emerald - big deal. What did that mean for me?"

"No. He told me. Knuckles did not get those powers."

"Apparrently, Guardians once had full access to the power of the Master Emerald. This meant they had control over reality itself! They could do anything they wanted! They could kill with a blink of an eye, they could shatter planets with a flick of their wrist if they wanted to! I was a little confused as to how this was supposed to help ME... until Pachacamac suggested that I turn Knuckles into my own superweapon - to guarantee my success in dominating the universe."

"Obviously, I had questions. Pachacamac has been a spirit watching over his clan in the 3,000 years that have passed since his demise, and has witnessed all this first hand. I did have to ask how the world was even in tact at this point - surely one Guardian would have gone mad with power already, but according to him... they have all been rather benevolent."

"Not much of echidna history is recorded, especially not past the Chaos Incident. In fact, no records exist from past the Chaos Incident. They hid away on their island, wanting everyone to think they were dead - until eventually dwindling down until only one member was left. It's astonishing that a species possessing such power even found themselves in this state."

"Why are you telling me this? I asked him. What do you gain? He told me that he gained little. As a dead man, he has little influence on the living world. However, he admitted that he wanted the last of his kind to be someone revered, a force of nature that proved the echidna's might. So that the world may finally see that the Knuckles Clan were indeed the most powerful beings in the universe."

"The motivation... tracks. He is rather infamous for his bloodlust and his superiority complex.. but it does seem a little odd to me. I feel as though I should be asking more questions - but oh! The idea of a galactic, multi-versal superweapon is just too good to turn down! I asked him how I could make sure that Knuckles got his powers this time - and he told me that all I have to do... is leave him alone."

"Well, that can certainly be arranged."

"You know how to fly these things, right?" Rouge asked her partner. They both craned their necks to stare down the white, gignatic space shuttle.

"Yes." Shadow replied simply.

"Good... good. Because I definitely wouldn't know how." Rouge admitted, placing a hand on her hip. "Holy shit... I can't believe I'm actually going to space. Is it as cool as people hype it up to be?" She asked the hedgehog.

He gave her a single glare - wordlessly reminding her of their agreement.

"Right... only talking when necessary..." She sighed with boredom.

"Rouge! Shadow!"

The bat grimaced, slowly and hesitantly turning herself around. "Of course we were followed..." She groaned to herself. She laid her eyes upon a disgruntled looking hedgehog and echidna. The two must have fought robots on their way in instead of sneaking past them like she and Shadow did. "What do you two want now?! And how did you even get here so fast-?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Sonic retorted.

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know-"

"Cease." Shadow held up a hand, silencing Rouge and everyone else in the room. "State your purpose, hedgehog."

"My purpose?" Sonic asked. "My purpose is to get you both to see what you're doing, and stand down." He warned them. "I'm here to talk, not fight. I don't want this to escalate into a fight! We can't afford that!"

"Alright!" Rouge snapped in frustration. "Just be out with your bullshit and call it a day!"

Sonic's glare suddenly softened, and Rouge was taken aback by the sudden softness she wasn't used to. "Rouge, you have to listen me. You're not a monster, not in any sort of capacity - I know you don't want what he's after. Shadow wouldn't have told you, but once the cannon is activated it will trigger a program that sends the ARK hurtling down to the planet - destroying the world! I know you don't want that!"

"Woah, woah, woah-" Rouge interrupted. "What? Where the hell is this coming from?" She asked, both angry and baffled. "We're not trying to destroy the world - we're trying to blow up the Death Egg! Which, by the way, is something very beneficial for all of us!"

"That's what he wants you to think!" Sonic argued desperately. "He's manipulating you into helping him carry out his plan!"

"I-" Rouge looked towards Shadow - who's expression still remained remarkably neutral despite the wild accusations thrust upon him. "Shadow, where the hell is this coming from?"

"I wouldn't know." The hedgehog said.

Sonic's eyes seemed to ignite with fury. "No! You know exactly what I'm on about. We talked about it last time we fought! There's no point in hiding it, the gig is up!" Sonic argued. "Please Shadow... don't act like this now. Your memories aren't real! What you're seeing in your head... the things that have made you hate mobians and humans so much... half of it isn't even true!"

Shadow folded his arms. "Enough of this." He said. "We are boarding this shuttle, whether you have a problem with it or not."

"You guys have no clue... no clue at all about what you're talking about." Rouge said fiercely. "In what world do you think I'd ever believe you after how you ruined the assassination plot? Whatever your weird insights are? They're never right!" She accused, before looking at the echidna - who had remained silent throughout the whole debate. "You can't actually believe him, right? You're only here because you've been told to support him."

Knuckles didn't respond straight away, seeming to make a minute to calm himself by closing his eyes and slowing his breathing. "I have no reason to believe that Sonic is leading me astray."

"Ha!" She scoffed. "That kind of thinking is going to get you killed, bud."

Sonic suddenly interrupted, and she rolled her eyes the more Sonic droned on. "Shadow... you're better than this. You actually care about people! You care about the world! You want to see people live their lives happily... you want to protect them. Isn't that what you promised Maria? I understand things must be hazy, but you have to remember who you really-"

Sonic hadn't noticed Shadow's expression change until that moment. Shadow's pupils had shrunken with shock, his mouth hung ever-so slightly agape. His darker complexion so clearly turned pale, he was transfixed with horror as he look upon the blue hedgehog in front of him.

"What did you say...?" Shadow's voice had the smallest quiver, coming out as oddly breathy.

Realisation dawned on Sonic's face. "I... Shadow, please- I don't know how I'm supposed to get through to you."

"Using her name to support your agenda?" Shadow's voice rasied, his body beginning to tremble in outrage. "I don't know who you think you are, hedgehog - but you will never speak her name again. Is. That. Clear?"

Sonic's mouth set in a firm line. "Shadow..."

Shadow's body began to surround itself in a red glow.

Sonic began to slowly step backwards. "Knuckles... we need to go."

"What?" Knuckles asked in disbelief.

"Chaos..." Shadow began.

"Now."

"We can't just-!"

They had one second.

"KNUX!" Sonic jumped, pinning Knuckles to the ground - shielding him from what was about to come.

"BLAST!"

The room was filled with a furious, crismson light.

Egg Memo #17

"My new God, the Time eater, is at last ready to launch! Oh, I can't wait! I'd do it all today if I could but I'm waiting for the right moment - I've already decided - it's going to be Sonic's birthday! After all, I should at let him turn 18 before he's erased from his existence - right?"

"The history of this world will essentilaly be copied and transferred into this new world, with the only alteration being that of Sonic never being born. I will be sent into the world possessing all my knowledge of this timeline - and at last begin the takeover I've always dreamed of."

Amy knocked quietly on the door. "Jet?"

No answer.

Well, Wave just wanted her to hand him something - surely she could just let herself in. No big deal, right? She cracked the door open and found Jet at his desk, staring at a photo in his hands. When he looked up and saw Amy, he immediately dropped it.

"What do you want?" He snapped.

"Sorry, sorry-" She quickly apologised. "Um, Wave said that you wanted this eyeliner for tomorrow? She just wanted me to give it to you..."

Jet sighed. "Give it here then."

She approached his desk slowly, uncertain of what to say him. His face had appeared troubled - with a brow furrowed and eyes gazing at the picture with a soft and regretful longing. It was an odd look on Jet.

She handed the eyeliner to him, and he quickly snatched it from her hand.

"Are you okay, Jet?"

"Yep."

"There's nothing you want to talk about?"

"Nope."

She supposed she hadn't really expected him to admit anything. "Right... if you're sure."

"I'm sure." Jet told her stiffly. "Now get some sleep because you aren't getting much tomorrow night. That ball is going to last goodness knows how long... too long for my liking."

Amy cracked a small smile. "It's just one night. Then it'll all be over and we can forget about it."

"Until next year."

"That's 365 days away." She reminded him. "And who knows what could change in that time?" She asked, because it was true. Change was always possible, and she was always hoping for it.

"Hopefully a lot." Jet remarked. "Now get out of my office and sleep like I told you to!"

"Okay, okay! I'm going!" She turned.

So much for a heart-to-heart, but she wouldn't allow herself to feel too disappointed - because this behaviour was pretty much expected. Still, she truly did hope that Jet was alright - and that he wasn't hiding anything too concerning.

Maybe an event like the ball could bring them closer together, maybe he'd trust her more.

Providing she even survived the night, that was.

Egg Memo #20

"So, it appears I am not completely rid of Sonic after all in this new world of mine. An emerald protected him from being erased entirely - and according to my calculations, he will arrive on his birthday - in the year 2022, the exact day I used the Time Eater in the old timeline."

"At first I was devestated by this news - all my perfect planning - ruined in an instant! But then I thought more about it, and realized just how wonderful this could be."

"I could finally break him, and I know exactly how. Sonic is a man that holds only one thing dear - and that is his friends."

"So why don't I take them away?"

"Tails? I'll find that blasted orphanage he grew up in - and then raise him myself! I'll teach him the proper way to use his genius and reach his full potential! Oh, imagine it... imagine Sonic's face when he sees his pathetic sidekick on my side. Sonic won't believe it! He won't be able to process it! The fox will see the light, he'll love my cause - and that? That will ruin him."

"Amy? Easy! I'll ensure she works for me too. That won't be hard at all. She may be a fighting spirit, but I absolutely can force her into a position where she has no choice in the matter. Oho! Sonic will be devestated, absolutely devestaded!"

"Knuckles? Well... he would have been left alone. But I think once Sonic realized that echidna has no memory of him, Sonic's heart will be broken enough, haha!"

"Shadow? Assessing the amount of power I'm going to need to run all these factories... Shadow is looking like an ever-so appealing battery. Perhaps he could be used for combatitive purposes in the future but... I wouldn't want to risk him breaking free and repeating the whole ARK nonsense..."

"Rouge? She can be a pain but I see little point in interfereing. She isn't important enough. She'll either be killed, roboticized, or she'll find a way to evade capture. If it does end up being the latter... at least I'll still get to have some fun."

"Omega? I'll actually build him right this time."

"And just think of his other friends! Blaze? Locked away in her dimension without a care in the world! Silver? The boy probably won't be born in the future either! How hilarious. When Sonic finds all this... when he does... he'll realise something, and he'll finally have to admit it!"

"He'll admit that I've won. Mwahahaha... MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Orbot...?" The voice of Cubot stunned him from the room's entrance, and Orbot quickly fumbled to press pause on the audio player.

"What was that all about?"

Sonic became unconcious, his limp body falling on top of Knuckles. The echidna got a glimpse of his bank, bleeding as skin had been ruthlessly torn open by the blast. Despite Sonic's best efforts to protect him, Knuckles wasn't uninjured either. He was bruised, and had his own small cuts on his lower body.

Knuckles did his best to sit up, grunting, holding onto Sonic in his arms.

Shadow was gagging and hissing where he stood, his arm transforming and twisted into an ugly gooey, scaly mess. His fangs grew longer and sharper in his mouth as he uselessly held onto his arm, as if trying to stop the tansformation.

Panting, the hedgehog looked towards the bat. She was caught in the blast range, and she was struggling to bring herself off the ground. Her face was covered in a large, dark bruise that had managed to form already.

She was evidently weak, her muscles trembling with every slight movement - and her eyes fluttered in an attempt to stay open and cling to her conciousness.

Despite the tips of his fingers forming claws, and the pain he appeared to be suffering through. Shadow ran towards her, scooped her up in his arms - and made his way up the stairs towards the doors of the shuttle.

Before entering, Shadow looked back over his shoulder - and the two made eye contact.

They both knew that this wasn't the last they'd see of each other.

Shadow turned back around and stepped inside the shuttle. Knuckles wanted nothing more than to chase after them and tear down those doors, and he almost did - but another look at Sonic's bruising face told him otherwise.

Knuckles held onto Sonic as gently as he could.

"Damnit..."

When Shadow's eyes snapped open, he came to an abrupt realisation.

He was drowning.

For a moment, the revelation was disturbingly peaceful. His spines were pulled upwards but his body drifted further down into the depths, the source of light glittering through the ocean getting further and further away.

His heart began to pound.

His body had practiclaly locked itself in place, he found himself only able to twist his body through very small, jerky movements.

Chaos energy sparked from his eyes, and he was finally free.

...

Shadow gasped for air, and then coughed.

Exhausted, he dragged himself across the shore. Water still lapped against his stomach and chest, but what mattered was that he could finally see the sky. It was darl, no stars, but a bright half moon shone down and lit up the beach.

At last, he made it entirely to dry sands. He relaxed his aching muscles, allowing himself to lay there - allowing himself... just a moment.

His eyelids became heavy, and everything around him became a haze.

"Shadow? Shadow!"

Was that his name? The voice was muffled.

"We've got you-"

His eyes fell shut, and the world was no more.

So... answers, am I right? Not all of them, but a lot. Ignorance is bliss is a lesson that Orbot should have perhaps considered... and how much did Cubot end up overhearing? Meanwhile - Starline has caught the kids and is taking them to Eggmanland - that can't be good... And while that's happening, Jet seems to be thinking about things and Amy wants to know what. MEANWHILE - Shadow and Rouge manage to board a space shuttle because Sonic said the no-no word.

And what's this? OG Shadow? And why is he drowning...?

Tune in next time for a very Shadow-centric chapter! :) (Not just Shadow, but mostly Shadow...)

So, how are we feeling knowing some of Robotnik's plans behind Project Chronos? Hopefully things have started to make some sense around here.

And don't worry - even more answers are on the way ;)

Sorry if I haven't responded to PMs, some of my PM threads, especially my older ones - just aren't working for me lmao. If you need to contact me privately - you can message me on my Tumblr! For some reason links just like- don't wanna work on this website so I'll just let you know my Tumblr blog name is CaffeineClouds! :)

But as always - feel free to leave your thoughts in a review, I love to read them! Hope you enjoy the next one, because again - I'm really looking forward to it XD It might even come early, who knows~Thank ya'll so much for the support so far! Like fr, I mean it - it means so dang much to me aaaa. But for now, I'll see ya later!