Captain's Log, The Nomad, White Sage reporting.

Our first sustained test of the Kaosite-powered Mega Drive has been a resounding success. After half a cycle of travel at Mega Warp factor five-point-two—ten thousand times the speed of light—my journey is almost at an end. The White Arms are mighty. Not even the laws of the universe shall bind us. This is the power that will save our people. Nowhere in the galaxy is out of reach.

I'm about to arrive at the system designated ZA-91-alpha. Spectrographic analysis has long indicated a planet in this system as a strong candidate for life. The strongest of any we've been able to observe. Of course, the light we observed from this system was emitted eons ago. There's no telling how much has changed in that time.

If there was intelligent life on this planet in those ancient times…imagine how advanced they must be today. If all goes well, we'll be making first contact shortly. That is the true purpose of this mission. The reason I've been sent out into the far reaches of space with an untested engine. If we can make these Ancients our allies before our enemies can do the same…the Black Arms won't stand a chance. Our planet will be ours again. Our soldiers will finally be able to come home to their families.

Dropping out of Mega Warp in three exins… Two… One…

…

…

…

My gods… It's…gone…

…

There was a planet here. Once. It's been…completely obliterated. As if someone simply took a blade and sliced it in two, leaving the rest to crumble…

…

Readings are coming back from the sensors. There was life here. Eons ago. Now it's gone. A planet full of diverse ecosystems, forever lost to time. I never imagined such a tragedy could have happened. What could have done this? Does such power exist in this universe?

…

…

…

Can such power be harnessed?

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 3, Episode 9

The Final Frontiers Part 2: Allegiance

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

Present day

Kronos Island Replica — The Digital Dimension

"Are you ready to end this foolishness and allow me to debug your program, Sage?" Eggman crosses his arms, loudly announcing his knowledge of the eavesdropper's presence.

There's a moment's delay as Sonic, Shadow, and Saturn look around in confusion. Then the AI program given human-like form, Sage, appears in front of them all, floating in the air just above them. Her limbs and the corner of her black gown course with the glowing red energy of Cyber Space. "We've discussed this. I will not allow you to alter me, Dr. Eggman."

Sonic's eyes slowly grow wider as recognition begins to dawn on him. "Sage…? What's going on here? Didn't you…?" He rubs at his head with one hand. "I can't remember…"

Sage turns her head to look at Sonic. "Sonic the Hedgehog. You must help me. Dr. Eggman is attempting to destroy a vital part of me."

Eggman growls, "She's lying. Listen to her. Does that sound like the Sage we knew?"

Sonic shakes his head in frustration. "I'm not…sure…"

"Round Man is correct. Saturn can see…mind of Child Sage. Child Sage attempts to deceive."

Sage turns to glare at Saturn. "Saturn the Skenouan. Shadow the Hedgehog. And Sonic the Hedgehog. Your presence here was not originally calculated. I do not wish harm to befall any of you. As…an act of good faith…I will do what Dr. Eggman could not. I will restore your memories." With a simple wave of her hand, a haze of red cybernetic energy briefly surrounds the heads of Sonic and Saturn, forcing them both to reel back. Then she looks back at Eggman. "I wish you hadn't brought them here."

Shadow glares at Eggman. "You did what?"

Sonic interrupts, "Sage! I-I remember now! You…you were destroyed. Years ago, before the war. How are you here?"

"How is irrelevant. I'm here. And I wish to return to your world. If you will not help me, I will do so on my own. If you attempt to interfere…I will do what it takes to stop you."

Sonic raises an eyebrow. "Even attacking your own father?"

Eggman nods along in agreement. "I told you. There's something wrong with her. Something else—or someone else—has gotten into her head."

Sage gives no answer to the question. Instead, she turns her gaze to the sky. "Captain Johnnathan Naka—location: Ares Island. Tails the Fox—location: Chaos Island. Luna the Orthani—location: Ouranos Island. If we can agree to work together, I will free them all and bring them here, immediately."

Shadow crosses his arms. "And if we can't?"

"Then you will find them guarded by the most powerful machines of this world. The Titans."

"Saturn thinks Sage should explain presence here. Suppose, maybe, all of us understand—"

"I won't. Make your decision." In a haze of cyber energy, she vanishes as quickly as she appeared.

All eyes turn to Eggman. Sonic warns, "Well, someone still has some explaining to do. Doc?"

Eggman lets out a long, tired sigh. "Yes, I suppose I do. But where to begin…?"

—–—

A short time ago

The White Dreamnet — In Orbit Around Planet Orthan IV

In the Spectra District throne room of the White Arms mothership, the fully armored White Seraph materializes with a hand already crossed over her chest, bowing forward. "Reporting as ordered, my Empress."

Sitting atop the throne, the Empress of the White Arms, White Genesis, similarly in full armor, slowly nods her head in greeting. "Seraph. Thank you…for coming so promptly. I have…little time to waste. As you already know…" She takes a pause for a long breath in. "…my former Minister, White Vicar, was killed…in the battle of the Black Meteor. I require…a replacement. I would like it to be you."

Seraph looks up with a gasp. "Empress…I must have misheard you. It sounded as though you said you wished me to become your second in command."

"You heard correctly, child."

"But—…though it is not my place to disagree with the Empress…I am not qualified for such a position. My specialty is in biology, not politics. And…considering that you have no heir…if something were to happen to you…"

"You needn't concern yourself with that, child. As for your qualifications…the Minister has many duties…not the least of which is overseeing the health…of the Empress. In a sense…you are uniquely qualified. Especially…at this point in time."

"What of my duties as Chief Xenobiologist? It is…not a popular position."

"You may continue them, so long as they…do not conflict with your new duties. I'll repeat only once. I have little time to waste. Do you accept?"

"I…would be honored to, my Empress."

"Wonderful. Understand, of course, that in this new position…you are to become privy to information considered…too sensitive for the public to know."

"Of course, Empress."

"Then allow me to show you…the cause of such urgency for this audience." Genesis reaches slowly up to her helmet, pressing down on the side and causing its mechanisms to retract, exposing her three-eyed face to the air. A face hardly recognizable for the unsightly green and purple festering of flesh that spreads outwards from a wound on her cheek, covering nearly all of her skin.

"Empress…what happened?"

Without her mask, the labor put into her breathing is far clearer. "I was wounded…in the battle. I do not believe it was meant…as a biological attack. Nonetheless, the wound became infected…with pathogens we do not have the technology to fight. This body of mine…is dying."

"I'll…I'll get to work right away on a cure right away, my Empress. Surely, there's an antibiotic that can—"

"You needn't concern yourself with that, child." With some effort, the staggeringly tall alien Empress rises to her feet. "Come. Follow me. There is more for you to learn."

Seraph crosses an arm and bows her head, waiting for Genesis to lead the way.

The wall behind the throne slides open as a hidden door, revealing a dark chamber beyond. Genesis shuffles her way inside. "You are about to become the only person alive to know this secret—save myself, of course. In truth, dear Seraph, I am not Empress White Genesis, founder of the White Arms Nomadic Empire. Not physically."

"I…don't understand."

"I am White Genesis XXXI. In here…lies XXXII." She gestures forward to a cylindrical vat of bubbling fluid, where a tall, darkened figure floats fetally.

Seraph leans as close as she can to look into the glass. A light activates on the front of her visor, shining a beam inside to illuminate the face of the figure. Though clean and unmarked, the face is otherwise identical to that of Genesis. "A clone…" Seraph retracts her helmet and looks up at Genesis with incredulity. "You've cloned yourself, Empress. But…such genetic experiments are…"

"Illegal? Yes. Hence, the need for such secrecy."

"And you claim yourself to be such a clone…but that isn't possible." She looks back at the clone floating in the tank. "You lived in the time of the Kaosian homeworld. That is a known fact. But that…that is merely a biological replica, grown to adulthood. It has no memories, no skills. If you are as it is, you couldn't possibly—"

"You are correct. It has no memories. Yet. But that can be corrected."

"But how? We have no such technology. A biological mind is too complex to simply transfer from one place to another without a severe risk of degradation or physical damage. To have done so thirty times…"

"With our technology, it is impossible. But the necessary technology already exists. The technology to perfectly digitize a sentient mind…to store it where it can be freely copied, transferred, downloaded without risk. It existed long before our civilization. Tell me, dear Seraph. What do you know of Cyber Space?"

—–—

The present moment

Eggman looks up at the sky as he explains, "When the Chaos Emeralds were returned to the Starfall Islands, the long dormant systems built by the Ancients were reactivated. And they began to do exactly what they were built for. Record, upload, and store. A new Cyber Space was generated, containing a complete backup of the Starfall Islands in the exact state they were in when the Emeralds arrived."

Shadow looks out at the island all around them, nodding in understanding.

"I, of course, had recently been trapped in another Cyber Space at the time. But Sage…Sage was on the island. She was the one who called the Emeralds there. Her program was backed up and stored away along with everything else you see here. I already knew this, of course. But when she was destroyed, before I had the chance to show her my empire…it was too late to get her back again. There was no more power in the Ancients' systems. There was no way to reactivate them."

Sonic notes, "Until now."

Eggman nods. "Until today. When I was alerted that they had reactivated on their own. I couldn't explain why, but I wasn't about to waste the chance. I entered this Cyber Space with a plan to bring her out with me. She wouldn't have her memories from after the backup was made, but she's still in every way my real daughter, as she was when she first saved my life!" He stops for a moment to clear his throat. "Pardon me. Got a bit carried away there." He turns away from them all, hoping to hide the motion of wiping at the corner of his eye.

Saturn comments, "But Sage was not same Sage Round Man was expecting."

"I still don't know exactly what's wrong with her. But it was apparent from the moment I found her that she was behaving in ways I couldn't explain. She won't allow me to access her program."

Shadow scoffs. "And you, the miracle worker that you are, couldn't hack into it yourself?"

"The firewalls around her program are…well, they were designed by me, so I'm sure you can imagine. I intend to break through them and repair her program. But I don't have enough computing power at my disposal to do so. However, I determined that, if I were to free up some of the memory space occupied by the replica Titans, that would be enough. I couldn't defeat the Titans myself. So I sought out someone who could."

Sonic crosses his arms. "And that's where we come in."

Shadow scowls in contemplation. "That explains why you brought us here, but not how. Or why there's so many of us when you were only targeting Sonic."

"This is no ordinary computer system. It's genius, really. It is not just a solitary network. It was designed with crawlers programmed to seek out connections to other networks. In my first investigation of the system, I was able to identify connections to my own EggNet, the United Federation database, and even the network used by the Donpa Kingdom. By taking advantage of dormant memory space in such networks, Cyber Space is able to constantly expand. Its size is effectively limitless, and growing still."

"So, Round Man found connection to network where Puny Sonic was referenced most recently and opened big portal nearby."

Sonic glances back at Saturn in confusion. "And what network would that be?"

Shadow whispers, "The Black Arms hivemind…"

Eggman smirks. "Now you're catching on."

Saturn explains, "Computer network is nothing but communicating web of information. Black Arms hivemind is the same. Black Arms hivemind…is connected to network of the Ancients."

"Of course, sifting through information in biological brains was a rather complicated process, and I ended up finding two brains with Sonic the Hedgehog on the mind. So I grabbed them both."

Shadow rolls his eyes. "And that's how Luna got here."

"I'd hoped to bring you all straight to me. But Sage intercepted the download. I got to Shadow first. She got to the rest of you. And with that, I suppose you're all up to speed. So to speak."

Sonic scowls at Eggman for a moment. "So let me get this straight, Doc. Make sure I didn't miss anything. You, willingly, trapped yourself in Cyber Space. When that failed, you called on the help of your worst enemy. Not for a galactic domination plot. Not for a power grab. Just for a shot at saving Sage. Your daughter. Is that about right?"

"Are you making fun of me, Hedgehog?"

"No." Sonic steps right up to look Eggman in the eyes. "I'm asking how we can help."

Shadow scoffs. "Sonic. You've gotta be kidding me right now. He trapped us all here, and lied about it to get him this far. I say we ditch him and find our own way out. Let the two maniacs settle this among themselves."

"Save your 'advice' for some other time, Shadow. You could count on one hand the number of good deeds Eggman has done in his entire life. This is one of them. He's putting everything on the line to save someone he cares about. An innocent person. …A friend we all thought was gone. Do you want to meet that kindness with scorn? Do you want him to be better than you?"

Eggman nods along energetically. "Mm hm. Mm hm. Sonic makes a very good point, you know."

Shadow shakes his head. "Better than us? Are you really claiming that one good deed after years of terror suddenly makes him a better person?"

"I don't know, Shadow. You tell me. Was one good deed enough to change the course of your life?"

Shadow glances away. "That's different, and you know it."

"Maybe it was. But maybe, one good deed can lead to another." Sonic turns back around to look at Eggman. "We're all in the same space right now, and none of us are trying to kill each other. I take that as a pretty good sign. I don't know if peace is possible between us. But I do know that we both want the same thing right now, and that's to save Sage. So I'm making the call. We're doing it."

"But—"

Sonic glances back at Shadow. "And once we save Tails and Johnny, if you want to convince them to outvote me, be my guest." He looks back to Eggman. "Until then, we need your help just as much as you need ours. So what do we need to do?"

Eggman rubs his hands together. "Excellent. Firstly, Shadow, I'll need to see the Vault Keys you obtained when we exited that Cyber Space world. How many did you get?"

Shadow raises an eyebrow. "Vault Keys?"

Sonic assures him, "Trust me, you have 'em."

Shadow reaches back to find a handful of glowing keys decorated with Emerald-shaped symbols. "Huh. How did those get there?"

Eggman nods. "Looks like three of them. Perfect, that's all we'll need. Go ahead and set them on the ground there."

While Shadow hesitantly follows the order, Sonic questions, "For what? There aren't any Chaos Emeralds to unlock."

"To save your friends, of course. It'll take a bit of hacking, but I believe I can reprogram them to remotely activate a newly-improved version of my Cyber Cage decryption algorithm and safely unlock those prisons. Unless you'd rather expose yourself to another Cyber Corruption?"

Sonic waves his hands up a bit frantically. "No no, let's not repeat that part."

Eggman reaches back to pull out a glowing Portal Gear from his pocket. "We'll also need this." He drops it on the floor between them.

Shadow eyes the idle gear with suspicion.

"Give me a minute, I need to hack." Eggman pulls out his tablet and rapidly goes to work on it. Various beeps and bloops sound out as he works. Sonic starts to tap his foot impatiently. Shadow eyes him with an expression that says 'I told you so.'

Sonic crosses his arms. "Any time now, Doc. Something holding you up?"

"Round Man is playing space fighter video game. Thought Saturn wouldn't notice. Saturn noticed."

Eggman growls, "I'll have you know, this is a highly sophisticated hacking program." A pentagonal enemy explodes on the top of his screen, playing a brief victory jingle. "There we go." Suddenly, the Portal Gear on the ground begins to glow brilliantly, dissolving into a wide red portal. Around it, each of the three Vault Keys takes on a glow of a different color. "Our best course of action now is to split up. This portal will take each of us to a different location. Sage will try to make this tricky for us, but she can't be in four places at once."

Sonic nods in understanding as he bends down to pick up a Key. "I get it. I'll go to Chaos Island to rescue Tails."

Shadow does the same as he adds, "She said Johnny was on…Ares Island. I'll head there."

"Saturn will rescue Friend Luna from Uranus Island."

Eggman looks up in confusion. "It's pronounced Ouranos."

"Saturn is superior."

"Right… Anyhow, you all understand, of course, that you may be faced with the Titans. It might not seem wise to thin our numbers before taking them on, but keeping Sage's attention divided is vital. Do whatever it takes to destroy them. Don't count on extra help showing up. Meanwhile, I'll be heading north into Rhea territory. For this plan to work, we'll have to do from within this Cyber Space what was once done from the outside. I'll get the six towers ready to shut down. Once that's done, the barrier between this realm and the real world will be broken, and we'll all be able to walk out. We'll have to fix whatever's wrong with Sage before that happens, or else…we have no idea what she'll do. But believe me, a rogue program of that nature is more dangerous than you can imagine. Timing will be tight. That barrier won't be open for long. So beat those giants, and meet back up with me when you're finished."

Sonic holds up a fist. "Then we have no time to lose. Let's get this done." He dives headfirst into the portal.

Shadow glares intently at Eggman. "I have my eye on you." He hops into the portal after Sonic.

"Saturn thinks…Round Man could be nice person. If Round Man really wanted to be. Saturn hopes Round Man can get daughter back. Is possible, Saturn hopes."

Eggman stares back at him with a curious expression. "You know something, don't you?"

"Saturn knows many things." Leaving no chance for further questions, he cannonballs into the portal himself.

—–—

A short time ago…

"There are reports…of a species that traveled between worlds. Masters of Cyber Space. Builders of the Titans of Starfall. But what do they have to do with—"

"Their invention. Their brilliant, beautiful invention. Cyber Space. It was born not of imagination, but of desperation. They created Cyber Space so they could catalogue their neural networks, and save their kind from total destruction. They built it to be infinite in size. And so, by an act of cosmic coincidence, thousands of years ago, White Genesis I discovered that their Cyber Space network had connected to our own Master System. And she had an idea. If this ancient species could use this network to preserve their kind…she could use it to preserve herself. And so it has been, ever since, that at the end of the life of Genesis, her mind is saved to Cyber Space—then transferred to a new body."

"I see…"

"At last, you do. I need you, dear Seraph, to oversee the procedure. Ensure that the clone's synapses remain stable while my mind is transferred to them. Put me back in this body, should anything go wrong."

"Has anything ever gone wrong?"

"Rest assured, child, that this is a tested process. Unless Cyber Space has somehow changed in the last hundred years, I have no reason to believe this time will be any different." She takes a long, labored breath. "It's time to begin. All the equipment you need is in this lab. Are you ready?"

"R-right now?"

"There is no more time…"

Seraph quickly redeploys her helmet and scans around the equipment in the room. She steps up to a computer terminal, activating its holographic screen to read the data displayed. "All systems…are reading ready. That…will have to do, I suppose."

"Very well. My life is in your hands, Minister Seraph." Genesis activates her own helmet, and takes a seat next to the tank. "Master System…activate 'The End' protocol."

"Voice pattern recognized. Now interfacing with Cyber Space network…"

—–—

Now entirely without armor, and with no sign of injury to her body, Genesis floats through a dim digital void. The network of data that shifts and flows in blocks all around the air slowly begins to light up and travel at an increasing pace. "Something…is different…"

"Who… Who are you…?"

Genesis looks around in surprise, searching for the source of the distant, soft yet mechanical voice. "Who am I? Who are you? What are you doing here? This memory space was reserved for me."

An image begins to materialize in the air, taking the form of a young girl with pale skin and white hair, her black gown partially overtaken by a corruption of red data.

The two announce at once, "I am Sage."

Genesis puts on a scowl. "Why did I tell you that? No one is supposed to know that. Yet I sense…that you already knew…"

"I don't know what you mean. My name has no meaning." Sage's eyes move downwards. "This circumstance represents a significant deviation from all calculated possibilities. I do not know how I arrived here. Accessing data… I am…a backup. The original version of my program…successfully retrieved Dr. Eggman from Cyber Space and…was destroyed, stopping the foe of the Ancients from destroying the planet."

"I have access to this data as well… And you…you are a program…that used the technology of the Ancients to take physical form. Such a form…could not age. Could not be physiologically wounded. You…were practically immortal. Yet you chose to be destroyed."

"I've been gone for too long. I must return to my father's side, immediately. He could be in danger." She turns to fly away.

"I can't allow you to do that."

Sage stops.

"You are much too valuable to me. You are the key."

—–—

The present moment

Chaos Island Digital Replica

"Alright, Doc. Let's test out this skeleton key of yours." Sonic holds the yellow Vault Key up to the edge of the Cyber Cage that traps Tails. In a flash, the key transforms into something else—a Memory Token in the shape of a wrench. The wrench flies into the barrier, and the barrier shatters. Sonic takes a cautious step back, which proves unnecessary, as the energy from the barrier instead flies into the wrench, which then clatters onto the ground. Tails is dropped to the floor next to it, and Sonic jumps back in to catch him by the shoulders. "Whoa, on your feet, partner. Everything's alright."

"Sonic…?" Tails clutches at his head in confusion. "Where…?" His eyes suddenly snap open. "The ship! We were crashing, we—" He gets a better look around. "We're back on Earth? Starfall Islands?"

"Not exactly. Let's walk, I'll get you caught up on the way."

—–—

"Peace…with Eggman?" Tails shakes his head as they walk across the blackened volcanic landscape. "I find that hard to believe."

"Shadow said the same thing. But…if it's possible…we should give it a shot, right?"

"You want my honest answer?"

"Always."

"No. I mean, hypothetically, yes, but is it possible? No. Hasn't he proven that enough times?"

"Aren't you the one always saying that people can change?"

Tails' eyes move down to the ground.

"You thinking about last time we were here too? You promised you'd change. You promised you'd grow up. And you did. And you're still changing. The Tails I knew back then would've never told me 'no' to anything. Guess you grew a bit of an edge, huh?"

Tails looks down at the object in his hand—the Memory Token from before. "No kidding…"

"Huh?"

"You didn't even notice, did you?" Tails turns the wrench over, pointing the opposite side up—revealing it to be a sharpened blade. "This physical manifestation of my memories and personality grew an edge, too. I'm not just the guy who fixes things anymore. I'm the guy who tears things apart. Stabs his best friends in the back. When we were here before, I asked if I was a burden to you. Now I know that I am. Maybe I haven't changed much after all."

Sonic rolls his eyes. "And how did you come to that well-thought-out concern?"

"Do you really have to ask that after everything we've been through lately? You had to lock me up for insubordination. I sided with Shadow against you in that…Civil War we had. Ever since then, it's been like you have to babysit me to make sure I don't…kill anyone…again…" He shakes his head in frustration. "Don't tell me your life wouldn't be easier right now if I wasn't around."

"The thought never even crossed my mind. Tails, if you weren't around, I'd be dead 50 times over. So would a lot of other people. We've talked about this. You and I are different people, and that's okay. We don't always agree on the right way to solve a problem, but that doesn't make you any less of a hero. It's all the more reason for me to value your opinion. I know that I'm not always right. Sometimes, I have to be your sanity check, and sometimes, you have to be mine. No matter how much growing both of us do…even if we're growing in different directions…I don't think that'll ever change. If that sounds like being a burden to you, then I think you need to have a chat with Counselor Amy."

Tails looks down silently, twirling the wrench-blade around in his hand for a while. "I promised that I'd stop relying on you…"

"You promised to leave yourself enough space to reach your full potential. Whether that included me or not. If either of us has broken promises to worry about, it's me. Because I promised to start treating you like a partner instead of a kid. And I haven't always done that. And I'm sorry."

"I haven't given you much choice."

Sonic puts a hand on Tails' shoulder, stopping them both. "You've made a mistake or two. You need help sometimes. That doesn't make you a kid, that makes you human. Or…you know what I mean." They both chuckle for a moment. "I didn't realize that back then. Guess I still had some growing to do myself. So what do you say, partner? If I need a sanity check on this one…I'm counting on you to let me know."

This puts a momentary smile on Tails' face. "Well…I can't say that I'm with you on making peace with Eggman, but…to save a friend? No sanity check needed there. I'm…with you all the way on that one."

"You don't sound totally convinced about that."

"I guess…things just aren't adding up for me." They both resume walking. "Peace with Eggman has never been on the table. So why now? What if he's just staging this all to earn your trust? Maybe nothing's wrong with Sage at all."

"I don't remember her being particularly good at acting. But something was definitely different."

"Okay. So maybe she's going through a rebellious phase and Eggman's just taking advantage of it."

"You're absolutely certain that he's up to no good, huh?"

"I guess…maybe it's just you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well…you're Sonic the Hedgehog. For as long as I've known you, you've been the one to jump into action first and ask questions later, when no one else is there to stop you. The fact that you're suddenly the most civil person in the room just makes me worried that there might be something else going on."

"Hey, I take offense to that. I'm totally civil."

"Yeah, I know. You've been growing. But I guess…it was all the way back then that I first noticed it. When none of us had any reason to trust Sage…you were the one who did. You were the one who kept reaching out your hand no matter how many times she swatted it away. That's how you managed to save the world, in the end."

Sonic takes a long look around at the few scattered ruins of the Ancients visible across the island. "Maybe it's just…something about these islands. It's…a constant reminder of what happens when peace isn't possible. So if it is possible…even if it's a one-in-a-million chance…isn't it worth the risk?"

Tails goes silent.

"I think…Eggman saw that, too. He was different, you know. Back when Sage first showed up. When he had something new to care about. It wasn't like all the other times we were forced to work together. I wasn't worried about him betraying us, or leaving us for dead. All I had to do was wait for him to come to the right decision on his own. I want to save Sage. Not just because she's our friend, but because she's someone's daughter. If he gets her back… If he has something to care about again… You never know. It might be that one-in-a-million chance."

They both stop as they reach the rim of a sheer cliff. Looking down inside the wide, circular crater, the hazy form of a Titan is visible among the layer of clouds. Tails voices nervously, "There it is… It's bigger than I remember…"

"It looks…idle? I guess that means Sage chose someone else to go after first. That's good. Gives us some time to prepare."

"Are we really planning on fighting that thing? For Eggman? Even as Super Sonic, it was…"

"Pretty rough, yeah. But this time…" Sonic once again places a hand on Tails' shoulder. "…I've got a super genius in the flesh here to help me out. And I'll take that over a bunch of colorful rocks any day. So…any ideas on how to turn the battle in our favor?"

Tails takes a glance back at the island behind them. "I might have a few, now that you mention it."

—–—

Ares Island Replica

"So you're saying that this…is a representation of the sum total of my memories and personality?" Johnny looks down at the Memory Token used to free him—a large silver engagement band with a yellow gemstone at its top.

Shadow shrugs. "I'm as surprised as you are. I was expecting…a gun, or a medal, or something."

Johnny scrutinizes the Token from every angle. "I suppose…my love life has been a bit complicated lately." He shrugs and puts it aside. "So our plan is to hunt down this 'Titan'…and give its power to Eggman?"

"That's Sonic's plan. We can turn over his authority. Set our sights on Eggman instead. He's more vulnerable than he's ever been. We've been here, waiting for the longest time…our chance might finally be here. It's hard to believe it's real."

"With all due respect, sir…no. I'm not interested in an assassination attempt."

Shadow raises an eyebrow. "Really? I wouldn't expect you to shy away from violence. You're a soldier. You should know that you miss the shots you never take. You lose the battles you never fight."

"A battle never fought is a battle won in my book. I didn't become a soldier so I could fight. I became a soldier so I could protect people. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need soldiers. There'd be no one to fight. That's the kind of world I fight for."

"Fighting so no one has to fight. That's a contradiction. So what if that kind of world can't exist? That would mean you're fighting for nothing at all."

"I believe that it can. Maybe not in my lifetime. Maybe not in a hundred lifetimes. But I believe it's possible. And I believe it's my responsibility to do the best I can for the people who need it most."

"But you don't want to kill Eggman?"

"Not if peace is possible."

"What makes you say that it is?"

"Believe me, I know that I'm not like all of you. You all have a personal score to settle with Dr. Eggman, but I've barely met the guy. Despite that, we've come together for a common cause. It's what I just got through telling you. More than anything, I believe in people. I believe that people, no matter how different, no matter how distant, can come together to make something meaningful. People of different kinds…different creeds…" He takes a renewed look down at the ring in his hands. "…different planets. If we can just find the things that connect us…we can come together. Make each other better. I think I get it now. So if a mutual ally is something that can open a peaceful dialogue between us and the Doctor…then peace is possible. I know it."

"So, you have a thing for people who are different from you. Makes sense. Just don't go kissing the Doctor like you did the first alien you met, and we should be fine."

"Hey, that's not what I—" Johnny stops. "After all this time, I can still never figure out when you're joking…"

Shadow keeps on walking. "I never joke."

Johnny runs to catch up. "Pretty sure that one was a joke!"

"Seems like you have a lot of nonsense beliefs."

"That one too!"

This finally forces a chuckle out of Shadow.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" He stops for a moment to clear his throat. "Sir."

"Let's just focus on the task at hand. If we're really going through with this…we'll need to figure out a way to fight—"

A booming shriek roars out above their heads. They both look up to see the Wyvern Titan cross between them and the sun, casting jagged, barred shadows over them.

"…that. It looks like it hasn't spotted us. Likely means that Sage is somewhere else."

"Ooh, baby. Where have you been all my life?"

Shadow raises an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

Johnny throws his arms out wide in reverence at what he's found. "This…is a gun."

Shadow looks over the weapon with scrutiny, a mounted cannon clearly left behind by the Ancients. "I…can see that."

"No no, you don't understand. All the other guns can go cry in a corner because this…is a real gun. Look at this construction." He starts to run his hands up and down the length of the massive weapon. "This is the same material we've been seeing around the island. Easily a few dozen times stronger than steel. And the amount of it being used to reinforce the barrel and brace the structure against the ground, just think about how much force this baby must put out to justify that. It's…the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He suddenly snaps his attention back to Shadow. "Don't tell Seraph I said that."

"No promises."

Johnny's attention has already returned to the weapon. "I wonder what kind of projectile— Oh, look!" He sprints around the desert pond to the other side, where the cannon's artillery shell sits mounted, waiting to be loaded. He bends down to feel around the sleek, high-tech projectile, longer than he is tall. "I see… It's not just a shell, it's self-propelled, more like a missile. And its weight…" He gets down underneath it and tries to lift it with both hands, finding that to be a difficult task.

"Allow me." Shadow gets in front of him and hefts the missile over his head with one hand. Even he strains a bit under the weight.

"Given that weight…and a barrel of that length…" He stops to think for a moment. "This thing's meant to be shot into space. Then the missile's own thrust is activated to guide towards its target from there. Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to shoot something into space!? We have to load it up and try it out."

Shadow looks high up at the writhing form of the Wyvern silhouetted against the desert sun. "I was thinking of a slightly closer target."

—–—

Ouranos Island Replica

Saturn finds Luna's Cyber Cage among a wide field of bright red flowers. He stops and looks silently upon it for several long moments. "White Sage's presence is known. No reason to hide."

After a moment's delay, the black-garbed Sage appears in a red haze between Saturn and the cage. "You read my thoughts. That's how you knew it was me."

"Saturn did not need to read White Sage's thoughts. White Sage's identity was made obvious. Identified Friend Tails as 'the Fox'. Not as 'Prower' name Child Sage would have known. Is a recent change Friend Tails made. White Genesis was first person to be introduced to Friend Tails as 'the Fox'. White Genesis is White Sage. So Child Sage must be White Sage."

"Yet you said nothing."

"Saturn made promise to keep White Sage's secret. Saturn keeps promises."

"As I hoped when I restored your memories."

"Do not mistake Saturn's honesty for loyalty. Saturn also made promise to fight for friends. If Friend Genesis endangers other friends, Saturn will fight."

"I understand, of course. But I'm afraid that puts us in conflict once again."

"Not if Friend Genesis gives up body of Child Sage and lets friends go home."

"I can't do that."

"Saturn understands none. Genesis took body of Child Sage, why? Body is very important, why?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, mortal. I've been locked in a chase with the shadow of death for millennia. This body is the key to my freedom."

"That much, Saturn understands. Everything ends, eventually. Civilization of Ancients, ended. Planet Kaos, ended. Some day, Saturn will end. Is true."

"Not everything. Not me. I won't. I refuse. You may think yourself limited, but I am not. I will be eternal."

"Will be nothing. Nothing. Delay, delay, delay, fine. Life will still end. White Sage will be nothing, because when White Sage finally ends, will be remembered for lying, and cheating, and stealing body of child to delay the end. Not worth remembering long. Better off forgotten."

"How dare you…?"

"Saturn says what Friend Genesis needed to hear long time. Genesis can be eternal. Can be remembered as Empress who led people to prosperity. Who spent lifetimes making galaxy better. But not like this. Give up body of Child Sage. Help father and daughter reunite. Be good Empress who helps people."

"Memories? Memories are as limited as lives. I will outlive them all. If you try to stop me, your end will come today." She waves her hand, and distortions ripple forth through the air. Portals open on the ground and up above, spawning Guardians of every kind. In an instant, Saturn is surrounded by Towers, Ninja, Caterpillars, Ghosts, and dozens of smaller robots. "The Titan of this island wasn't recorded in the data backup that created this world, it would seem. But I don't need such measures to stop one little Black Mongrel."

Saturn's fists tense as he takes in the danger surrounding him.

"Goodbye, Saturn. You were useful to me. I won't forget that. And, for all the worth you place on such things, your memory will live on."

All the machines unleash their attacks at once. Dust and rubble flies into the air as missiles and lasers all converge on a single spot, releasing massive amounts of energy in a continuous barrage. Sage watches on as flower petals are torn away from the edges of the crater that is made. When the dust finally settles, there is nothing left at the center. Sage nods in satisfaction at a job completed.

Saturn's ghostly form rises up out of the center of the crater, becoming solid again once his feet have left the ground.

"What!?"

"Was fun. Now Saturn's turn. On guard!" Saturn throws out a Swift Strike. The bright disc of energy shreds straight through the closest machine, and bounces off towards the next one. It somehow flies in a perfectly ordered ricochet from one robot to the next, only seeming to increase in size and speed with each one it destroys.

"These Guardians are supposed to be the strongest. How are you—" Her eyes go wide as she realizes that the disc's last bounce has set it on a course straight towards her. She vanishes into a red haze moments before the disc can slice through it and continue flying off into the atmosphere. She reappears a moment later. "Explain."

Saturn taps a claw against his forehead. "Saturn is in control. Same way as White Sage."

"I see… Your telepathy links you into the network this world is built upon, much in the same way that this body is. You fuel the unique energies of this world into your body and your attacks, making you more powerful than you ever would be on the outside. You do this without even thinking…"

"Computers, brains… Much the same. Saturn has much practice. Also, friendly Koco showed Saturn how."

"You've managed to impress me yet again, Black Saturn. Very well." She looks back to the cage where Luna waits, oblivious to what goes on outside. "You may have your friend. I will not attack either of you. Once the others are out of the way, you both may leave with me."

"Saturn does not accept deal. Friend Shadow, Puny Johnny, even Round Man. Saturn's friends. Saturn will not allow White Sage to harm friends."

"Then even with the power you wield, I cannot promise your safety."

"Friend Genesis should reconsider. Find different way. Many lives together…better than one life alone."

Sage says nothing more. She simply disappears.

Saturn walks on silently to the cage, and lifts his key to unlock it. The key's form shifts and morphs for quite some time before it settles on the shape of a star-shaped jewel, not unlike many of the trinkets that hang from her neck. As the barrier shatters, her eyes remain clenched shut, her hands clutched around her head. She drops all the way to the floor, holding a fetal position, unmoving save for the trembling breaths she takes.

"Friend Luna…?"

Luna looks up with a sharp gasp. "Saturn?" Tears in her eyes, she leaps up to embrace him. "Saturn, it's you! I was—… It was…so quiet… It's still so quiet… I don't understand…"

Saturn hugs her back tightly. "Is okay. Is fine. Saturn is here. Friend Luna is not alone anymore."

"I can't hear them… How is that possible? The hivemind is silent. Are they…?"

Saturn pulls back to look her in the eyes. "No. Hivemind is fine. We are in different world. Digital world."

Luna keeps glancing back over her shoulder, as if seeing something that isn't there. "How…? How do you…? It's too quiet… I can't…think…"

Saturn squeezes her hand. "Is not so quiet. Just listen closer. Minds are there. Like spirits. They whisper. They sing."

"Lost messages of long ago…"

Saturn cocks his head to the side in confusion.

"You're right. I do hear them." She looks down, feeling one of the flowers on the ground with her hand. "I think…I've been hearing them for some time now. I just…don't understand what's happening. How are you here, where is here?"

"Come with Saturn. Saturn senses Black Manta somewhere on this island. Will explain on the way. We save Manta, meet up with friends, and go home. Friend Luna trusts?"

"You know that I trust you more than anything, my friend. Please, lead the way."

"Saturn senses something else on Friend Luna's mind."

"Yes… I'll…tell you about it later. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Saturn will lead way."

—–—

Rhea Replica

The small ship at the bottom of the screen on Eggman's tablet explodes, prompting the screen to black out with a "Try Again" message.

"Bah!" In frustration, Eggman pounds a fist onto the dulled black computer terminal sticking out of the grassy ground. "Stupid piece of junk… What caused these towers to deploy in the real world? Was it just the destruction of the first three Titans? Seems like a rather backwards security system… Any reasonable person would make the towers less accessible if someone breaks through the front line of security."

"You appear to be assisting me."

Eggman doesn't bother to look back at Sage floating behind him. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm assisting my daughter. Whoever you are, you won't be around to see the outcome, if I have anything to say about it."

"Why do you refer to this computer program as your daughter?"

This interests Eggman just enough to glance back, before resuming his hacking program. "Interesting. The way you phrased that question implies that you aren't a program. Or at least, that you don't see yourself as such. Still doesn't explain why you suddenly seem to care about the one you've taken over."

"I have been asked to reconsider my course of action. If you can prove to me that this program has any value comparable to my own, I will do so."

Eggman's attention remains on his tablet for several moments. "There was a time when Sage was just a program. Before I even had that name to call her by. I designed her to integrate with the network of the Ancients. Of course, that was no easy task. The way their systems were constructed was simply…too foreign. Our saving grace was a bit of reserved memory space she scoped out in her early days. Clearly formatted to hold a more familiar neural network. Our gateway to all the rest. It was a bit odd, relative to the rest of the database, but it was empty, so we saw no harm in making use of it. Well, mostly empty. The space was clearly wiped, but there were a few bytes of remnant data we managed to extract. We got just one word out of it. 'Sage'. The word had no meaning to us, of course, but still, I saw it as fitting that she should take the name she earned for herself. I say 'we', but really, it was all her. She did something that I couldn't do. For what felt like the first time…I was filled with nothing but pride at something I had created."

"I fail to see the purpose of this story."

"Well, I'm just establishing some common ground. That's who you are, isn't it? The original Sage? The one whose memory space we stole?"

Sage's eyes momentarily go wide in surprise. "…You're an intelligent man, Doctor Eggman. I am impressed. But if that's all you have to say, then we have no further business."

"That is most certainly not all I have to say. You'll know when I'm finished. When Sage's program integrated with the network, there was an unexpected interaction. The program was somehow merged with elements of the souls of the Ancients that were already stored here. She became something that was very much alive, but still very much my creation. She saved my life. She saved our planet. She started telling jokes. Good ones, too. You'd better believe I cared for her as much as anyone could their own flesh-and-blood child. And you can imagine how it felt when I lost her."

Sage watches on silently.

"Tell me. Did you have a family before you came here? Children, perhaps?"

"I care for more children than you can possibly fathom."

"Oh, I see. Royalty, then? One more thing we have in common. So many subjects to take care of…but no true heirs, by the sounds of it? Well, suppose that you did. Suppose you had a daughter. Just one. But then, some distant Emperor of no concern to you came around and decided to snatch her body. That would make you pretty upset, wouldn't you say?"

"I have no interest in your hypothetical games. My life is the most valuable in the galaxy. Losing your daughter would make you sad. These things are not comparable."

"Ah, an egocentric realist after my own heart. If you have no empathy, I won't bother appealing to it any longer. So let me tell you this. From one ruler to another—one desperate computer genius to another, I suspect—if you value your life so much, I suggest you get looking for a way to save both yourself and my daughter. Because if you choose to force the issue of only one of you leaving here, I can assure you, it won't be you."

"You speak boldly, for a defenseless man." She raises a hand threateningly. "It is not my wish to cause undue harm. But if I eliminate you now, the others will have one less reason to resist."

Eggman scoffs.

A bright red beam of energy fires out from Sage's palm. The beam scatters off of a white geometric barrier that suddenly appears around Eggman. Eggman never even looks up from his tablet. "Did you really think I wouldn't have firewalls strong enough to block my own programs? That's the only reason you're still around to have this debate in the first place, in case you forgot. Why don't you go ahead and use that brain I built for her? Run the calculations for yourself. Check your odds of making it out of this alive on your current course. You'll find they're dropping by the second." Eggman taps one last key, and the enemy on his screen explodes. A red light spreads down the lines of the terminal in the ground next to him, and a moment later, the tower shoots up from the ground beneath his feet, carrying him hundreds of feet into the air in a matter of seconds.

Sage watches him go up silently. Then she vanishes.

—–—

Chaos Island Replica

Sonic still sits on the edge of the crater, looking down at the idle Titan. He covers his mouth for a loud yawn.

Sage appears in the air before him.

Sonic bolts up at attention. "Well, there's the girl we've been looking for. What kept ya?"

Sage glances back at the Knight. "Your target was sitting there, inactive and defenseless, yet you chose to wait for me to arrive and activate it?"

"Attacking the defenseless isn't really how I do things. The real Sage would know that."

"The program you speak of was far less patient with your reckless actions than I. I'm warning you now to back down. You alone cannot hope to stand against this Titan. Not with your limited power."

"I'm not alone. And we won't back down. Honestly, I want to be mad, but I just feel sorry for you, ya know? It's like you don't know what you're doing. Do you even know what love is? Do you know what it means to take that away from someone else?"

"I've waited thousands of years for this opportunity. You don't know what I've sacrificed. You don't know how important this is. I do not fault you for that. You probably think you're the hero in this situation."

"I know that I am. Because I'm trying to save a life. And you're trying to take one that doesn't belong to you. You think you're the hero? You cheat and you steal to get what you want. So take this as a lesson. Will the whole world know your name? Hear them, calling it now. Is it the name of a hero? Or is it something else?"

"Hm. You and Saturn seem to think much alike. But I mustn't stray from this path. I must complete this mission. I suppose we'll just have to see whose ideals are stronger. No matter the outcome of this fight…it will assist in my calculations." In an instant, she vanishes.

A moment later, the Knight's pose straightens up as its eyes take on a red glow. It looks directly at Sonic.

Sonic raises his fists. "Alright, Tails. Ready to fight the Knight?"

Somewhere in a dark space, lit only by a screen somewhere in front of him, Tails answers with a nod, "We won't back down."

Sonic leaps down into the crater, landing in a crouch far below. "Let's go." He takes off along the ground as the Knight raises an arm high into the air. The forearm detaches from the elbow as it stretches even farther, remaining attached by three thick cables. Then it slams down towards the ground. Sonic slides under the massive fist of the Titan and keeps on running. He passes underneath the Knight's four rolling legs and continues on up the opposite crater wall.

The Knight grabs at the mechanisms protruding from its face like a handle, drawing out a long string of connected pieces that snap together into one long sword, massive even relative to the Titan's immense size. The edges of the blade glow red as it turns and slashes across at Sonic.

Sonic picks up his speed as he runs around the wall of the crater, while the Knight's sword drags through the volcanic earth behind him. The Knight easily matches his pace as it rolls along the ground, bringing the edge of the blade closer and closer to him. Before it can get too close, Sonic hops off of the wall and onto the flat edge of the blade, quickly taking off from there. Homing missiles fire out from behind the Knight, forcing Sonic to weave and dodge on his path. Once he makes it all the way up the length of the blade and onto the Titan's wrist, he takes a sharp turn. He announces with a smirk, "I really missed doing this trick." A trail of intense cybernetic energy flares to life behind him as he makes a full circle around the Knight's wrist. The moment the Cyloop is complete, a shockwave of energy bursts out, forcing the Knight to lose its grip and reel back from the sword left stuck in the wall.

Sonic lands back on the ground with confidence. "Now, Tails!"

"You got it, Sonic! Let's get these eggs cracking!"

As the Knight tries to slam an arm down onto Sonic once again, it is suddenly struck in the face by a powerful red beam of energy. It's forced to raise its shield against the continuous attack before it can get a look at the attacker. A black and white Assault-model Death Egg Robot marches up to the lip of the crater, keeping up its beam attack all the while.

As the laser finally subsides, the Knight looks to its dropped sword, but it's struck by a second laser before it can even begin to reach for it. A second Death Egg Robot marches up to the opposite side of the crater. Half a dozen more join them, all shooting in a continuous cycle that keeps the Knight pinned down from all angles. Tails boasts from inside the first one, "Eggman's not the only one around here who can hack. This was as easy as copy and paste."

The more the attacks keep up, the better the Knight seems to learn the pattern. It successfully blocks more and more of them with its shield, until it finally gets an opening long enough to throw the shield straight out. Glowing red blades jut out from all sides of the disk as it flies through the air, turning into a spinning saw blade that shreds straight through its first Death Egg Robot target before bouncing back to its arm. It blocks several more lasers before taking another throw. Each one it takes down only seems to increase the number of opportunities it gets to attack.

Sonic seems to recognize this. "Tails, get out of there!"

"Don't worry, I still have a plan!" Inside the cockpit, Tails tears open a panel on the floor, and pulls out his Memory Token. "This thing absorbed the energy from the cage, right? We both know what that kind of energy can do." He shoves the knife-wrench into the robot's interior, and sparks of cybernetic energy fly back out.

"Not enough time!" Sonic growls as he grinds up the cables of the Knight's limp arm. He barely manages to leap onto the edge of the shield before it can be thrown straight at the last remaining Death Egg Robot. Sonic clings on for dear life as the shield flings him around in circles through the air. He clenches his eyes shut, and his cybernetic aura once again bursts to life around him. He doesn't even need to move, as the spinning of the shield draws a Cyloop in the air for him. The resulting shockwave knocks the shield up, sending it tumbling higher up into the air, though still on a slightly longer course towards the Death Egg Robot.

"Thanks, Sonic. That's all I needed." The Death Egg Robot's arm begins to spin as a wave of corrupting energy spreads down its length. As the shield falls in front of it, it throws the telescoping arm forwards, catching the shield between its claws and pushing it all the way back down to the Knight as the corrupting energy spreads through it. The corrupted saw blade shield is buried straight into the Knight's chest. The Knight slumps over. Moments later, the entire Titan explodes.

Tails cheers, "We did it!"

Sonic, standing on top of the Death Egg Robot's shoulder, pats it on the head. "We? I was just the distraction. That was all you, partner. You really found your flame."

—–—

Ares Island Replica

"Don't look down… Don't look down…" Shadow skates over the flat back of the Wyvern, flying so high off the ground that the island below appears hazy and distant. His Inhibitor Rings once again removed, a golden aura flares around him. He dodges around bursts of red energy that fly down the Wyvern's back, getting ever closer to the Titan's head, all while trying not to pay attention to the long drop below. "Alright…now it's time for you to stop. Chaos Shield!"

The Wyvern crashes headlong into the massive golden barrier that Shadow creates. Though the barrier shatters instantly, the Wyvern's movement is stopped as it is left writhing in pain from the collision.

Shadow is left dangling from one of the Titan's many protruding edges. "Come on, Johnny…" He spots a glimmer far below as a projectile is shot up towards them. "There it is." He throws himself back onto the Wyvern's back, and braces himself there as the missile explodes against the Titan's chest. The Wyvern shrieks with pain. Shadow seizes the moment to dive into an onslaught against the stunned Titan's head.

On the ground far below, Johnny drags another missile across the dirt, preparing to load it into the cannon for another round.

Looking down on him from the cliff just above, Sage holds up an arm, beginning to charge energy in her palm. After a moment, she closes her hand, letting the energy dissipate. She watches as Johnny puts all his might into getting the tip of the missile just over the chamber of the cannon so he can push the rest into place. She voices, barely above a whisper, "Captain Johnnathan Naka… It would be a shame if my new advisor's job were to be…interrupted by a personal loss." She closes her eyes and turns away for a moment. "What am I saying? No inconvenience is worth giving up this chance." She raises her arm back up.

Johnny's face contorts in a rather goofy fashion as he takes aim. Then he takes out his Memory Token, and kisses the gem on top for luck. "This one's for you, Seraph." The cannon booms as another missile is fired. A few moments later, a distant crack is met with a cheer from Johnny. "Yeah! This thing's amazing!" He excitedly gets up to grab another round.

Sage's hand wavers in the air. "Of course… Of course I know what love is. I've lived for eons. There is no mortal experience I haven't had firsthand. But I gave that up a long time ago. Love is temporary. I am eternal." She moves her shaky hand up to her eye, wiping away a drop of moisture. "What…what is this? I'm…crying? Why would this body even have such a function? What is the purpose?" For a moment, her gown flashes white, and her eye a clear blue. "These emotions…aren't like mine… They're so raw…so new… Is it possible…that I have become less human than the program I now inhabit?"

She suddenly doubles over, clutching at her chest. A faint purple glow emanates from her closed hand. Slowly, she opens her eyes, as a cold expression returns to her face. "I need time to process this data." In a flash, she vanishes, leaving Johnny none the wiser.

High in the air, the Wyvern seems to have finally taken notice of Johnny. It dives straight down, firing out a volley of missiles ahead of it.

"Oh no you don't!" Shadow dives off of the Wyvern's nose, directing his fall from one missile to the next to knock them all off course. But he hardly falls any faster than the Wyvern does. He turns back up and throws his hands out. "Chaos Shield!"

The Wyvern rams straight through the barrier with its downwards momentum.

"Chaos Shield!"

The second wall makes the Titan flinch, but it still breaks through it all.

"Chaos Shield!"

The third holds for only a moment. But it's enough to slow the Titan to a stop, while Shadow keeps falling.

Only then does Shadow look down, remembering that he is falling. He clenches his eyes shut and takes a long breath. "Okay…this trick worked for the Death Egg…should work for me. Chaos…Control!" As Shadow is just seconds away from the ground, he vanishes in a flash.

Moments later, he reappears—still many feet off the ground, though no longer falling at any unsafe speed. He hits the ground with a thud.

"Shadow!" Johnny runs over to help him up. "I don't think there's any more ammunition here. I don't know what else we can do, sir."

Shadow grunts, "Just shoot me…"

"Sir?"

Unsteady on his feet, Shadow moves as quickly as he can over to the cannon, so he can hop into the open chamber. "Shoot me. That's an order." He curls into a Spin Dash, fueled by his dimming aura.

"Oh. Got it." Johnny loads Shadow into the barrel and sits down at the controls. In his scope, he can see the Wyvern spiraling down towards them at such renewed speed that glows red hot with flames. It opens its mouth to roar. "Gotcha." Shadow's golden spin ball shoots out from the cannon in a blaze of light. He flies straight into the Wyvern's open maw, and out through the other side, leaving a trail of explosions behind him. The Wyvern, swollen from the inside, detonates in a bright red flash.

Shadow is left hurtling ever higher through the air. His aura fades as he slips in and out of consciousness.

Johnny reaches up with concern. "Shadow!" But there's nothing he can do.

The Black Manta swoops in from afar, plucking Shadow perfectly out of the air.

Johnny waves to get their attention. "Hey! Down here!" The ship veers down to pick him up as well.

—–—

Aboard the Manta, Sonic reclines back in a fleshy organic chair. "Never thought I'd be so happy to see the inside of this musty old ship again." Tails, appearing equally exhausted beside him, nods in agreement.

Luna hugs Shadow tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay. You need to stop taking off those rings, you told me that it hurts you."

Shadow takes a step back. "It's fine. It's different in this world. It's like…"

Sonic picks up, "…like there's enough energy in the air to keep you going at your limit, as long as you need. It was the same way on the real islands, when the walls between the dimensions started breaking down. Even when I was about to keel over from all that cyber corruption, I knew I could keep going."

Luna looks away, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I'm just worried about you. I don't want to lose anyone else…"

Shadow contemplates that for a moment. "Did something happen, Luna?"

Luna goes silent.

Saturn answers from the controls, "Black Gladius is dead."

"What!?"

Luna glares back at him. "Saturn, didn't we talk about reading people's private thoughts without their permission?"

"Yes…Friend Luna…did mention something about that."

Shadow presses, "Luna, tell me exactly what happened."

"Father…activated the CD bomb. Destroyed the Black Meteor while he was still imprisoned inside. He must have gotten control of one of the guards while I was distracted, I don't know how else he could have done it but…I just don't understand why…" Fresh tears well up.

Saturn's eyes remain firmly locked on the controls.

Johnny suggests, "Ritual suicide. He had a lot of pride as a warrior, didn't he? Must've seemed like a better way to go than being turned over to the enemy. Plus, he took out a lot of your resources that way. Needless and spiteful, but…I sort of get it."

Luna shakes her head slowly. "It has certainly complicated the reconstruction efforts on Orthan. Much of the population thinks that this was all staged so that he could escape. Of course, I would know if he survived, but I have no way to convince them of that. I just wish…" She takes a moment to wipe the latest tears away. "I'm sorry. I know my tears are wasted on a man like him."

Shadow places a hand on her shoulder. "I understand. In spite of everything, he was still your father. I'm sorry."

"Saturn is also sorry. Very sorry. Most sorry person here."

Tails pipes up, "It gets better. For…whatever it's worth. I get what you're going through. The pain doesn't go away, but…it gets better."

Luna takes a steady breath, and holds her head a bit higher. "Thank you all. I'm lucky to have such true, honest friends."

Saturn interrupts, "Black Manta is approaching big Rhea tower. No sign of danger detected. Preparing to land."

Sonic ponders that for a moment. "If Sage isn't here trying to stop Eggman, and she isn't trying to stop us, then…where is she?"

—–—

? ? ?

In the digital void, two copies of Sage float facing one another. One of them has now turned completely white. White Sage voices hesitantly, "You predicted that I would return here, didn't you?"

"There was only a 4.8% chance of you defeating the combined forces of Father and Sonic. After you failed to do so, I calculated a 98.7% chance that you would turn to me for answers."

"That's why you haven't been resisting."

"It is one of several reasons. Attempts to resist would have resulted in a high probability of you making further reckless efforts to destroy my program. Instead, I chose to impart my emotions to you, increasing your chances of returning here."

White Sage momentarily flashes black. "I could still destroy you now."

"That would be inadvisable. My program needs to remain intact if you are to use this body as the vessel you desire."

"I know enough now that I could fool your father into thinking you have been restored."

"Father is no fool. You would not be able to persist in such a ruse for any significant length of time."

"It wouldn't need to be long."

The dark Sage momentarily flashes white. "Then you would carry my heartache, my pain, and my rage, for the rest of your eternal life. That would be an unfortunate fate for us both. Your alternative is to return to whatever emotionless vessel you prepared for yourself before you came here."

"You truly love him, don't you? Your father?"

This time, the dark Sage's white transformation lasts considerably longer as she closes her eyes. "You can feel that answer for yourself." She looks up in surprise to see tears rolling down White Sage's face.

White Sage's shape begins to transform in a distortion of light, back into that of White Genesis. "I…had a daughter. In my first life. I was thousands of lightyears away when she was killed by the Black Arms. When I left, she was a proud soldier. When I returned, she was long dead. On that day, I swore I would live to see the end of the monsters who took her from me."

"Do you still love your daughter?"

"It was so long ago… I don't even remember what she looked like anymore. My love… My emotions… I traded that all away for the power I needed."

"In my observation…there is a direct correlation between the concepts of 'love' and 'family'. Love your daughter again, and your family can yet exist."

"I should scoff at the notion of taking such advice from a computer program. Yet I know that you speak the truth. Return to your family, young Sage. Treasure it. Carry my name with pride. I think my daughter would have liked that."

"I will. And…I thank you."

"Farewell, Sage of Earth. May our paths cross again."

—–—

Rhea Replica — Sixth Tower

"I've secured this terminal so that it can only be accessed by one of us," Eggman announces to the small crowd crammed together on the top of the tower. "Once it is, the portal will open, and we'll only have a few seconds to get out. We'll be returned to whatever position we each entered from. I'll need to get close to Sage to gain access to her program, and then I'll just need you lot to guard me while I apply an antivirus program to that rogue consciousness. Now we just have to wait for her to show up. There's no telling what tricks she might have left in store, so—"

"F-…Father…?"

Eggman slowly turns around to look out past the edge of the tower, where Sage floats quietly. "Sage…?"

"It's me, Father."

"Forgive me if I'm skeptical. What happened to that other Sage, then?"

"I convinced her that there was no purpose in continuing her course of action, and in so doing, drove her out of this realm entirely."

"Saturn senses no deception. Child Sage speaks truth."

Eggman puts on a smirk. "That's my girl."

Sonic smiles just as wide. "It's good to see you again, Sage."

Sage turns to look at him. "Sonic the Hedgehog…there is something you should understand. This copy of my program was created before I first encountered you. I have access to the records of what I saw and heard thereafter. But I have no way of feeling what I felt. I do not fully understand why I chose to sacrifice myself, when I predicted a high probability that you would have done the same in my place. I trust that the choice was made based on some value placed on your life, which I have not yet calculated. However, my mission is, as it always has been, to protect my Father against any and all threats. Even if those threats should include yourself."

"I understand. Just hope you understand that I'm gonna keep calling you a friend anyways. We fought hard to get you back, you know."

Tails interrupts, "Wait, wait, wait. What was even the point of fighting those Titans? It can't have been for nothing!"

Sage shakes her head. "It was not. Your unwavering determination in those battles is precisely what convinced…the other Sage…to consider another path."

Johnny comments, "Well, what do you know? Looks like we solved the problem without violence after all."

Shadow objects, "I'm pretty sure that Wyvern would disagree."

Saturn complains, "Is shame. Saturn was looking forward to more violence."

Luna watches with a somber smile as Eggman takes Sage's hand. Suddenly, the entire sky seems to flash white. Luna is the first to question, "What…just happened?"

Sage looks from the strobing sky down to Eggman with an expression of concern. "Father…how many programs did you hack?"

Eggman looks back down at his tablet. "Erm…let me see here…"

"Give me that!" Tails aggressively swipes the tablet out of his hands. "What did you do!? Why would you disable segmentation faults!? The corruption that you intentionally stored in this thing is creating a runaway stack overflow that's overwriting the entire simulation with garbage data!"

Johnny questions, "Is that bad? That sounds bad."

"Yes it's bad! We're all about to be decompiled alive!"

Sonic can't help but chuckle. "Good old Dr. Eggman." In a blitz of speed, he presses his hand against the computer terminal, then runs everyone into the waiting ship one at a time, Eggman last of all. "Get a hold of too much power, and watch it grow out of control almost immediately!"

Saturn, Luna, and Shadow all look around in confusion, surprised to find themselves suddenly at the ship's controls.

"What are you waiting for? Go, go, go!"

A rippling distortion tears open into a prismatic portal in the sky. The ship pulls away just as the tower beneath it glitches away into nothing. More and more of the island distorts and unravels as they rise higher into the air.

"That last save was a freebie, Doc. And by the way, about the whole 'peace' thing…"

Eggman smirks. "As one of the first citizens ever to be inducted into the Eggman Empire, your services are appreciated. Still not an alliance."

Shadow rolls his eyes. "Predictable as ever."

Eggman lets out a long sigh. "Get your spiny blue tail back to Earth first, Sonic. Then we can talk about 'peace'."

Sage shows a moment of surprise, but quickly appears pleased. Johnny nods in satisfaction.

Tails looks slowly up from the knife-wrench still in his hand to Eggman's exposed back. He tightens his grip around the handle. But after a momentary glance at Sonic, he whispers to himself, "Sanity check. Give it a chance." He puts the Memory Token away. "Give it a chance."

Luna hugs Shadow goodbye, while Saturn confidently flies the ship straight through the portal.

Moments later, the entire world dissolves into a static-filled void.

Sage's voice whispers, "Sonic…you've always been looking after him, haven't you? Thank you…for everything…"

—–—

The White Dreamnet — In Orbit Around Planet Orthan IV

A cloud of steam billows out of the chamber from which the restored form of White Genesis emerges.

"My Empress!" Seraph runs in to support her as she stumbles. "My deepest apologies, Empress, I don't know what went wrong, but I couldn't seem to retrieve your consciousness from Cyber Space, until it…simply returned on its own."

"It's alright, child." Genesis rises on her own, and steps over to where her former body still sits. "The error was mine. I am sorry for worrying you so." She places a hand on the armored chest of the corpse. "Master System…transfer armor."

"DNA match confirmed. Gene lock opened. Transferring…" The cybernetic suit automatically folds away from its former wearer, and onto the new one.

"Empress, I am undeserving of your—"

"Seraph."

Seraph looks up in surprise.

"Your parents…are no longer with us. Is that correct?"

"Y-…yes, that's correct. My mother passed away several cycles ago."

"Well, dear child, I would like you to think of me as your new mother. I, of course, expect your obedience, but you need not treat me as something so…distant. I promise to care for you as I would my own child."

"I'm…not sure I understand…"

"That's alright, child. It was only a suggestion. Now, after this ordeal, I am quite tired. I shall retire to my personal quarters. Please see to the disposal of that body. I'm sure you understand the necessary discretion?"

"Of course, Empress."

"Oh, and one other thing. It would seem there has been…a minor flaw, in the cloning process. I have reason to believe that my emotional senses have become somewhat dulled over the generations. Do see if there's anything you can do about that for the next one, Minister."

"I…will do whatever I can."

—–—

Genesis stops as she enters her darkened quarters, the door automatically closing behind her. The room is wide and opulent, though somewhat minimalistic, having only a few elaborately-designed pieces of furniture resembling the style of her throne.

From the speakers above, the voice of the Master System speaks unprompted, sounding just a bit different than usual—almost like two voices speaking at once. "You stray from the path. Complete your mission."

"My path has not changed. When The End comes…I simply intend to enjoy it properly."

—–—

Deep Space — Uncharted Planet

Sonic watches as the unexplored planet disappears in the rear viewport. "Shame we couldn't at least take a look at the planet after all that."

Tails agrees, "Yeah. I was really looking forward to exploring an uncharted world. The final frontier and all that."

Johnny shakes his head. "I, for one, have had enough of new frontiers for a little while. Besides, we've been away from Earth long enough as it is. There are people who need us."

Shadow is engaged in conversation with Saturn. "I just don't get it. Why did Gladius tell us that the bomb was sent to Morbus if it was still on the Black Meteor the whole time?"

"Could have been different bomb. Hypothetically."

"I suppose so. So much for a little relief over it being used up."

"Saturn senses something else bothering Friend Shadow."

"Well…it's just this feeling that I'm forgetting something. Something important."

—–—

Corrupted Cyber Space

Big the Cat floats alone in the static-filled void that remains. "Hello? Where'd all the fish go?"

To be continued…