Thunder, rain, and lightning. The sound of danger was nothing new in the world of Mobius. It was also filled with sorts of mysteries that aren't short of extraordinary. However, what can be classified as such can also be threatening depending on the circumstance.
For the two anthropologic hedgehogs that were scurrying through a large forest in the rain, this was no exception. The events surrounding the situation seemed blurry, with the memory being nothing else but hazy, filled with the screeching winds, the smell of burning oak, and the feeling of adrenaline pumping through them both.
While both animals were male, the smaller boy with darker blue fur happened to be recalling the event as he looked ahead, then up to a face that was shrouded by darkness with only shimmering blue eyes being seen thanks to the pale moonlight.
Unfortunately, the older hedgehog stopped to see a troop of ethereal monsters made up of magenta and black blocked the path ahead. The child was then given a small gold ring by the adult as they both cut to a shortcut that allowed the pair to travel towards a cliff. All seemed well enough for the older man to pull out his ring... Only for the lead ethereal "knight" to knock him and the child back. The armor-clad knight took off his helmet, revealing himself to be an elderly troll with sinister eyes of blood with emerald-colored irises. The knight took his broadsword and raised it high as a violet aura surrounded the blade.
"It all ends here! Farewell!"
A loud child scream rang out before a loud squelching or stabbing noise drowned the scream out as quickly as it came.
Green Hill, South Island, Mobius
"NOOOO!"
An older but still young hedgehog with red and white shoes jolted up from his nightmare with sweat pouring from his face. He panted, feeling himself quaking from the stress that the dream caused him.
"Calm down, Sonic," The azure-colored Mobian said to himself while holding his head, "It's just a dream... Just a dream. It ain't real. Just chill out... And, I'm cool."
After calming himself down, the green-eyed azure hedgehog that referred to himself as Sonic began to stand up as he realized something was on the ground. A small dull gray ring the size of an engagement band that was tied by a chain laid on the grassy terrain next to the large tree Sonic was sleeping against. Without hesitation, Sonic took this item that was his and looked at it for a moment.
'Shoot! Almost lost this for a sec, and we can't have that. It's my lucky charm after all.' Sonic said while smiling.
He put the ring necklace around his neck and stared at the beautiful scenery that was South Island. The lush forests, vibrant landscapes, tall mountains, the marvelous rivers, and the friendly woodland animals called Mobinies that wandered about and greeted him from time to time. No matter how much time passes and how many places his adventures took him, South Island will always be one of the most gorgeous places he would often look forward to going to.
To Sonic, it was the closest thing to what he considers home.
Talking to himself, Sonic says, "I better get going and check on Tails. Maybe he and I could hang out today. It could help me shake this off easier."
Like that, Sonic sped in the blink of an eye, leaving a blue streak behind.
Tails' Lab, Sonic's House, South Island
Now calling Sonic's place he called home a "house" isn't accurate per se given that where the fast-moving hedgehog lives in a small wooden hut that was surrounded by trashed transportation vessels that his late caretakers had converted into a command center. His best friend had since used the abandoned space as a makeshift laboratory and workshop for his machines and inventions.
Speaking of which, a twelve-year-old red fox with the unique hue of yellow fur was working on a machine that seemed to be a large capsule or containment unit of some kind. He had a toolbox next to him while he stood on a stool, tightening a nut.
"Alrighty, this should do it!" Said the fox Mobian. "If I'm right about my calculations, this baby should be done by the end of the week."
The blue-eyed kid hopped out of his project, wiping the sweat off his forehead. As he went over to the table to put away his tools for the day, Sonic dashed inside of the hangar area the workshop to greet him.
"I'm home!"
A bright smile appeared on the fox's face, now known as Tails.
"Hey, Sonic!" The fox cub greeted, meeting his best friend and older brother figure with a high five. "How was your run today?"
Sonic shrugged, saying, "You know, same ol'. Same ol'. I just made a few round trips across South Island. Gotta make sure none of Eggman's old Badniks were lyin' around to stir up trouble. Other than that, I didn't really do much runnin' today. I actually snoozed over at my favorite spot."
The genius' eyebrow raised from Sonic's explanation.
"That's it? Well, that's a first. I never thought I'd hear that coming from you. I can already imagine the headlines. BREAKING NEWS, the Fastest Thing Alive quits running for one day!" Tails teased with a coy smirk as he folded his hands against his chest.
Hearing his friend starting to giggle, Sonic retorts, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. It won't be long before I get you back. Anyways, whatcha workin' on this time?"
"Oh!" Tails exclaimed before showing Sonic his new invention. "This is my latest invention! You know how I have different labs across two or so countries?"
Sonic nods positively.
"Well...I haven't used them in quite some time considering that you're practically a nomad and how frequent Dr. Eggman attacks. That...and it gets a little annoying that I don't have access to all of my spare parts and tools. So, I've decided to create a transporter to remedy that problem!" Tails explained in an enthusiastic tone.
Sonic cracked a grin, saying "Great thinkin', pal. Having those up and runnin' would work wonders for traveling time. Not to mention that it could save a lot of fuel for the Tornado."
"That's the idea, Sonic," Tails said with confidence and pride.
"And what about the other locations? Wouldn't they need the transporter to appear on the other side too?"
"Way ahead of you. I've reverse-engineered one of Eggman's older Egg Pawns and reprogrammed it as a Builder Bot. Then I've sent that little guy over to Emerald Town over at the United Federation. Its progress on the prototype is about the same as mine. When we finished by the end of the week, it should be ready for testing." Tails said.
"Sweet!" Sonic whistled, impressed with the fox's work. "How about we get some burgers and head back to the house?"
"Sure thing! I was planning on taking a break anyway."
With that, Sonic and Tails walked inside of their home while closing the door behind them.
Eggman's Base, Great Forest Mountain Range, Acornia
With an IQ of three hundred and all the time and resources extortion and thievery can supply a person, what can a person do with their free time?
For one Dr. J. Ivo Robotnik, or Dr. Eggman as Sonic called him, it was simple. Build his own hidden base.
Mechanical vines ran through the cold hard metallic floor as if the location was mimicking a jungle. In the back of the central control room, there were pods or containment units that carried past machines that had failed time and time again to achieve their main directive.
In the front were three large computer monitors with two smaller screens hanging on the ends of each side. A hologram of a computer keyboard appeared, being typed on by a large man.
He wore both tinted glasses and green-lensed goggles on his head. Below the pink-colored nose of the burly-bodied man was his red-hued unkempt mustache.
The man had an elegant, red coat sporting two square metal buttons on both sides of the chest in gold. These buttons had white straps that ran across the coat's sides to identical buttons on the back. The coat also had silver, zipper-like linings down the back, arms, and front, yellow cuffs, and two extensions on the front that had large silver buttons. To add to that, he also wore white, cuffless gloves on his hands and a pair of black pants with matching boots seemingly attached to them bearing circular plates on both sides of the ankles and three square ones riding up the shin.
Robotnik sat on his chair, staring at the main three screens of his supercomputer, seemingly just entering the dim-lit room as he voiced a command.
"SNIVELY, give me a status report on the surveillance drones." Dr. Robotnik ordered.
"Which units would you like a report on, sir?" The A.I. asked on the supercomputer.
"Run units #220 to #230."
A holographic page showed small robots with a similar appearance to G.U.N.'s Beetle series with a color scheme of red and orange that also possessed Robotnik's logo on the top of the machines.
"Stealth machine units two twenty to two-thirty are fully functioning at one hundred percent capacity, sir," SNIVELY answered.
"...Excellent. I want a clear visual on our targets."
The center screen turned on, showing a tranquil kingdom with a large castle resting on a large hill. The left screen viewed the residence covertly monitoring the citizens that lived within the halls of the kingdom. And on the right side kept its attention towards the building that holds the kingdom's military.
The mad scientist ran his index finger and thumb on the right side of his mustache, pondering his next move.
"Hm... These Mobian creatures are far more formidable than I initially thought at first glance..." Said Dr. Robotnik.
"Likewise, sir. The Kingdom of Acornia's so-called "Freedom Fighters'' militia were competent enough to effectively dismantle an entire platoon of units from the E-Series including E series model number 1000, model number 2000, and model number 2000-R." The SNIVELY AI stated.
Dr. Robotnik coldly responded, "...I am well aware! It is unnecessary to state the obvious. Regardless, rumors regarding these creatures' advanced technology have all but piqued my interest as of late. And if the House of Acorn and those pretentious blowhards over at GUN are talking about possible alliances and collaboration with them, then I must see it for myself. Even if I have to rip it off from their cold dead paws."
"Understood, sir."
'Curse those blasted Freedom Fighters!' Dr. Robotnik mentally swore, slamming his right fist on his armrest.'If they are this competent in easily defeating some of my high-end Badniks with the element of surprise then there's no doubt that they indeed possess technology that the United Federation's war dogs were blabbing about. I swear, these pests are nearly as annoying as that meddling rodent, Sonic, and his merry band of misfits! How should this matter be approached?'
Dr. Robotnik kept running through possibilities when SNIVELY suggested, "Sir, I may have a suggestion if you are interested."
While pushing his glasses, Dr. Robotnik said, "...I'm listening."
"Perhaps this could be an opportunity to test E-Series model number 3000. Given its size, a massive amount of strength, and incredible durability, it could very well be the design that you need to overcome the militia and secure your desired items." SNIVELY explained while pulling up the data of the machine.
The robot appeared to be at least fifteen feet tall, making two-man space fighters look like model planes in its grasp. Its color scheme was a sage green with olive green accents on its shoulder spikes and "feet." Its head was shaped like a flattened kabuto with two long, thin fins on either side, a central fin that could glow blue or red and a single red eye, spikes on its shoulders and feet, and the lower section was armored in such a way as to resemble a kusazuri and a haidate. Its chest compartment was wide enough to house three people and came with retractable windows in its abdominal area.
A sinister grin formed on Dr. Robotnik's face.
"Ah... I see where you're going with this, SNIVELY. Crush the enemy through power and force. Normally, it's a risky move that I wouldn't take. ...But I can get by that considering the number of persistent adversaries I'm dealing with. Very well, prepare E-Series model number 3000."
"Of course, sir."
As the A.I. began to work on his task, Dr. Robotnik began to cackle, as he eyed the castle in which he set his sights.
"Hehehehe! You can try as you like to resist, Freedom Fighters, but I will get what I want. It's only a matter of time before you fall, and I take those precious Artificial Warp and Power Rings from you! And once I harness their power, I'll come back to finish what I've started and the Robotnik Empire from the remains of the rubble! Hehehehehe! OHOHOHOHOHO!"
A maddening laugh echoed throughout the base, marking the Doctor's next target being New Mobotropolis and the Kingdom of Acorn.
Living Room, Sonic's House, South Island
After forty minutes of cooking, Sonic walked over to the couch with two plates of hamburgers. Though, for Tails, it was a double cheeseburger with no pickles and extra ketchup, and a side of French fries.
To avoid a mess, Sonic used trays and sat on his lap while Tails had his prepared.
The two friends enjoyed their meals and then turned on the television that played random shows and commercials. Upon getting bored of said television shows, Tails turned down the volume and struck a conversation.
"Hey, Sonic?"
Sonic turned to Tails, having finished his hamburger.
"What's up, bud?" He asked, paying attention to his best friend.
"How do you think the others are doing? You know, Knuckles, Amy, and the others."
Scratching his right temple with his right hand, Sonic answered, "Hm... The last time I checked, Knuckles went back to Angel Island to guard the Master Emerald after the fiasco from a few months back. Amy was spendin' time with her family over at Little Planet for the last three weeks so she should be coming back soon. Not sure about the Chaotix, though. Since he's gotten over the Black Arms and Maria stuff at the ARK, Shadow's actually working for GUN as an agent along with Rouge and Omega."
"Wow, really?" Gasped the young fox cub. "If I was him, I'd be a bit more hesitant about that idea considering what GUN did to Maria. ...I guess Shadow wasn't kidding when he said that he put the past behind him."
"Hey, that's Shadow for ya," Sonic shrugged. "At least he ain't edgy no more. That whole "Ultimate Lifeform" ego trippin' nonsense was gettin' on my nerves. He's actually more civil to be around, even if he ain't always a team player."
"Right." Tails nodded.
Being observant, the kitsune's eyes had wandered south of Sonic's face and on to what was around his neck. Ever since he's met Sonic at the age of four years old, Sonic had always worn the necklace on every adventure has been on with him. But Tails never got what was special about it given that the ring seemed to have lost its golden shine.
"Hey, I've been meaning to ask for a while but what's with that necklace?"
Sonic then grabbed the ring and held it, saying, "What, this ol' thing? It's my lucky charm. What about it?"
"Well, it's just that I've always seen you wearing that on almost every adventure that we've been through. It never crossed my mind before, but you've been holding on to it for so long that I couldn't help but notice." Tails explained. "Could you tell me more about it?"
Sonic's face formed a small sad smile as he sighed, "Well, buddy, there ain't much that I can say about it. I've had this little thing for about as long as I can remember. The exact details are fuzzy, but I remember being told to hold on to it for emergencies. I thought it brought me good luck. Back when Old Man and Lady Owl were still around, I was told something similar by them; that a good fortune will come to me in time. So, they turned it into a necklace so that I can always keep it close to me. And ever since then, I never took this ring off."
Tails began to feel bad, remembering how sad Sonic was at the mentioning of Old Man Owl and his wife. He recalled when they just came back from saving the United Federation (and the rest of the world) from the Space Colony ARK nearly crashing on Mobius when Sonic broke down upon reading their farewell letters and will. From there onwards, the place that the elderly couple once lived in became Sonic's new home.
"...Sonic. You miss them, don't you?"
"All the time, Tails. All the time." The blue hedgehog whispered.
Getting up from his seat, Tails took the trays with their dishes as he said, "Here, let me put these trays away as I put the dishes in the dishwasher."
"Sure thing."
As Tails made his way to the kitchen, Sonic got up from his spot on the couch and walked over to his desk over in the corner of the room. Stopping there, his head darted up to see the "Memorabilia Board", as Tails called it, having pinned photos of their past adventures. The photos ranged from Sonic's earlier days as a child with the elderly Owl couple, the time Sonic got his famous red and white Power Sneakers, when he got the Tornado, to his first meeting with Tails, which was followed by a picture with him Tails, and Knuckles. These pictures all led up to a picture with him on his thirteenth birthday with the rest of his friends right before the Black Arms incident happened. Sonic smiled at the last picture before a frown settled on his face.
"I'm glad I've got good people who I can call friends in my life. But why does it feel like something's...missin'?" Asked the Blue Blur,
He then picked up a picture frame with an eight-year-old Sonic and the late Owl elderly couple standing on the coast of their home.
'You two were some of the greatest people on Mobius, two in a million. Taught me good values and how to be a decent person. Ya'll were like the grandparents that I never had. And while I'll always value what you've done for me ...That never stopped me from wonderin', though. Wonderin' what my own folks were like.' Sonic sighed mentally.
Placing the picture down on the desk, Sonic spots a mail envelope with his name neatly written on it, addressing that it was for his eyes. Looking around, the hedgehog called out to his friend.
"Tails! Did somethin' for me come to the mailbox lately?"
"Uh, yeah! You got mail today. I placed it on your desk while you were out this morning!" The genius said from the kitchen.
"Okay, thanks!" Sonic said before looking at it. While having the envelope in his hand, he walked back to the couch and sat down right when Tails entered the living room again.
"I see you got the mail. Now spill already! Where's it from?" Tails spoke, sitting at his spot on the couch.
Upon further inspection, Sonic answered, "Huh, there's a fancy lookin' seal here. The address says...000 Archie, Royal Hills, New Mobotropolis, Acornia."
Taking out his handheld and crunching the address's coordinates, Tails screamed, "SONIC! T-That's the address of the House of Acorn! The king of Acornia issued that letter!"
"...The house of who, now?" Sonic blinked, not understanding the situation.
Tails let out an exasperated sigh.
Facepalming, Tails explained, "The House of Acorn, dude! The king of Acornia is a big deal, no, major! Back in the day, Overlanders and Mobians did not get along, kind of like our feud with Eggman but on a larger scale. In fact, there was a Great War between them on the other side of the planet that lasted for ten years. It took King Maximilian of the House of Acorn finally put an end to the war with the Mobian Alliance winning. But due to circumstances unknown, he disappeared for over a decade while the old city of Mobotropolis was destroyed. Fortunately, he returned and took back his throne. I even heard that the United Federation and the Mobian Alliance were discussing a possible alliance."
Sonic whistled, then said, "This King Max sure sounds hardcore!"
'Maximillian...Acorn...A-corn. Acorn...that name sounds familiar.' The hedgehog thought subconsciously.
"What are you waiting for? Go on and open it up!" Tails urged in excitement.
With that, Sonic opened up the envelope.
To Sonic the Hedgehog and associates,
The House of Acorn and the citizens of Acornia are aware of your endeavors and have been monitoring you and your associates over the last several years. Prime examples of your contributions to the world were you and your two-tailed ally saving Station Square, your involvement in stopping the Space Colony ARK from crashing into the United Federation, our potential allies have informed us that the hedgehog who destroyed the aliens who invaded the planet two years ago was an associate of yours that you convinced to save the planet in the past, and my personal favorite feat, your efforts in defeating the monster known as Nazo three months ago.
Taking this and several other factors into consideration, I, King Maximilian Acorn, am royally summoning you, Sonic the Hedgehog, to come to Castle Acorn, located in Royal Hills, New Mobotropolis. Your allies are also welcome to accompany you, but your presence is needed as soon as possible.
Upon your arrival, you will have a royal escort to guide you when you have entered the city. We will discuss important matters in much more detail once you (and your company) arrive.
With sincere regards,
Maximilian Acorn, twelfth King of Acornia.
After Sonic finished reading out loud, Tails' eyes shimmered with excitement and awe.
"Oh my gosh, Sonic! The king just invited us to go to his castle! How cool is that!?"
Sonic lightly chuckled with the slightest bit of nervousness laced in it.
"Oh, man... If it's a royal summon, I don't think we've got a choice in the matter even if I have second thoughts." He said.
Tails noticed Sonic's attitude and looked up at him.
"Sonic, are you okay? You've been acting off."
Realizing that his younger friend was on to him, Sonic quickly pulled himself together and smirked, "Who, me? Pffft! No way!"
Sonic might have been able to fool most people with his signature upbeat attitude and coy smile, but even Tails could tell when Sonic wasn't like himself. His eyes were half lid, signaling to the hedgehog that he wasn't buying his fake bravado.
"...Uh-huh. A likely story." Tails said, tapping his right foot like Sonic used to do back when they met. "Come on, Sonic. I can tell when you're having an off day. Talk to me."
"...It's nothin', Tails. Trust me. It's just one of those days for me. I'll be alright before you know it!" Sonic explained, trying to ease Tails' worries. "Besides, it's like ya said. A powerful and famous king has summoned me of all people. That would make any ordinary person sweat."
Tails nodded in acceptance, understanding his reasons despite the fact that he still didn't believe Sonic.
"I guess I can't really fault you for that logic." Tails said, tapping the tip of his nose with his left index finger. "Who do you think we should bring with us, Sonic? I bet the others would be psyched to meet the king of Acornia."
Placing the paper on the table in front of the couch, Sonic said, "Hm... Let's just make this our little adventure, bud. The others are busy with their own things goin' on."
Tails tilted his head before giving Sonic a teasing glance, "You're not saying that just so you can have an excuse to get away from Amy, are you?"
"I ain't got a single clue what you goin' on about, Tails," Said Sonic while he smirked.
"Sure, sure." Tails said, obviously not buying into to his friend's nonsense.
The two friends chuckled before Tails suggested, "All jokes aside if we're just going there ourselves we should at least leave the others messages just in case. I'll send Amy and Rouge's e-mails. That way, Shadow would know and Rouge can tell Knuckles in case we need them on the double."
Sonic nods before looking at the dates on which the king expected him to arrive. Looking at today's date.
"Looks like we've got plenty of time to arrive. Well, I ain't doin' nothing today. How about we dust off the ol' Tornado and fly over to Acornia? Wouldn't want to keep his royal highness waitin', now do we?"
Tails got up from the couch as he explained, "The Tornado right now is in the middle of remodeling. In the meantime, I do have an alternative that we can use."
Sonic too stood up from his seat as he scratched his head, repeating, "Alternative?"
Tails formed a similar smirk to Sonic's usual boastful smile, anticipating what he had in store for his friend.
Freedom Fighters Headquarters, New Mobotropolis, Acornia
The leader of the Freedom Fighters was currently in the command center of the headquarters all on her lonesome.
She was a Mobian chipmunk with brown and tan-colored fur with auburn-colored hair that almost reached down her neck, a short tail, and baby blue eyes. Her attire consisted of a light-blue vest over a white shirt, black gloves with white fingers, light blue energy rings, long black skin-tight pants matching blue boots with a computer that is on her right boot.
This was Princess Sarah Alicia Acorn, or "Sally" as she preferred.
"NICOLE, access Sir Charles' research file Project Sonny Boy." Said Sally.
A feminine voice from the large computer monitor responded by saying, "A password is required to access the file."
"Try O-L-I-V-E-R." Sally suggested.
"Password accepted. Accessing the file, now."
On the main computer, the princess of Acornia was going through articles that dated specific recent events over on the other side of the planet and stored them as titled files.
These included events such as "The Flood of Station Square, The Falling ARK Incident, The Alien Invasion of 3324, and the recent Battle of Nazo."
Throughout her research, she was also looking through news articles and other forms of feeds and media that centered around a familiar blue streaking sensation, which was the focus of her current work.
A longing smile graced the princess' face as she sighed, saying, "It's like I'm in a dream... It's been only a few months yet I still can't believe it,"
"You still peerin' at them files, hawh Sally-girl?" A feminine voice said with a Southern flair.
Turning her head to find the source of the voice, Sally was greeted by a Mobian bunny with golden fur and long light blonde hair that was tied back into a long braid, and teal eyes.
However, unlike most rabbits, her right arm and both of her legs from her knees down to her feet were made up of smooth and sleek cybernetics. As for her attire, she wore a purple-pink leotard with a black belt that covers the parts of her torso that are not robotic, leaving the upper chest and shoulder exposed. Over that were a brown jacket and a cowboy hat.
This was Bunnie Rabbot, Sally's best friend and one of the founding members of the Freedom Fighters.
"Oh, it's just you. I didn't see you there, Bunnie." Sally sighed in relief.
"Charlie told meh to check up on you. So here Ah ahm," The Amputated Mobian Bunnie explained as she walked from the elevator to her best friend, then looked at the files that were on screen. "Now Ah thought thet King Max dun told you to take uh break frum workin'? Ah shorely didn't thank you could bay uh rule-breaker, sugar."
Sally sighed, rubbing her right arm.
"I know what Daddy told me, Bunnie. But I can't help it! He's out there, alive! I've always had a feeling that he's out there, and thanks to that battle three months ago and a bit of research from Sir Charles, it's been confirmed!" Sally raved excitedly.
Walking up to the computer, Bunnie saw the picture of Sonic, and then Sally's face.
Smiling, she said, "You know, Ma always did tell may tuh bleeve in miracles. Ah nevur thought thet ours would come frum Suger-hog livin' an helpin' us finally makin' an alliance with thuh Overlanders."
"Yeah. He's practically leading his own rebellion, as his own Freedom Fighter. I can only imagine what his presence could do for our cause. For the kingdom." Sally nodded in agreement.
"You dun left out whut hay could do fahwar you, too." Bunnie winked, causing Sally to sputter in a blushing mess.
"Bunnie?!"
The eighteen-year-old rabbit giggled, saying, "Oh, would quit actin'? Ahv been watchin' thuh way you've been lookin' evur since ya found out Ollie's alive an' he's Sonic thuh Hedgehog."
Sally shook her head, trying to deny Bunnie's response in order to save her dignity. "...I...I don't have the foggiest idea of what you mean."
Putting her left hand on her left shoulder, Bunnie said with a knowing and sassy grin, "Admit it, Sally-girl. Yore crushin' on Sugar-hog, big tahm."
"Bunnie, enough! I don't have a crush! There's no crushing involved unless we're crushing ethereal monsters or robots!" Sally finished, folding her arms in a blushing pout while her cheeks puffed out.
"...Whutever yawl say, girlfriend." Bunnie chuckled, knowing how Sally truly felt. "Though, Ah can't blame you fahwar starin' at him. Ollie's grown frum last way saw him, an boy howdy iz hay mighty fahn. Fah wasn't with Antoine an' you weren't into him..."
At that point, Sally covered her ears, shouting, "Oh my gosh, Bunnie! No! Stop!"
"...Whut? Ah'm gist sayin'." Bunnie shrugged before turning a bit serious. "Besides thet, way can't just go and greet him all willy-nilly. Hay maey not evun remember us, so if way jump up an tell him stuff, way might an spook him awf. Wheyun hay comes hare, way gotta ease him into it lahk whut Charlie an thuh king said."
Upon remembering this decree by her father, Sally averted her eyes to the ground while her hands were crossed.
"I know, I know. I-It's just that I haven't seen him in so long..." Sally finally answered in honesty.
"Sally..."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Both young women turned to each other for a split second before going to the computer upon the alarms suddenly blaring loudly. Sally went onto the console and shouted.
"NICOLE! What's going on!? Is it another attack?"
"Affirmative, Sally. Do you wish to access the security cameras?"
"Immediately."
Upon hearing that response, the A.I; from Sally's handheld accessed one of Mobotropolis' many cameras, only to find multiple Gizoids-based machines reverse-engineered by Robotnik while they were surrounding a giant robot. They were attempting to pass through the route that led to New Mobotropolis. This was due to Dr. Robotnik and his machines passing by their original base back in the days when the Freedom Fighters operated in Knothole Village.
Bunnie gasped, "Oh mah stars... Thet thang iz ginormous."
Sally nodded while still focused.
"That's putting it lightly, Bunnie. No doubt it's the work of that mad scientist again if Naugus wasn't already bad enough... Still, everything has a weakness. And we haven't come this far to be stopped by a bunch of buckets of bolts. Go and get everybody here. NICOLE and I will inform my father while we come up with a few strategies to deal with this."
"Can do, sugar!"
Like that, Bunnie exited the command center, leaving Sally to plan the team's upcoming battle.
With Sonic and Tails, Above the Great Forest, Acornia
"WOOHOO!"
Zooming through the skies was an incredibly fast x-winged aircraft being piloted by Tails with Sonic in the back seat. The vehicle sported colors of black and gold accents with white being the aircraft's primary color.
This was the Tornado Mark II's finalized design, the Hyper Tornado.
Tails himself had the widest fox-like grin on his face from Sonic's reaction to the speed of the Hyper Tornado.
"Tails," Sonic called out. "Buddy, I think you've outdone yourself with this bad boy! This plane is faster than any plane you've tinkered and built yet!"
"Heh! I knew you'd like this one! And the best part is that I actually remembered to install the landing gear in it this time! So, crash landing is not an option!" Tails said with certainty.
Sonic chuckled, recalling all the times the poor Tornado suffered from every blast and crash it took.
"Good to know! We got a kingdom to impress!" Sonic reinstated. "And we gotta look our best! I'd dress up, but I ain't got no suit! Being an adventurer doesn't exactly pay, ya know!"
Tails shook his head with a smile before responding, "You don't have to tell me twice, Sonic! Most of my parts are spares and I have to go dumpster diving every once in a while to get creative and salvage reused material! Speaking of which, we need to talk about getting day jobs when this is over!"
"You got a point, there!"
While it was smooth flying for the duo for a moment until a laser was shot out of nowhere. Now normally, the Hyper Tornado would have been taken out of the sky, But Tails created an invisible barrier that protected both Sonic and him from harm as well as the plane.
"Shoot!" Sonic swore. "What was that?!"
In front of them were a few robots from Dr. Eggman's lineup of Badniks. Five small green humanoid robots with jetpacks were present, small wasp-like robots came in a small pack of six, and at least four advanced hovering drone units that resemble the GUN's Gun Hawks.
"Sonic, look! Aero Chasers, Buzz Bombers, and Egg Flyers are swarming all over the place!" Tails pointed out, making Sonic's eyes widen.
"Huh!? Badniks? Here?" Sonic questioned before starting to form a grin of his own. "That means that ol' Egghead's out and about somewhere. Alright, bud! Give me some space to do my thing! I'm itchin' to trash some bots!"
"Roger that, Sonic!"
Taking evasive maneuvers, Tails flew the Hyper Tornado up, swiftly dodging the bullets, lasers, and missiles that were being aimed at the pair. Making a u-turn from a safe distance Sonic leaped to the nose of the vehicle.
"They're all yours!" Tails said.
"Hehe! Alright! Let's rock!" Sonic quipped before spinning in place. While doing this, blue electricity crackled around him while still in ball form. Falling back into starting position, a light blue outline enveloped him as Tails flew near the targets.
Sonic shouted, "Ready...GO!"
Jumping off of the Hyper Tornado, Sonic curled into a spiky blue ball and thrust into the swarm of Badniks. Sonic destroyed a few Buzz Bombers before landing on an Egg Flyer's head. From there, the other robots targeted Buzz Bomber, destroying it and their own kind. Before Tails knew it, that entire swarm of Badniks was wrecked by Sonic within mere seconds.
Tails flew the Hyper Tornado over, allowing the fast hedgehog to board the aircraft once more.
Tails said, "Woah! I think you just beat your old record!"
The older teen simply waved the compliment off, saying, "Please, that was nothin'! One of these days when I get the chance to cut loose, you'll see how fast I can really go!"
Tails smiled at his best friend's attitude improving, he said, "I'm looking forward to seeing that, buddy."
"Ride on, Tails! Now let's get back to it! Next stop, New Mobotropolis!"
"Yeah!"
Taking off full speed ahead, Tails followed his GPS with the correct coordinates, allowing the dynamic duo to reach the city in little under three hours.
Three Hours Later, New Mobotropolis
Thanks to communications between Tails and New Mobotropolis' air traffic control, the duo was given a private landing pad for them to land and park the Hyper Tornado with little to no difficulty.
Getting out of the plane, Sonic and Tails basked in the beauty that was New Mobotropolis. The place was massive in size. At least three times bigger than Central City in the United Federation. What caught the boy's attention was the difference in atmosphere.
While other cities were mostly industrialized with a lack of quality clean air, New Mobotropolis incorporated nature into their architecture. The city walls were surrounded by the Great Forest, allowing the air to consistently stay clean. And while buildings and factories do exist in the city, smog was not present, indicating that the people of New Mobotropolis use a different power source. Most likely, a natural one.
While Tails was mesmerized by the sight of the city, Sonic had a different experience.
There was this sense of welcoming that washed over him. It was like he was partaking in something...nostalgic. Feeling his head ring, an image of a burning city while under the moon flashed for a moment until it left him. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself.
"No way... There's no way. I'm buggin' out big time. I haven't even been here before...right?"
The two were caught up in their own thoughts until an older voice grabbed their attention.
"Sonic the Hedgehog and associates?"
The two heroes turned to see an older Coyote Mobian who happened to be in his prime. He had a coat of brown fur with a lighter brown fur on his face and eye color of sky blue, For his uniform, the Coyote wore a blue royal jacket with an alternate royal crest, signifying his status as a nobleman close to the crown, yellow elements, and red boots.
"Uh, yes sir. That's us." Tails answered first. "May we ask who you are, mister?"
"General Armand D'Coolette of the Acornia Royal Army." The old Coyote replied, saluting both Sonic and Tails in a diligent fashion.
"A general, huh? That's got to be a tough job to maintain. My name is Miles Prower, but my friend calls me Tails! It's an honor to meet you,." Tails greeted in a respectful fashion while Sonic simply gave his own two-finger salute quietly.
General D'Coolette looked at Sonic, noting his less than professional greeting before addressing the two heroes.
"I have reason to believe that the robotic forces invading New Mobotropolis are familiar to the both of you?"
Hearing this, both heroes nodded with Sonic responding, "Yeah, they came from a long time foe of ours. We even took down some of his metal cronies on our way here. Why?"
"I have dealt with automatons whilst fighting in the Great War, but not ones of such complex and advanced designs before. If you are indeed familiar with these machines' master and their constitution then my soldiers would appreciate your input and assistance in repelling their invasion." General D'Coolette said as he folded his arms behind his back.
The duo turned to each other once more seriously as they spoke to themselves for a moment.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', buddy?" Sonic asked.
"That Eggman is most likely after something that's here? Oh, definitely." Tails answered casually. "That's probably why the king called us here on such short notice."
"Well then, it's a good thing we got here just in time for the party!" Sonic grinned.
Sonic and Tails turned back to General D'Coolette with Sonic giving the war veteran a thumbs up with his right hand.
"No problem, General! Just leave it to us! Think you can show us the way to the king?"
"Surely you jest." General D'Coolette said, raising a brow. "There are enemies attacking the city as we speak, and you wish to speak to His Majesty now?"
Sonic smirked, "Let me counter that question with one of my own. How far is the place of the attack from here exactly?"
Tails picked up his handheld, ready to crunch calculations.
"His Majesty is currently 10 miles from our location, within New Mobotropolis City Hall." General D'Coolette stated. "He has always insisted on being close to where each incursion within Acornia appears."
Before Tails or Sonic could answer how Sonic could simply blaze his way to the Castle and somewhere else in a few minutes, Armand's communicator went off on his right wrist. The General lifted up his right arm and answered the communication.
"This is General D'Coolette, report."
"General, this is Rotor! The Freedom Fighters and I are in a bit of a struggle at the moment!" Shouted a deep but youthful voice on the other line.
"At ease, son, what's the situation?" General D'Coolette responded back in a calm tone.
"Sir, with all due respect, I believe I've got a reason to be uneased! The enemy sent a large machine nearby by the old HQ. It's nearly as large as Castle Acorn and none of our weapons could even lay a scratch on it! If this thing breaks through the city's wall, New Mobotropolis is in BIG trouble!" Rotor expressed, sending a holographic image of E-3000.
"That has Eggman written all over it." Sonic frowned with his arms crossed.
"Not even Bunnie's current cybernetics could penetrate it. Its bad news for everybody" Rotor said, not hearing Sonic's voice.
"Ancient Walkers, have mercy." General D'Coolette said, shocked by the size of the E-3000. "Mr. Prower, I have been informed that you have knowledge in mechanical engineering and robotics. Is there any intel you might have on this particular metallic behemoth?"
Tails inspected the hologram of Dr. Robotnik's latest addition to the E-Series robot, peering into its design and characteristics.
"Hm... Judging from what the guy said and this image, it appears that the doctor created this with the intention of tiring its targets out before overwhelming them with its size and strength. Given the properties of the metal that was described, nobody has the necessary strength to counter it. ..Or rather the right kind of destructive potency or force." Tails explained, "So... what they need is something or someone who can produce the necessary power for the desired outcome."
Tails finished his analysis while looking directly at Sonic, who was already eager for the task.
"I presume one of you has a plan for building up the force needed to take the machine down?" General D'Coolette asked Sonic and Tails.
"Yes we do, sir," Tails confirmed. "Calling Sonic fast is an understatement. You see, the more Sonic runs, his already blistering speed increases. And Sonic does this on a daily. He has so much potential in speed that I classify it as immeasurable. If Sonic can build up enough momentum, he could very easily destroy the robot."
The General of Acornia was almost in disbelief upon hearing the young fox's statement. Had he not been informed of Sonic's supernatural speed he would think they were delirious. General D'Coolette cleared his throat before he responded to Rotor through his communicator.
"Hang in there, young Rotor, help will be on its way shortly. Just make sure everyone is out of danger."
"U-Uh, yes sir! I'll make sure to tell Sally and the others too! Rotor out!" The voice said before cutting communications.
Sonic paused when he heard the name "Sally". Sounds of a little girl laughing echoed through his head for a moment but faded just as they came.
"...Sally? Who's that?" Sonic asked out loud from his thoughts.
"She is the daughter of His Majesty, the Princess of Acornia and leader of the Freedom Fighters." General D'Coolette answered, hearing Sonic's question.
"The Freedom Fighters, of course!" Tails exclaimed. "Sonic, you've got to head over there right now! The soldiers that the General was talking about were the Freedom Fighters! They're crucial to the kingdom's defenses!"
Stretching his legs, Sonic said, "That's fine by me! I could use a warm up."
"Great!" Tails said as he turned to Armand. "General, where are the Freedom Fighters right now?"
"They're holding the line at the city walls east from here." General D'Coolette replied. "We cannot lose those walls under any circumstance."
"Got it! Here I come, Eggman!" Sonic said before dashing off in a burst of speed, sending wild winds around the area he was in.
General D'Coolette almost lost his balance upon feeling the gust of wind created by Sonic's takeoff.
"What incredible speed!" The General said in amazement.
Tails smiled, saying, "...I'll never get tired of seeing that."
Old Knothole HQ, Great Forest, Acornia
Diving into the safety of a small fort was a large violet Mobian walrus with forest green eyes and large tusks. As for his attire, he wore a brown bomber jacket with a matching tool belt and a pair of glasses.
This was Rotor Walrus, expert engineer and mechanic of the Freedom Fighters alongside another senior member.
The eighteen-year-old watched as a grey humanoid robot with red eyes charged after him its fist cocked back.
This was one of Dr. Eggman's creations of the E-Series based on a Gizoid, E-121 Phi.
'Dang, I've gotta think of something and fast!'
Next to the walrus was a rocket launcher which he noticed.
"Bingo!" Rotor cried before taking a hold of it, making sure it was loaded. Taking aim for a split second, Rotor shot a rocket directly at Phi, blowing the Gizoid up.
"Bull's eye!"
Just when he thought he was in the clear, Egg Flyers descended, surrounding him. Rotor saw this and took out a remote. Pressing a button, the fort's ground split from the ground, revealing a machine containing turrets.
"Come and get some!"
Meanwhile, Sally and another copy of E-121 Phi were engaging in close-quarter combat, with Sally using blue energy blades that were emitted by cerulean rings on her wrists.
She guarded herself against the robot's kick, then jumped to evade a jab, and threw a chain of three kicks, two jabs, and three more kicks, before finishing it off with a stab at the robot's neck, destroying it.
Yet another Phi robot saw an opening that was Sally's back left unguarded. It was about to shoot a small missile, only for Sally to backflip and land the machine and sweep Phi's legs.
"Nice try." Sally complimented coldly.
Using both blades, Sally severed its torso in half, ending Phi's existence.
A random Buzz Bomber took at the princess a meter away, only for it to be sliced into two by a broadsword.
The wielder of the broadsword was a Mobian Coyote who bore an uncanny resemblance to General Armand, being a brown-furred coyote with tan facial fur and blond hair and eyebrows, his eyes usually colored blue. Much like Armand, he wore similar attire, that being the blue and red garbs of the Royal Guard and red boots.
This was Antoine D'Coolette, son of General Armand.
Turning around to see her subordinate's handiwork, Sally shouted, "Thanks for the save, Antoine!"
"Pas de problème, ma princesse." Antoine spoke in his native language. "I live to serve the crown and my kingdom to my last breath."
Three copies of the E-121 Phi Gizoid landed, surrounding the swordsman. One rushed in to punch him while another from the back tried to throw a haymaker, Antoine simply rolled out of the way, causing the first two Phi robots to attack each other which resulted in them damaging themselves.
The third one, much to the shock of the coyote, formed a blade made out of energy from its right hand. Ready for the challenge, Antoine got into his normal stance with the Gizoid steadily approaching him. Faster than anybody could blink, Phi and Antoine clashed blades, causing sparks to fly around.
Phi was on the offensive, swinging wildly with the intent to take the soldier's head off. Realizing how much of a novice Phi was in swordplay, a dark smirk appeared on Antoine's face. Phi went for a thrust towards Antonie's chest, only to be evaded as the coyote lept upwards. Plummeting downwards, took a swing, taking the head off the E-Series robot.
Antoine muttered triumphantly, "Pretty bon but not bon enough."
On Bunnie's end of things, her right arm had transformed into a cannon as she was taking out smaller machines in an aerial dogfight while dodging the swipes of the large E-3000.
'Darn it all! None uh mah attacks is doin' uh dawg-on thang! Whayer is them reinforcements thet Rotor wuz tawkin' bout!? Way needed them yesterday!' Bunnie thought while evading a giant hand...
Egg Flyers and Buzz Bombers were shooting at her from behind, with one of the bullets damaging her hat. Seeing red, Bunnie turned around mid-air and aimed her cannon.
"Why Ah atta...! Thets it! You've messed with thuh bull, now yore gittin' thuh horns!" Bunnie shouted, charging up energy.
Releasing it, a large yellow blast annihilated all of the flying Badniks, reducing them to burnt scraps.
Bunnie would have continued to revel in her satisfaction but was taken by surprise with a sudden clap from the giant E-Series robot. The sound-based attack knocked her out of the skies, sending her to the ground.
The rest of the Freedom Fighters rushed to her side, with Antoine being the first one to aid her.
"Bunnie! Mon amour, are you alright?" He asked with concern, helping the Mobian rabbit stand with Sally on her other side,
"Ugh... It feels lahk Ah got sent tuh Downunda an back." Moaned Bunnie.
Looking up in the sky, Rotor shouted, "Bad news, guys! Look, we've got more company!"
The others looked up and were shocked to see not only more Egg Flyers pouring from the sky, but A total of thirteen gray humanoid robots with eyes of red who were at least six feet tall came crashing down.
They had a torso in the shape of a little more than a hemisphere, with four flashlights arranged in a rectangle on their front and a flat rounded head on top of it. They also had relatively short legs, with flat feet and circular ankles, and arms that extended almost down to the ground. Instead of hands, however, they have single-barreled guns on their wrists.
These were the Egg Shooters, a stronger unit of Badniks than the Gizoid copies they were facing.
"Oh my gosh..." Sally gasped, while the other Freedom Fighters were equally shocked at their situation.
"Mon Dieu, there's so many of them." Antoine echoed in tone.
"And now we're sitting ducks!" Rotor announced frustratingly.
What gained their attention once more was the sound of hovering, which came from a cart-sized gray spherical shape hovercraft that resembled a pod. It had black and yellow hazard stripes on the sides, a black circular hemispherical underside, rocket engines on the rear for propulsion, and a small circular lamp on the front. On the sides of the hovercraft were red wings and missiles and lasers were located in the body of the craft.
After that, a figure that was previously sitting in the cockpit stood up from the craft, revealing himself to the Freedom Fighters.
"Whut in tarnation?!" Bunnie whispered sharply.
Upon bowing, he greeted in a chilling tone, "Freedom Fighters, Princess of Acornia. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, at last."
Realizing how the robots were acting around the newcomer, Rotor shouted, "Wait, I've seen your face before! You're the Overlander that blew up half the moon a few years ago! You must be the one sending those death machines our way!"
"What business do you have with us!?" Sally demanded, not preparing to back down.
"You be correct, walrus. So you may know, I am Dr. J. Ivo Robotnik, the most brilliant mind of all time," Dr. Robotnik explained as if it was a fact. "I've come to extract the secrets of your technology and to harness its mystical properties for myself. And you're going to surrender it to me willingly."
"La démence!" Antoine cried, raising his sword in the direction of Dr. Robotnik. "If you think we would sell out the king and our country then you're sadly mistaken, Overlander!"
Before Antoine continued to object, the Egg Shooters closed in on the Freedom Fighters, ready to gun them down. E-3000 also loomed over the group, ready to crush them at any moment.
Sally gasped as her friends were forced to their knees since they were surrounded. She turned back to a grinning Dr. Robotnik, who spoke to her subordinates coldly.
"I don't think you troublesome lot seem to understand your place in this matter. You lackeys are irrelevant. But your fates lie in the hands of your beloved princess." He said before turning to Sally herself. "What's it going to be, girl? Surrender those secrets and betray your kingdom, or let the death of your comrades be on your hands?"
At this point, the burning desire to continue fighting that Sally possessed began to waver, given how her friends' lives were literally in the hands of the mad doctor. She recalled the tragic event that took her mother's life and other members of her kingdom's lives for thirteen years.
'Oh no... What am I going to do? If I don't comply, then Bunnie, Antoine, and Rotor will die. But if I do, then I'd have to betray everything that I fought for. My kingdom, my people, my father. I...I...I don't know what to do!' Sally panicked internally.
"Tik tok, princess!~ You're fateful subjects' lives are hanging in balance."
Seeing her best friends tremble under stress, "Sally-girl, don't do it! He's gist toyin' with chew!"
"Hang in there, Sally!" Rotor said next.
"Stay strong, ma princesse!" Antione cheered.
Despite all of the support she received from her friends, the current situation was too much for Sally that the words did not reach her.
"So, what's your answer?"
"I...I-"
Before Sally could finish her sentence, a blue whirlwind surrounded the area, causing the aerial robots to be thrown into each other and scatter away. Everybody held on to something, whether or not it was the ground, another person who was grounded, or a tree. Speaking of trees, one tree that was at the center of the old HQ was broken in half by a robot's impact, making the upper half fall.
"Agh! What's the meaning of this!?" Dr. Robotnik screamed.
When the whirlwind subsided, a familiar blue hedgehog stood on top of the tall tree stump with a bright grin. His green eyes darted at the sight of the Freedom Fighters, then at Dr. Robotnik.
"My! That's a pretty snazzy performance there!" Sonic said, making his presence known.
Sally, now snapping out of her sense of despair, marveled at the sight of their savior.
Their savior came in the form of her long-lost friend, Sonic the Hedgehog.
To Be Continued...