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Castle Acorn, Royal Hills, New Mobotropolis
Within the royal throne room of King Maximillian Acorn, both Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails'' Prower were looking at an older-looking hedgehog that had blue fur that was a few shades lighter than Sonic, baby blue eyes, silver-colored eyebrows, and matching a mustache. He wore a brown coat over a green turtleneck sweater, brown gloves, brown, laced-up boots, and glasses.
He waved at Sonic, saying, "It's been a long time. Hasn't it, eh Sonny-boy?"
"Woah..." Tails gasped, staring at Sir Charles, then back at Sonic, then to Charles again. "You look like an older Sonic!"
Sir Charles walked up to Tails, ruffling his tuft of hair with a warm smile, saying, "And you look like a pair of ol' friends of mine."
The elder blue hedgehog brought his sights back to Sonic, who remained stiff as the teenager's thoughts began racing as fast as his average running speed.
Charles approached Sonic carefully, softly saying, " Don't you remember who I am, Sonny? It's me, Uncle Chuck."
"...Uncle...Chuck?" Sonic repeated in a questioning manner, with a hint of familiarity to his tone.
Sir Charles' eyes darted to the gray ring that was converted into a necklace that Sonic wore around his neck. He took it off of Sonic and placed the gray ring within Sonic's right hand and with his hand on top of it.
"This ring here," Sir Charles said with a smile. "Do you know why you were given this ring when you were little?"
Sonic breathed, as he answered, "I-I remember somebody tellin' me that it was a good luck charm and that I only use it when I was in trouble."
The older hedgehog smiled sadly, explaining, "This ring, Oliver, was one of the first two prototypes of one of my greatest inventions. This is a Warp Ring, or a Proto-Warp Ring to be exact. When you turned four years old, your father asked me to create a contingency plan that involved escaping with you if anything were to happen. Being inspired by naturally occurring rifts in space-time, I approached King Max on the matter with my idea. He then led me to a secret chamber deep within the castle where I could begin my work. I was given the honor and privilege to craft the prototypes with the blessings of the king. So, on the week after your fourth birthday, I placed that very ring in your hand. And do you know what I told you, Sonny-boy?"
Sonic's voice began to shake while he answered with familiarity, "T-To hold onto it for you… cause it was made just for me. It could protect me. So I haven't let it o-out of my sight since…"
Charles smiled at his nephew, recognizing that Sonic remembered him. The older man brought his nephew into a hug, which Sonic reciprocated, which Tails smiled at the sight.
"It's good to have you back, son," Charles said before breaking off the hug with a pat on the right shoulder. "You've grown lot these past years. You look just like your father."
"Hehehe... Thanks. It's good to see you too...Uncle." Sonic responded in the same manner before turning back to the king. "What happened to that Ixis jerk?"
"He started a coup that nearly wiped out Acornia." King Max replied.
"Wait," Tails interjected, albeit without the intention of being rude. "But New Mobotropolis is enormous, and Acornia is one of the largest nations in the world. How could one wizard overtake the capital just like that?"
Sir Charles' face turned grim while saying in a tired sigh, "...With the energy of the artificial power Rings."
"Artificial?" Sonic and Tails echoed.
"Yes. Power Rings are mystical golden rings spawned from the Source of All. These natural rings are slowly spawned from lakes that contain concentrated varied amounts of mystical energy. Power Rings usually emerge from these lakes in singles at a time, as one holds tremendous power. What makes ours artificial is that we take used leftover rings authentic rings, then craft less powerful copies for mass production." King Max explained.
"The Source of All was the reason why the All Power Rings, (and the Warp Rings later down the line) were created. Both of those inventions were the result of my many years of studying Chaos Energy and the assistance of King Max." Sir Charles added. "Although I am still unsure of the limit of its power, with one Artifical Power Ring, Naugus, imbued with the stored Chaos Energy within the ring, summoned a fiendish Phantom Army as a result of him somehow amplifying his Ixis Magick with Chaos Energy."
"By seizing control of our large supply of Artificial Power Rings, the near all-powerful Naugus raided Old Mobotropolis and took the land for himself using his Phantom Army. Countless lives were lost, families and children alike, some very close to our hearts." King Max said with a hint of sadness.
"Oh no…" Tails lamented.
"What about my folks? Are they…?" Sonic asked, but not daring to finish the sentence.
Sir Charles swallowed hard, as he confirmed, "...I'm afraid so, Oliver. Your father perished defending the crown and his family, and your mother died shortly after. Fortunately, she sent you away with me before she left this world...and prior to our...separation."
Sonic looked down, feeling his heart splitting apart but refused to shed a single tear.
Shaking his head, he silently asked, "Did they love me, Uncle Chuck?"
"Of course, they did, Sonny-boy. Your parents loved you with all of their hearts." Sir Charles reassured, rubbing his nephew's back.
"Thanks, I just wanted to know," Sonic said.
"After Sir Jules fell, Naugus confronted me. We engaged in battle, but I was caught off guard by the warlock and he opened a portal to the Void of Silence and cast me into its abyss. For eight years I was trapped there, feeling that I could go mad at any moment. However, a portal was opened and there stood my darling Sally bean." King Max explained.
Sir Charles said, "It took me some time, but I was able to perfect the Warp Ring so that it had a limited recharge feature. With that being said, it wasn't until Sally's computer AI recalibrated that she gave us the idea to supercharge the Warp Ring, creating a portal similar to the naturally occurring rifts through space-time. And given how Chaos Energy worked with you wanting to go to Christmas Island as a child, Sally's yearning for her father triggered the portal's activation, creating a gateway to the Void of Silence."
"With my return, I was able to help rebuild Mobotropolis and reclaim Acornia once more. But even after re-establishing my reign, Naugus was still out there using his power and knowledge to conquer Mobius." King Max said.
"Together, we had enough power and people joined the fight for freedom across the country, pushing back Naugus' forces until he retreated to the mountains of Kanaan in the region of Rune, far up in the northeast."
"Wow…" Tails expressed. "That must have been hard dealing with the fallout of a destroyed kingdom. To think that Sonic came from here, born as an heir of a lost civilization. And now we have a war-mongering sorcerer on the loose."
Sonic remained silent but tightened both of his fists with a sharp expression formed on his face.
'...Naugus!'
"Oliver, Miles," Sir Charles beckoned, causing the boys to turn to the old hedgehog. "We called you both here, though not as a mere social call. We are in need of your help."
"Naugus is out there still plotting while Robotnik is near our kingdom. I wouldn't put it against either one of them to form an alliance." King Max said. "I ask you, not just as the king of Acornia but a family friend, to please lend a hand in our war."
Tails looked over to Sonic with a determined face, saying, "I'm ready when you are, Sonic! You can count on me!"
Acknowledging his best friend's support, Sonic nodded and turned to his uncle and King Max.
"I'm in!"
King Max and Sir Charles smiled at each other at Sonic's response.
Meanwhile, in the Ruins of Castle Soleanna, Kingdom Valley
The clouds were as steel and gray as they can be, despite it being daytime. What was once the Principality of Soleanna was now a desolate mess of rubble and debris. Gone was the City of Water, for the ground was parched, seeming like rainfall was a rarity. What became of the buildings and structures that weren't vaporized were nothing but broken pieces of rock and other sparse material of the once-thriving kingdom.
Not a single living creature entered the fallen kingdom in over two decades due to unfortunate events. That was until recently.
A team of Overlanders (descendants of the human race) came in wearing attire that soldiers of the modern-day wore. Prior to this situation, a team of archaeologists eagerly hired a team of excavators, bulldozers, and front-loader drivers to accompany them on a trip to uncover the secrets of the ruins. However, upon discovering a hidden chamber under the infrastructure of where the palace once stood, the government never heard from them, declaring the archaeologists' disappearance under "mysterious circumstances". The Guardian Unit of Nations, or GUN, ordered a special cell to investigate the missing hired officials assigned for the excavation and to retrieve any evidence regarding the collapse of the kingdom.
The leader of the operation revealed herself to be a tall Overlander with sandy brown hair that had a pixie haircut, sapphire-colored eyes, and spherical earrings that matched her eye color and wore red lipstick.
This was a high-ranking GUN soldier, Topaz.
One GUN soldier walked up to Topaz and said, "Ma'am, we've got the entire perimeter guarded in case of any unexpected threats."
"Very good," Topaz responded before looking at the other agents. "Where is our special cell?"
Before any of the other operatives could answer a warping sound was heard from behind her and a bright blue light flashed for three seconds. Topaz and the GUN operatives turned to see two figures standing in front of Topaz and in between the soldiers who were lined up near the stairwell of the hidden chamber.
One was a female Mobian bat who looked about at least eighteen years old. The girl had white fur, tan skin, teal eyes, and a curvaceous figure. As a Mobian bat, she possessed large pointy ears, small fangs, a small black nose on a tan muzzle, a short tail, and a pair of dark purple wings on her back. Her fur was exposed, only appearing on her head, which flares out into six points at the back. The bat wore light blue eyeshadow and pink lipstick. For her attire, she wore a skintight, black, sleeveless unitard with a pink, heart-shaped chest plate with white trim and long white gloves and boots with pink cuffs. The boots are high-heeled and feature hearts on the toes.
This was Rouge the Bat, former jewelry thief, and currently, specialized government agent of GUN.
Next to her was her partner, who happened to be holding a small gleaming diamond-shaped gemstone that was green the size of a small baseball.
He appeared to be a Mobian hedgehog roughly the same size as Sonic. While his skin tone was tan like Rouge, his fur color was primarily black with his quills possessing five red stripes on them and a tuff of white fur on his chest. Each stripe was on an individual quill, with four of which curve upwards, and one that curves downwards. Like Sonic, he had two spines on his back and a small tail. The hedgehog wore white gloves with black cuffs and red tongues, and Jet Shoes which, like his gloves, have black cuffs and red tongues. On each of his wrists and ankles, he wore a single Inhibitor Ring that limited his full strength.
This was Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform and agent of GUN.
Rouge and Shadow walked over to their commanding officer, with Rouge saying, "We aren't too late, are we?"
Topaz shook her head, stating, "Not at all, you two showed up right in the nick of time. You are aware of the situation at hand right?"
Rouge shrugged, explaining, "I was told that we had to find some schmucks who got themselves lost in the ruins. At first, I declined since there wasn't anything in for me, but when I was told that I was allowed to keep any treasure that wasn't important to their research...well, I couldn't refuse the mission."
Topaz facepalmed, thinking to herself, 'Boy, she hasn't changed at all since the incident at the ARK four years ago.'
Turning to the black hedgehog, Topaz asked, "What about you, Shadow? Do you know what's happening here?"
Shadow nodded, stating, "President Arbuckle gave me a briefing on the matter. And given the circumstances of the situation, the president enlisted me to join you in case the mission becomes one that is supernatural by nature."
"Good." Topaz nodded as she turned to the rest of the soldiers. "Listen up. I need ten of you to back Agents Shadow and Rouge along with me as we enter this chamber. The rest of you are to watch the area and report to me any suspicious activities from the outside."
"Yes ma'am!"
Topaz hand-picked ten of the best soldiers for the job then started to descend down the stairs that led into the chamber. While Shadow and Rouge walked down the stairs, Rouge struck a conversation with Shadow.
"Geez, this place gives me the creeps…" Rouge stated before turning to Shadow
"Tell me something, Shadow." Rouge started, "Outside of Arby's orders, what made you take this mission?"
"Hmph. I was on a solo mission in the country of Spagonia two months ago. While I was recovering soldiers who were attacked by strange crystalized warriors, I detected a strong presence that urged me to follow where it was. I originally ignored and continued my mission. But since the president ordered me to investigate, now I have no choice but to figure out what is going on."
"A strong presence? You mean like how Knuckles can sense whenever he searches the Master Emerald?" The bat asked, recalling how Knuckles and the Master Emerald are connected.
"Similarly," Shadow answered. "I can detect powerful forces, regardless of whether they are of Chaos Energy or something related to it. And whatever is down here is drawing me to it."
'Flashlights!" Topaz ordered as everybody managed to descend to the underground chamber, prompting the soldiers to turn on their flashlights.
Underneath the remains of Soleanna's castle was a tunnel that led to a large spatial area where an altar stood. The place was a structure that resembled a tomb, with three pillars standing symmetrically on both sides of the structure that had two flights of stairs that led to a pedestal holding a peculiar item that could be seen just yet. Two statues of a four-legged eagle sat apart from each other by the path to the altar with emeralds for eyes
However, when they got closer, what they found shook Topaz and her men, with Rouge covering her mouth but Shadow remaining unphased.
On the floor leading up to a tenth stair were the skeletal remains of the excavation team with the archaeologists.
"Oh Chaos…" Rouge groaned, disturbed at the sight of the bodies.
"The team… The archaeologists…" One of the soldiers said, "It can't be!"
Topaz breathed before saying, "It's too late… They're gone."
Turning to her team, Topaz said, "Alright men. We'll get a separate team to pick up the remains and report back to HQ. For now, investigate the area and take pictures of whatever glyphs and texts you can find with caution. If you find anything physically related to the city's destruction, confiscate it and report it back to me."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Five GUN soldiers went on one side, using specialized cameras to take pictures of the ancient scriptures on the walls while also capturing the images painted on them as well. The other five searched for other indications of the fallen city's secrets. Rouge flew around the area, snatching anything that gleamed or shined like a gemstone.
Topaz and Shadow remained at the center, watching everybody performing their jobs. While this occurred, Shadow began having flashes of images being shown inside his mind. They involved a large explosion, a spiral of yellow flames, a sphere of darkness, and a man's eyes filled with regret which was followed by an agonizing scream. This resulted in a cloud shrouded in darkness and a malicious cackle that brought him back to his senses.
'The hell was that!?' Shadow swore in his mind while holding his head with his left hand.
"Ma'am!" One of the younger soldiers said while approaching the stairs. "I think there's something at the altar!"
Rouge, having the height advantage due to her being able to fly, confirmed, "He's right, Topaz. There's some kind of glowing yellow veil or scepter. It looks beautiful…"
"I'll go and get it! It might be something important to the mission!" The younger soldier said as he was about to pass through the statues.
Sensing the sudden spike of Chaos Energy, Shadow extended his hand, shouting, "Wait, don't-!"
But it was too late, as one of the four-legged eagle statues turned its head with its emerald eyes now burning crimson. It shot a powerful blast toward the young soldier, reducing him into a tattered burnt corpse. From there, the left statue proceeded to shift from stone, becoming more ethereal and standing up.
The Eagle Statue let out an ear-piercing shriek, sending a shockwave toward the agents.
Topaz, reacting to survival instincts, ordered her men to take aim and fire. The other soldiers quickly grabbed their machine guns and unloaded their entire clip. The agents' labors, unfortunately, amounted to nothing as the Eagle Statue growled in anger and swiped its claws, sending a wave of Chaos Energy that slaughtered about seven soldiers dead, leaving three agents, Shadow, Rouge, and Topaz left.
Rouge, not taking too kindly that her comrades were slaughtered, darted towards the Eagle Statue with her right leg extended forward. Spinning in place on a vertical axis, she performed her famous Screw Kick to drill into the statue.
This only irritated the Eagle Statue as it charged its eye lasers at Rouge, who paused in fear. Shadow, moving faster than the eye can track, warped to Rouge's side mid-air and brought her to safety next to Topaz using Chaos Snap.
Shadow started to walk towards the ethereal beast, without any signs of backing down.
"Shadow!" Rouge cried, "Wait! I know that you're strong, but that thing means business! If you're not careful, you-!"
"It doesn't matter how strong this creature is. I won't let it harm anybody else. Besides…" Shadow said, taking out the green Chaos Emerald from his quills. "...No matter what I'm up against, I will fight like I've always have."
Tapping into the power of one of the seven Chaos, Shadow raised the gem up in the air and shouted "Witness the ultimate power! Chaos...Control!"
The gemstone's light radiated, which resonated with the Eagle Statue's eyes, making them turn back to being emerald green. The Eagle Statue, although still being alive and active, went back to being stationary as it now relaxed. It gestured Shadow to proceed along the steps using its head.
Topaz and Rouge, who shielded their eyes and braced for the worst, had brought their arms away from their eyes. They watched as the Eagle Statue relented to Shadow and gestured to him.
"Shadow," Topaz said. "Whatever you did had won the favor of that thing. This might be your only chance. Grab whatever is up there and let's get the hell out of here!"
Shadow, listening to his superior's orders, nodded to Topaz and made his way up the stairs and to the altar. Using the Chaos Emerald to bypass the mystical shield that surrounded the item, Shadow took a hold of the yellow scepter. He paused yet again as another image appeared in his mind. A monstrous being of magma with jade eyes plagued his thoughts.
Shadow took a few steps back, utterly horrified at the image he received. He took a glance at the scepter and could feel the killing intent and malice it wrought from within.
"...This cannot fall into the wrong hands."
Upon taking the item, however, the entire structure began to shake, causing those left alive to stumble.
"WAAAH!" Rouge screamed, barely able to stand.
"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" One of the remaining GUN soldiers asked, nearly panicking.
"The altar is collapsing! We have to escape before we're caved in and crushed!" Topaz exclaimed.
Before anybody else knew, however, Shadow warped to everybody's side and raised the Chaos Emerald in the air, shouting, "Chaos...Control!"
The remainder of the group was teleported three feet away from the chamber's entrance, now sealed off. The other GUN soldiers surrounded the agents being bombarded by questions. Topaz directed the attention towards herself, allowing for Rouge and Shadow to breathe.
"That was… an experience. I'm taking a bath when we get back to HQ. I didn't even get to save all of those precious gemstones I found." Rouge sighed before looking at the scepter. "Was that thing really necessary to get, Shadow?"
"Definitely," Shadow said with certainty. "And we're going to keep a close eye on it, Rouge. This must never leave our sight. Promise me."
"Huh? Shadow, I don't under–"
"Promise me!" Shadow said with a bit more edge in his voice.
Holding up her hands, Rouge relented, "Okay, okay! I promise I won't lose it! Geez, I don't know what's gotten you all worked up."
"Good," Shadow said, as he held on to the scepter. "We cannot allow this scepter to fall into the wrong hands."
Julayla Memorial Park, New Mobotropolis, Acornia
Walking down the street of the park where Sonic and Sally, decided to catch up privately given that Sir Charles, or Uncle Chuck, had two people we wanted Tails to get acquainted with. That allowed Sally to speak with her friend alone. She also decided that it was the perfect time to take a stroll in a place that was peaceful.
And where else than a park?
Sally walked along the sidewalk with her hands behind her, happy as one can be. For Sonic, exploring new areas was just another adventure. So, he took this time to carefully examine the routes, roads, and other important details so he knew his way around the place.
Looking in front of her, Sally said, "Hey. There's a bench up ahead. We can sit there."
Sally pointed to the bench that was at least two feet from them. Sonic gazed at the bench. Normally, he would comply. But due to the number of citizens passing through and how personal the situation was, Sonic didn't exactly feel comfortable sitting on the bench where a lot of people could see them. Instead, Sonic looked up to a large hill with a tree sitting on top of it.
"Uh… I don't know… What about up there?" He said, suggesting the large hill.
"Don't you think that's a little steep to climb, Oliver?" Sally asked.
"Sonic is just fine, princess." The blue hedgehog corrected. "And we can scale that bad boy, no problem."
"Wait, what are you-WAHHH!" Sally asked before yelping as he picked her up and dashed onto the top of the hill in under five seconds.
He put her down and started to chuckle, which caused the semi-disoriented Sally to glare at Sonic for his antics.
"You could have warned me, you know! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Sally complained, not at all amused at the laughing Mobian hedgehog.
"Hahaha! I know! But where's the fun in that?" Sonic wheezed, wiping a tear from his eyes.
Sally groaned, then noticed where Sonic took her. Above where they are was a good view of the entire city, with the park being very close to Castle Acorn. Sonic stopped laughing and gazed at the sight of the city.
Sonic said, "With all pranks aside, I figured we could have a chat somewhere a bit more reserved. After all, we can't have people thinkin' other stuff."
Sally blinked before her muzzle began to turn red at the thought of what her friend met.
"Y-Yes, of course!" She quickly said before clearing her throat. "So, Oli–"
Sonic held out an index finger from his right hand, wagging it playfully with a smirk as he said, "Tsk, tsk, tsk! None of that "Oliver" stuff, 'kay? It sounds weird. Just call me Sonic, alright?"
Sally nodded, responding with her own smile, "Alright. Sonic it is then. But only if you return the courtesy and call me Sally."
"Sure thing, Sally," Sonic agreed with thumb upraised from his right hand before they both sat down by the tree. "So… where do you want to start?"
"Let's start with your memories." The princess suggested. "How much do you remember exactly, Sonic?"
Rubbing his neck, Sonic replied, " Not much. I remember my birth name, my birthday, bits and pieces of my early childhood, and Uncle Chuck. ...That's it for now."
'...I guess he really doesn't remember. At least what he does recall is a start.' Sally thought to herself as she sighed.
"Wait! I remember you, though! At least a little bit. That counts for somethin', right?" Sonic asked, trying to raise her spirits.
The chipmunk's head a little with her eyes shimmering as she questioned, "Really? What do you remember about me?"
Placing his right hand under his chin, Sonic closed his eyes and tried to look back at his memories until he recalled a moment.
"I think we were little at the time, but I remember ya tried to teach me how to play a board game. I couldn't get the hang of it, so I did somethin' that was against the rules. Then, you got mad and tried tellin' your dad on me."
Sally couldn't help but giggle at what Sonic explained, saying, "Gosh, I remember that! Sonic, you tried playing chess with checker pieces! Oh, I was so frustrated because you kept insisting that it would make the game fun and it didn't make any sense to me at the time."
Sonic snickered at himself, saying, "Yeah, I guess that would be frustratin'. I can kind of understand chess now, but I ain't that good at it."
Sally patted her friend's shoulder, saying, "There's nothing wrong with that. I'm naturally gifted in tactics. I'm supposed to be the queen of this kingdom one day. It took me until now to realize that your best strength is thinking outside of the box and adapting to whatever situation you're in."
Tilting his head, Sonic asked, "Oh? What makes you say that?"
"All things considered, your survival is a testament to my analysis. I've also read much about you and your adventures. It seems to me that you manage to overcome any kind of circumstance no matter how intense things could get." The princess explained.
Sonic chuckled, "Heh heh! I guess you're right!"
Sally turned her head, looking at the city, "...It was hard, you know. Life after the coup."
"Huh? You mean after what Naugus did to the old city?" Sonic asked, to which Sally nodded.
Sally sighed, "...Yes. On that night, everything fell apart. The crown fell, buildings were in ruin, and many people lost their lives and their families torn to pieces. The Freedom Fighters and I were one of the few lucky ones to escape the carnage and flee to the hidden sanctuary that was Knothole Village. ...You were supposed to have been with us when we were evacuating."
Sonic remained silent to allow his old friend to vent.
"But then...during our escape, we figured out that a few of Naugus' Phantoms were tailing us. So, Sir Charles decided to take you and split off from the group to distract the enemy long enough to ensure our survival. Some of us were more injured than others, but we were fine. We were all surprised to find Sir Charles going through his Proto-Warp Ring. …We were happy to see him. Though when we asked where you were, and he didn't say anything, I couldn't…"
Bringing up the coup began to cause Sally's voice to hick and her eyes closed solemnly, which Sonic caught rather quickly. He never liked when anybody started to shed tears or be downtrodden, generally being a positive person.
Sally stopped when Sonic placed a hand on her shoulder.
"...It's alright. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for ya. Fallin' through a prototype portal kind of does that to ya. But, ya know? It wasn't all that bad."
Opening her eyes, the chipmunk gave Sonic a questioning glance.
"What do you mean?"
Sonic looked up at the sky and said, "Think about it, Sally. If I hadn't stumbled to Christmas Island, I'd probably not have been alive today, speakin' to you. The world would have been worse with losers like Eggman around and there wouldn't have been anybody to stop him. Naugus would have had some competition. You would have had to deal with both. Most likely at the same time."
The thought of Naugus and Robotnik attacking Acornia made Sally shudder with her face losing its color for a moment.
Sonic then smiled back at Sally as he said, "We were toddlers when we split, and that was a long time ago. I'm here. We're both livin' and breathin' in the now, stronger than ever been before. With that being said, you and your team ain't gotta worry about handlin' Naugus or Eggman alone."
"What are you saying?" Sally asked before realizing what was being said with excitement filling her heart. "Wait! Are you saying that–"
"That's right! Tails and I want in on your team!" Sonic declared with his right thumb sticking out.
Faster than Sonic could even react, the Blue Blur was enveloped in a tight hug from his old friend.
"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, Sonic! You have no idea how long this means to me!"
Sonic blinked for a moment with his muzzle turning slightly pink, much to his own surprise. A sudden flashback of him getting Sally a few blue daisies and making a tiara from them for her fourth birthday, which resulted in him getting a big hug. He came to his senses and patted Sally's back.
"I'm glad to help out. We're friends, right?" He asked, holding out his hand for a high five.
Sally smiled as she slapped his hand with her own, saying, "...The best."
The two sat under the tree's shade, watching the clouds float over the city while the sky still remained clear as day.
"Hey...Ollie?"
Sonic hesitated to correct the princess but noticed the soft and vulnerable tone in her voice from the way she addressed him.
Relenting, Sonic responded, "Yeah, Sally?"
She leaned her head on Sonic's shoulder and whispered, "I missed you."
Sonic remained looking up at the clouds, still blushing at his friend's sudden action. Still, wanting her to have her moment of closure, Sonic let her rest on his shoulder while reminiscing on the faint memories he had with the daughter of King Max positively.
He responded by saying, "Right back at ya, Princess. Right back at ya."
Eggman's Base, Great Forest Mountain Range, Acornia
"Curses!"
A loud slam was heard in the base of the nefarious Dr. Robotnik. The mad doctor had punched one of his old robot assistants, causing it to malfunction and blow up. He panted heavily, visibly enraged at his defeat yet again at the hands of his arch-nemesis.
"Over and over and over and over!" The doctor ranted.
'Sir, perhaps you should calm down before your blood pressure rises to a critical level again.' SNIVELY advised.
Jerking his head to his computer, Robotnik shouted, "DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, SNIVELY! You may monitor the actions of my plans but you're not out there dealing with the folly of my failures! My plans were foolproof! I visioned, calculated, and planned as carefully as possible what I had set to acquire! And yet, somehow, as if the universe was not on my side, that insufferable blue pincushion found me and ruined everything! AGAIN! Do you know how humiliating that is! I've been in conflict with this teenager since he was eight years old! I lose to a child on a regular basis! So don't you dare tell me how I should be feeling!"
'I understand, sir. Though, it is not too wise to boil in anger. If you want, I can get one of the Egg Pawns to retrieve a glass of spring water for you-'
"SCREW THE WATER, SNIVELY! I WANT THAT RODENT'S HIDE MOUNTED ON MY WALL!" Robotnik snarled at the computer. "I HAD ENOUGH OF HIM! ENOUGH, ENOUGH, ENOUGH!"
Robotnik's noises became more erratic and filled with maddening grunts and curses, causing SNIVELY's AI to simply respond by saying, "...Oh dear. Looks like the egg has finally cracked."
"Huhahahahaha…"
A faint trail of slaughter could be heard echoing across the laboratory, and through quiet it had a very sinister and chilling tone.
Dr. Robotnik, jerking up from his computer, looked all over the control room.
"Who's there!? Who's laughing!? ...They always laughed… Stop laughing at me! STOP IT!" The doctor screamed, but never shook off the fear and dread that washed over his being.
The laughter got a little louder as a large shadow started to loom over Robotnik and his desk. This shadow to say the least was nightmarish in appearance, having what looked like spikes and claws as well as a pair of demonic wings.
The doctor trembled at the unholy sight as he whispered, "Sweet Mobius…"
"Such a woeful tale, good Doctor…"
Adjusting his glasses, Robotnik got up and asked, "W-Who or what are you? What do you want with me?"
"You don't have anything to fear from me….or do you…?" The sinister voice said with a chuckle as the shadow shrunk down and a tall figure appeared before Robotnik.
"I…" Dr. Robotnik hesitated before standing up firm, tired of being looked down on. "I am Dr. J. Ivo Robotnik! The most brilliant scientific mind in the world! I fear no man, animal, or anything else of the sort! I've built an entire base off-planet, conquered a planet on my own, managed to awaken and control a demigod to a certain extent, and blew up half the damn moon! Whatever do I have to fear! That's right, nothing! Hohohohoho!"
The tall figure's eyes became visible, being green serpentine irises with slit pupils and scleras that were red like boiling lava while also having what looked like stitches on the sides of each eyeball. These eyes gave off an otherworldly glow as if the devil himself was staring down Robotnik.
Robotnik's bravado lessened at the eyes of his uninvited guest. Sweat poured from his face, but he remained composed for the most part.
Clearing his throat, Robotnik, "Erm...Welcome to my forest base! I am Dr. Robotnik. ...I didn't quite get your name, Mr. …"
The sudden darkness within the room evaporated away as the tall figure was revealed to be what resembled a man in a dark cloak. The man opened his cloak up to show that he was fairly muscular and had tan skin on his face, having facial features that look like an Overlander or human though his ears were pointed, his nose was small but slightly narrow and he had a mouth with rows of sharp canine teeth. Besides the black cloak with a high collar he sported, he wore a dark purple form-fitting suit with what looked like pastel blue crystals that served as armor pieces on his chest, waist, forearms, and calves with a red jewel in the center of his chest and green vein-like markings running down his body that faded in and out. The man also had a pastel blue crystal that protruded out of his forehead like a horn and a white beard that ran down to his collarbone.
"I am the bringer of darkness, the lord of malice and despair! Within my body, I wield the unfathomable powers of Chaos and Ixis Magick that allowed me to drown countless kingdoms in blood and fire! I am known by many names, ones forgotten and ones discovered, but you may call me…NAUGUS THE DARK!"
Robotnik's glasses reflected the wicked sight, which was Naugus' demonic eyes while a wild cackle escaped the dark warlock's throat.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: A shout out to my boy, UltimateDemonBeast65, for collaborating with me and for writing lines for King Max and Naugus! You rock, bro!
The plot thickens. For those confused as to what is happening, Naugus was the one who started the coup, not Eggman. Eggman hasn't even heard of New Mobotropolis until recently. Sonic accidentally dropped his Warp Ring (Prototype) and since the ring is powered by Chaos Energy, his desire to go to Christmas Island caused him to pass through, which closed and deactivated it, given that it's a single-use prototype.
Where Tails had gone will be seen in the next chapter in a flashback… maybe. The other characters from "Sonic's" cast will appear next chapter too.
Shadow has taken a scepter, much like in Sonic 06, but it's different here. Try to guess what happened there. I'll give you a hint, Naugus is tied to the change as well.
Finally, Sonic and Sally are the intended paring, but it isn't necessarily the focus of this story. They will not "officially" date …yet, but rather have romantic moments. For now, they are friends.
Anyways, I'm tired. Tell me what you guys think in the comments. If you have questions or concerns, PM me and or comment. If you have suggestions, leave them in the comments. See you guys later!
-DarkShadowGames451