Review Responses:
To Void Reader: Nope, Metal is not Mephiles. It's a good guess though. Also, I disagree with your opinion. While Soleanna was integral for the plot of Sonic 06, it doesn't have to be around for the plot to happen unless you're still using the game's plot. This is a loose adaptation of Sonic 06. But some characters are missing. Solaris can exist without Elise and Soleanna. But Soleanna needs to exist for Solaris to exist since they both tie into Sonic 06. Silver will appear in the story, but not from a damned future. The Sol dimension is merely an alternate version of Mobius Prime (RESURGENCE) four hundred years into the future where events play out differently. Still, it's nice to see that you're thinking hard about the plot. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
To Boss Teal: Good eye. I was hoping somebody noticed that little detail.
That's all for now, on with the show.
Station Square Airport, Station Square, United Federation
In the bustling streets of Station Square, there was an airport where people were entering and exiting the facility depending on whether they arrived from an airplane ride or were catching an airplane ride. Many people were walking to the line so they could check in with their tickets while carrying luggage.
One person, in particular, happened to be a pink Mobian hedgehog and a foot and a few inches shorter than Sonic. She had jade eyes, wore a red and white dress, boots, a red hairband, white gloves with gold bracelets.
This was Amelia Rose, or "Amy".
As she waited in line, Amy had lingering thoughts regarding an email she received from Tails.
"Dang it! I leave to go on a vacation for nearly a month and Sonic's already gone off on another adventure without me! We haven't gotten the chance to go to the movies as we planned three months ago because of that whole Nazo mess that happened! They did even bother asking me to tag along! Oooh! I swear when I see either Sonic or Tails when I get to New Mobotropolis, they are gonna get the hammer!"
"Ms. Amy? Is that you?"
The hedgehog turned around to see two familiar faces which made her form a smile.
Standing behind Amy were two cream-colored Mobian rabbits, both female with one being older and the other is younger. The older rabbit had brown eyes and a tuft of light orange hair on her forehead. She had light brown and orange markings around her eyes and on the ends of her lopped ears. For attire, she wore a long light pink and purple dress with white trim and a fitted burgundy vest, a blue or orange ascot, white gloves with gold cufflinks, low-heeled burgundy shoes, and pink lipstick. The younger rabbit shared the same colored eyes and markings as her mother with one eyelash on each eye with a short puffy tail. For attire, she wore a simple sleeveless vermilion dress with a white collar and light blue cravat, white gloves with a golden cufflink on each cuff, white socks, and vermilion and yellow slip-on shoes. Her ears are usually swiveled back and flop behind her head. The younger rabbit was also accompanied by a small creature of light blue with yellow markings at the tip of its head, hands, feet, and tail, a bulb-shaped head, dark blue eyes, a floating yellow orb hovering above the top of its head that changes appearance corresponding to its emotions, two pink butterfly-like wings, and a small circular tail.
These two were Vanilla and Cream the Rabbit, who both were followed by a young Chao named Cheese.
The two approached Amy with the ten-year-old Cream greeting her, saying, "Hi, Miss Amy! It's nice to see you again!"
Amy responded with a hug, saying, "Hiya, Cream! It's great to see you too! I wasn't expecting to run into you or Miss Vanilla here."
Cheese chirped, rubbing his head against Amy's muzzle, which made her giggle at the young Chao's display of affections.
"Aw!~ I missed you too, Cheese." Amy cooed before turning to Vanilla. "Hello, Miss Vanilla! What brings you and Cream, and Cheese out here to the airport?"
"Hello, Amy dear. We're going to visit a relative in the Kingdom of Acornia. My older brother and our late sister's daughter are staying in New Mobotropolis." Vanilla said.
Amy blinked before placing her hands on her hips with a smile, saying, "Is that so? Well, it just so happened that I received an email from Tails that he and Sonic are out on another adventure in New Mobotropolis. And you know me! Hehe!"
"Hehe! I see. Going after Mister Sonic, I see." Cream winked innocently with her left index finger raised.
Amy smirked, replying by saying, "This Rose is gonna make things work somehow, darn it!"
"Well, if that's the case then, Amy, perhaps we could travel together and help you find Sonic and Tails. Maybe my cousin and our niece might be able to give us information about their whereabouts." Vanilla offered.
With her eyes gleaming with excitement, Amy bowed a little after saying, "You will? Gosh, thank you some much, Miss Vanilla!"
"Oh, it's not a hassle at all, Amy dear. It would be a lot more enjoyable to have some company while we're flying, anyways." Vanilla responded in an endearing manner.
"Right," Amy nodded.
The group of four waited in line together, as they soon went through the process of checking in, handing their luggage over, passing through the airport security and the boarding gates, and going into the plane that took them to New Mobotropolis.
Freedom HQ, New Mobotropolis, Acornia
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and the Freedom Fighters were sitting at the conference table. Tails and Knuckles are on the left and right sides of the blue hedgehog respectively. The other Freedom Fighters sat in their designated seats with Sally sitting at the center.
"Good morning, everybody. I'm glad to see that you're all well-rested." Sally greeted, with her older comrades and Sonic responding back positively.
"Bonjour, Princesse." Antoine said respectfully.
"Howdy. Sugar." Bunnie waved.
"Hiya, Sal!" Sonic replied casually.
Sally nodded before turning to a livelier-than-usual Tails, saying, "Welcome to Freedom HQ, Miles. I take it that your visit with Sir Charles went well?"
Tails nodded happily, saying, "It was more than I ever expected, but much appreciated. And I have your father to thank for that."
Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other before shrugging, not knowing what Sally and Tails were talking about.
Sally then turned to Knuckles and said, "And it's good to see that you've made a speedy recovery."
"I've had a lot worse, your grace." Knuckles said with decent manners. "Now I'd hate to seem rude, but how long until the king gets here? The sooner he's here with the shard, the sooner I can start the search and repair of the Master Emerald."
"No need to be hasty, Knux. The king's a busy guy, ya know? He has his own timetable." Sonic explained in a laid-back fashion.
"It's alright, Sonic. I can handle this just fine." Sally said in the Blue Blur's direction before setting her sights on the echidna. "There is no need to worry, Knuckles. My father is on his way as of this moment. In fact, the last message I received from him was him taking a stop to the Ministry of Science to pick up the shard from a friend. Rest assured, my father, entrusted the shard's security to a loyal old friend who's trustworthy."
Knuckles' brow furrowed as he said, "Is that so? And how can I trust a stranger that I have never met?"
Sally winked, saying, "You'll see."
Right on cue, the elevator doors opened, revealing King Max and Sir Charles walking into Freedom HQ. First, Sally and the king exchanged a hug, with King Max kissing his daughter's forehead.
"Good morning, Sally-bean," The King greeted. "Thank you for calling me here at the utmost importance."
"Morning, Daddy," She whispered.
Meanwhile, Sonic gave the older hedgehog a manly hug while he asked, "Hey, Uncle Chuck. How's it hangin'?"
"I'm doing fine, Sonny-boy. I had some work to do early in the morning." He gestured before pulling out the Master Emerald shard from his satchel.
This didn't go unnoticed by Knuckles, who first saw the hedgehog with an uncanny resemblance to Sonic, and also watched him take out the very thing he was looking for.
'...Wait a minute!' Knuckles thought before continuing out loud. "Sonic, who is this man? And what is he doing with the shard?"
Before Sonic explained anything, Sir Charles looked at the echidna's gloved hands and noticed his spikes. From there, a connection was made in his mind, prompting the old man to turn to his nephew.
"Is this the elusive friend you were referring to last night?" Sir Charles question.
Sonic nodded, as he introduced Knuckles to his last living family member.
"Oh, yeah? Ya'll didn't meet yet. Uncle Chuck, this is my friend, Knuckles. He's the guardian of the Master Emerald. Knuckles, this is my long lost uncle, Sir Charles. But his friends call him Chuck. We were estranged from each other for a long time, so I forgot about him until recently."
"Since when did you have an uncle?" Knuckles blinked. "I thought that you didn't have any known blood relatives."
Sonic and Sir Charles responded grimly, "Long story,"
King Max cleared his throat, saying, "Now that we're all present and have been acquainted with each other, we can finally get down to business. We have a major issue on our hands regarding a pair of extremely dangerous individuals. A deadly pair who will more than likely to create an alliance with each other. The Overlander scientist Dr. Robotnik and the Ixis Warlock Naugus the Dark."
Turning to his daughter, King Max said, "Sally, if you may?"
Sally nodded and took out her computer.
"NICOLE," The princess called out. "Access the GUN files on Dr. Robotnik."
The female automated voice replied, "Accessing files, princess."
Tails watched in awe at the computer's artificial Power Ring projecting a blue hologram that showed a ton of pages regarding personal, private, and public information regarding Dr. Robotnik.
"Name, Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik. Sex, Male. Age, forty-eight years old. Date of birth, the twenty-third of June in the year 3268." NICOLE started.
'...Huh, so that's what Eggman's first name is. Didn't know that we have the same birthday either.' Sonic thought to himself as he silently watched as Sally spoke.
Sally asked, "Can you give us more of an insight into his background, NICOLE?"
"Julian Robotnik was born to a prestigious family, with his parents being bank owners and private investors. Julian was said to have two older brothers, with the eldest brother, Colin Sr. becoming the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Federation, while his second brother, Irving, was a former lieutenant of the Guardian Units of Nations up until his death during the Great War." The AI revealed.
"Huh. I didn't know that Eggman had brothers." Tails said aloud.
"Oui," Antoine commented, "And apparently, they were the equivalent of nobility in the United Federation."
"Nikki, whut else duz it as bout thus no-good hooligan?" Asked the cyborg rabbit.
The program said, "Upon finishing his general education and higher education, he received his Ph.D. in Computer Science, Master Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering while earning his Bachelor's Degree in Business and Finance."
Rotor stammered at the amount of education the doctor had acquired.
"...Holy smokes," The walrus swore.
Tails said, "Sonic wasn't kidding. Eggman does have an IQ of 300, so that makes sense."
Furrowing his eyebrows, the king ordered the computer, "Proceed, NICOLE."
"In his early twenties, Julian's expertise in his craft drew the attention of the Guardian Units of Nations. He earned a position in the institution as an inventor. His role was so significant during his time under the Guardian Unit of Nations' employ given that advanced machinery and weapons of mass destruction were all of his design." Said NICOLE as the hologram started to show off the kinds of machines that were in the Great War which were all designed and built by Robotnik.
The Freedom Fighters and Tails gasped in horror at the sudden revelation.
"Oh, mah stars…" Bunnie whispered, recognizing some of the GUN Beetles from the museum of Old Mobotropolis."
Antoine shivered at the sight of the various versions of the SWATbots that he recalled his father telling him about.
Sally's eyes never left the program but remained silent regardless.
Sir Charles and King Max exchanged a serious glance at each other, both understanding how dangerous the situation was.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles also exchanged looks, then had a quick conversation.
"I've always thought that Eggman was a bad guy, but to be a part of something so terrible..." Sonic said grimly, subconsciously gripping his hands.
"Many Mobians lost their lives and had their homes torn apart thanks to that." Tails commented, looking upset at the fact. "No wonder why the Freedom Fighters were having trouble dealing with him."
Knuckles said, "Hmph! I can't wait to batter his ugly face the next chance that I get!"
"Roughly six months before the end of the war, Julian's position as an inventor for the Guardian Unit of Nations was terminated by an overseer, his older brother Irving, for allegedly fulfilling Mobinies and Mobians as a fuel source for his machines. Because of this, Julian was dishonorably charged from the military, with all of his work being handed off to the government. However, what the military did not count on was Julian's retaliation by compromising every functioning unit he created, which turned the tide of war, granting the Mobians the advantage needed to end the war six months later." NICOLE finished.
Everybody grew silent, understanding that the war that their people had fought hardon was only won because of Robotnik's withdrawal from the battle.
Sally, being the first to recollect herself, said, "Is that all of the information, NICOLE?"
"Everything that wasn't already public knowledge, princess." The AI replied.
Sally nodded as she closed the computer and slid it back to her boot.
"Eggman is bad news, I get that. But what about this Naugus person? What makes him a threat?" Knuckles asked.
The king of Acornia then stepped in to answer the echidna's question.
"Naugus is a master of Ixis Magick. Legends say that magicians who learn this practice either draws power from an item that has been enchanted by Ixis Magick, or they drew from the source; the Void of Silence. A realm that is null of life, time, and light that was said to have been ripped away from a primordial darkness that had been long since banished. This kind of power grants Naugus a versatile range of power and skills that are more complex and intricate than Chaos energy. Though not its equal in terms of raw power, it can be used to bypass or even fend off Chaos energy." King Max explained.
Knuckles' body tensed up automatically at the thought of Naugus appearing on Angel Island.
"...And he had Eggman use Metal Sonic to have me break the Master Emerald. Damn it!" Knuckles groaned.
Sir Charles approached the echidna, with the first shard in hand.
"Young man. Can you tell me something?" The older hedgehog asked. "I noticed your hands' bare spikes on the outside. Your physical appearance matches the description of an old ally to my fallen homeland. What tribe do you come from?"
Taken aback by this question, Knuckles slowly replied by saying, "Oh. ...I am from the Yaotl clan."
Seeing that his suspicions were correct, Sir Charles handed Knuckles the Master Emerald shard, saying, "I see. A long time ago, my people and your people were great allies. Our first king and his wife were blessed by them using an Ancient Stone of Wonder. I always believed that it was that very stone that gave an individual of every generation a special gift. And I firmly believe that Sonic's superspeed is a result of that too. If what the others say is true about you, then it would be in everybody's best interest that you restore this "Master Emerald" as soon as possible."
Sonic and Knuckles looked at one another, slightly confused at what he was talking about regarding both of their families. Seeing this, Sir Charles smiled and said, "We'll discuss more on that later."
"Right," Tails said, getting attention from everyone. "So, if Naugus wanted the Master Emerald out of commission then it's more than likely that both he and Eggman are interested in collecting the Chaos Emeralds."
"My thoughts exactly, Mile-, I mean Tails," Sally said, correcting herself when remembering that the young fox preferred his alias. "Naugus' original goal after taking Old Mobotropolis as a capital for his stronghold and to start another Great War with the whole planet. His tactic involved crystalizing unsuspecting victims and incorporating them into his Phantom Army. We were only able to push him back thanks to supporting allies from neighboring kingdoms and the brilliance of Sir Charles with his research regarding other ancient and mystical artifacts."
The king came back into the conversation, saying, "With that being said, there is no doubt that Naugus would be aiding Eggman in order to have a better chance of finding the Gems of Miracles."
Rotor grimaced, stating, "If he were to get his hands on those Emeralds, he'd have more than enough power to take over the world."
Everybody stopped to hear a soft and exciting chuckle that came from none other than Sonic himself.
Antoine, who seemed a bit crossed at the hedgehog's attitude, asked, "What is possibly amusing about any of this?"
"Hey, hey! No worries! I know this ain't know laughin' matter." Sonic explained positively. "But to me, the answer's clear as day."
"Oh?" Sally said, tilting her head in curiosity. "And what do you propose the plan should be, Sonic?"
Flashing his signature grin, Sonic said, "It's pretty straightforward, Sally! We snag those Chaos Emeralds before Eggman and Naugus do, then bring the fight right to them!"
Outside of the rest of Team Sonic, the hedgehog's statement was met with controversy in the form of negative reactions which varied from "What!?", "Are you crazy!?", "Are you mad!?", to "That's suicide!". The was quelled down by the king ordering silence, which the room immediately fell quiet.
"I will allow it, Oliver." The king allowed. "Though, I too share a similar concern towards your proposal as the others. What is your logic behind this decision?"
Sighing, Sonic looked at the king in a serious manner, asking him, "Ain't you tired, Your Majesty?"
Blinking, King Max responded by saying, "...I beg your pardon? Am I tired of what?"
"Ya know, all this fightin'," Sonic answered. "The war, watchin' people, young and old dyin' out, and sufferin' in and out of the battlefield. Worryin' whether or not things might get worse the next day. Ain't you sick of all of that?"
The king nodded, saying, "Very much so."
Turning to the other Freedom Fighters and his uncle, Sonic asked, "What about all of ya'll? Do you guys feel the same, too?"
The gang nodded amongst themselves with Sally replying, "Of course we are, Sonic. We've been fighting for over ten years."
"Don't you guys see? Ya'll have been at this for far too long, and now that Eggman's with this wizard, things are only gonna get worse from here on out. Too many times, the doctor had been close to conquerin' the world, and my friends and I had to come in clutch send him packin'. And now they're teamin' up with to collect the Chaos Emeralds. We're talkin' relic with near infinite power, here. This means they're bound to bring their A-game and will stop at nothin' to achieve their end goal to finish the war that Naugus had started. If we're gonna win this, we gotta work together and beat them at their own game." Sonic said.
"Sonny, while that sounds good on paper, it's not as easy as you make it out to be." Sir Charles said, prompting everybody to focus on the older hedgehog. "Naugus is cunning and crafty as he is skilled in sorcery. There have been many times during our battles with the Warlock where we've been tricked by him. You've never encountered him, let alone know how he operates."
Sally stated, "Us never running into one of the Gems of Miracles is something that we also have to factor in. None of us wouldn't even know how to track them."
Tails commented brightly, "You guys don't have to worry about that! You might not have much experience with the Chaos Emeralds, but we do! I have many devices and software that have the frequency of a Chaos Emerald. I can help in that area."
"Besides, you've barely seen what Eggman is truly capable of." Knuckles said evenly, getting everybody's eyes on him now. "So it works both ways. We can rely on each other to provide information on how each of our enemies operates to have a better chance of countering them and ironing out any disadvantages we may face. A fair trade."
The members of the kingdom of Acornia stared at each other, still a bit apprehensive at Sonic's proposal despite what Team Sonic had explained.
Sonic then said in seriousness, "Look, I know that you guys are hesitant. I get why this seems like a bit of a jump. ...That's kind of my thing to get down to business when I'm sure of myself, I guess. But think about it. These are two dangerous men out for world domination. Both are very much capable of doin' so alone given the right circumstances. But together, it's nearly a guarantee. If we don't act now, things will definitely get really ugly."
"...But whut if Naugus n' Robotnik get more o' them gems than way do, Sugar-hog?" Bunnie inquired.
Rubbing his nose, Sonic grinned, "Even if those two losers were to get more Emeralds than we do, we still got a secret weapon."
Sonic and Tails turned to Knuckles, which Sally then caught on before the other Freedom Fighters did.
"That's right!" The chipmunk realized. "The Master Emerald holds authority over the Gems of Miracles!"
"...Of course! Even if we were a few gems short-" Sir Charles started.
"-It could subdue the Gems of Miracles' power!" The king stated before turning to Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. "You three could harness the gems' power, can you not?"
"I can only do that through my machines. Knuckles and Sonic can, though." Tails answered.
Knuckles then said, "I can use the Chaos Emeralds, but I'm more equipped to handle the power of the Master Emerald. Using the Chaos Emeralds is more up Sonic's alley."
"Yup, It sure is," The azure hedgehog said with a thumb up from his right hand. "So, how about it? Are you guys up for it?"
"It sounds good to me! I'm ready when you are, Sonic!" Tails said, supporting his friend no matter what."
"Hmph. It's not like I've had any other choice." Knuckles agreed, inwardly itching to beat up Eggman.
The Freedom Fighters glanced at each other silently, still a bit apprehensive at the notion.
However, Bunnie, fed up with the staring and silence, slammed both of her hands on the table and stood up.
"Ah don' know bout all uh yawl, but Ahm just bout sick o' all uh thus fightin'. Ahm takin' mah life back. Yawl got mah vote hare, Sugar-hog!" Bunnie said with determination in her burning eyes.
Antonie stood up next, "If mon amour is alright with this, then I am too. We must act now!"
Rotor followed after Antoine, "It sounds risky, but I'm willing to take a chance! I'm in as well!"
Sally, seeing her childhood friends and teammates rally with Sonic's plan brought a smile to her face as her own spirit for freedom began to burn brighter than ever.
Sally stood up, saying, "You know what? Count me in too! Let's do it to it!"
The others turned to Sir Charles and King Max. The king then took a glance towards his friend and scientist.
"Sir Charles?" The squirrel questioned, wondering what was his stance on the matter.
The pale blue hedgehog then said while standing, "...We've warred for far too long, my friend. We're not as youthful as we used to be. And I plan on retiring, seeing my nephew grow up, and being there on his wedding day. Let's make this our last outing as warriors."
King Max finally took his stand and said, "Eight years…I've spent eight years in the Void of Silence. Exiled from my homeland, estranged from my allies, away from my daughter. All I could think of during the time was what I've lost. Years of my life, never to return. I've lost my kingdom, my oldest friends, ...my beloved wife. Then I was saved but had to endure the hardships of a kingdom in shambles. It took me four years to rebuild, and I'll be damned if I were to lose it again to the likes of this piece of filth! It's time I paid that despicable troll for everything he's done to me and this kingdom! We are ending this now!"
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles smiled at the king's declaration, much like the other Freedom Fighters that were cheering.
Taking his sword from its scabbard and raising it, King Max shouted, "For Freedom!"
Other than Antonie, who had also raised his sword, the other Mobians raised their fists in the air and shouted the same.
"FOR FREEDOM!"
Rabbot Residence, Suburban District, New Mobotropolis
In front of a smaller mansion with a beautiful front lawn, an older male rabbit held out a gardening hose and was gently watering his lawn.
The older gentleman was described to have a similar appearance to Bunnie, having a cybernetic prosthetic that replaced his right arm. The yellow-colored Mobian rabbit had brown eyes, two buck teeth, bushy eyebrows, large, and scruffy tufts of fur on his cheeks. He wore a brown, Westernised jacket, a white shirt, a red string tie, a brown cowboy hat, a black, fingerless glove on his normal left hand, and tan trousers with dark brown boots. Resting on his head was a cowboy hat that had it to wear his large ears were laid back to make room for his hat.
This was Beauregard Rabbot, councilman to the royal Parliament.
The rabbit whistled while maintaining hydration for his law.
He stopped when he heard the sound of a cab nearby his property. He walked over to the faucet where his hose was connected and turned it off. Once he was done, Beauregard walked over to the driveway where he saw a taxi.
The passenger side and both backdoors opened, allowing Vanilla, Amy, and Cream (with Cheese) to exit out of the car. They all grabbed their luggage from the trunk of the taxi before it drove off.
"Oh my gosh, this place looks wonderful!" Amy lavished, taking in the beautiful view of the mansion and the garden that the front yard possessed.
"It's like one of those fancy Victorian homes that my great-great-grandparents built from those old pictures. Right Cheese?" Cream recalled, with the Chao chirping in agreement.
"It looks like Brother Beau has been doing well for himself now that New Mobotropolis is peaceful," Vanilla said with a smile on her face.
Walking toward the group of people, Beauregard, "Wayul, Ahl bay! Izzat Liddel 'Nessa thet Ah say?"
The older female rabbit turned to see Beauregard and walked over to hug her older brother.
"Beau, it's so nice to see you and…" Vanilla paused before looking at the false arm of Beauregard, "A-and mostly in one piece. After the coup and the rebellion, I thought I wouldn't hear from you again."
The male rabbit chuckled at the comment, waving it off as he said, "Still uh worry wort, Ah say. Don't worry bout it. Ahm still alive an Ahm sayin' yawl. Thets all thet matters, raht?"
"Good," Beauregard said before turning to Cream as he bent down to Cream's level. "Looky, hare! Hifit isn't liddel miss Cassidy? Mah, hav you grown? Hyeru, Cream-puff?"
Cream smiled, saying, "I'm doing great, Uncle Beau! I'm ten years old now! Cheese got bigger too!"
The Chao chirped positively in Cream's arms.
"Ah reckon hay did, liddel miss." Beauregard chuckled before turning to Amy's direction. "An who iz thus young lady raht hare?"
Amy waved politely, greeting, "Oh, hi there sir. My name's Amy Rose, I'm a friend of Cream and Miss Vanilla. It's a pleasure to meet you, mister."
The rabbit tipped his hat, saying, "Beauregard Rabbot, Councilman uh thuh Royal Parliament. Wha don't ya come n-sod? Ahl hav thuh servants come an git them bags."
Nodding, the group waited for the servants to come and collect their bags. Once they arrived and did so, Vanilla, Amy, Cream (and Cheese) and Beauregard walked inside the mansion and went into the backyard while Beau had tea prepared for them on the table outside. Amy had lemonade while Cream (and Cheese) drank fruit juice.
Upon drinking her tea, Vanilla was asked by her older brother, "How's thuh jasmine taste, Vanessa?
"The tea is lovely, Beau." Vanilla replied. "You make tea just as great as Mother did."
Beauregard smiled at his little sister's compliment. Looking at everyone, the male rabbit asked, "So, how's thuh city lahf lahk in thuh United Federation?"
Vanilla explained, "Ah, well, its gotten a lot more peaceful since the incident a couple of years back. Relations between Overlanders and Mobians have improved greatly."
The cowboy nodded, then said, "Ah figured as much. Since Ahv retired frum participatin' in battles fahwar joinin' thuh Parliament, Ahv been involved in large meetings discussin' thangs uh thuh sort. Wunna thuh possibilities thet thuh king wuz considerin' wuz thuh kangdom an thuh Guardian Unit uh Nations establishin' an alliance."
Vanilla and Amy gasped, with the pink hedgehog saying, "So it's true? I thought those were just rumors."
"An how would yawl know sumpn lahk thet, liddel lady?" Beauregard asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cream responded, explaining, "Believe it or not, Uncle Beau, we have three friends who are agents of GUN."
Beauregard turned to Amy and Vanilla, who nodded to the veteran in confirmation. Nodding, Beauregard brought his attention to Amy with a question of his own.
"Now, whut brings yawl hare? Ah don't mind havin' guesss ovur, but Ah kaynt help but wonder."
Feeling embarrassed, Amy rubbed the back of her sheepishly.
"Ah, I understand. Sorry about entering your home unannounced, mister. I came with Miss Vanilla and Cream because I also came from Station Square. You see, I arrived here to look for a friend and…" Amy paused while blushing. "...and a special someone. I was told that they were royally summoned by your king. Vanilla said that you might be able to point me in the right direction"
"Oh," Beauregard understood, holding back a knowing laugh. "Wayul, Ahm teyundin' tuh guesss raht now, but Ah know sumbody who can help yawl find chur friends."
Tilting her head, Amy asked while placing her left index finger on her left cheek, "Really? Who?"
Just then, the sound of the patio door slid open, grabbing everybody's attention. The newcomer was none other than Bunnie herself.
Amy's first mental observation regarding the teenage rabbit was the fact that she looked beautiful. Her eyeshadow and voluptuous figure reminded the pink hedgehog of a particular bat, except with a southern flare given her style of clothing.
However, Amy asked in her mind, 'I wonder what happened to her arm and legs?'
"Sorry fahwar thuh wait, uncle Beau. Thayure wuz uh meetin' an-," Bunnie explained for a moment before looking at Cream and Vanilla.
Cream was the first to react, saying, "Cousin Bunnie!"
Bunnie gasped, "Oh mah stars...Cream!"
Cream got up from her seat and embraced her older cousin in a nice big hug. The teenager gushed at Cream and Cheese's size, which the pair prided themselves on. Vanilla got up and walked up to Bunnie.
"...It's been a long time, dear Scarlet."
Letting go of Cream (and Cheese), Bunnie warmly smiled and said, "Auntie Vanilla, Ah missed you so much!
Vanilla hugged her niece for a moment, saying, "I missed you too, sweetie. My, oh my, you look wonderful!"
Bunnie giggled at the compliment, thanking her aunt for it, She then turned to Amy, asking, "An who might you bay?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Amy replied, "Oh, excuse my manners. My name's Amy Rose. Your uncle said that you might be able to help me actually...uh was it Scarlet or Bunnie?"
"Oh, mah Ma an Pa named may Scarlet, but mah friends an uh few uh mah family members call may Bunnie." Bunnie explained, preferring to be called "Bunnie". "Whuts it thet you need help with, sugar?"
"I came here to look for two people. Both are really great friends of mine and I was hoping that you could lend me a hand?"
Bunnie then asked, "Wha, shore! Ah can probly find them hif thay're out hare. Can yawl tell may whut thay look lahk?"
"Yeah. One of them is a ...handsome azure blue hedgehog with the most dreamy emerald green eyes...Ah, sorry. Lost my train of thought there. And the other one's is a young fox with two tails." Amy explained whimsily before turning red and spoke normally (albeit slightly embarrassed).
While Bunnie remained neutrally perky with her expression, in her mind, she inwardly frowned while mentally saying, 'So, shay knows Sugar-hog an Tayuls. Shay don't saym tuh bay lyin' hif thuh girl came with Cream an Auntie Vanilla. ...Ahl gist hav tuh play along tuh say thuh truth fahwar mahsef. ...An hifit iz thuh case, Sally might hav sum competition.'
"Wait, you mean Sonic and Tails?" Bunnie asked, getting Cream and Amy's attention.
"You know them?" Both of them asked.
Shore do, sugar! Sonic iz an' ol' friend, but thets uh long story fo' another tahm. If Auntie Vanilla an' Cream says thet its true, then Ahl take yawl tuh them." Bunnie said with a kind smile.
Getting out of her seat, Amy exclaimed, "Well what are we waiting for! Miss Vanilla, is it alright for Cream to go see Sonic and Tails?"
"Why, sure it is! Just be back before it gets too late."
"Yes ma'am!" The three girls said before Amy and Cream (and Cheese) followed Bunnie out of the backyard.
While Vanilla placed her right hand, muttering "Oh dear…", Beauregard shook his hand while sighing. "Hoo, boy! Charlie's nephew iz in fo' uh tough time. Hehehe!"
"Wait, Charlie's...nephew?" Vanilla echoed in confusion. "Are you talking about Sonic?"
Beauregard slapped his new, saying, "Shoot, thets right! Ah didn't tell you, didn't Ah? Yawl remember Charlie, raht?"
Vanilla nodded, saying, "I believe so, Beau. Wasn't he the gentleman who made that prosthetic arm?"
"You darn right, hay did! Charlie's uh member uh thuh Ministry o' Science! Hay made all sorts uh gizmos an' do-hickeys! Hay helped us out durin' thuh war an' thuh coup! Hehe... anyway, Charlie has uh nephew, a long story short, thet famous speedy fellah iz that same nephew." Beauregard revealed.
"Sonic is your friend's nephew?" Vanilla gasped, always thinking that the young hedgehog didn't have any known blood relatives. "B-But how? I was under the impression that he was an orphan."
"Thet," The older male rabbit paused, pulling up a chair for his sister to sit on. "Sister, iz a long tell thet will take tahm, an uh bit uh tea tuh tell."
Vanilla smiled and sat down as her brother poured more tea into her cup and did so for himself. The two were seated, and Beauregard began his story.
Chuck's Chili Dogs, Shopping District, New Mobotropolis
Rotor had Tails blindfolded Sonic upon making it to their destination halfway. After ten minutes of walking around the various shops, vending areas, and other stores with reasonably priced goods, Sonic started to get impatient.
"When do I get to take this thing off? Ya know, I can't stand not being able to see." The blue hedgehog whined.
Tails turned to Rotor, asked, "Are we there yet?"
"Almost…there..." Rotor drew out before all three stopped. "...And stop! Alright, Sonic. You can take off the blindfold now!"
"About time! I swear, it would have been easy for me to speed...through…" Sonic ranted, taking off the cloth around his before his voice slowly died down.
Sonic, Rotor, and Tails stood in front of a reasonably sized vending store that was normally seen inside malls in a food court section. Sonic looked at the sign to see the name of and parted his lips in awe.
...It said Uncle Chuck's Hot Dogs
Rotor spread his arms apart, saying, "Tada!"
"Wait, Uncle Chuck owns a food stand?" Tails asked, tapping his right index finger on his chin. "I thought he works for the crown at the Ministry of Science?"
"He does," Rotor explained. "Though Chuck takes pride in his job in his field of study, he decided to start up a small business to lift his spirits."
Sonic looked over to Rotor inquisitively, asking, "Lift his spirits? What for?"
Rotor gazed at Sonic with a solemn expression, saying, "Dude, a ton of lives were lost during the coup. A ton. There are still families here that can never be reunited because of death or because of estrangement. By the time the coup ended, we barely had any territory to look for survivors, let alone the bodies. When we got more wiggle room...corpses started to appear. Sadly, it included Queen Alicia, my aunt and cousins, Mrs. D'Coolette, Bunnie's parents, Mrs. Mongoose ...and your parents."
Sonic looked down, not knowing what to say. Tails patted his friend's back to comfort him.
"Needless to say, your uncle took the loss of his family pretty hard. ...But what nearly broke him was when you didn't come back with him to Knothole. ...He wasn't the same after that, Sonic. Even after helping us during our plans, furthering the development of the artificial Power Rings and Warp Rings, and helping re-establish the Kingdom of Acornia, he couldn't take being cooped up in his lab. In his eyes, he failed his family. So, he rekindled his love for the culinary arts and invested in the food industry as a way to distract himself from the pain." Rotor finished.
"Poor Uncle Chuck," Tails whispered. "It must have been terrible for him to live through that."
Sonic remained silent, staring at the restaurant before his stomach growled, causing him to pat his stomach while the other two looked at him.
Rotor let out a small chuckle along with Tails.
"I guess some things never change, do they?" The walrus asked rhetorically. "Come on, let's go and buy us something to eat."
With the famous duo nodding in agreement, Sonic walked over to the stand. There, a young adult female Manx cat with orange fur and peach skin. Her eyes were a cerulean blue, and her brown hair was worn in a ponytail and did not have a tail. Her attire consists of a bandeau top, tights, and sneakers. She also wore white gloves with bracelets for cuffs.
This was one of the vendors of the store, Tiara Boobowski.
As she was cleaning the counter, the girl looked forward to seeing Rotor.
"Rotor! Long time no see!" Tiara called out.
Rotor said, "Hey, Tiara. Sorry that I haven't been around here lately. I've been busy with missions."
Tiara waved the explanation away, saying, "Say no more, the city has been a lot more secured thanks to you Freedom Fighters being actively in service. I can let it sli-"
The Manx cat paused mid-sentence at the sight of Sonic and Tails standing right next to Rotor.
"Holy Chaos!" Tiara shouted before calming down. "I-Is that who I think it is?"
Grinning at the cat, Rotor said, "That's right. They are Sonic and Tails in the flesh."
"What's up?" Sonic greeted.
Tails responded by saying, "Hi there!"
Snapping out of her stupor, Tiara said, "Oh… wow! I mean, I thought you guys being here were just rumors."
"I buy that," Tails understood.
"Long story short, they were royally summoned to help us against the enemy." Rotor explained.
The Manx cat nodded, stating, "I see, say no more."
Sonic then asked, "Hey, Rot'. How come you brought me here outside of grabbin' a bite?"
Rotor looked at Sonic, confused as he said, "What do you mean? Don't you want to get a chili dog?"
Sonic and Tails looked at each other, then turned back to the walrus with a bewildered expression.
"...A chili dog?" Sonic repeated. "You mean when you slap some chili on a glizzy, right?"
"Why would Sonic want a chili dog specifically?" Tails questioned.-
At that point, all color left the walrus' face as he realized in his mind, '...He really doesn't remember anything. I've got to fix this!'
He turned to Tiara, ordering, "Tiara, I need three chili dogs with cheese on them! Quickly!"
Tiara looked at the walrus, weirded out, but noticed the seriousness of Rotor and went to the back to prepare his order.
Sonic and Tails shrugged off the interaction and waited for about a minute until Tiara came back with three perfectly made chili dogs. Rotor picked up two and handed each chili dog to Sonic and Tails.
Looking at Sonic with a serious expression, Rotor said, Go on, Sonic. Try it."
Sonic blinked at him, with Tiara and Tails awkwardly smiling, then looked at the chili dog.
Sonic then formed his own awkward grin, then took a bite from the chili dog. Suddenly, his taste buds began to sing a heavenly melody, rejoicing from the taste of the food the Blue Blur consumed. To Sonic, it was like greeting a long-lost friend that he was reuniting with. All of a sudden, Sonic started to recall the eating contest held by the Walrus family with little Rotor bringing the giant stereo during the gatherings. He remembered the mountain of chili dogs he ate with the other kids, winning them most of the time. Coming back into reality, a small tear fell from the hero's right eye as he swallowed the first bite upon slowly chewing it for a moment.
Tails looked at Sonic, worried about his friend's reaction.
"...Uh, buddy? Are you okay there?" Tails questioned.
Wiping the tear away, Sonic said, "Yeah! I'm good. Scratch that, I'm doing great!" Sonic said before turning to Rotor. "I think I get why you brought me here. Thanks, Rotor!"
Tails gazed at his friend, still unable to read the situation.
"...Uh, I know that the chili dog is good and all, but I'm kind of lost here." Tails admitted.
As Sonic ordered six more chili dogs in exchange for an autograph for Tiara's younger siblings, Rotor explained, "Sonic's favorite food as a kid was Uncle Chuck's cooking. But none of his dishes topped his famous chili dogs."
"Oh! That's interesting." Tails said as he witnessed his friend chowing down on four chili dogs in a matter of a few seconds.
"Tails? Tails!"
Rotor and Tails turned to see Cream waving at the fox with Cheese in her left arm.
"Who's that?" Rotor asked, with Tails responding with, "Is that Cream? And Cheese is here too! What are they doing here?"
The ten-year-old rabbit stopped with a big smile on her face, saying, "Hi, Tails! Long time no see! How are you?"
Tails greeted his friend, responding, "Cream! What a surprise! I didn't expect to run into you and Cheese here. I'm doing great! And wow, did you get taller?"
The young girl had nearly gotten as tall as the young fox, which took him by surprise. The rabbit then turned to Rotor, asking, "Hello, mister. Are you friends with Tails? My friends call me Cream, and this is my friend, Cheese!"
Cheese happily chirped, "Chao, chao!"
"Nice to meet you, Cream, Cheese. My name is Rotor Walrus, and I'm a Freedom Fighter." Rotor said.
"Wow! You're a Freedom Fighter too? That's really neat," The girl asked. "My big cousin is a Freedom Fighter, too! She's been one for this kingdom for a long time."
Rotor, curious about the girl's claim, asked, "Really? Who is she?"
But before she could respond, a pink blur rushed past everyone, knocking Sonic down, who had two chili dogs in his hands, causing them to fall down and hit the ground, much to his despair.
Tiara, Tails, and Rotor turned to see Amy, hugging Sonic to near death.
"Oh, Sonic! It's been far too long since I've seen you! From now on, we're gonna be staying extra close!"
Sonic was too busy desperately gasping for air as he squirmed around the strong grip of Amy Rose.
"GAH! A-AMY! I...NEED...A-AIR!" Sonic struggled, trying not to pass out.
"Ms. Amy, maybe you should let go of Mr. Sonic. He's a bit...bluer than usual." Cream advised in the most polite manner that she could.
Blinking, Amy realized how hard she was crushing her...crush, letting go of Sonic as she bashfully turned away with her hands covering her cheeks.
"Oh gosh! I was smothering him too hard! Oh! That was so unladylike of me!" Amy said, feeling embarrassed.
Tails and Rotor picked up the panting Sonic while he was sulking at the loss of two perfectly well-made chili dogs that had been grounded literally.
'...No! Not the glizzies, man! Aw... ' Sonic had mentally grieved, regretting not eating the food.
"Creampuff!"
Everybody turned to see Bunnie jogging toward the group.
"Bunnie/Cousin Bunnie!" Amy and Cream called out while Sonic, Tails, and Rotor said, "Bunnie?"
Bunnie walked over to Cream, lightly scolding her.
"Creampuff, you kaynt bay goin' around places wheyunever yawl feel lahk it. Ah gotta keep an ah on you." The older rabbit said.
"Sorry…" Cream looked down.
"It's alright, partner," Bunnie said comfortingly before turning to Sonic, Tails, and Amy. "Well, I see here that she was telling the truth after all."
"Telling the truth? She? What's going on, Bunnie?" Rotor asked.
The cyborg turned to Rotor, explaining, "Ahl keep it short an sweet. Creampuff here an' her mother came down tuh visit since thuh city iz safer. Apparently, they bumped into Amy along thuh way, who wuz a friend of theirs'. As it turns out, Amy an' Cream is both friends with ol' Sugar-hog an' Tails."
"Huh. Well, that sounds convenient." Rotor accepted.
Sonic and Tails nodded together before shouting, "YOU AND CREAM ARE RELATED!?"
Cream nodded, explaining, "Yes, my name is actually Cassidy Rabbot. But my mom and I prefer to be called by our nicknames."
Everybody nodded before a foul wind of killing intent blew. Sonic immediately recognized this as Amy, who magically summoned her Piko Piko Hammer out of nowhere, and glared at Bunnie with a sickly sweet smile.
"Ha ha ha! I'm sorry, am I hearing things? Or did you just call my Sonic "Sugar-hog"?" Amy asked in a slightly deranged manner.
While the others stood in fear, Bunnie giggled at the unnecessary possessiveness that Amy had before waving her off.
"Relax, partner, Ah call almost everybody "sugar". Besides, Ahm uh taken whoamun. So, thayure's naw need tuh worry bout anythin' lahk thet. Now put thet silly ol' hammer down. We're all friends hare." Bunnie causal stated with a friendly smile.
Amy calmed down upon reading Bunnie's expression and demeanor. She laughed sheepishly as he recalled her hammer and rubbed her head.
Sonic, Tails, and Rotor simply looked at each other and sighed in relief.
"What are ya doin' here anyway, Amy?" Sonic asked. "I thought you were stayin' at your relative's place a bit longer."
"Well, I was planning on leaving there three days later…" Amy said with her back turned to Sonic until she glared at him over her right shoulder. "...but somebody forgot to include me on their next adventure!"
Sonic took a big step back, immediately forming that nervous grin that appeared every time he was under pressure.
"Hehehe...Uh, Amy, I-I'm sorry. T-The message was urgent. I couldn't j-just keep a king waitin;. It was a r-royal summon! Honest! I-If I had more time, I would have called ya!"
"Is that so?" Amy said as she spun to face him and took a step forward. "Well, that sounds like an excuse to me! You could have easily picked me up from Little Planet on the Tornado and been to New Mobotropolis in no time!"
Sensing the tension, Rotor tried to calm Amy, saying, "Hey, how about we all calm down and take a breather? Let's not do something hasty."
"Stay outta this, bub!" The pink hedgehog barked, then turned back to Sonic.
"Now answer me! Why didn't you come and get me? Hmph?" Amy asked with more of a demanding tone.
With each confronting step forward Amy took, Sonic stepped backward, increasingly becoming more nervous. "And you still haven't made up for our movie date you promised we'd go on three months ago!"
"D-D-Date!? I didn't promise anythin' like that! We ain't even datin'!" Sonic refused.
Tails and Cream cringed at Sonic's response, already knowing where things are going. Rotor, Bunnie, and Tiara, who was silently watching the spectacle, didn't know how to react to the altercation.
Amy, not taking Sonic's answer too kindly, summoned her Piko Piko Hammer, stating darkly, "...Wrong answer."
Sonic paled as the pink hedgehog slowly approached him.
"...W-Wait! Amy! Come on! We're pals! Can't we just t-talk this out peacefully?" The hero asked, backing away from the angry female friend he was avoiding.
Amy's eyes began to burn as she raised her hammer high in a dangerous manner, growling at her crush.
"AH!" Sonic screamed before dodging a swing from Amy, then turned to his other friends. "UH, I-GOT-TO-GO-GUYS-ROTOR-TIARA-THANKS-FOR-THE-GLIZZIES! TAILS-BUNNIE-CREAM-I'LL-CATCH-YOU-GUYS-LATER!"
Like that, Sonic blurred his way out of sight, leaving a blue streak.
Amy quickly followed his trail with her hammer in hand, screaming, "GET BACK HERE, SONIC! SOOONIC!"
Computer Room, Guardian Unit of Nations HQ, United Federation
Many members of the GUN organization were working in a room full of shining screens coming from large monitors from computers. A lot of these people were simply scientists wearing white lab coats.
Walking into the room was Topaz, which one of the scientists walked over to him with a clipboard.
The head scientist was an older man of short stature. He had tan skin, wisteria eyes, thick eyebrows, wrinkles beneath his eyes, and gray hair that was combed backward. He also wore a white lab coat, black khakis, and black dress shoes.
"Good afternoon, ma'am." The scientist greeted her.
"Good afternoon to you as well, Dr. Thorndyke." Topaz greeted back, with Shadow and Rouge behind her. "Is there any development or progress regarding our findings?"
Dr. Thorndyke smiled, saying, "I'm glad you asked ma'am. Thanks to our translators, the deciphering process has been smooth thus far."
Topaz would have responded, but Shadow stepped forward, asking, "Can you tell us what you have found so far? The information is very crucial to my mission."
Thorndyke nodded, stating, "Of course, Agent Black Wind. The pieces of glyphs that were captured on camera were determined to be detailing a description regarding an entity repeatedly known as the Flame of Hope."
"Flame of Hope?" Rouge asked.
Topaz informed her subordinate, "They are referring to Soleanna's deity."
"Solaris," Shadow confirmed.
"This is correct," Dr. Thorndyke agreed as he ushered them to the main computer screen. "According to what was translated by some of our top mythographers and translators, the glyphs and scriptures talk of how the solar deity is composed of two halves, one represents its mind and conscience while the other represents its body and strength."
Rouge and Topaz nodded while Shadow said, "Go on."
"The body and its strength are described as an inferno that can engulf the world in fire and destruction, unleashing the wrath of the sun upon all life. Meanwhile, the mind is interesting, especially for a god of light and the sun." Dr. Thorndyke said in a curious tone.
"An Inferno that can engulf the world…?" Rouge repeated.
Topaz followed, saying "The Wrath of the Sun?"
Shadow's mind flashed back to the scepter he held, recalling the fiery entity he saw in his vision. The black hedgehog merely shook his head, choosing not to dwell on his thought to listen to the doctor.
"Yes, the scriptures state that if Solaris' mind is separated from his body, that his power shall grow restless and burn the world to ashes with the full wrath of the sun and stars." Dr. Thorndyke explained. "Thus ending the era of the living and leaving the planet a lifeless husk."
Rouge turned to Topaz, asking, "Surely, you're not buying into this fairytale, are you?"
Topaz remained firm, saying, "You're asking a person who literally watched as her hometown was flooded by a giant water creature."
"...That's a good point. But unlike Chaos, we haven't seen any evidence of this so-called Solaris god even existing." Rouge shrugged. "And even if it did long ago, it's most likely long gone."
'...Hmph. Somehow, I doubt that.' Shadow thought, listening to the women's conversation, thinking back to his vision.
"Look, even if that was the case, this could give us a lead regarding those mysterious attacks that's been happening around the world. At this point, the president is willing to follow any leads that could push us closer to an answer. Even if it's metaphysical and or mystical in nature." Topaz explained.
"Of course, I recall the mission. ...This "sun god" thing and the world ending just feels a bit too far-fetched if you ask me." Rouge casually dismissed.
"It would be wise to be open-minded to forces beyond comprehension. The Chaos Emeralds and their power are no different in nature to this deity that is being described. After all, you never know what more we could find. Isn't that right, Dr. Thorndyke?" Shadow advised before turning back to the scientist.
"Quite so, Agent Black Wind. Though far-fetched and over the top to normal people, these legends and myths have a basis in reality, especially given the powerful artifacts on Mobius. The Chaos Emeralds as you said yourself are a testament to this claim, like many cultures, religions, and even extraterrestrial life seem enamored by their power and acknowledge them as being from a higher power. Who is to say Solaris and other deities across the world are also entities that exist or existed?" Dr. Thorndyke remarked. "I also believe your skepticism will waver once we go over the other findings from Soleanna."
Shadow nodded as Rouge asked, "Doctor, did you manage to find out about that beautiful artifact? Or what's making it glow brighter than any precious gemstone?"
"The scepter? The material that it is composed of doesn't match anything on the periodic table, no doubt an ancient alloy or something possibly from Mobian territory." Dr. Thorndyke stated. "But the energy inside the scepter is astounding, it's generating energy levels higher than a nuclear reactor. Whoever forged the scepter wanted to use it to contain this massive amount of thermal energy."
Rouge and Topaz's eyes widened in shock, meanwhile, Shadow's eyes narrowed in even more suspicion.
"What in the world!?" Topaz shouted.
Rouge asked, "What kind of power is inside of it!?"
Shadow bluntly stated, "A dangerous power, that's for certain. I suppose opening that scepter is out of the question?"
"Not unless you want to blow up Oceania and scorch the sky, creating a cloud of smoke so large it would suffocate everything in the southern hemisphere." Dr. Thorndyke replied.
"It's better to keep it intact regardless," Topaz stated. "It's only been a day since it's been uncovered. Besides, the president's orders were to keep all items and evidence related to the case untampered with. The scepter is no exception."
"Good," Shadow nodded. "Because I have a feeling that all of this ties into the nearly thirty years of the global terrorism that our prime suspect has been directly involved with."
"Agreed," Topaz said.
"One last thing, Doctor," Shadow said. "Tell us more about Solaris' mind. His consciousness. What did you find regarding that aspect?"
"Well it was odd considering that Solaris is the god of the sun and light, but the mind and conscience well that's a different story." Dr. Thorndyke replied. "His mind is said to be darkness, a shadow cast from the sun and enveloped within the pitch-black pits of anguish and despair. While the body burns bright like the sun with yellow fire, the mind is drowned in a purple blaze wrapped in pastel crystal."
"...That's not unnerving or creepy at all," Topaz muttered under her breath in a sarcastic tone.
"And the City of Water praised this thing as its god? It's no wonder the kingdom ended up being destroyed." Rouge commented in a huff. "It's deity was doom and gloom. A disaster waiting to happen."
"...That…" Shadow trailed off, thinking about both aspects of Solaris critically. "Was a very astute observation."
Topaz congratulated the scientist, saying, "Good work, Dr. Thorndyke. Let any of us know if you and your team have found any other important information regarding the case. And if there's been a change or a snag during the translations, do call us."
"I'll be sure to alert you upon any new developments, Lt. Commander." Dr. Thorndyke said.
Topaz nodded, then turned around to exit the computer room with Rouge waving goodbye and Shadow giving the doctor a small nod as they left out of the room too.
In a room near the workspace, the Scepter of Light could be seen being held in a glass casing, being scanned inside an advanced console. The vial then glowed a fiery crimson before reverting back into bright orange-red.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: I like to give a special thanks to my good friend, UltimateDemonBeast65 for co-writing and planning most of this chapter. He's a brilliant writer and I recommend that you follow him on and Wattpad.
Anyways, let's get down to the big topic. Yes, Chuck Thorndyke from Sonic X exists in this continuity. But, he's only a glorified cameo and nothing more. His family is not relevant to the story and he'll only appear at least one or two more times. To be honest, he was one of the very few characters in Sonic X that I enjoyed seeing. And apparently, he might have been based on Emmet "Doc" Brown from Back to the Future. The more you know, I guess.
Another thing to discuss is the names given by Cream and Vanilla. Like I said in the disclaimer and note chapter, there may be differences in this universe. This includes some characters and aspects about some characters. Cream and Vanilla are no exception. Vanilla's name in this alternate universe and continuity is Vanessa Rabbot (pronounced Rah-boh) and Cream's name is Cassidy Rabbot. Speaking of which, Bunnie's uncle, Beauregard, is not the Grand Master of the Dark Egg Legion since the Dark Egg Legion does not exist in this continuity. Instead, he was a Royal Knight that fought in the Great War alongside King Max, Sir Jules and Sir Charles, Amadeus Prower, and other Mobians. He lost an arm and was gravely injured during the coup Nagaus the Dark caused. Fortunately, he was saved by the remnants of the kingdom of Acornia and was given a prosthetic alongside his niece. Bunnie's parents were killed during that time period.
Something else I like to mention is that Sonic has a dialect that is similar to a Californian youth living in the city. It won't be too prevalent that it becomes annoying like the Archie Comics or SatAM, but that is characteristic of him. He's modeled after the games in terms of personality, only being cocky when it came down to combat and racing. In all honesty, Sonic here is basically a combination of his game counterpart, bits and pieces of Archie Sonic, and Judai (Jaden) Yūki from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX. And that's not a bad thing…(more on that later). By the way, he doesn't remember that chili dogs were his favorite food because all things associated with his past directly tie back to the coup, which he had long since repressed.
One last thing before I go to bed, Amy's character will be modeled after both the games and a bit of her Sonic X incarnation. So expect a bit of crazy yandere Amy. Her Piko Piko Hammer was created by her uncle, Kingsley "King" O'Hedge, who is a blacksmith alongside her cousin, Robert "Rob" O'Hedge, with its power being enchanted by two natural Power Rings. All the stuff it can do in the games applies here. It's basically Mjolnir. That's a thought to think about.
Anyway, I'm tired. It's the end of my semester, and I got things to do in my life. I'll catch ya'll later. If you guys got questions, comments, concerns, and constructive criticism, leave them in the comment section. If you guys got suggestions or want to talk to me, PM me. Also, keep guessing where Mephiles and Iblis are. I won't answer directly until it's revealed. Next chapter, the quest begins with the first Emerald and Master Emerald shard being the gang's target! Good night, and Happy Holidays!
-DarkShadowGames451