Review Responses:
To Boss Teal: Eh… Nah, I'm not doing the whole Sonic GX shtick where Sonic has two girls fighting over him. But something will happen in the future regarding Sonic and relationships. Just wait and see.
To Void Reader: Team Sandstorm's identity will be revealed in this chapter, just wait and see. As for Mephiles, there is no Scepter of Darkness. There is a scepter, but not one of Darkness. Amy will start to take certain hints towards Sonic and Sally's relationship, but we'll learn more about Sonic's history regarding his feelings towards relationships later.
Ivo's Burner: Sonia and Manic do exist, but Sonic does not have any siblings. He's an only child. Sonia and Manic, or Manuel, are the parents of Sir Charles and Sir Jules Hedgehog in this continuity. While Silver and Blaze will most likely make an appearance, it will be brief given that time traveling will be a focus on this story. Scourge exists in the Sol Dimension, but may or not make an appearance in this story.
That's all for now, on with the show.
Hangar, Freedom HQ, New Mobotropolis
Team Sonic, Amy, the original Freedom Fighters, and Sir Charles all stood in the dark, only for Rotor to flip a switch.
The overhead lights brought into view a sight that took everybody besides Rotor and Tails by surprise.
Standing in front of the group was a large jetliner that was primarily white with red gold and black accents. It had a wingspan of 7 meters, 12.3 meters in length, and had a height of 4.9 meters.
Many of the people present voiced expressions of wonder and amazement. But none more so than Sonic himself.
"Yo! Is that the Tornado!?" Sonic gushed. "It looks clean as heck!"
Rotor and Tails smiled at each other as they presented their work.
"It's no longer just a plane." Rotor winked. "While this was originally Tails' project, I got involved earlier in the week. We brought the Tornado 2 back into HQ and with our combined resources, we gave it a major overhaul. We're talking dual engines for continual energy accommodation, a hidden afterburner feature, and other neat functions."
Tails said, "I don't exactly have an official name for this jet plane, but I refer to it as Tornado Model-X."
The other Freedom Fighters made their way to the vehicle, marveling at its design from a closer perspective.
"I am at a lost for words…" A mesmerized Antione said.
"Well, slap mah head an call may silly! You boys whipped up sumpn real swell!" Bunnie cheered, observing the look of Model-X.
Amy and Sally also compliment Tails and Rotor for their work, with Sonic ruffling his hair and fist-bumping Rotor's left fist.
Sir Charles looked up, examining the vehicle.
"Extraordinary… Of all my years of inventory I've never seen such tenacity and skillful craftsmanship in a short time." The older hedgehog stated.
Knuckles, staring directly at the jet plane, then at the others recognized something
"This aircraft seems exception, but can this thing handle all of us going inside it?" Knuckles questioned, getting everyone's attention.
Tails and Rotor stared at Knuckles, with Rotor stating, "Well… That is a good question. And while you and Sonic have other means to occupy the jet, we could only install three extra seats outside of the pilot's seat."
"And given how the Hyper Tornado is in need of maintenance, I can't have Rotor pilot alongside the Tornado Model-X." Tails concluded.
"So, that would mean that a few of us would have to stay behind," Sally concluded.
The Freedom Fighters looked amongst each other trying to see who would be left behind the mission.
"Well, I'd have to be the one to pilot Model-X after all. So, that's a given." Tails stated.
The others nodded in agreement.
"I'm going." Knuckles declared, leaving No room for debate. "I need to find all of the shards of the Master Emerald, but I'm more prone to finding things more effectively with better transportation...and with a group."
"That's reasonable enough." Said Tails, who nodded as he turned to his best friend. "And I already know your answer."
Sonic gave Tails and the others a thumbs up and a knowing smirk, saying, "You know me, I can't stay sittin' down for too long! I'm ready to get in on some action!"
Everybody smiled at Sonic's answer...only for Amy to hoop her arm around his, saying, "And I'll be following right behind you, as any loyal girlfriend would."
"Amy! Knock it off will ya?" Sonic grumbled as he annoyingly slipped his arm out of the clingy girl's grasp in a huff, earning a pout from Amy.
The others chuckled at the girl's antics aside from the princess, who remained apathetic to Amy's action.
Knuckles then turned towards the Freedom Fighters, and asked, "Now, since we got our people counted for, What about you Freedom Fighters?"
"Right, well I obviously have to go. And that includes NICOLE as well." Sally stated casually.
"I'll stay behind. Those Warp Rings aren't going to make themselves. Besides, you might need a hand in the maintenance of that impressive Hyper Tornado plane." Sir Charles said, passing on the chance of traveling.
"Réellement, I'd like to be joining on the advent-" Antonie said before his cringing while holding his rib, causing Bunnie and the others to pay attention to him.
"Sugar-Twan, Ah dun told you tuh take it easy. You've been pushin' chur trainin' too hard. Ah knew yawl should have stayed at home…" The cyborg rabbit lightly scolded.
"What I can I be saying, my father is a stern teacher. But I must keep in touch with the basics." Antione said a bit weakly.
"Yeah, Ahl bay takin' his place," Bunnie concluded, not taking a no for an answer.
"Then it's settled." Sir Charles said.
Everyone nodded, ready for the mission only for Sally to poke a hole in the decision.
"Hold on. If we're doing this, how are all of us going to fit in this jet plane if it's a four-seater?"
Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other before jumping on the sides of the jet plane. This caught the Freedom Fighters off guard.
"...Isn't that a bit reckless?" The princess questioned, not too sure about their decision.
Sonic said, "No worries! I've been doin' stuff like this since I was eight and a half."
Sally was still unsure, saying, "I'm not too sure about this…"
Tails walked up to the princess saying, "We don't have much time to debate on this, Princess. The fate of Sand Blast City rests on our shoulders. Besides, with me as your pilot, I guarantee we'll all make it there safely!"
Sally and Bunnie smiled at Tails reassurance.
With the plan set in motion, everybody who was left waved their goodbyes as Tails, Amy, Sally, and Bunnie boarded the new Tornado Model-X and took flight, making their way to Sand Blast City.
Ruins of Castle Town, Ruins of Soleanna
Shadow stood on the cliffside, staring below the ruins of a once floating town. Now, it has been reduced to rubble, with damaged buildings and ruins of a castle lying on the ground. This was a major contrast to the moss that grew over the debris, symbolizing the sign of life that started anew within the area.
"Hmph. So this was the Castle Town of Soleanna. Judging from the way it looks, the town must have been supported by the water, hence its name."
Shadow was about to leap when his communicator rang from his wrist. He pressed the button on it and spoke to it.
"Black Wind copies."
"This is Lieutenant commander Topaz Tower. We've acquired more information regarding the relic." The voice spoke from the device.
"What of it?" Shadow asked while jumping off the cliff.
While the black hedgehog dropped to the entrance of Castle Town, Topaz explains, "Based on our finds thanks to our science division and Dr. Thorndyke's efforts, we learned that the relic is called the Scepter of Light."
"I see…Is there more information regarding the scepter?" Shadow questioned, as he moved forward using his Jet Shoes to skate at a fast pace.
"According to the glyphs and manuscripts, the Scepter of Light is basically a prison of some kind. Its houses what it's describing as Flames of Disaster. We're not sure what that means yet but it sounds quite ominous. Honestly, I hope they keep that thing contained because I personally don't want to find out what's in it. That water monster was bad enough." Topaz said.
"Likewise. So, the containment unit theory was true…" Shadow commented, before remembering the vision of the fiery monster flashing its green eyes at him. "...All the more reason to keep it contained. Are there any clues as to who placed the Scepter of Light underground? Because based on the condition of that chamber, it was too recent to say that relic's been there for hundreds of years."
"The team hasn't determined a concrete answer, but what could be translated is that servants of the Great Harmony sealed the Flames of Disaster before it could scorch the world."
"...I see. Thank you for the new information. Keep me updated." Shadow appreciated as he stopped himself to approach some of the ruined buildings while walking on the sidewalk.
"Of course. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something. What's been on your mind regarding our ongoing case? I've never seen you go out of your way to work outside of your designated hours like this." Questioned the lieutenant commander.
"... It's as I stated before, something about these attacks in both the United Federation and Mobian territory, the terrorist himself, I believe it's correlated to the destruction of Soleanna thirty years ago," Shadow explained.
"Although I agree with your statement, I'm more curious about your logic behind that conclusion. Care to elaborate, Black Wind?" Topaz inquired, remaining professional.
"In Spagonia a few months back, warriors of crystal appeared and attempted to raid one of the larger cities that had places that stockpiled information. These warriors, although they each looked distinct, were clad in crystalline armor. Doesn't that sound familiar to you?"
"Now that you're mentioning it, Apotos and Chunan had also been on the receiving end of these assaults as well within the past few years, though sparingly. They reported similar beings with crystals on them. Another characteristic that these things share was red and green eyes…Just like-!"
"-Our prime suspect. Now you're starting to catch on." Shadow stated, "Now think about this. None of these crystalized creatures or the prime suspect appeared twenty years prior to Soleanna's destruction. In fact, the earliest sighting of these creatures was during the fall of the Kingdom of Azuron, which was roughly around the tail end of the Great War."
Topaz briefly paused before asking Shadow, "Are you suggesting that the suspect may come from Soleanna?"
"I didn't say that. Though, whether or not that's the case is why I'm here. Consider this my own investigation." Shadow concluded.
"Ah, I see. Does anybody know about what you're up to?"
"Other than President Arbuckle? No." Answered the Ultimate Lifeform, shaking his head.
"You do know that Rouge will be trying to get a hold of you when she realizes you're out on your own again, right?"
"...She can throw the biggest fit for all I care. Rouge's not to be involved in my endeavors. No matter how many perilous missions she's gone on and survived, I do not wish for her to share my burden."
"That's not for you to decide, Shadow. As an organization, we all do our part to protect the world as a Guardian Unit of Nations. We all help shoulder this burden together because we all live on the same planet under the same sun and moon. A single body with the sole purpose to serve the people. …And I'm aware of the promise you made to Maria and Professor Gerald, but just remember that you're not alone in this. We are here to help you honor their memory in fulfilling that promise. Understood?"
"...Loud and clear," Shadow answered softly.
"Good. Report your findings once you're done. And avoid any kind of giant altercation if possible. Topaz, out." The lieutenant commander said before cutting off communication.
Shadow stood in deep thought, with Topaz's words of wisdom ringing in his ears. He would have dwelled on them longer had he not halted to a stop as he arrived at his destination. He stared at it for a few seconds, a large house made from limestone and wood undamaged and untouched despite the destruction around it.
"Of all the buildings that were destroyed and ravaged, why were you left untouched?" Shadow thought aloud as he slowly walked towards the house, noticing that it bore the Soleanna emblem on flags outside on its walls.
Shadow carefully moved his hands forward and reached out to the house, only for a flash of green light to slightly push him back, stinging his hand, as what soon materialized was a large green sphere wrapped around the house. Shadow looked up at the sphere with a curious expression on his face.
"A barrier." Shadow thought. "Did the owner set this up before the disaster that destroyed Soleanna? And if so, did they know it was going to happen beforehand?"
Taking out his green Chaos Emerald, Shadow held it out towards the barrier, preparing to enter the show by any means.
Sand Blast City, Great Desert, Acornia
Airborne flew the Tornado Model-X, or the X-Tornado, as Sonic called it. Tails, being the pilot, boarded the front seat, which was then followed by Amy in the first passenger seat, then Bunnie, and finally, Sally. On the right side of the jet plane stood Knuckles while Sonic stood on the left side.
It had been fifteen minutes since takeoff and everything went smoothly. The performance, speed, and comfortability of X-Tornado astounded everyone so much that they praised Tails for his handiwork.
"Oh mah! Look how far up we're is!" Bunnie said, mesmerized by the scenery along with Amy and Sally.
"I know! We haven't been this high in the sky on any plane before. It's so exciting!" Amy squealed.
Sally looked to Tails, saying, "I agree, and we couldn't have asked for a better pilot to fly us. You and Rotor have done a stellar job on this vehicle. Thank you so much, Tails."
Tails, while still keeping his eye on the sky, turned his head saying, "It's not a problem princ-, er, Sally. Though, I still have to give my props to you guys as well. Your material and technology are so innovative that they helped solve a lot of issues I had in older and ongoing projects that we're just sitting in my lab collecting dust. And Rotor's input on things also sped up the development time too. I'm actually excited to see what else the two of us will be inventing together. Not to mention, we have Sonic's uncle as a consultant."
"Right. That could make a major difference in the future." Sally agreed.
On top of the X-Tornado, Sonic was busy soaking his eyes on the sight of the new territory with those emerald orbs gleaming with excitement. His signature grin never left his face. Knuckles, meanwhile, was busy trying to find a decent signal for the next Master Emerald shard while a lingering thought kept clouding his mind.
The country of Aurora, the nation of the echidnas.
While it didn't completely bother the guardian, the notion that there were other echidnas besides himself that were not of Angel Island still piqued his interest. His thoughts were interrupted by a certain hyperactive hedgehog who was causing his veins to tense and twitch on his forehead.
"Knux? Hello!~ Mobius to Knuckles!" Sonic said in a purposely annoying manner. "Hey! Are you in there, Knucklehead? KNUCKLES!"
"What is it, Sonic!?" The echidna replied irritatingly, turning to Sonic, who grinned at his handiwork.
Sonic brought his hands up defensively, saying, " Woah! Chill out, Knucklehead! You were spacin' out for a sec. It was kinda concernin'."
"Concerning?" Knuckles questioned. "Sonic, there's nothing wrong with me. I was only thinking."
"I didn't take ya for the cognitive type." Sonic playfully jokes, earning him a glare from the red echidna.
"I should say that about you!" The guardian shot back before sighing. "...It's just…it's about what the princess said."
Sonic blinked dumbly, asking. "Sal? What did she say that bugs ya, Knux?"
Shaking his head, Knuckles elaborated, "No, it's not that Princess Sally said anything rude or offensive. It's what she was talking about. That country, Aurora."
"Aurora? Isn't that where the "other" supposed echidnas were said to be?" Sonic asked.
"You know about it?" The red echidna inquired back.
Sonic shrugged, saying, "Not much. From what little he said last night, its a place where a small tribe of echidnas settled a long time ago. Over time, they went from growin' crops and junk to becomin' a large metropolis. You know, like Central City? But the major kicker is unlike how your people were loners together, the echidnas over there invited many other races too while they run the whole thing."
"A large city of echidnas. That sounds surreal to me." Knuckles muttered, still mildly not believing in the place. "All this time, I thought I was the only echidna left in the world…And now, I'm hearing about this. …I just can't believe it. I don't know how to even process that."
Sonic could tell that despite what the echidna was portraying outwardly, he could tell that Aurora was bothering Knuckles, or at the very least, intrigued him.
"Hm… I can't really relate or understand how you're feelin' and whatnot right now. But, if you're in the mood to vent, we're always here to listen. And who knows, we might end up goin' over there if one of the Chaos Emeralds is around there. Besides, at least you know you're not alone anymore. That's gotta count for somethin', right?
"Right…" Knuckles nodded slowly before turning to Sonic. "...Moving on from there, why are those other people calling you Oliver?"
Sonic sighed, saying, "...That's a bit of a tricky thing to explain. In short, Oliver Cobalt is my birth name."
"This is the first time that I'm hearing of this." Said Knuckles. "Why is that?"
"It's a bit of a long story. At one point in the past, I was called Oliver Cobalt. I lived in Old Mobotropolis with my family and the Freedom Fighters. Sadly, things happened, I lost my parents, got separated from my friends and uncle, and ended up halfway across the planet. Since I've seen a lot of messed up stuff…I guess I sort of, uh, blocked a lot of memories out. They're repressed. I'm just now remembering things about my past, but there are still some things that are blanks to me."
"...I see." Muttered Knuckles, who had his arms crossed. "...Any you said that you "lost" your parents… so are they-"
"-Dead and gone, yeah. They passed in the coup." Sonic said in a low and somber tone, which Knuckles only heard.
Knuckles said, "Oh…I'm sorry to hear that. ...Do you happen to recall anything about them?"
Sonic paused as screams and the sound of something sharp piercing through a soft object rang through his mind. A jolt of fear caused him to tense, but it quickly faded when he answered, "...N-Nah, not a thing. But according to the king and Uncle Chuck, my dad was a knight while my mom was the queen of where they originally came from."
Knuckles, looking at Sonic, stared at the blue hedgehog for a few seconds. Then he started to laugh at his face.
"Hahahaha! Wait, sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it wasn't because of your parents. B-But, you're saying that you're a prince? You?" Knuckles wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye.
Sonic waved it off, saying, "Nah, it's cool. I get it, man. Trust me, I was just as skeptical when the king told me, too. I mean, I look nothin' like no prince chamin'. But, it's true. Uncle Chuck showed me my old birth certificate. But that doesn't matter to me, anyway. I'm still the same guy, and nothin' is gonna change that. ...Try to keep it on the down-low. I don't want people to get any funny ideas, especially Amy."
"Sure thing, I'll keep that in mind." Knuckles nodded as he suddenly darted his head to see a large desert-based city on the horizon. Sonic did the same and whistled.
"Whew! Talk about a great view! Looks like we've made it." Sonic commented.
However, Knuckles said, "Not only that, I'm sensing a Master Emerald shard in that direction!"
Sonic grinned, responding by saying, "Well, what do ya know? Things just got a lot more interesting!"
"You don't say..." Knuckles said, returning the grin.
Sonic chuckled before saying, "It's showtime!"
Tails landed the X-Tornado away from where the attack was occurring. With everybody coming out and or jumping off the jet plane, the gang witnessed the forces that were invading. Team Sonic (plus Amy) wasn't exactly familiar with it.
The enemy's appearance seemed to be ripped straight out of a fantasy novel, with their units looking like medieval knights, brandishing swords, spears, crossbows, and axes. There were also giant warriors that wielded four-bladed battle axes. But overall, the enemy forces share a commonality of being made up of black Ixis Magick while their armor was composed out of raw crystals of various colors. Though, most of them were a cyan color.
"What in the world!?" Tails exclaimed.
"What are those things?" Amy asked, taken aback at the sight of magical creatures.
"It's Naugus' Army of Phantoms," Sally answered with a no-nonsense tone. "They are made up of raw Ixis Magick. It's what happens when Naugus summons souls from the depths itself to do his bidding. He does this by drawing energy from a Power Ring. Phantoms of this variety are the standard foot soldiers."
Bunnie nodded, saying, "Sho' nuff. An thus place iz crawlin' with them like uh horde of ants."
Glaring at the destruction that Phantoms were causing, Sonic stretched his legs as he began to put himself in a crouch position.
"Magic or not, I ain't watchin' another moment of this goin' down. I'm blastin' through with Sonic speed!" The azure hedgehog said.
Of course, Sally stopped him while saying, "Wait! You don't know what you're up against, Sonic! Besides, this isn't a territory that you or your friends are familiar with. We have to come up with a course of action first."
Sonic, mildly annoyed, stated, "A plan is cool and all, but why not just get in there and deal with them? I can take all of them, no problem! They're attackin' all over the place and folks may be caught in the crossfire as we're speakin'!"
"That would be true if this was any ordinary city. Fortunately for us, my father had set up a shelter in a building for civilians to seek refuge in case of a crisis or an invasion." Sally explained as she took out NICOLE, who created a holographic layout of the shelter. "With a few Power Rings installed for power, the shelter's defense systems should be up and run-– oh no!"
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Amy and Tails asked at the same time.
"The shelter building's shield is low on energy! That means that their Power Ring supply must be shortened. My gosh, I forgot that the shipment day to this city is next week. Their only means of protection will be gone!"
"And all of those people could be…" The echidna hesitated darkly.
Having enough doubts, Sonic said, "Hold on, now! Never give it! If we can't find a way, we're gonna have to make one ourselves!"
Sonic then turned to Tails and asked, "Tails, is there any way for you to swap the Power Ring from that shelter as soon as possible?"
Tails pulled out the Miles Electric handle and did a few calculations. Once that was done, Tails shook his head negatively.
"While I could, I wouldn't be able to make it in time. And even if I did, the time for me to replace the used-up Power Ring with a new one would be too long of a wait. Long enough for the Phantoms to reach the facility. Someone would have to erect a barrier with their own power input, and fast." Tails explained.
Hearing this, NICOLE spoke through the small handheld computer, saying, "If I may, I can provide a possible solution for the situation."
Everybody turned to the computer, with Amy asking, "What is it, NICOLE?"
The AI responded, "With my high-end capacity of energy, I can power the barrier for a short period of time if I can gain access to the shield's computer system as quickly as possible."
Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Bunnie looked amongst themselves in confusion with what the AI said, Tails slammed his fist into his other palm, and Sally's eyes widened with the same kind of realization.
"Ah, I see what she means! If we can get NICOLE to the shelter faster–" Tails started.
Sally finishes by saying,"–NICOLE could erect her own force field to buy us time to repel the Phantom Army!"
Tails then asked, "How far is the shelter from our current location?"
"On foot, its uh two mahl walk straight ahead frum hare. Bunnie answered.
Amy turned around to see the number of demonic-looking knights made of crystal smashing parts of a few buildings.
"There sure are a lot of them," Amy muttered.
Sonic took a stand towards the large group with a cocky grin, ready to take on the challenge.
"Alright, then! We'd have to get there quickly, right? Why don't Sal and I head to the shelter while the rest of ya'll go to town on these cronies?"
While Bunnie, Tails, and Knuckles nodded with affirmation in their eyes, Amy placed her fists on her hips with an accusing glance in Sonic.
"Sonic… There aren't any other intentions with this plan of yours, are there?" Amy in an accusatory manner.
Sally tilted her head, seemingly wondering what Amy was thinking. Sonic, on the other hand, glanced at Amy's antics with his eyes being half-lit and impassive.
"Amy, we ain't got no time for this. While you can catch up with me, Sally can't. You know this. I ain't doin' stuff for no other reason. Now quit actin'. I gotta get movin'!" Sonic said with no room for arguing in his tone.
Amy and Sonic stared at each other for another three seconds before the female hedgehog left with the others in a huff.
Sally then asked, "Does she always act like that towards girls that are near you?"
Sighing, Sonic answered, "Would you believe me if I'd told you that this is her when she's tame? I swear, I can't ever catch a break with her..."
"Though, you did bring up a valid point before. How am I going to–EEEP!"
Sally squeaked at the sudden swiftness of Sonic picking her up, carrying her in his arms.
"S-Sonic! What on Mobius are you doing!?" Sally stuttered.
Sonic only grinned at her mischievously, saying, "What does it look like? We're finna get you over to those folks down at the shelter. Only, we're gonna make it there with Sonic speed!"
"Dang it, Sonic! I thought I told you to warn me before deciding to do whatever next time!" The chipmunk scolded with her cheeks puffed up.
Sonic winked at her while answering, "...I know. But, where's the fun in that? Speakin' of which, ya better hold on tight, Princess! We're about to blow this joint!"
"W-Wait! I'm-not-ready-I'm-not-ready-I'm-not-AAAHHHH!"
Just like that, Sonic started to take off, leaving a blue streak behind him. Sally, not having enough experience being shot faster than a speeding bullet, held on to dear life as everything that she was looking at straight-ahead became a blurry image. The rushing wind made her auburn hair fly wildly, forcing the chipmunk to close her eyes half the time.
'This is insane! I knew Oliver was fast, he was always quick on his feet as a child, But this kind of speed is ludicrous!' Sally said while keeping her arms tightly wrapped around her childhood friend and crush.
While holding Sally, Sonic found himself running around buildings in search of the shelter based on the shape of the hologram NICOLE had formed previously. While doing so, Sally opened her eyes to see a group of basic Phantoms blocking their way.
"Sonic! Phantoms straight ahead!" Sally cried.
Sonic chuckled excitingly, saying, "No problem! Hang on tight!"
Generating blue lightning from his body, Sonic increased his speed as he approached the Phantoms. From there, Sonic and Sally were surrounded by a blue barrier that was so powerful, it sent all of the Phantoms flying into buildings, causing their inner bodies to vanish while their armor shattered to pieces.
This feat in itself shocked the princess to the core. She was aware of Sonic to be a powerful person physically, but to deal with soldiers of Ixis so easily without encountering one before was more than impressive considering how the Freedom Fighters had to struggle to develop the means to damage them.
However, her thoughts were interrupted with small shards of Ixis crystals being shot by another small group of Phantoms with their arms outstretched and palms open, shooting shards. The strangest thing about this group of Phantoms was that they tool the appearance of military soldiers that awfully resembled Mobian races such as rabbits, dogs, cats, and etc. The two did not have time to think one it for obvious reasons, however. One shard managed to take a piece off of one of Sonic's stray quills.
"Argh! Hey, watch the quills, man!" The hedgehog shouted.
"There are too many to simply blast through! Those shards could either skewer us or crystalize us. We need to get to higher ground!" Sally instructed.
Nodding, Sonic smiled and turned to an alleyway where there were two buildings near each other. Seeing this, Sonic started to jump from wall to wall until he was on top of a taller building. From there, Sonic began jumping from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding projectiles while the pair looked for the shelter.
The two would have been shot sooner or later if it weren't for the Phantoms being blown up by a small missile and a small yellow electrical blast. When the pair turned their heads skyward, they saw Tails and Bunnie air born with their respective cannons smoking.
"Don't worry! We got your back, guys!" Tails shouted from above.
Bunnie also stated, "We'll handle thangs frum above ground! Yawl git goin'!"
Smiling, Sonic nodded to them in thanks before moving again. Sally noticed that the gap between the upcoming building and the rooftop Sonic was currently treading.
"Uh…Sonic? We're running out of buildings to leap to!" The princess pressed, feeling panic in the pit of her stomach.
While what she said was true, Sonic's emerald green eyes darted towards a spiraling rail that led to the street.
"Not a problem, Sally! I prefer the scenic route, anyway!" Sonic said in a cheesy manner.
"What are you even talking abo-EEEK!" Sally asked before the azure hedgehog leapt on the rail, performing the grinding action.
After a full minute of running without bumps on the road, Sonic finally made the building that was shown before, with a horde of Phantoms pounding at the force field that was surrounding it. While placing the girl down, Sally took a few steps closer to observe the condition of the barrier, only to gasp in horror.
"Oh my gosh! The barrier, it's cracked! Sonic, we've got to stop them from breaking it! But I can't fight all of them at once!"
Sonic, looking at the damage, quickly said, "...Wait! I've got an idea! Sally, can you spare a Power Ring? I'm gonna need a boost for this move."
Understanding what he said, the princess of Acornia took off her backpack and pulled out an artificial Power Ring, which looked like a Warp Ring initially except that it was much bigger; being the size of a small compact disk rather than an engagement ring. With that, she tossed it to him after he outstretched his hand. Sonic caught the ring, causing the object and himself to glow a yellow hue around him.
Grinning, Sonic said to Sally from over his shoulder, "Ya better stand back 'cuz I'm on the attack!"
After saying that, Sonic curled up to a ball and spun in place. Winding up, Sonic unleashed his Spin Dash. But instead of outright attacking the low-level Phantom foot soldiers like how she predicted, Sally watched as the Blue Blur circled around the enemy forces while moving in midair. By doing so, Sonic created a light blue cyclonic vortex. The effect of this technique was that all of the foot soldiers were lifted from the ground, forcing their weapons to leave their hands, This allowed Sonic to swiftly take down all of the Phantom by performing the Spin Attack downward, executing the Bounce Attack.
Sonic lept from the crater he made from the last attack he used and went to Sally.
"That was too easy!" Sonic chirped cheekily.
"Sonic, that was amazing!" Sally praised while taking out NICOLE, allowing the AI to manifest in her holo Mobian lynx form. "You've done your part here. Go help the others while we do ours."
Sonic nodded and ran back to where his friends were. Sally and NICOLE stood next to each other.
"We should proceed with the mission," NICOLE said. "I am currently scanning and can confirm that eighty-five percent of the population is indeed inside, including the Baron."
Sally nodded as she and NICOLE passed through the barrier and opened the door. From there, the pair walked into a large facility filled with a few hundred people filled with families and other individuals.
One of them approached the pair who appeared to be of importance. This was a male gray rabbit with blue eyes that seemed to be in his mid forties. He wore a red suit under a white well-fitted shirt with a crimson tie and black dress shoes.
This was Jonathan "Johnny" Lightfoot, Baron of Sand Blast City.
"Princess Sally! NICOLE! Thank the Ancient Walkers, you're here!" Cried the Baron.
"We have received your message, Lord Lightfoot. Acornia's faction of the Freedom Fighters has arrived to aid your soldiers." NICOLE answered.
"Speaking of which, where are they exactly? We haven't encountered any of your forces when we were traveling through the city" Sally asked, only for the Baron to avert his eyes for a moment.
"We have lost them to the enemy, I'm afraid." The Baron answered in a sad tone.
"What?" Both NICOLE and Sally cried out.
The Baron sighed as he clarified, "When the Phantoms struck, our forces stood their ground as they fired their weapons. While we managed to evacuate all of the civilians swiftly, our soldiers began to fall under the might of the Phantoms. And if they weren't vaporized by their power, they were crystallized and converted into mindless slaves of war."
"No…!" Sally whispered, dreading the fact that more people fell into the grasps of Naugus. This also brought her back to the strange-looking Phantoms from earlier, adding more of an impact to the grief.
"I'm sorry…" The Baron apologized. "The only people that are left are our own faction of Freedom Fighters, and they are out there fighting somewhere. But I'm not certain that they even survived."
"That would explain the lack of soldiers on our way to the shelter." Said NICOLE. "Nevertheless, I'm here to aid you and the people of this shelter."
Hearing this, Sally snapped out of her saddened state with a hardened expression. She said, "Right. Lord Lightfoot, please take us to where the computer system is. We're going to make sure all of you will make it."
The Baron nodded as he took the two to the computer. Once they made it, Sally plugged NICOLE'S computer into the computer system of the emergency shelter. When that happened and after a few buttons were pushed, NICOLE gained access to the shield's power.
"I have successfully gained access to the shelter's computer system. I am awaiting further instructions." NICOLE stated.
"NICOLE, divert excess power into the barrier's energy supply."
"Yes, princess," NICOLE said.
The holo Mobian lynx's eyes began to teal, lifting her arms, NICOLE constructed a barrier much more powerful than the shelter's previous one.
"Energy transfer successful, barrier power at one hundred power." Said the AI, turning back to Sally and the Baron.
The Baron sighed in relief, saying, "Oh, thank goodness."
"Yes! Great job, NICOLE! How long can you keep that up?" Asked the princess.
"Estimated time before excess energy depletion is approximately thirty minutes."
Baron Lightfoot turned to Sally, asking, "Will that be enough time?"
Sally turned to the older rabbit, saying, "I believe in my team, Lord Lightfoot. Trust me, we'll handle this attack as best we can. For now, all we can do is wait. NICOLE and I'll manage the defense protocols of the shelter."
Baron nodded, responding with, "If you are certain, then I will leave everything to you."
And with those words being said, Johnny left the pair where the computer station of the shelter.
Sally stayed at the console while thinking to herself, 'Good luck out there, everyone. ...And be careful, Sonic.'
Meanwhile with Bunnie, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy
"Hyah!"
A large giant Phantom was met with a strong flying kick by Bunnie Rabbot, causing it to shatter on contact.
She landed perfectly on the ground, panting from the amount of work she put in while many pieces of crystal laid on the ground.
"Whew, these thangs keep on comin'! At thus rate, we'll be fightin' awf Phantoms until thuh cows come home." Bunnie said as she dodged a blast of Ixis Magick that came from behind her.
She then used her cybernetic arm's extending feature and sent a hard punch at the Mobian looking Phantom who had formed a cannon from it's arm, shattering it. Normally, Bunnie wouldn't think twice about dealing damage to her enemies. But the rabbit's eyes lingered towards the remains of the Phantom. Her eyes widened at what lay near her.
It was a seal of the Sand Blast Task Force.
"Oh my stars…Them poor boys...Bless thur souls." Bunnie whispered.
Bunnie did not have time to mourn the loss of the soliders' lives as a giant Phantom appeared from a large seal that form ten feet away from her location. Using its four-bladed ax, it took a swing at Bunnie, who rolled out of the way and slid on her legs. Using her cybernetic arm, she formed her arm cannon and began shooting at the being. However, it disappeared, only for the giant Phantom to reappear in front of Bunnie with its weapon ready to strike her down.
This would be one of many times Bunnie's life flashed before her eyes. She closed her eyes, ready to meet her end as the ax descended in speeds she knew she couldn't avoid...only to be whisked away in a yellow blur. Unbeknownst to the rabbit freedom fighter, a red and yellow hammer was flung at the Phantom, causing it to stagger while a red blur moved fast enough to land a clean strike to the chest, forcing its ax to fall near it while falling to the ground.
Opening her eyes, a surprised Bunnie was met by Tails, who smiled at her.
"That was a close call!" Tails said, with Knuckles and Amy running towards them.
"Thanks, yawl. Ah wuz almost roadkill back thayure." The rabbit appreciated. "Thet wuz sum mighty fahn teamwork yawl got."
Amy and Tails smiled, with Amy replying with, "Our coordination comes from the friends we made during our adventures with Sonic. So it's a given that we practice on it."
Bunnie admired them, saying, "Ah can tell, Sugar. An here Ah thought thet thang wuz silly, but, boy, Ah wuz wrong. Thets wun special hammer yawl swin', Amy-girl."
Amy continued to smile with a little blush on her face from the older girl's compliments. They would have spoken more if Knuckles hadn't interrupted their conversation, seeing something from the corner of his eyes.
"Don't celebrate just yet, it's not over!" Knuckles stated, readying himself.
And much to the Tails, and the girl's shock, the giant Phantom got up from its crater with its ax in hand as its eyes burned crimson with a hint of emerald green. Though, the armor's chest plate sustained a small yet defining crack on it.
"This thing just doesn't give up, does it?" Knuckles asked in a growl before smirking. "That's fine by me! I've been meaning to blow off some steam anyways!"
Just then, Sonic stopped right by them as he said, "Hey guys! Didja miss me?"
"Sonic! You're right on time!" Tails said while pointing at the giant Phantom. "I managed to grab Bunnie out of the way of that thing over there."
"Knuckles and I hit it, then knocked it down. But it's a lot tougher than the normal-sized flunkies we pummeled through." Amy explained.
Sonic smirked, saying, "Ah, I get it now. He's bulky and huge but slow! Hehe! Well, you know what they say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall! This is gon' be too easy!"
Just as Sonic was about to race again, Bunnie said, "Woah, now! Hold chur horses, Sugar-hog. It may look like uh sluggard, but don't be fooled. It's faster than uh hot knife thru butter an can warp whayerver in uh blink uh an eye."
Sonic stopped and took his old friend's words to heart. Looking at the giant Phantom, the hedgehog looked at the arms, then smirked.
"I hear ya Bunnie, and that gives me an idea," Sonic said as he turned to the rabbit and fox. "Tails, Bunnie, I'll keep the big lug busy. I need you two to try and hit its shoulder until its arms are down for the count."
Tails and Bunnie complied as Sonic turned to Amy and Knuckles, saying, "Once I'm done with that, Amy and Knuckles can try knocking it down a peg by injuryin' its knee. We can wrap things up with a final attack."
"Hm… That's not a bad plan. Alright, Hedgehog! I'll humor you on this. Let's take this monster down!" Knuckles said, voicing his agreement with the others thinking the same thing.
"Alright, guys! Let's show 'em what we're made of!" Sonic exclaimed.
"Right!" Everybody else responded back.
Everybody got ready as the giant Phantom approached them, carrying the ax it dropped. Though the giant Phantom made of Ixis Magick and crystal charged at the group, Sonic stood in front of the fifty-foot tall Phantom with his arms crossed. The giant stopped to look at him for a brief moment upon hearing him say, "HEY, YOU! DOWN HERE!"
He ran in place, saying, "Catch me if you can!"
Before the giant Phantom realized it, it was being literally run circles by the Fastest Thing Alive. The giant Phantom had tried to hit Sonic by swinging its four-bladed weapon, but couldn't seem to time each swing, unable to land a clear blow. All it ever got out of Sonic was taunting remarks like "YOU'RE TOO SLOW!" or "COME ON. STEP IT UP!"
While the agitated creature was being distracted, Tails and Bunnie stuck to their roles as the aerial assailants and flew towards the Phantom undetected. Seeing the target, Tails spoke to Bunnie.
"Excuse me, do you mind if you can cover me while I give this big guy the first few hits?" Tails asked.
Bunnie glanced at the boy with a hint of curiosity before saying, "...Uh, shore thang. Do ya got no ideas, Sugar?"
Tails smiled as he brought one of his Tempest Braces to his face and pressed a few buttons.
The fox then said, "Just something Rotor helped with. I figure now is the best time for a test drive!"
Pressing two buttons, Tails was surrounded by the Gold Shield, empowering him in an aura similar to the one Sonic gained when infused with the energy of a Power Ring.
"Woah nelly! This is gonna be a sight to see! Go fahwar it, Sugar-Tails!" Cheered Bunnie.
"Got it!"
Tails spun into a ball using his two tails. Surging with yellow, Tails launched himself towards the shoulder of the giant Phantom, hitting it with an attack similar to the Homing Attack. After that, the shield changed color to a burning red, switching to the Flame Shield.
When Tails dropped to the front of the creature's shoulder, Tails swung his two tails while they were cloaked in flame. The Burning Tail Attack proved to be a deadly strike, for the combo was so powerful that it not only forced the giant Phantom to lose its grip on the ax, but it amputated the creature's entire right arm from the shoulder onwards.
"Atta boy, Tails!" Bunnie complimented while Tails flew right next to her. "Now, let me get a crack at 'em!"
Grinning with excitement, Bunnie formed a large drill surging electricity and flew forward using the rockets propelling her forward through the use of her cybernetic legs. Thrusting forward, Bunnie's large tool drilled at a thin part of the Phantom's left arm, severing the other arm of the creature.
Upon finishing her handiwork, Bunnie flew back to Tails and gave him a high five with her natural hand.
"Alright!" Both of them cheered.
Once that was done and Sonic stopped running around the giant Phantom. Amy appeared behind it's right leg undetected using her mystical ability to go invisible. Seeing the girl wave at him, Knuckles grinned and began to charge at her at high speeds before curling into a red ball. Seeing the echidna roll at her, Amy brought her Piko Piko Hammer back, ready to strike. While this happened, Knuckles began to surround himself in a familiar crimson red aura. Smiling and with perfect timing, Amy gave Knuckles a good smack, propelling the echidna towards the creature's leg. Using his Maximum Heat Attack, the strike Knuckles threw at the Phantom forced it on one knee as the punch not only cracked the Phantom, but left chunks of crystal on the ground.
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Bunnie regrouped.
"It's weak! Now is our chance!" Amy pointed as she turned to Sonic. "What do we do now, Sonic?"
Smirking, Sonic said, "We're finishing this with a bang! Tails, Knuckles! Let's kick things into Overdrive, Team Blast style!"
Tails and Knuckles nodded with enthusiasm while Bunnie looked at Amy, asking, "Team Blast? Whuts thet?"
Amy responded by smiling as she said, "You'll see. Just watch closely. You're in for a treat!"
Taking flight formation, Knuckles grabbed Tails by his feet, who also latched on to Sonic's legs. From there, he began swinging them around to gain great momentum. After spinning three good times, Knuckles had released Tails, who then kicked Sonic into the air while Sonic was surrounded in flames. While spinning in a ball, Sonic performed a massive Light Speed Attack at the damaged chest plate of the giant Phantom, blowing through the creature. As a result, the giant Phantom was set back and fell on its back while shattering.
Sonic returned, celebrating their victory with his friends.
"Alright, we did it!" Tails said, pumping his fist in the air.
"We sure did, buddy!" Sonic gave him a thumbs up before being crushed by a clingy Amy Rose.
"Oh, Sonic! I knew you would win in the end! You were so brave out there! Let's celebrate with a victory date, just you and me!"
"ACK! Amy! Y-You're…h-huggin'...me…too tight!" Sonic barely could make out while Knuckles pried the pink hedgehog off of him.
Bunnie watched the group's antics and couldn't help but smile at them.
'Thay maey bay uh strange bunch, but you got good folks lookin' after ya, Ollie.' The cyborg thought to herself.
"Guys!" A voice called out to the group.
The others turn to see Sally running towards them with.
"NICOLE and I were able to successfully ward off any lingering Phantoms and protect the civilians," The princess stated. "Are you all alright?"
Sonic, swiftly evading another glomp from Amy, approached her while he answered, "We're a-Okay, Sal. As you can see, we took care of business no problem!"
Sally turned toward the large pile of crystal shards that served as the remains of the giant Phantom.
"W-Wow!" The princess gasped as she turned towards Sonic and his friends. "...I am at a loss for words. You guys managed to be a lot more resilient against the Phantoms than I initially thought. Excellent job. "
Bunnie responded by excitedly saying, "Girl, yawl should hav sayn it! All uh them wuz amazin' on thuh field together! Sugar-Tails an Ah took out thuh thang's arms, then Amy-girl an Knuckles done shot wunna its legs tuh make it kneel. An it wuz all ovur wheyun thuh boys did thus crazy Team Blast trick! Sonic wuz sent hurdlin' straight throo thet nasty Phantom's chest an blew it till Kangdom Come! It wasn't lahk anythin' Ahv evur sayn!"
Smiling, Sally asked, "Is that so? And I don't suppose that you led them to these decisions?"
Bunnie shook her head, and said with a smile, "Naw, ma'am. Believe it or not, thet plan came frum good ol' Sugar-hog."
Sally placed her hands on her hips before staring at her oldest friend with a knowing, almost sly, smirk as she said, "Oh really?"
Knuckles, with his arms crossed, said to Sally, then Sonic, "I hate to admit it, but that plan of his was pretty solid. Not bad, Hedgehog."
"Man, that wasn't anythin' special. That was just another case of quick thinkin' and a little bit of improv. The most important part is that we all pitched in and kept the people of the city safe." Sonic said modestly.
"Even so, it's good to hear that somebody was able to take leadership in my absence. It's reassuring… Thank you." Sally said sincerely with a nod.
Sonic grinned with a thumbs up, said, "Don't mention it."
Looking at the exchange and the mood between Sally and Sonic, a sour expression took shape on Amy's face. While she respected the princess and the cause that she fought for, the fourteen-year-old hedgehog couldn't shape the feeling of jealousy that stirred within her.
'Ugh! There he goes again staring! Why is he doing that, why at her? I've spent years trying to get Sonic to notice me and not once has he ever batted an eye towards my direction! Then here comes Little Miss Princess! The moment she shows her face towards his way, he's gawking over her like she's an oasis in a desert! What does she have that I don't? I'm a hedgehog for crying out loud! I should be automatically attractive to him!' Amy ranted as a vein appeared on her head.
Little did anybody know, a few of the leftover crystals started to take form into a regular Phantom soldier. From there, the crystal clad Phantom warped right next to Amy with a sword in hand.
Sonic, having seen this with his own perception of time, screamed, "AMY, GET OUT OF THE WAY!"
But before either Amy, Sonic, and his friends, and the Phantom could react, an orange blur grabbed and moved Amy to a safe distance. While the others were distracted with that, the soldier was grabbed by the arm and throw a few feet only to be slammed into by the orange blur, then brought to the ground and crushed by a large figure.
While the citizens were coming out to inspect the outside, three triumphant figures came to light for Team Sonic, Amy, Sally, and Bunnie to see. For Sally, her eyes widened in realization, but then became impassive (for at least one of the mysterious trio).
As previously stated, the group was made up of three members, two males, and one female.
The female on the left was the shortest of the group, being as tall as Amy. And just like Tails, she was a fox, but more specifically, she was a Mobian fennec with mostly teal-colored fur with parts of white such as her muzzle, the tip of her tail, and the inner sections of her ear. Speaking of ears, she possessed large triangular ears, a small black nose, a fluffy tail, neck-long fur on each side of her head, and persian pink eyes with two medium-length eyelashes on each one. For attire, she wore a persian pink sleeveless shirt, a black neckerchief, black shorts with white trim, thigh-high black socks, and goggles with yellow lenses, and a persian pink strap. She also had on white gloves and black shoes with persian pink soles, both with pink ring cuffs with a single black stripe.
Over on the right side was the largest of the group when it came to height, being as tall as Big the Cat. He was a large-bodied muscular Mobian mole with purple and gray-ish peach-colored fur. He had a black nose and long fur on his head which he kept together in a short ponytail with a black hair tie. As for the mole's outfit, he wore white gloves with green cuffs, a black neckerchief, black and white shoes with green cuffs and soles, and green shades that signified that he was either blind or had extremely sensitive eyesight. On his wrists, he also had thin black blades resembling trowels.
And at the center was a Mobian porcupine that bore an uncanny resemblance to Sonic himself, albeit with a few differences. Firstly, he has orange and peach fur with black stripes on the tip of his quills. Speaking of quills, he has more quills than Sonic which are longer as well. The porcupine had a long tail and rounded ears while he had amber-colored eyes and cheek tuffs. For his clothing, the porcupine wore black-framed red goggles, white gloves with red and black cuffs, tall red and black boots with white straps, and a black neckerchief.
Speaking of which, the porcupine, who seemed to be the leader, said, "Well, isn't this our luck. Looks like we missed out on the after part."
Amy and Team Sonic were astounded by what they were looking at given that they saved Amy in like a split second.
Amy asked the unknown trio, "...Who are you?"
But before they could introduce themselves, Sally jumped in with a neutral tone.
"Spike the Porcupine, Sonar the Fennec, and Tremor the Mole." Sally answered curtly, while there was a hint of tension when she mentioned Spike. "...They are the local militia that my father was talking about. They are the Desert Raiders."
To Be Continued…
Author's Note:
First of all, Happy New Year! I hope you'll have had a good holiday. I just want to specify certain things. I'd like to start this off with a retcon. The destruction of Soleanna had taken place thirty years ago instead of twenty years for the sake of consistency. In fact, here is a timeline regarding certain events.
3281: Fall of the Kingdom of Soleanna
3297 - 3307: The Great War (3305: Fall of the Kingdom of Azuron)
3307- 3313: Years of Peace
3314: Naugus' Coup
3314 - Present: The Naugus War
Anyway, Baron Jonathan Lightfoot is based on "Johnny Lightfoot" from the Fleetway Comics. I made him Baron because Jack Rabbit wouldn't suit the universe given it is a different continuity. However, the Desert Raiders do fit and will play a bigger role in the next chapter.
Another thing is that the Tempest Bracers are an idea that exclusively exists for this story. However, it functions similarly to Tails' watch from the OVA.
The "Phantom Army" are simply the Knights of the Underworld from Sonic and the Black Knight, but their armor are made of crystals. The enemies used for this chapter are the Soldier-ONE and Giant-ONE respectively.
On a different note, tell me what you think about all of the interactions with the different characters. Who is your favorite? Personally, I love writing Sonic and Sally when they interact. Especially after interacting with their friend groups and speaking to each other alone. We also get to see Shadow continue his search for answers. I wonder what that would lead to.
Also, let me know in the comments where or what happened to Mephiles and Iblis, because they are present in this story. I'll give you a hint, the roles are reversed. One person is a vessel while the other is sealed.
If you guys have any questions, comments, or concerns, PM me or leave them down at the comments. I'm open to ideas and or suggestions as well. Anyways, I got to go. I'm tired. I hope that you guys have a blessed day! Later!
-DarkShadowGames451