The Sonic Team decided to stay longer in the Kingdom, mostly as a way to know Isaac better as a friend. Besides knowing that he was a force to be reckoned with when it came to throwing snowballs, they also found out that he was an experienced hunter. While Isaac couldn't leave the Kingdom walls, along with Sally, it didn't prevent him from showing his skills as a hunter.
"Wait, you can actually see him from this far?" Knuckles asked, standing next to Isaac.
Isaac and Knuckles were standing on the edge of the courtyard, looking out towards the marketplace. They were doing a bit of a challenge to find the others throughout the town.
"Yes. Tails is hiding near the bell tower. I saw a glimpse of Amy near the marketplace, but I cannot guarantee she will be there for too long. No sign of Sonic, but knowing how he acts, he will not take to hiding for very long." Isaac explained, rolling a snowball.
Slowly, Isaac and Knuckles made their way to the marketplace, making sure they wouldn't be seen immediately. Isaac, seeing Tails' tails peeking over the ledge of the tower, readied himself. Isaac quickly leaped up, throwing the snowball in his hand. Knuckles heard the sound of the impact from the snowball, and a slightly anguished cry.
"Aw, come on! Best two out of three?" Tails exclaimed.
"Killed prey do not get second chances. Go back to the courtyard to wait for the others." Isaac instructed.
Tails spun his tails and hovered over the marketplace, heading for the courtyard.
"One down, two to go." Knuckles observed.
"Correction, three left. My sister is hiding amongst the town as well. This is also an exercise for her to be able to hide from someone hunting her." Isaac said, softly walking into the marketplace.
"You better be careful! Amy will probably fight back if she is cornered." Knuckles warned.
"Noted. Elk are known to fight when cornered as well. Not all the scars on me are from those who have hunted me." Isaac said, looking around.
"You were gored by an elk?!" Knuckles asked, surprised.
"Almost. I had to extend my arms and legs on the antlers to prevent the horns from cutting into me too deeply. Then, I was able to get behind its head and ram my blade into the back of its skull. Made for a fine meal." Isaac explained.
Knuckles shook his head, chuckling.
"When I die, I pray to Chaos I won't be reborn as an elk. I'd hate for you to be hunting me." Knuckles said, chuckling.
"Likewise, friend. Likewise." Isaac said, looking to his right.
Isaac saw a pile of snow shake ever so slightly, as if someone was under the snow. Isaac put a finger to his lips, letting Knuckles know to be quiet. Isaac stalked his way to the pile of snow, rolling another snowball. The closer he got to the pile, the more it shook. Isaac knew whoever was under the snow was going to make a run for it.
"Cannonball!" Knuckles shouted, charging towards the snow pile, and leaping for it.
In a split second, the snow pile burst, revealing Amy Rose. She spun around, wielding her hammer. It caught onto Knuckles, sending him soaring into an adjacent wall. Amy ran from Isaac, her hammer still by her side. Isaac ran after her, making sure to keep his distance. As soon as they were in a clear part of the street, Isaac threw his snowball at Amy. Amy hit it with her hammer, destroying it upon impact. They stood across from each other, waiting for one to make a move.
"Never hunted something with a hammer, huh?" Amy asked, grinning.
"Is that confidence I hear, or arrogance? Hard to tell the two, sometimes." Isaac said, walking to his left.
Amy moved to her right, the both of them circling.
"So, if you get too close, I hit you." Amy said.
"But if you get too close, I will get you." Isaac returned, rolling another snowball.
As the two circled, a certain small white hedgehog slowly crept from her hiding spot. Suddenly, she threw her arm like a cannon, a snowball hitting Amy directly in the center of her back.
"Aahh! Hey, no fair! Only Isaac is hunting!" Amy exclaimed, caught off-guard.
"Animals of prey often find themselves hunted by two different animals. Makes no difference to the prey. They will be dead if they cannot hide." Lily argued.
Amy, still looking flustered, stomped her way back to the courtyard.
"Just for that, I will give you thirty seconds to hide again." Isaac said, closing his eyes and counting.
As soon as Isaac started, Lily ran away further into the market. As soon as Isaac was done, he opened them and resumed the hunt. Knowing Sonic, Knuckles suggested getting to the rooftops. Sonic would occasionally hang out where he could see everything. Isaac pulled himself up the edge of the roof and stood up, seeing spanning rooftops.
"This will be interesting." Isaac said, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
After a few minutes of searching, he saw glimpses of the blue blur. Sonic was definitely on the rooftops, but he wasn't staying in place for very long.
"He has seen me. He will keep changing locations until he believes himself secure." Isaac thought to himself, leaping down from the rooftops.
Isaac ran through the alleys, searching for a way to get back up more discreetly. Eventually, he found a stack of crates that were high enough to allow himself a fast and silent way of getting back up to the rooftops. After leaping up, his lunged himself behind a chimney, concealing himself. Sonic came into view, still running. Sonic eventually slowed, looking around. Isaac crouched and took out a knife. He reflected the blade to look behind the chimney, seeing Sonic. Sonic was still looking around, but he wasn't paying attention to where Isaac was. Seeing his opportunity, Isaac ran from his cover and began running towards Sonic, his footsteps muffled by the snow. Suddenly, Isaac leaped towards Sonic, a snowball in his hand. Sonic looked into Isaac's direction, shocked. Instantaneously, Sonic vanished in a flash of light.
"What the… where did he go?!" Isaac exclaimed, looking around.
Isaac heard a whistle behind him, looking over his shoulder, seeing Sonic. Sonic was wagging his finger, holding a large gem in his free hand. Isaac quickly spun around, throwing the snowball at him! Sonic vanished again, the snowball landing behind where Sonic was.
"What manner of magic is this?!" Isaac asked aloud, still looking around.
"Not magic. Chaos." Knuckles said, catching up to Isaac.
"Chaos? Explain." Isaac asked.
"The gem he was holding. It's called a Chaos Emerald. A source of near limitless power. Sonic is able to use them to increase his power or be able to get out of a fight instantly. As long as he has that you won't be able to get near him without him disappearing again." Knuckles explained.
Isaac thought on this, pacing a bit through the snow. Suddenly, Isaac perked up. Isaac rolled two snowballs, hiding one under his cloak. Isaac leaped from the rooftops, searching for Sonic. Eventually, he found him again, but this time, Sonic wasn't running.
"It is a trap. He knows I cannot get close enough. But… I may not have to." Isaac thought to himself, stopping about fifteen feet from Sonic.
Sonic was grinning like an idiot. Sonic believed that he had the upper hand, and in most situations, he would've.
"Sorry Isaac, but it looks like this is one prey you won't be bagging today!" Sonic exclaimed.
Isaac saw the direction Sonic's eyes were pointed at, being the ledge of another rooftop. Isaac rushed for Sonic, holding a snowball in his hand. Isaac threw it, causing Sonic to disappear. Quickly, Isaac threw the second one from under his cloak, where Sonic was just appearing.
"It's over, Isaac! I have the high gr-!" Sonic tried to say, before the snowball hit him square in the face.
Sonic let go of the Chaos Emerald, it tumbling down and landing in front of Isaac. Isaac could only smile as he saw Sonic wipe the snow off of his face.
"Alright, I'll give it to ya! I wasn't expecting that! Hey, can you grab the Chaos Emerald for me? I think I got snow up my nose!" Sonic asked, blowing his nose.
Isaac walked to the Chaos Emerald and picked it up, feeling that it was warm with energy.
"Strange. It almost feels like it is… alive." Isaac said, feeling the heat increase.
Suddenly, the Chaos Emerald practically exploded with light! It travelled up Isaac's arms, his arms shaking uncontrollably! Steam was emanating off of Isaac's skin, as if his body were hot enough to emit it.
"RAAAAGH!" Isaac screamed, the light traveling to his head.
Isaac clenched his eyes, hoping, praying, that the pain would stop! Eventually, the pain did. Isaac opened his eyes again, but instead of the marketplace, he found himself in the Great Forest.
"What? How did I get here?" Isaac asked, observing his surroundings.
While it was supposed to be winter, the Great Forest was showing signs of being in late spring. Isaac saw a hiking path, one that felt… familiar to him. Isaac walked it, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Eventually, he came to a large cabin. It was located near the coast, where one could hear the tide ever so slightly. Isaac knew where he was.
"Impossible! This was nothing but ashes! Where are the others?!" Isaac exclaimed, not believing what he was seeing.
But as Isaac thought on his surroundings, he saw a red hedgehog walk out of the cabin. He was wearing a pair of deer hide pants and an old linen shirt, very much like what Isaac wore. But this hedgehog was wearing no boots, but instead a pair of moccasins. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows around his shoulders. The hedgehog walked to a large rock, where he sat down. He took out a knife from his belt and carefully inspected the knife with his thumb. The hedgehog didn't look down at his blade, but it was because it would be useless. The hedgehog had a blindfold covering his eyes, where there were only empty sockets behind it.
"Father? No… it cannot be!" Isaac said, walking towards him.
His father did not look at him. Instead, he quietly rose from his rock. Isaac reached for his father's shoulder, but his hand only passed through him. Isaac looked at it, as if there were something wrong with it.
"Am…am I dead?" Isaac asked himself.
Suddenly, his father turned back towards him, as if he had heard him.
"I thought that I have heard you." His father said.
Isaac, feeling his heart quicken, was surprised.
"Father?" Isaac asked.
"Do not act as if I was your next prey, my blind archer." A female voice responded.
A white, female hedgehog phased through John from behind, making herself known.
"Mother?" Isaac questioned, walking around her.
"Of course not, my dear wife. But I fear that my hearing is up to its old tricks. I could have sworn I had heard a faint sound from you. As if you carry a pocket watch on you. Is it so?" Isaac's father asked.
"Your hearing is still as keen as always, my dear. But I do not carry a watch, but instead, a great blessing!" She replied.
"A blessing? Upon what blessing does a sound emanate from within?" He asked.
"My dear Azazel… I carry your child!" She exclaimed.
Azazel quickly dropped his bow and quiver, picking up his wife and spinning her around.
"My dear! Oh, my dear Gloria! A child! We have been blessed with a child! Oh, Elohim has forgiven me! He must have, if to bless us with a child!" Azazel exclaimed, praising his good fortune.
Gloria giggled, asking to be put down. Azazel reluctantly obliged, still embracing his wife.
"So long! We have waited so long for this child! Ahh, a name! We must have name for our firstborn!" Azazel exclaimed, breaking the embrace.
Gloria reached for her husband's hands and took them.
"My husband, you must not worry! A name for our child is not first priority. First, we must prepare for their arrival. We must make clothes and plan our hunts and harvest. We cannot starve with a child on the way." Gloria explained.
Azazel caught his breath, calming himself.
"I forget myself, Gloria. Please, forgive me. I will prepare for the child's arrival! I will take down a mighty elk and prepare its bones to made into a broth! That shall help our child grow from within!" Azazel said, grabbing his bow and quiver and running into the forest.
As Isaac's father ran into the forest, his mother laughed to herself. She rubbed her stomach, whispering to it.
"Remember… your father loves you with all of his heart. And so, do I." She whispered, walking towards the cabin.
As she walked, Isaac's vision began to fade into white. Isaac clenched his eyes again, feeling blinded. As soon as the light was fading from his eyelids, Isaac opened them again. Isaac was in Princess Sally's chamber, but he was in her bed. He looked under the covers, finding himself still dressed in his clothes, but without his boots, cloak, and weapons. Eventually, Isaac noticed a sleeping figure next to him. A head was poking from the covers, revealing herself to be the Princess. She had a slight trail of mascara running from her eyes. Confused, Isaac hopped out of the bed, making sure he wouldn't wake her up. While he couldn't find his weapons and his cloak, he did find his boots. Picking them up in one hand, he quietly walked to the door, opening it, and slipping out of the room. As he silently closed the door, he heard the sound of someone clearing his throat. Isaac quickly turned around, seeing King Nigel in his wheelchair. Isaac practically felt his entire body heat up!
"So… how long has this been going on?" King Nigel asked.
Isaac couldn't speak. Instead, he could only point to himself and the door multiple times, making unintelligible noises.
"Ranger Abaddon… follow me." He ordered, menacingly.