South Island. A verdant, peaceful island and home to many forms of life, from the small animal critters to the mysterious creatures called Wisps. The inhabitants of the island lived peacefully alongside the wildlife in harmony.
However, not all was peaceful, as somewhere on the island, close to the area the locals refer to as Green Hill, there was a small outpost being built and occupied by a group of soldiers wearing red uniforms and robots in various shapes and sizes, all bearing the same symbol that represents a dangerous faction that plots to conquer the world.
The Eggman Empire.
The Empire had already conquered 75% of the world and right now, they plot to add South Island to their lists of conquests. Currently, the soldiers and robots are rounding up the local wildlife for reasons known only to them. They have already captured quite a number of the animals and wisps, all while making sure that they were not discovered by the locals.
"Hurry up and put those capsules over there!" One soldier yelled at another that was carrying two capsules, each containing a trapped wisp. "We need to get the supplies delivered back to base before the emperor arrives in two days!"
"Yes, sir!" The other soldier replied and rushed to put the capsules in a warehouse where the other capsules containing the wisps and animals were. The first soldier turned around and was about to go and collect more capsules, until…
*BAM*
"Gah!"
The soldier heard a noise and turned back to where the other soldier was. He saw the other soldier knocked out with the capsules he was carrying broken and empty. The soldier rushed to his comrade to check on him and saw that he was unconscious.
"What the-!? HEY! WE GOT A MAN DOWN!" The soldier alerted the other guards and they, along with the robots with them, were now on high alert, sounding the alarm and locking down the base. But that did nothing, as another soldier was knocked out, freaking the others nearby out.
"What's going on!?"
"Are we under attack!?"
"Protect the supplies!"
"Battle formations!"
The soldiers and robots scrambled to maintain some order and find out what, or who, was attacking. "Steady, men! Hold your positions!" One soldier shouted. A few moments of silence passed and the soldiers were tense, ready to fight, until…
"WAH!"
One of the soldiers was knocked into the air by what appears to be a blue blur and fell back to the ground, unconscious. "What was-!? OPEN FIRE!" The soldiers and robots fired at the blur, but it was too fast for them as the blur ran into more soldiers, flinging them into the air and knocking them out.
"WHAT IS THAT!?"
"SOMEONE STOP IT!"
"KEEP FIRING!"
"WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS!"
"IT'S TOO FAST!"
"MOMMY!"
The remaining soldiers have no idea what to do. No matter what they threw at it, from blasts from their firearms to explosives, the blur was too fast to shoot and were plowing through their forces with ease. Not even the smaller robots were spared, as they were blown to pieces when the blur ran through them.
However, the blur crashed into a larger robot and was knocked into a nearby wall due to the robot's size. The soldiers that were not unconscious and the remaining robots surround the area where the blur landed. "We got it! Ready your weapons, men!" The leading soldier ordered the others and they aimed their weapons at the blur.
As the dust settled, the blur slowly got up and the soldiers got a better look at what attacked them. What they did not expect to see was a young, blue hedgehog who looked to be about 11 years old, wearing red shoes and a red scarf.
"Wait… is that a kid?"
The hedgehog managed to regain his senses and saw that he was exposed and surrounded.
"Uh… meow?" The young hedgehog said sheepishly.
The soldiers kept their weapons on the hedgehog, prepared to fire at any sign of movement. "Hands above your head! Now!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"WHOA, WHOA! OK, OK! No need to get violent here, guys!" The hedgehog cried out, raising his hands in the air slightly to show he meant no harm. "Keep your hands where we can see 'em, kid!" Another soldier shouted. "Now who sent you!?"
"No one sent me! I just happened to find this place, I swear!" The hedgehog replied back, but it seems that the soldiers don't believe him. "You two! Go cuff this brat!." The leading soldier ordered two other soldiers, who nodded and walked towards the hedgehog. "We'll have some questions for you, kid. You'd better answer them honestly if you want to stay alive."
The hedgehog looked around his surroundings, looking for a way out but could not find it due to the soldiers and robots surrounding him. Fortunately, he's quite good at thinking on his feet. "Ok. You got me. I'll just come quietly and-OH MY GOD, IS THAT EGGMAN!?"
"Huh!?" The soldiers quickly turned around and saluted. "SIR!? We thought you'd be-wait a minute… No one's there!" The soldiers were now a little ticked off, but then the two soldiers that were sent to apprehend the hedgehog were blown away and crashed into nearby walls. The other soldiers turned back to the hedgehog, only to find that he disappeared.
"HEY! OVER HERE!" The soldiers turned around to the source of the voice and saw the young hedgehog standing on top of one of the crates. "Man! I know you guys are brainwashed and all, but I didn't think getting brainwashed would make you all stupid, too!" The hedgehog taunted, which caused the soldiers and robots to fire at him, and much to their shock, the hedgehog just dodged the blasts by jumping off the crate with great speed.
The hedgehog took advantage of his enemy's confusion and ran through them very quickly to the point that he became a blur, knocking the soldiers he hit into the air and destroying the robots he hit as well. The remaining robots and soldiers recovered quickly and tried to shoot the hedgehog, but he proved to be too fast for them to hit. The larger robot attempted to hit the hedgehog the same way it did before, but the hedgehog dodged the attack and jumped on top of the robot.
"You know, now that I got a closer look, I don't see how you guys are scary." The hedgehog commented mockingly as the robot tried to shake the hedgehog off of it, but the hedgehog held on strong. "I mean, these big guys have heads that look like goofy Jack o' Lanterns! Not really intimidating, if I'm being honest." The robot raised its fist and was about to punch the hedgehog off, but the hedgehog jumped off just in time, causing the robot to punch its head off instead.
"Catch me if ya can, eggheads!" The hedgehog mocked as he stuck his tongue out at the remaining soldiers and ran towards the base's warehouse which contained the imprisoned animals and wisps, as well as different kinds of weapons, with the soldiers and robots chasing after him. "Ok, men! Search the place and find that brat!" The soldiers searched the entire warehouse for the intruder, weapons drawn despite the warehouse being full of highly volatile weapons.
One soldier was searching the western side of the warehouse. He was a little nervous, in spite of the intruder being a kid. "I wonder where that good-looking hedgehog is." A voice said next to the soldier, causing him to turn around in surprise and fire. The voice turned out to be that hedgehog, who quickly dodged the attack and ran towards a different direction.
"He's in the western section! After him!" The soldier shouted through his comms, and the other soldiers converged at his location to corner the hedgehog. But the hedgehog was too fast for them to catch, since he kept zipping through them as they tried to shoot him. "Come on! Is that the best you guys can do!?" The hedgehog shouted as he sped through the soldiers like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins. "I mean, if THIS is the best the Eggman Empire has to offer, then I don't know how you guys managed to-" The hedgehog then saw that one of the soldiers he hit had dropped a bomb that was rolling towards a stache of explosives.
…and it was activated to go off in 5 seconds.
"Uh oh."
BOOM!
The warehouse exploded. Fortunately, the soldiers still inside were not injured and were blown away by the explosion instead. The robots… weren't so lucky. The soldiers groggily got up and saw the warehouse in flames. Then, to make matters worse, the building next to the warehouse exploded as well. And another. And another.
Turns out, the first explosion caused a chain reaction then engulfed the entire base in flames, forcing everyone to evacuate. The soldiers saw their base being destroyed and could only stare in horror. All that hard work to get the base ready for their emperor's arrival, all that effort to round up as many animals and Wisps to be used as fuel for their machines, all rendered moot thanks to some random kid that happened to have super speed.
Speaking of which…
"WOOOO, YEAH!"
The soldiers turned to where the noise was coming from and saw the hedgehog standing triumphantly on top of the cliff, with the moon shining behind him.
"Now this is happening!" The hedgehog shouted out. "Let this be the day that you crossed paths with the one who will save this planet from the clutches of the evil Eggman Empire! For I am the Wind of Freedom! The Cobalt Crusader! I am. BLUE JUSTICE!"
After making that admittedly corny speech, the hedgehog ran from the cliff, leaving the soldiers' sight. They were just standing there, staring at where the hedgehog was, probably all thinking the same thing.
"What just happened!?"
It was quiet in the forest, which makes sense, given that it was the dead of night. But then that silence was broken by a gust of wind, thanks to a certain blue hedgehog's arrival.
"Ok, I think we're far enough from the base." The hedgehog said to himself as he pulled out a red capsule from… somewhere and placed it on the ground. "Good thing I got this out in time before the place exploded." He pressed a few buttons on the capsule and it opened. And once it did, various wisps and animals came pouring out of the capsule like a sprinkler.
The Wisps flew around the hedgehog happily, while the animals ran around the place, happy to to longer be in captivity. The animals and wisps then rushed towards the hedgehog and tackled him into the ground with the intent to thank him for rescuing them with hugs.
"Woah, WOAH! Easy there, guys!. The hedgehog said, trying to gently get the critters off of him. "I'm only one guy here! You guys are gonna suffocate me if you keep this up!" If he was being honest, he was feeling a little embarrassed from all the positive attention the animals and wisps are giving him.
After a few minutes, the animals and wisps finally let him go, allowing him to breathe again. "WHEW! Man, you guys sure do hug tight!" The hedgehog chuckled before shaking his head. Then he noticed something on the horizon. The sun was slowly rising and the night was about to end.
"Oh, shoot! I gotta get back home!" The hedgehog said in a panic. "Sorry, little critters, but I gotta dash. Now don't get caught again!" He was about to run until one small animal, a rabbit, looked up to him in both wonder and curiosity. "Oh? You want to know who I am, little guy?" The hedgehog asked, which the little rabbit nodded. "Well… alright. I'll tell you my name. But don't go blabbering it to your friends. Trying to do a whole "secret-identity" thing here."
The hedgehog backflipped and did a pose, with his leg behind the other and giving out a thumbs up. "The name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."
The hedgehog, Sonic, gave the little rabbit a small salute and dashed towards a direction in a blur. The rabbit critter looked towards the direction Sonic ran towards and could see a blue trail following close behind him, until he was no longer in sight.
While for others, it would take a couple of minutes to a few hours to run from one of the nearby forests to Knothole Village, but for young Sonic, it only took him a few seconds. He dashed through the gates and ran towards one of the houses that was located at the edge of the other side of the village. Once he arrived, he jumped up on one of the ledges and opened one of the windows quietly. He went through the window quietly once it was opened enough and jumped down onto the floor.
The lights were off, so Sonic sighed in relief. Looks like no one's awake yet. He tiptoed across the room, hoping to make it back to his room and get some quick sleep. Suddenly, the lights turned on, causing Sonic to freeze.
"Welcome back, Sonic."
Sonic winced. He knows that voice and that tone. He was in SO much trouble. He slowly turned his head to where the voice originated and saw a large female owl wearing ancient looking armor. She had brown and tan feathers, and piercing green eyes that looked straight at Sonic like a mother would look at a child when caught doing something naughty.
"Uh… hi, Longclaw." Sonic said sheepishly. "You're up early." "I'm an owl, Sonic. We're nocturnal." Longclaw simply replied. "Besides, I should say the same to you."
"Well… I thought I could go for an early jog! You know, to get me energized for today!" Sonic lied, hoping that his surrogate mother would believe him, but he had a feeling that that wouldn't happen. Longclaw raised her eyebrow. "Really? And you wouldn't happen to jog near that Empire base Charles and I found a few days ago, correct?" She asked, causing Sonic to internally panic. Yup, he was definitely caught.
Sonic then noticed a creature floating next to Longclaw. The creature was white with one pink eye, two antennas, three tentacles on the bottom of its head, wore a red scarf, and had a guilty look. Sonic then realized how Longclaw found out about where he was. "Et tu, Yacker?" Sonic could only say in defeat. The creature, Yacker, could only look at Sonic with guilt, as if saying that he's sorry he ratted him out.
"Sonic." Longclaw said sternly. "Once Charles comes back from his trip, the three of us are going to have a serious talk." Sonic could only sigh in defeat. He was really in for it now.
New Yoke City. The capital of the Eggman Empire. Situated on the island once known as West Side Island. The island was once a verdant land, not too different from South Island long ago. But once the Eggman Empire was established, the island slowly lost its natural beauty, turning it into a wasteland of metal and pollution.
In contrast, the city itself looked like a technological utopia. If you could look past all the propaganda and overabundant iconography of its very, VERY, egotistical ruler. The emperor of the Eggman Empire and self-proclaimed "smartest man alive". Dr. Eggman. But in spite of it all, its citizens paid no mind to the iconography. After all, they grew up with it and thought it was normal.
But let's take our focus elsewhere in the city, to a large building located in the central area of the city. This building is a school. Where the younger generation of the city's citizens go to learn how to serve the Eggman Empire. Either by becoming soldiers, or engineers. In one classroom, its students were working on individual projects on their desks, with their teacher overlooking them.
"Ok, time's up!" The teacher announced, causing the students to stop what they were doing. "Now, students. Let's see what you all have made." The teacher approached each desk, looking at each of the students' projects and listening to each of their explanations on what they are and what they do. Eventually, the teacher approached the desk of a young fox who looked to be around 5 years old.
"Now what have you made, Kilo?" The teacher asked the fox. The fox looked up, looking quite smug as he held up his invention, a spherical device with a fuse attached to the top. "Well, sir. This is a bomb badnik." The fox, Kilo, said. "This bomb is capable of walking and is programmed to explode when it makes contact with anything and anyone its database considers a threat."
The teacher observed as Kilo activated the badnik. Small, robotic legs emerged from the bottom of the sphere and it jumped off his hands and started to wander on top of his desk. "Well, that is impressive, Kilo." The teacher said, and Kilo looked rather pleased at what expects to be a compliment. "However, I believe that I've seen that type of Badnik before. Isn't that one of the first Badniks Lord Eggman had created?"
Kilo's face just dropped his smirk. "Uh… w-well, I thought I could improve on one of Lord Eggman's older works." Kilo stuttered, trying to save face. The teacher stopped him before he could continue. "Anyway, thank you for this presentation, Kilo." The teacher said before moving on to the desk next to his.
The desk's occupant was another fox who looked so much like Kilo and around his age, except instead of a wavy style like Kilo's, his hairstyle was spiky. He also had a metal ring curiously wrapped around his tail. The other fox apparently was still working on his project, oblivious that he was supposed to stop.
"Miles?" The teacher attempted to get the fox's attention, but he was too engrossed in the project to pay attention. "MILES!" "Huh!" that finally got the fox's attention as he jolted up. "Miles, when I said time's up, I expected everyone to stop on their projects. That includes you." The teacher sternly said.
"Oh, sorry sir. I just wanted to get my project right." Miles apologized and the teacher sighed. "Well, speaking of which, would you care to tell me what you've been working on?" "Um… ok." Miles picked up his project, and it appears to be a grayish-black glove. The teacher looked at the glove with curiosity. "Interesting. Everyone else here has made either weapons or robots. So what is this?"
Miles was feeling a little scared, but he breathed a little and started his explanation. "Well… I thought that there might be times where workers may end up losing their tools, causing them to lose precious time and resources trying to find them. So I created this invention to solve that potential problem. I call it the "Nano-Glove"." Miles demonstrated by putting on the glove and inserting a small device into his ear. "It is capable of using nano-bots stored inside the glove to morph into any tool you could think of. With the device I inserted into my ear, it will allow the Nano-Glove to read your brain patterns and relay messages to the nano-bots so that they will morph into the right tool." Miles focused as tiny robots started to emerge out of the glove, looking like small cubes. The cubes morphed around Miles' hand until it took on the shape of a wrench.
The teacher was quite shocked at Miles' project. "Well… I admit, your invention's… ground-breaking! The Eggman Empire would benefit from an invention such as this! Congratulations, Miles. You get an A+!" The teacher continued to congratulate Miles, who was feeling very embarrassed by all the praise. He was not used to it, after all. The other students, on the other hand, did not share their teacher's thoughts, and Miles could feel everyone's disapproving stares.
"Typical. Why does that kid keep outshining us!?"
"Teacher's pet."
"Why doesn't he let us have a chance to shine!?"
"Stupid freak."
But there was one person who kept those kinds of comments to himself. He looked at Miles with resentment and jealousy from his work station next to Miles'. Looks like he needs to put him in his place again. Kilo will make sure of that.
"MILES!"
Miles turned around as he was walking through the hallways of the academy and saw Kilo approaching him, looking a bit ticked off. "Kilo? What's going on?" Miles asked him, but he had a feeling that he's not going to like what Kilo has in store for him.
"What was that back there? Are you trying to show me up!?" Kilo said. "When will you learn that I'M the superior twin, here!" "Oh, um… I'm sorry, Kilo." Miles responded, wanting to end this conversation as fast as he could. "I was just doing my project, like everyone else was." "Oh, don't get smart with me, Miles!" Kilo talked back, causing Miles to flinch a little. "I clearly had the superior invention! How can a "glove" be more beneficial to the empire than my bomb badnik!?"
"K-Kilo… can we not do this, today?" Miles quietly pleaded. "I just want to-." "Why? You got somewhere to be?" Kilo interrupted Miles before he grabbed the metal ring on his tail. "Since you like to flaunt your "genius" around, you might as well flaunt your deformity too!" Kilo began to pull the ring, causing Miles to panic. "H-hey! Let go!" Miles cried out, but Kilo ignored him.
The scuffle then caught the attention of the other students as they began to watch, not bothering to interfere. Miles tried to pull his tail away from Kilo, but the other fox held onto the metal ring tightly, not letting go. Eventually, Miles pulled hard enough that he ended up falling to the ground, but it did end up forcing Kilo to let go. Unfortunately, Kilo was successful in pulling the metal ring off of Miles' tail, only… he didn't have one tail.
Miles has two tails.
Miles panicked and hugged his tails close to him, trying to make it look like he had one large tail. But it was too late. Everyone already saw what happened. Kilo stood over Miles with a smug smirk, twirling the metal ring around his finger. "Aw. What's the matter, Miles? Still feel ashamed about your deformity?" Kilo callously taunted. "Well, I don't blame you. You're nothing more than a freak with an extra limb!"
Miles could only lie on the floor, hugging his tails tightly as Kilo continued to belittle him. He could even overhear the comments from the other students, and none of them were sympathetic to his plight.
"Kilo's got a point, there."
"I mean, who would want to be friends with someone like him?"
"Doesn't matter how smart he is, he's not gonna go far with that extra tail."
"What a freak."
Freak.
That's the name most people call him, especially Kilo. All because of his extra tail. No matter how many times he hears it, he never gets used to it. It always causes him discomfort every time he hears it. Miles couldn't take it anymore and, fearing the worst, got up to run away, not caring how he looked to everyone else. Kilo, still holding the metal ring he pried off, looked on at the fleeing fox with a smug look. Another student, a young bird with white feathers approached Kilo while giving him a disapproving look.
"Was that really necessary, Kilo?" The bird asked. "He's still your brother." Kilo just scoffed before throwing the ring in a nearby trash can. "Whatever, Speedy. It's his own fault for up-staging me like that." Kilo responded without a care and looked towards the direction Miles ran in, an evil smirk slowly forming on his face.
Miles did not know how long he was there for. He retreated to the back of the academy where the trash was located to escape Kilo's insults, as well as the cruel comments from the other students. This place is where he always goes when he wants to be alone at the academy.
Why was everyone always so mean to him? Was it really because of his extra tail? It's not his fault he was born with it! Miles wanted to cry and tears started to fall, but he held strong and wiped them off his face. He doesn't want to show any weakness to anyone. Otherwise, they might double down on their bullying. But sometimes, the bullying can be too much for him to bear.
Then, he heard a noise. Oh no. Has Kilo found his hiding spot!? Miles fearfully closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable, but nothing happened. When Miles opened his eyes, no one was there. He heard the noise again and, while still fearful, Miles decided to try and find the source of the noise. He used his large ears to listen to the noise and followed it to one of the nearby piles of trash bags next to the dumpsters. He never understood why everyone just left piles of trash in places like this, but he decided to shake that thought out of his head for now as he approached the trash pile. Miles reached the pile, where heard the noise again, only it was louder. He hesitantly leaned closer to it and saw something he did not expect.
"Chirp!"
It was a pink flicky, munching on the discarded food in the trash. Miles couldn't believe it! What's a flicky doing here? And more importantly, how did it escape from the Badnik Processing Plant? It's no secret that the Empire's Badniks are powered by woodland animals, so Miles was pretty surprised to see a flicky roaming around.
The Flicky finally noticed Miles and got scared. It attempted to fly away but it could only hover in the air for a few seconds before it fell back to the ground. Miles was confused as to why the Flicky fell, until he noticed that one of its wings was injured. That would explain it. The Flicky got up and tried to waddle away from Miles, but found that it could not go far. Miles looked at the flicky and saw that it was also a little malnourished, possibly from not eating anything healthy. He could also see the fear in its eyes as it tried to get away.
"H-hey there, little guy." Miles gently called out to the flicky. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. Oh! Are you hungry?" Miles grabbed his bag and opened it. He pulled out a metal box and opened that as well, and he pulled out a piece of bread. "Here you go." Miles took a small piece from the bread and offered it to the flicky. The flicky slowly approached to inspect the bread. It pecked it before taking the piece and started to munch on it.
Miles stared at the flicky as it ate the bread. It could not fly. Not with its wing injured like that. It looks like it could heal on its own with time, but it's not going to go far in New Yoke City before it gets caught again. He could capture it and bring it to the authorities. Afterall, that is what a citizen of the Eggman Empire would do… right?
If he was being honest, Miles didn't exactly fit in with everyone else in the empire, and that's not just because of his extra tail. He never really believed the empire's propaganda and doctrine of subjugating nature. He also does not possess the same level of loyalty to Eggman as everyone else. He admits, he does admire the man for his intellect, but he's not blind. Miles can see some people looking miserable under Eggman's rule, but are too afraid to speak up. He also hated that animals are used to power the empire's robotic Badniks.
So Miles continued to stare at the flicky while it continued to eat, not a care in the world. It looked so… innocent and harmless. No. He couldn't do it. Even if it would prove to everyone that he is as loyal to Eggman's cause as everyone else is, he couldn't bring himself to subject this poor bird to a horrific fate as just another nameless machine. He knew what he had to do. Sure, he might get in trouble for this, but if he could help someone, then it's worth it.
"Hey, you want to get out of here?" Miles asked the flicky, getting its attention. The flicky tilted its head in confusion, wondering why this fox was asking that. "Tell you what? How about I help you? I can hide you in my bag until I can find the opportunity to release you back to the wild?" The flicky was a little hesitant. Should it trust this fox? Afterall, he was wearing the standard issue Eggman Empire citizen uniform. But the flicky looked at Miles' eyes and saw no deceit in them. Maybe… maybe it could trust him.
The flicky chirped, picked up the bread, and waddled into Miles' bag. Miles closed up the bag, but left it slightly open enough for the flicky to breath and see. "Ok, I need you to stay quiet until I get home. Would that be ok with you?" Miles asked, which the flicky chirped in agreement. "Ok. Just stay still for now. I have plenty of bread in there for you to eat." Miles exited the back area of the academy to return to classes. He just hopes that he'll be able to make it through the rest of the day without incident.
Back on South Island, far from Knothole Village, a lone explorer, a large malamute, was exploring some ancient ruins located on the other side of the island that the locals refer to simply as the Marble Zone. He heard stories of an ancient power buried deep within these ruins and wanted to see if the stories were true with his own eyes.
"Alright, according to the texts, it should be in this area." The explorer said to himself, while pulling out some old pieces of paper from his bag. He remembered getting these papers from some… unsavory folks and nearly getting his head shot off in the process, but once he uncovers the mystery of the Marble Zone ruins, it'll be worth it. Now he just has to-
Suddenly, he hears a commotion nearby. Curiosity getting the better of him, the explorer went over to where the commotion was and saw Eggman Empire soldiers and Badniks inspecting another area of the ruins. Well, this is just great! These soldiers must have heard the stories as well and want to exploit that power for themselves! Even now, the explorer could see them tearing the place apart so callously. Do they not care about the potential historical significance of these ruins!?
The explorer needs to find what these ruins are hiding first and fast. He then saw a large structure that the soldiers left untouched and decided to head there. He waited until the soldiers were not looking and made a mad dash towards the structure. Once he entered, the explorer was left awestruck. The structure must be over a thousand years old, yet it is still standing to this day. The explorer wanted to study the place more thoroughly, but with the Eggman Empire right outside, he didn't have time to do so. So he ventured further into the building.
He saw some murals on the walls, depicting warriors facing off against some kind of creature. The explorer pulled out his phone and started to take some pictures. He'll have more time to study them when he's back at the village. However, his photo-op was short-lived, as he heard some people coming in.
"Are you sure you saw someone enter here?"
"I'm pretty sure."
"It could just be a wild animal."
"But what if they were a person? We don't want anyone interfering with our operations here! Not after last night!"
"Ugh, don't remind me."
Oh crud. They saw him!? But he was sure they didn't! Did he not notice a soldier? The explorer quickly hid and tried to look around the chamber for another exit, but found that there was only one point of entry. The main entrance that he and these soldiers came through.
He could try and fight back. He is bigger than most of the soldiers here, afterall. But the robots might give him trouble. He could throw a rock towards a random direction to create a sound and hope that they would go and investigate it. But before he could do anything, he felt something on the ground he's standing on. He looked down and saw that the floor was starting to crack! Before he could run, the floor collapsed, causing the explorer to fall in."
"GAAAAAAH!" The explorer screamed as he fell. But before long, he landed in what appears to be… a water slide? When he landed, the water's current carried him through the slide, all the while he could do nothing but wail around helplessly. Eventually, the unexpected ride ended, as the slide dumped him on a shallow pool of water. He recovered quickly and made his way out of the pool. He'd really needed to cut off the Chilli Dogs that old Hedgehog was selling back at the village.
The explorer looked at his new surroundings. Was this…? Was this always here? Beneath the Marble Zone Ruins? This was the discovery of the century! To think that there were more ancient ruins located deeper within! Wasting no time, he grabbed his bag and pulled out a flashlight. He's going to see what this place has to offer!
A few hours had passed and the explorer was growing a little disappointed. All he found in this place was more overgrowth and water. Nothing of value. Why was this place hidden if there is nothing here? The only thing noteworthy about this place, besides all the water, was the layout. It was VERY confusing, and frustratingly so! He nearly got lost a couple of times! He felt calling this place a "Labyrinth" would be too appropriate.
The explorer was getting a little tired, so he decided to take a small break before he continued exploring, but when he sat down, he noticed a bright, green tint catching his eye. He slowly approached the tint and found something curious. Was this… a crystal? As he looked at the crystal with curiosity, he noticed more crystals along the path. How did he miss that earlier? The explorer decided to follow the path of green crystal clusters. Maybe these might lead him to something!
He continued to follow the crystals, with the clusters slowly getting larger along the way. He ventured deeper and deeper until he reached a dead end. But what he was at the end of the path, he did not expect.
It was a gigantic cluster of green crystal, fully encompassing nearly half of the entire chamber the explorer found himself in. He could not believe his eyes. Was this… was this the secret of the Marble Zone Ruins? He slowly approached the cluster and placed his hand on the crystal's surface. But then caught his eye. He saw something within the cluster. Is that… is that a person? The amount of crystals make it hard to tell, but there is a person trapped within. But before he could question it further…
"FREEZE!"
The explorer jumped and turned around. He saw Eggman Empire soldiers and robots surrounding him, weapons aimed straight at him. This isn't good.
"Stay where you are!" The leading soldier shouted. "We have you surrounded! Drop your bag and state your business!" "Ok, ok! Just don't hurt me!" The explorer complied as he dropped his bag and raised his hands in the air. "You there! Cuff him!" The leading soldier ordered one of his men, who complied and approached the explorer, cuffs in hand.
As the explorer was put in cuffs, the other soldiers approached the crystal cluster, with some of them looking at it with awe. "So the rumors are true, afterall. With this discovery, we might be able to redeem our failure from last night!" The soldiers are ecstatic. They could use these crystals to not only fund their operations, but also to power their weapons and robots.
The soldiers brought forth a large vehicle with a drill in the front came forward from the large group of machines, in which one of the soldiers jumped in and started to drive it towards the cluster, where it made contact with the tip of the drill. The drill vehicle plowed through the crystal cluster, with chunks of it flying out. The Badniks then started to collect the chunks and bring them to a large pod to be stored for later use.
The explorer, being supervised by two Badniks, could only look on as the soldiers began to excavate the crystals. "Please stop!" The explorer cried out. "These crystals belong in a museum! They're not to be used for your war machines!" He received a smack in the head from one of the Badniks for that outburst. The soldiers ignored the explorer's pleas as they continued their work. They'll question him later.
Is this it? Is his days of exploring the world and discovering its secrets over, already? But then, the explorer noticed something. It seems that the soldiers and robots have not noticed the person trapped within the cluster yet, so when the drill reached where that person was, the cluster started to glow.
"What the-?"
"Are these crystals… glowing?"
Indeed, the crystals have started to glow. And slowly getting brighter. The soldiers did not know what to do, as the one driving the drill machine jumped off in fear. The crystals glowed even brighter, and cracks are starting to form. The cracks kept forming and forming while the crystals continuously glowed even brighter, until-
BOOM
The cluster exploded in a wave of green energy, blowing the drill vehicle and any soldiers still close by away. The crystal chunks fell onto the ground, having now lost their shine upon the cluster's shattering. Clouds of dust filled the chamber thanks to the broken cluster, blocking the sight of everyone present. The explorer used this opportunity to escape his captors and hid behind a larger chunk of the broken crystal.
When the dust started to dissipate, everyone present then noticed a shadowy figure slowly standing up from where the cluster used to be. The figure just stared at the soldiers and robots, while they just stared back. The explorer also stared at the figure from his hiding place, unsure on what will happen next. The shadowy figure opened its eyes, and showed that they are glowing green, the same glow that the crystals had before. The soldiers and Badniks trained their weapons at the figure, as the figure just stared at them.
"You there! Hands where we can see them!" One of the soldiers shouted at the figure, but it just continued to stare. Its eyes began to narrow, like… like a predator getting ready to pounce. "HEY! Did you not hear me! I said-!"
BAM
Suddenly, the figure rushed at the speaking soldier and punched him straight in the face, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. The soldiers were shocked at both the speed and strength of the mysterious figure. "W-what just-? ATTACK!" They then shook their shock away and fired their weapons. The figure punched the ground and a large pillar of rock erupted from the ground, shielding it from the blasts. The figure then lifted the pillar and threw it at the firing soldiers, knocking most of them away and destroying some Badniks caught in the attack.
The remaining soldiers and Badniks continued to attack, but the figure just ran away from the blasts, dodging them with ease. He ran towards some Badniks and started to swing its fists at them. One by one, the Badniks were destroyed, freeing the animals trapped within as the figure rushed through the Badniks as if they were made of paper.
The soldiers tried everything to slow the figure down. More blaster fire? It just threw boulders and large crystal chunks at them. Throwing explosives at it? It grabbed the explosives and threw them back. Eventually, as the soldiers continued firing at the figure, the figure jumped into the air and… flew!? The explorer could not believe it. That figure can fly! Well… more accurately, the figure just glided in the air, as it slowly descended towards the attacking group of soldiers before it stopped gliding and it fell. The figure then punched the ground as it landed, creating a shockwave that sent the remaining soldiers flying and knocked them out.
The explorer watched this one-sided battle from his hiding place. Whatever that figure was, it tore through the Eggman Empire's forces like they were nothing! The figure stood over the unconscious bodies of the soldiers and the broken remains of the Badniks, panting and eyes still glowing. Then, without warning-
BAM
The figure was knocked away by a large hammer. The culprit was a rather large, dark gray Badnik with glowing red eyes wielding a large, mechanical hammer. The figure slowly recovered from the spot it crashed into and faced the giant Badnik. The Badnik readied its hammer as both it and the figure stared each other down. The explorer only watched with anticipation before the Badnik and figure charged at each other, ready to fight.
The Badnik swung its hammer at the figure, but the figure ducked under it and swung its right fist at the Badnik's right leg. It left a pretty big dent of the leg, causing the Badnik to stumble before getting back up to swing its hammer again. The figure dodged again and punched the arm hard enough that it was broken off of the Badnik, leaving it with one arm. The Badnik smashed its hammer at the figure constantly, trying to land a hit, but the figure kept dodging, even jumping up at the robot's face in-between dodges to deliver a few punches to it.
Eventually, the giant robot finally managed to land a hit on the figure, smashing its hammer on top of it. The explorer looked on in horror. He was actually counting on the figure winning the fight so he could escape. Then he noticed something off about the hammer. He took another look and saw that the figure wasn't squashed by the hammer, but was actually holding it up above him only a few inches above the ground.
The figure pushed the hammer further above him until it was standing straight. It grabbed the hammer and lifted it up in the air, lifting the Badnik as well since it was holding onto the hammer tight. The explorer was astounded by the mysterious figure's strength as it began to spin the Badnik around. It kept spinning until the figure let the hammer go, sending it flying towards the discarded vehicles and creating a large explosion upon crashing into them that destroyed both the Badnik and the vehicles.
The explorer looked on from his hiding spot in awe as the figure stood there, victorious over its foes. Seeing that all the Badniks have been destroyed and the soldiers are now rendered unconscious, the explorer decided that now was the time to escape. But as he made his move, he suddenly felt… unease. He slowly turned his head towards where the figure was and saw that it was now staring back at him. Now he's scared. Earlier, he was rooting for the figure as it wiped the floor with the Eggman Empire. But now, the figure's focus was on him. He did not consider the possibility of it targeting him afterwards.
The figure slowly approached the explorer as the explorer backed away, clearly terrified. He looked around the ruined chamber, trying to find an exit or something that he could use to defend himself. The figure continued its approach, its eyes maintained their emerald glow. The explorer tried to think of something, anything, to escape the situation he was in. Suddenly, when it was close enough, the figure… collapsed.
The explorer was confused. Did it… did it collapse from exhaustion? The explorer decided to take the risk and slowly approached the unconscious figure. As he got close, he began to see the figure clearly, and what he saw nearly made his jaw drop.
The figure… was an Echidna. A red echidna, looking around 13 years old. The explorer noticed that the echidna was wearing gloves with spikes on their knuckles. That might explain the echidna's strength. But the explorer still could not believe his eyes. He was staring at a living echidna! A species long thought extinct, thanks to an ancient calamity. Is this child the ancient power the stories told him about?
Then the explorer realized something. This is not time nor place to come up with theories! Not when there might be more Eggman Empire forces outside. He picked up the echidna child and placed him on his back, as he carried him out of the chamber. He needs to get this child as far from this place as possible.
He had a feeling… that this child might one day change the world.
"AMY!"
In a quant, yet beautiful garden of rose bushes, a female hedgehog, dark pink in coloration, her quills tied in a ponytail, and wearing a red shirt, brown shorts, and a green sleeveless jacket, wandered around, looking for something there. Or rather, someone.
"AMY! WHERE ARE YOU!?" The hedgehog shouted. "YOU'D BETTER COME OUT RIGHT NOW, YOUNG MISSY!" She continued searching the garden for whoever she was looking for, unaware that who she was looking for was closer than she realized.
Hiding in one of the bushes, lies another pink hedgehog, only her shade of pink was lighter than the other one and looked around 9 years old. She was wearing a green shirt, a purple skirt, black and magenta striped socks that reached up to her thighs, and a magenta headband adorned with rose flowers. She watched the older hedgehog walk away from her hiding spot, giggling to herself.
She pulled out a book next to her and began to read it. She always wanted to read this particular book, but never had a chance to until now. This book is an encyclopedia on the world, detailing their histories, culture, and myths. And the young hedgehog, Amy, was enamored. She always wanted to see what the world has to offer, but due to the laws of her home, she has to be content with reading about them in a book.
As she read, Amy imagined herself visiting these places, meeting the people there, making friends. As much as she loves her home, she felt a little stiffened by it. She wanted more in her life! She wanted-why does she feel a sense of dread behind her?
"GOTCHA!"
"GAH!"
Amy was pulled out of her hiding place by the back of her shirt's collar and came face to face with the older hedgehog. "Oh, uh… hey, Carina." Amy sheepishly said, clinging onto the encyclopedia. The older hedgehog, Carina gave Amy a stern look. "Hey." She replied with a cold tone. "So… I see you have my book."
"Oh, this thing?" Amy said, sweating. "I, uh… I just found it here! Yeah, it was just lying here and I just happened to find it!" She lied, but she knew Carina well, so it was a long shot. "Oh, really?" Carina said as she raised her eyebrow. "I seem to remember placing that specific book next to my bed before dinner. Care to explain how you "found" it here?" Amy gulped. "Uh… well…" Amy tried to think of an excuse, but came up short. Why does Carina have to have such a good memory!?
"Yeah, I thought so." Carina said. "I think you know what happens next, don't you?" Amy started to panic. She did NOT like where this was going. "W-wait! Can't we talk about this!?" Amy pleaded to her sister, although she had a feeling that it fell to deaf ears. Carina only smirked. "Nope! You know the consequences, so now it's time for your punishment!" Carina proclaimed as she suddenly dropped Amy onto the ground, only to then grab her in a headlock. "N-no! Wait!" But it was too late. Amy was trapped with Carina's arm wrapped around her neck as the older hedgehog closed her free hand and placed it on top of Amy's head…
…and started to rub her fist on it quickly, messing up Amy's quills in the process.
"GAH! NO! NOT THE BIG SISTER NOOGIE!" Amy cried as Carina continued to rub her fist on Amy's head. "OK, OK! I'M SORRY, SIS! JUST STOP MESSING UP MY QUILLS!" Carina finally stopped and let Amy go from the headlock. Amy rubbed her head as Carina just chuckled at her younger sister.
"So." Carina said, getting Amy's attention. "D'you find anything interesting in that book?" Amy looked at her sister curiously before thinking about it. "Actually… I think I did!" Amy picked up the book and opened it to a specific page that showed a picture of a landscape with tall mountains, azure rivers and verdant forests that growed pink flowers on their branches. "I was reading about this place called "Azuma", and I thought it looked pretty. *sigh* I wish we could visit that place, one day…"
Amy sat down at a nearby bench in the garden and sighed again. "Carina?" "Yeah, Amy?" Carina said as she sat down as well to join her. "How come we never leave Little Planet? Especially when there's a whole world up there, waiting for us?" Amy asked before looking up at the sky. Carina followed her sister's gaze and saw a view that, while an average person would be in awe of, the sisters consider it normal.
The skies above their garden showed an island. Turns out, Amy and Carina live on a small planetoid called "Little Planet" that hovers over South Island. This planetoid only becomes visible once every year due to the strange energies that come from the planetoid.
Carina sighed before turning back to Amy. "I know how you feel, Amy. But you know how strict the elders are about leaving this place. I still remember the punishments they gave me every time I tried, myself." Carina can't help but recall all the times she tried to leave Little Planet and when she got punished for it. She shuddered at the thought and shook them out of her head.
"Look, as much as I would love to see what the other world has to offer, we're safe here on Little Planet." Carina tried to assure Amy. "Besides, we need to stay so that we can protect the "you know what"." Amy looked at her older sister. She doesn't really know what the "you know what" Carina is talking about, but she knows that it's important. Her family is one of many that dedicate themselves to protect the magic found on Little Planet, especially an ancient power that, if freed, would bring about untold destruction.
"I know, it's just…" Amy looked up again at the island above the Planetoid. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life here. I want to see what the world below has to offer and share our family's magic with it! Are the elders THAT scared of what might happen if the people above find out about us?" Carina can't help but agree. It has been thousands of years since their ancestors were forced to settle on Little Planet because of their magic. Surely, enough time must have passed for the people below to have moved on. Right?
Carina sighed. "You know, sis. You're starting to sound like mom and dad." Amy looked at her sister in confusion. "I do?" "Yup. They would always talk about going to the lower world and share our magic. Heck, mom would end up arguing with the elders about it, that dad had to end up pulling her out of the room." The sisters began to laugh at the thought before sighing.
"...I miss them." Amy said, looking back to the sky. "...me too, sis. Me too…" Carina replied.
Carina then got up from the bench. "Well, We'd better head back home. It's getting late and you got some magic lessons tomorrow." "Uh, Carina? Can I… can I stay here for a little while longer?" Amy asked. "I kinda want to watch the stars for a while before heading home." "Oh, alright." Carina accepted Amy's request, knowing that she would want to read the encyclopedia in peace. "Just be back home in 30 minutes." Carina walked away from the bench and made her way out of the rose garden, leaving the little pink hedgehog alone.
Amy reopened the encyclopedia and began to read. She spent a few minutes reading before sighing and looking back to the sky. The sun had already set and stars adorned the heavens. It was a beautiful sight, Amy thought. She wonders…
"...ather, ple…"
"Tha… is mi…"
"Le… go…"
"I do… op…"
"I'm so… kles…"
"NO!"
The echidna's eyes opened and he jolted up from the ground. He panted, wondering what he had heard. Were those…?
"Ah, you're awake."
The echidna turned his head around and saw a large malamute wearing a typical explorer's outfit. He was sitting by a campfire, cooking a strange container. The malamute got up and approached him before kneeling down slowly.
"Ok, I know you are confused, but you, saaafe." The malamute said slowly, as if he was speaking to a wild animal. Why was he talking like that? The echidna only looked at the malamute in confusion, even tilting his head slightly. "Me, friend. Me, want to help."
"W-why are you talking like that?" The echidna asked, causing the malamute to jump in surprise. "Oh! You can speak my language! I was not expecting that." He said. "Well… I suppose this makes communication a lot easier." He pulled out a notebook and pen, and sat down in front of the echidna. "Now, I know this must be confusing and overwhelming for you, but I have so many questions! Like who you are or where you came from! I mean, you lived during our planet's ancient past, so you must have-"
"Woah, WOAH! Slow down! You're talking way too fast for me!" The echidna shouted, causing the malamute to stop his tangent. "Just… one question at a time." "Oh, ok. I apologize." The malamute relented, before picking up the container that was above the campfire and pulling out a spoon. "But first thing's first. Hungry?"
The echidna looked at the container, confused. "Uh… what is that?" He asked. "Oh, this is rice with chicken. Here, let me show you." The malamute said before pulling out another spoon and putting it into the container. He picked up a portion of the rice with the spoon and put it in his mouth. "Mmmm, oh, this is delicious. See? It's safe. Go on, try it." The echidna was hesitant before he decided to grab the container and the empty spoon. He used the spoon to scoop up a portion of the rice and put the portion in his mouth. He then was surprised. The taste… it was unlike anything he ever tasted!
He scooped up more portions and put them in his mouth. He kept eating the rice while the malamute looked on with amusement. "Well, looks like someone likes the meal." He chuckled and waited until the echidna was done eating. As he waited, the malamute decided to look at the echidna further. He noticed that the echidna has brown wrappings wrapped around his forearms and lower legs. He also noticed that his eyes are purple and that his quills are styled like dreadlocks.
The echidna finished his meal and sat back down, satisfied. "Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's start with a few simple questions." The malamute said, gaining the echidna's attention. The malamute pulled out the notebook and pen again and approached the echidna. "Fire of all, could you tell me your name?" The echidna did not reply. "Ah, I see that you don't trust me. I don't blame you. I would be too, if I woke up in an unfamiliar place with someone I don't recognise. I guess it's only fair that I tell you a bit about myself first."
The malamute stood up proudly, as if he was about to make an important announcement. "My name is Professor Ford of the Sol Kingdom university. I also dabble in treasure hunting to find anything that I can contribute to the Sol Kingdom's historical museum. It is important for others to know about the past, you know." Ford looked rather proud of himself for introducing himself. "Now, how about you? Of course, you don't have to answer, but I would like to have something to call you by."
The echidna thought about the question. The echidna had no reason to trust this malamute, but he felt that he had no choice but to go answer whatever questions this guy may have.
"It's… it's Knuckles. Just Knuckles." The echidna, Knuckles, answered.
"Oh. Well, that's an interesting name. Although, I could understand why you're called that." Ford said, glancing down at Knuckles' hands. "Anyway, could you tell me about where you came from?" Knuckles thought long and hard about that question. "I…" For some reason, he can't seem to remember where he came from. Actually, he can't seem to remember anything! The only thing he CAN remember was his name. "I… I don't know."
Why… Why can't he remember anything!? He can't remember where he came from, who his family is, nothing! Ford noticed Knuckles' stress and sat down next to him to comfort him. "Hey, hey! It's ok. Calm down, just calm… down…" Eventually, Knuckles managed to calm down, much to Ford's relief. "I apologize for overstepping. So… I am going to assume that you can't remember anything?" Knuckles shook his head. "Oh, that's not good. Must be from being trapped in that crystal for Gaia knows how long."
Knuckles thought about what Ford said. He was trapped in a crystal? Then he remembered something. It was small and blurry. It was a figure, standing over him as green crystals started to cover his sight "Tell you what? How about you come with me tomorrow?" Ford said unexpectedly, causing Knuckles to briefly forget that memory for now. "I am making my way back to a small village called Knothole. It's a nice place, quiet and peaceful. I'm sure you'll love it."
Knuckles was a little hesitant, but with no memories and in an unfamiliar place, he had no choice but to accept Ford's proposal. "I… I suppose I see no harm in coming with you." "Great! I'm sure a place like that will help you give time for your memories to come back. Right now, I think we should get some sleep. I know, you had plenty of sleep before, but I would prefer to make our way back when it's not dark out." Ford went back to where he set up his sleeping bag and got inside. "Welp, good night, Knuckles. We have a long journey ahead of us, tomorrow." Ford closed his eyes and began to sleep.
Knuckles remained awake and left alone with his thoughts. He did not know what to do. He has no memory of his origins other than his name. He wonders if going with this malamute was the right call, but he already agreed to it, so he has to see it through. Knuckles sighed and looked up to the night sky. He wonders…
"I'm home!"
"Ah, welcome back, master Miles." An electronic voice called out as Miles walked through the sliding doors of his family home. The voice actually came from a small, spherical robot hovering in the air. The robot was white with red electronic lights coming from its eyes and mouth. "I see that your brother's superiority complex has caused you to be late again."
Miles almost chuckled. "You better not let him hear you say that, SA-55." He replied. Miles can't help but find SA-55's dry wit amusing. Despite being a machine, it never fails to deliver snarky remarks at both Kilo's and the Empire's expense, something that Miles can't help but like.
"No matter. Master Kilo has arrived home early and is currently in the lab working on something that may or may not fuel his ego." SA-55 said. "In the meantime, your father is currently attending a meeting with our egotistical emperor, so he might be late for dinner." "Oh, ok." Miles replied, feeling a bit relieved. That means he could let his "guest" out. "I'll just be in my room for the time being. Can you let me know if Kilo or father arrives?"
"Of course, master Miles. I'll be sure to activate the "Danger Alarm" when they come close. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go prepare dinner. Alone, as per usual." SA-55 said before heading towards the kitchen to cook. Miles just shook his head at the robot's wit and headed towards his room. Once he arrived, he made sure to close the door so that no one can see what he's going to do.
He gently drops his bag onto the floor and opens it. "Ok, little guy. You can come out now." Coming out of Miles' bag was the pink flicky that he found at the school. The flicky looked around the room with curiosity. It was a fairly decent-sized room that was scarily symmetrical, with one bed, a desk, and a shelf of books on each side. There were even a couple of windows that showed a view of the New Yoke's Cityscape.
"Well… make yourself comfortable, I guess." Miles told the flicky as he helped it get on his desk. The flicky jumped off of Miles' hand and wandered around a bit before sitting down comfortably. Miles smiled at the flicky's behavior as he sat down at his desk. He pulled out a notebook from his bag, placed it on his desk and began to write in it.
The notebook contained his ideas for things he'd like to invent one day, as well as some thoughts he's having at the time. It's how he gets through each day and helps calm him down after… he'd rather not think about it. "Chirp?" Miles was taken out of his thoughts and looked at the flicky, who was looking back at him with concern. "Oh, it's nothing, little guy. Just… thinking about stuff." Miles told the flicky. "Hey! I think I should give you a name. I don't want to refer to you as a flicky."
The flicky tilted its head in confusion for a bit before chirping in agreement. "Ok! How about… Birdie?" Miles suggested, only for the flicky to give the fox a disapproving look. "Yeah, now that I've said it, it is a little lazy… Oh! What about Gamma?" The flicky looked confused, as if trying to process the name, which Miles took as not liking the name. "You don't like that either? Alright, maybe we could try-"
"Chirp!"
"Wait, you actually like that name?" Miles said in surprise. The flicky nodded while it chirped happily, waving its wings. "Ok, Gamma it is, then!" Miles said happily, before going back to writing in his notebook. The flicky then went to sleep on the desk as Miles continued writing, before he stopped and looked at the window.
He looked at the sky and would've seen the stars, if it weren't for all the city lights. He admits to himself that he hates being a part of the Eggman Empire. He hates what his father and everyone around him expects him to be. He wonders…
"I can't believe how irresponsible he was!" Longclaw complained to an older hedgehog. "He could have gotten himself hurt, killed, or worse!"
"I know, Longclaw. I've already given Sonic a stern talking to." The hedgehog replied. His quills look like they used to be brown and are becoming gray, and his muzzle is pretty hairy. He also wears a dark brown jacket, a dark green scarf, and light brown gloves and boots. He also has a robotic left leg and his right eye was closed with a scar over it. "But he's alright now, and has proven that he can take care of himself."
"I still cannot believe that he attacked that outpost." Longclaw said. "That was so reckless of him! If he was captured-"
"But he wasn't!" Charles interrupted. "Look, while I am quite proud that he managed to take down an Eggman Empire outpost all by himself, it was incredibly reckless of him to do that all on his own. He could've waited until I came back from scouting the main base instead. If things went differently, Sonic, along with those animals and wisps he rescued could've gotten hurt. I think that once he learns how to use his abilities properly-"
"But he's still too young, Charles! He's not ready to fight against the Eggman Empire!" Longclaw protested. "I know he's not ready! Charles responded, getting a little heated. "But with enough time and training, he might-" "I DON'T CARE ABOUT HOW STRONG OR FAST HE MIGHT BECOME!" Longclaw loudly said. "I'VE ALREADY LOST HIS MOTHER! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE HIM TOO!" "YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!?" Charles responded loudly as well. "HE'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT OF HER! I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LET EGGMAN GET HIS HANDS ON HIM AGAIN!"
Suddenly, Charles and Longclaw felt a strong gust of wind blowing past them and saw that the door to their home was suddenly opened. Longclaw sighed. "He overheard us, didn't he?" She asked. "Well, we were getting a little loud at the end there." Charles lightly responded before sighing and sitting down on the couch. "I'm not cut out for this. Julia wouldn't have this much trouble raising a kid."
Longclaw then sat next to him. "Charles, I've known your sister for quite a while, and I can tell you, she would have just as much trouble raising a child as we are." Longclaw said. "After all, Sonic's too much like her." Charles chuckled at Longclaw's remark. "That he is." He sighed again. "If only I'd gotten there quicker, I could've-" "What happened that day was not your fault, Charles." Longclaw interrupted him. "I think Julia would be happy to know that her son is safe in our care."
Charles looked at Longclaw before smiling and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. No use dwelling on the past." He said before turning his gaze at the open door. He just hopes that Sonic will come back home soon.
Sonic kept running along the beach. He usually does this when he needs to be alone and to clear his head. He had no idea how long we had been running for. A few minutes? Hours? He did not care. He just wanted to clear his head of some things.
He just doesn't understand. Why won't Longclaw and Charls let him help them? He has already proven that he can fight the Eggman Empire all by himself. And yet, they keep saying that he's not ready. Ready for what? Kick Egg butt? It's so frustrating that they keep coddling him, not letting him use his abilities to help!
Sonic was so deep in his frustration that he ended up hitting a small rock in the sand, which caused him to trip and fall. "Gah!" He yelled as he face-planted to the sand. He quickly got up and decided to just sit down for a while with his thoughts.
He thought about what Longclaw and Charles said earlier. Are they that scared? He didn't mean to make them worried. He was just trying to help. But he can't help but wonder… What if they're right? What if he made a mistake back at that outpost? Sure, he doesn't regret taking that outpost down, rescuing the animals and wisps in the process. But there might be a chance that those soldiers may retaliate and attack the village. He already doesn't have a good reputation among the village due to him causing some trouble from his attempts to help.
Sonic sighed and looked up at the night sky. Even though he grew up here, he always felt out of place in the village. After all, he was the only one who could break the sound barrier just by going on a casual jog. The adults just ignored him at best, while the other kids would make fun of him behind his back, especially the mayor's daughter. He… he never had any real friends, with the only ones he would consider a friend being his surrogate parents and Yacker.
He continued staring at the sky, the stars shining brightly. He wonders…
"Will I ever see what the world has to offer?"
"Will I ever discover who I am?"
"Will I ever be more than what others expect me to be?"
"Will… will I ever meet others like me?"
Little do these four individuals know that they are fated to meet and change the world…