Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, as Sally and Dulcy enjoy their time in the festival, they are met by the Ogre of Iron Mountain, disguised as a mere peddler. Though friendly towards her, something in the ogre made it leave the scene in a hurry as it seemed distrustful of Sally. Now curious and worried over the strange creature, Sally calls upon her team and friends to find the ogre…

Elsewhere in the festival, after getting introduced to Espio and Thread, Tekno and Rosie are contacted by Sally and told of their recent encounter with the Ogre of Iron Mountain.

Tekno: "Wait, that story is real!?"

Sally: "Yes, but the way it reacted didn't exactly scream anything like the stories I heard tell. Me and Dulcy are going to look for it and see if there is anything more to the story that we're not aware of."

Rosie: "Are you sure that's wise, princess? Should we truly make it our business?"

Sally: "I get your worry, but… I'm not one to leave someone in pain if I can help them. You know that."

Rosie couldn't help but smile at that; she'd make a fine queen one day. After closing the connection, the duo turn to their new friends.

Espio: "The Ogre of Iron Mountain… Truth be told, I thought of such things as mere myth. Simply stories told to keep kids from going out at night."

Thread: "Well… I admit to feeling vibrations in my webs around that mountain… Vibrations that's too much to be any ordinary Mobini or small creature. If I concentrate…"

Thread sat down as she began to meditate, placing her hands together in a prayer gesture, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. She felt vibrations from across the festival with her threads of webbing. Calm vibrations… Except for one, which seemed different from the rest. Unusually so…

Thread: "Found something."

Tekno: "Ugh… Are we really doing this?"

Rosie: "Sally is right. If the dear is feeling some kind of pain, we shouldn't turn a blind eye."

Tekno: "...Yeah, okay… But I feel like we're just chasing shadows…"

The group followed Thread as she led the way towards that strange vibrations she felt.

Meanwhile, Zan meets with two particularly dressed females - one being an older spider Mobian in a black cloak covering all but her eyes, the other being a purple chameleon Mobian dressed in a green kunoichi outfit. The trio share in a pot of tea as they speak.

Zan: "I am glad you two could still show up, despite the recent events that have transpired… Bride of the Many Paths, and Bride of Constant Vigil."

Many Paths: "Our pleasure, Dragon King. But it truly is a shame only two of the previous generation Brides could come here."

Constant Vigil: "Indeed. Not that I expected anything of the Bride of Rich Nights… Her only thoughts were purely of jewels and nothing more, rarely thinking of her clan."

Zan: "We could continue speaking ill of the daughter of the Bride of Fabled Nights all we wish… But I did want to discuss the fate of Thunderous Storm…"

Many Paths: "Our last contact with her was two nights ago. She was in perfect health and everything. However… A premonition of ill did come to me in the Web's Path… A future of metal and evil ruling with an iron fist… But along this path, a light of blue and gold…"

Zan: "Metal and evil… Blue and gold… That's certainly very… vague."

Many Paths: "All paths are, my friend. No future is truly set… But it has… given me deep fear…"

Constant Vigil: "Though I trust our fellow Brides, it is no secret I have eyes in all places where they are needed. However, a few of my agents have gone… strangely quiet. Including one meant to protect Thunderous Storm. The last I heard, a private meeting with her was made last minute the night before the festival. The details were not disclosed, but I trusted he would protect her… How wrong I became…"

Zan could only worry that something evil was afoot. But then the part about a few of Constant Vigil's agents going quiet got his attention.

Zan: "Pardon my prying. But aside from the one with Thunderous Storm, who all else went quiet?"

Constant Vigil: "Two have been confirmed - both near the clan of Gossamer."

Many Paths: "I can confirm none of my children have done anything with the chameleons of Shinobi. They are as much my responsibility as my own children."

Zan: "And we trust your word. But that is strange…"

Constant Vigil: "There are more; those three are the only confirmed missing. Up to seven of the Shinobi Clan are missing… I am nearing a state of emergency - to recall all chameleons on the island."

Many Paths: "Haste makes waste, my friend. Let us keep calm and plan what is necessary now… And prepare for the future of our clans."

Zan: "Agreed. Let us celebrate today… But being cautious of the shadows that seep to plague our home…"

The trio sip their tea, a wave of doubt and seeming despair washing over them.

Elsewhere, just outside of the festival, the ogre hides behind a building, taking off her mask as she cries. Crying softly, as to not alert anyone, but enough that her tears became rivers.

Ogre: "Zemma… not trust anyone… Zemma used to trust… but trust broken… too many times… First by Zavok… Then by human…"

The ogre sat down, placing the mask beside her. Her mind then began to wander, going back… several hundred years…

On a strange planetoid, in a dimension separate from Mobius, the ogre stood with six others similar to her various ways… each bearing a different color, body type, and general quirk. Once upon a time, these seven misfits caused trouble on their home planet, deeming them too dangerous, thus they were banished. But this proved to be a mistake as they eventually learned methods of breaking through the dimensional barrier. With this new technology, they would spread their influence to multiple planets, proving their might as the strongest in the universe. Except for Zemma, branded the emblem of Envy by her people; she often observed the creatures of various planets, seeing them as… interesting. Her envious nature of their lives made her want to live like them… Live a better life than to fight and kill. This caught the attention of her leader… A big, red monster of an ogre, sharp fangs hiding his real mouth and a perpetual, deep seething glare that kept most of his soldiers in line. He, along with the other five, gather in his fiery palace to discuss this change in Zemma.

Red Ogre: "Zemma. I do hope you can explain to us your actions on that last planet."

Zemma: "...Zavok. Why do we fight? Why do we kill?"

Zavok: "Hmm? Why…? Where did this come from?"

Zemma: "I simply ask because… I look at those creatures… I look at them and think… wish to be like them."

Zavok looks at Zemma with a look of surprise before his glare only looked more pronounced.

Zavok: "...I see. So you've decided to grow soft. Is that it?"

Zemma: "You call it soft. I call it strength, Zavok. The creatures we hurt and kill… They've often fought back together, in numbers."

Zavok: "And where are they now? Hmm?"

The other five start to chuckle, seeing Zemma as a fool for thinking that there was anything to that argument.

Zavok: "I recognize there is strength in numbers, Zemma… However, such thoughts are fleeting at best when it comes to true strength. That's why I am the leader. Why I stand unopposed."

Zemma steps back, a bit fearful, but she stands her ground as she summons her club - this version made of a mix of bone and metal, spikes lined on the sides of it. With a roar, she jumps at Zavok and slams her clubs onto his face, actually landing a clean blow on him. But this proved a mistake… Zavok's glare intensified as he grabbed Zemma's club, breaking it in his grip before pulling her in. In seconds, Zavok had Zemma's neck in his palm; the next second, she was slammed into the ground; the next after, a slam from Zavok's two fists, leaving a crater and cracks in the floor as Zemma laid on the ground, practically dying now.

Zavok: "A foolish sentiment, Zemma… As of now, you are no longer part of the Deadly Seven… Now… lie there and perish."

Zavok breathed in before blowing a huge torrent of fire, pushing Zemma out as a trail of burnt brimstone lay in the torrent's wake. The other five watch on in awe at Zavok's power, who didn't even take the challenge remotely seriously. Outside the castle, Zemma barely manages to stand back up; her bones were broken, her breathing heavy, and her club utterly destroyed. She was humiliated and left to die by her former colleagues… But she'd eventually find her way to the machine they used to go to any planet in the universe… She created a portal using it, leading to a planet called Mobius… She then tore out the wires of the machine, leaving it completely useless. Would she be punished if they ever saw them again? Would she even live to see that day? She didn't care; she got her last act of defiance… In her weakened stupor, she dropped into the portal, landing… somewhere…

Zemma laid asleep, having landed on some kind of mountain on an island. Years would pass before she would ever wake up. Her body ached, her mouth dry, and her stomach rumbled. Unknown to her, she woke up during a time of war… A time when the Iron King claimed Chun-nan as his own. Many villages burned, many lands were taken… But a group of brave Mobians fought against him in order to free the island. However, Zemma had little interest in this war, living away from conflict. Instead, she stayed in the mountains, undisturbed. That is… until she was discovered by a human boy dressed in iron armor. Both were cautious of each other, but the iron armored boy would deliver a peace offering to the creature.

Boy: "I have these peaches… I know not of who you are… But even I can tell you are hungry."

Not denying these claims, Zemma ate these peaches, enjoying the fruity taste of them. They enjoyed their company, time and time again; the boy would return with baskets of peaches, the ogre eating them peacefully. Slowly, Zemma began to trust this boy, even debating on helping the island by liberating it from the Iron King. During this time, by using various rocks, she created a club she could call her own; though it lacked any of the qualities of her former club. But it would prove helpful to the cause in her eyes. However, what Zemma did not see was the boy was an ally of the Iron King; when Zemma admitted to wanting to liberate the island from the Iron King - perhaps being reminded of Zavok - the boy saw fit to instead get rid of her too. And so, he set up a confrontation… By tricking the Dog, Phoenix, and Monkey Zodiacs by claiming he found a monster in the mountains preparing to destroy everyone, the boy successfully left a mark on history that would tragically stain people's outlook on Zemma forever… Zemma, in a fit of blind rage at the betrayal, killed this boy. Afterwards, the Zodiacs attacked her, but she fought back. In the end, though the Zodiacs won, they never learned the truth of what really happened. The "monster" would live on in legend as the Ogre of Iron Mountain, a killer who came down the mountain once ever year to feast on the meat and bones of children. But the reality was… she was just a truly lonely soul… One who has felt betrayal twice…

Zemma's mind returns to the present. Standing back up, she wipes away her tears, staring at her mask as she contemplated returning to the festival. But as she did, a shadow appears behind her; Conquering Storm, with her arms folded, stares down at the creature, a glare in her eyes…

Conny: "...So you are the Ogre of Iron Mountain, hm?"

To be continued…