The dome from inside the Grim began to get smaller. Inside the citadel, Sonic and Nine were still fighting as they were separated from inside Nine's lab, Sonic bumped herself near the railing and fell to the floor, as she looked up towards the Paradox Prism, Nine who still wanted his energy unleashed three laser beams from his robot tails causing her to quickly jump on the bar. Then, she used her shield to protect herself, but ended up being pushed back as she struggled on. However, she was knocked towards the wall as she fell down and managed to get up facing him again, but she turned around to see her bed next to two palm trees on each side and another next to it.
"You planned this for us?" she said.
Soon enough, Nine yelled and charged at her.
"Nine, listen!" she said and he swung a crystal and fire laser shots. "I didn't understand what you were doing. Whoa!" she said and dodged his attacks.
"Stop talking!" he said and she spin rolled to avoid the lasers.
"You just wanted a better life! Like Green Hill, but for both of us!" she said and jumped, almost losing her balance as she kept moving around.
"Stand still and fight me!"
Just as he was about to attack, a wall explosion suddenly appeared covering the lab in smoke. As it started to clear up, they groaned as she looked up in surprise.
"It's over, Nine." Shadow said.
Shadow, the Chaos Council, the Resistance, the Scavengers and the Angel's Voyage crew all gathered to face against Nine who gasped.
"Get back! Don't make me destroy you all!" Nine said.
"Is that what you want? More destruction? Look outside!" Rebel said and he looked up to see the dome shrinking.
"I'm sorry for everything, Nine. I missed my home so much and was so focused on getting it back that I didn't listen to what you wanted or appreciate what you were trying to do. I never meant to hurt you." Silver said and Nine looked at him for a short second, then looked away with an angry expression.
"But, you did." Nine said and looked up, whimpering so Rebel sighed.
"Silver lost his home and all his friends except us. But friends talk it out. They don't turn their backs on each other and fight to the death." she said and he looked at her the second time.
"Enough talk! Light this fox up, full volley!" Eggman said and started shooting at Nine but Rebel quickly protected him with her shield.
"Stop! Everyone stop! This isn't the solution!" she said and the Chaos Council stopped attacking to realized what they have heard.
"You would, protect him?" Rusty said.
"I would."
"The blue rodent has finally lost it after all these years. Very well: destroy them both!" Eggman said.
"Stop, all of you! In a few minutes, there won't be anything left to fight over."
"The hedgehog makes a good point." Deep said and she turned to Nine looking worried.
"I need you to understand." she said and Nine looked down and turned to look at everyone. "Their worlds have been shattered, their homes destroyed. The same thing is happening here. How do we stop this?" she asked and he hyperventilated and lapsed.
"I pushed it too far. This wasn't supposed to happen. I... I'm sorry, Sonic, Knuckles. Without a great sacrifice, reality as we know it will be over." Nine said upset.
The Citadel, on an islet encapsulated in the Void. Mangey whimpered and consoled Gnarly while Silver held Renegade's arm, Batten comforted Sails and the Roses held hands.
"It has been an honor, sisters." Rusty said.
Don't shed tears while Done-it snored, Deep gathered the two together and they started sobbing, while Babble giggled and clapped. Shadow firmly looked at Rebel, who looked at one of her gloves in misery.
'As a princess, it's my responsibility to protect people. As a friend we swore to look after each other and as a leader, you teach them what to do and how to do it. This might be the only chance we have to get our worlds back.' Rebel thought.
"Not yet." she said determined, ran and jumped onto the other Shatter Drive in the lab.
"Sonic, what are you doing?" Nine asked.
"Giving you a sacrifice."
"You'd do that after everything I..."
"What are friends for?" she said and turned to Shadow and Renegade, who nodded in agreement. "If I do this, you must all promise to leave Nine alone! Let him live peacefully in his new home in the Grim."
"Sure, certainly. Invade? Us?" Eggman said and chuckled. "What do you mean?"
"Same goes for you, Nine. Promise that you won't cause any more trouble in the other Shatterspaces."
"How can we trust him again?" Renegade asked.
"You can trust me." Nine said.
"We have no choice. It all ends here if we don't." Rebel said and Nine smiled.
"You have my word."
"Hurry up already!" Done-It said angrily and banged his fist while Nine moved over to the keyboard and started typing.
"If I can extract the remaining Prism energy inside of him, I can use it to fully reform the Paradox Prism." Nine said and the screen showed energy depleting from a Rebel icon and a bar to the right of the Paradox Prism raised up to full.
"And then? Spit it out!" Deep said.
"And then the Prism will finally be fully stable. I can save everything."
"You heard him. We have a plan. Let's move this along." Sonic said.
"For once, I agree with the blue rat. Do it already!" Eggman said.
"There's a risk. If I remove the energy, she might fall apart." Nine said.
"What about me or Shadow?" Silver asked suspiciously.
"Shadow wasn't there for the shatter event during the war. I'm guessing he blipped into this reality like the Infinite war."
"And without the Prism energy binding either of you, I'm not sure you'll make it." Nine said.
"I'm ready." Sonic said shocking Nine by the response, and became agonized. "It's the only way, Nine." she said and looked at Renegade who nodded. "And, I've had enough fighting. I was a Freedom Fighter during the war with Robotnik when he had Mobotropolis, all the fights with him and you guys, the war with Infinite, the Metal Virus, the current war and now this. I'm not only the hero of Mobius, leader of Team Sonic, Sonic Heroes and Resistance." she said and took a deep breath. "I am Sonic the Hedgehog, daughter of Queen Aleena and heir to the throne." she said and they gasped. "But I've had enough, I want a life where I can relax and not lead anyone." she said and Nine nodded in misery, then types on the keyboard once again. "Do it." she said and he turned to her miserably, then pressed one last button on the keyboard.
The Shatter Drive started lighting up and started whirring. Rebel grunted as she struggled and floated. Her gloves and shoes sparkle with electricity. Waves of light pass over her as her arms were forced back while her shoes and gloves fluctuate into various looks from different Shatterspaces. The Paradox Prism started lighting up and shaking, the seam lines which showed where each Shard was located retracting to the center, disappearing. The monitor displayed Rebel's energy depleted to empty, having been transferred to the Prism. Her regulators detach, showing her plain gloves and shoes. The Prism burst a white light covering the screen. As soon as the light faded, Sonic appeared a pale grey with an light outline glowing around her and collapsed on the podium, with vapor rising around her while Shadow looked over in shock.
"Sonic, are you..." Nine started while Sonic panted and tried to get up.
"Me? Never better." Rebel said and knelt down.
"She's still alive. She didn't shatter!" Silver said relieved while she stood, but was affected by a strong spasm.
"Whoa." she said, collapsed and fell onto Renegade, who caught her and she twitched again.
"Her Prismatic energy has been extracted. The Prism is whole. His body is holding together, but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before..." Nine said and became distracted as she twitched again, struggling.
"Easy, Sonic. I got ya." Renegade said worried.
"And we've got this!" Eggman said pointing to the Paradox Prism.
He, Eggforcers, and the rest of the Chaos Council stood in-front of the prism and display their combat poses in-front of Nine who growled and tried to run to the keyboard, but Babble grabbed Nine away from it and threatened him while Deep drew a sword and pointed it at Shadow.
"Stand down, Edge Lord. I don't trust one hedgehog, let alone two." Deep said.
"Dr. Don't! Triangulate whatever is left of New Yoke City." Eggman said.
Once I calibrate to New Yoke City, we're outta here." Don't said typing on the keyboard.
Nine threatened and pointed his mechanical tails at the Council while Done-It also pointed his cane weapon towards him.
"Ah-ah-ah!" Done-It said while his weapon lit up. "Careful! Look at your friend. He's in no shape to fight."
"He's right. I'm gassed. But if Nine could barely handle the power of the Prism, you clowns have no hope." Rebel said with her arm around Renegade.
"Now, now. We must all accept when our time is over. But who knows? Perhaps when I wield the power of the Prism, I'll create a version of you that's more agreeable." Deep said.
"When you wield it?" Don't said and scoffed. "Wait until you see the VR world I've been planning. I'll call it the "Egg-a-verse.""
"In your dreams, you no good whippersnapper!" Done-It said.
"What's a whippersnapper?" Don't asked and Babble angrily muttered and flailed his arms.
"Oh, cram it with walnuts, ya big baby, or I'll give you a permanent timeout!" Done-It said pointing his weapon at Babble.
"Enough, you fools!" Eggman said and popped his head out of the cockpit. "We stand at the precipice of a new world, and you would ruin my moment?"
"Your moment? Why, you sanctimonious..." Deep said.
Babble yelled and banged his mace arm on the ground, causing the rest of the Council to brace themselves. A five-way screen appeared, with all five members of the Council becoming enraged. They open fire at each other and Done-It shoots at Babble's arm while Don't prepares his Eggforcers for combat.
"Yes! Eat that!" Don't said and the Eggforcers fire at Deep, but he blocked them with his swords.
"Hi-ya! Ya!" Deep said.
Done-It's seat hovered into Deep, who kicked the seat forward, but the Eggforcers dodge it. Deep dodged an Eggforcers charge, while the other one hit Done-It. Babble grabbed an Eggforcers and threw it towards Don't who dodged, causing it to crash into a wall. Shadow prepared to fight, but Silver held him back.
"Hold on, Shadow. Let's see how this plays out." Silver said.
"Stop! Stop, you morons!" Eggman said with weapon debris being thrown behind him.
Done-It smacked Don't on the head with his cane and Deep charged at Babble, who blocked it with his arm and slammed the ground.
"Arghh. Should we do something?" Dread asked.
"Not yet. This is like candy to me." Renegade said amused but worried about his best friend.
"Stop yelling, who is this?" Knuckles asked.
"Who are you!?" the president asked.
"I'm Knuckles. I'm Sonic's best friend!"
'More like brother and sister.' he thought as Babble threw Don't and Done-It pointed his weapon at Deep while Rebel and Nine looked at each other.
She winked, but twitched again, causing her to grunt and close both eyes. Nine smiled and nodded. He hid behind a wall, then made his way back to the keyboard and started typing. The Prism opened up a Portal to the Void. Deep charged at Babble, but was slapped by him as he crashed into Done-It as they flew through the portal.
"Babbles, no! Bad baby! Bad!" Eggman said and Babble muttered, slammed his fist and Eggman gasped. "That is it! You're getting a timeout!" he said angrily and shot at him, blocking the attacks with his arm.
Bullets fired at Denizen 1998, forcing him to duck.
"How about now?" Shadow asked.
"Knock yourself out." Silver said miserably and Shadow battle cried and spin jumped into Babble, knocking the screaming baby into the Void.
Renegade, Silver and Rusty joined in the fight against the Council.
"Okay, that's it. I'm out!" Don't said,warped into the portal and started playing his video game.
"Now we do something." Renegade said and the Rebels close in slowly on Eggman.
"No! This belongs to me! I'll defeat all of you! I'll..." Eggman said but was tag teamed by the Rebels and blasted into the void. "You haven't heard the last of us! You just wait! We will amass an even greater army and destroy..." he said as the portal whirred and disappeared.
"Good riddance." Nine said and smiled a little but heard Rebel groan as she twitched again. "Sonic?" he said as energy crackled, causing her to grunt.
"You were right, buddy." Rebel said softly and energy crackled, causing her to grunt. "Guess without the Prism energy..." she said and energy crackled, causing her to grunt. "I can't exist in the Shatterspaces." she said and he typed on the keyboard.
"With the Prism whole again, if I start the reformation process, theoretically, there's still a chance I can bring back Green Hill!" he said and her energy crackled, causing her to grunt.
"Green Hill?" she said and energy crackled, causing her to grunt again.
"Here goes." he said and stopped typing.
On the monitor the diagram showed the Prism on the left, pieces of the prism in the inset, and the portals on a grid to the right while the Paradox Prism itself glowed, whirled and shook. Renegade comforted Rebel as everyone flinched and braced themselves as the Prism burst a white light covering the screen. As soon as it faded, Silver looked up at the podium.
"Huh?" he said as the prism disappeared, with white vapor spewing out.
"The Prism! It be..." Batten said.
"Gone. And nothing has changed. Our attempt has failed." Rusty said.
"Look!" Nine said pointing up and ahead.
Rebel and her friends walked past a crack that had developed in the wall. Everyone gasped as they looked up to the purple sky with airborne rocks and portal gateways of different colors, which light up in their respective colors. Crystals from each colored gateway line up and merge together.
"The gateways... are reforming." Rebel said as the Blue Gateway completed its reformation.
"No Place!" Black said and the Green Gateway completes its reformation.
"The Boscage Maze!" Prim said as a separate colored group of crystals lined up close to the Green Gateway and Birdie squawked.
"I don't know what that is, Birdie." Thorn said and Shadow stared at it as the newly-formed gateway, glowed white.
"It's Green Hill." Silver said smiling.
"You did it, Nine." Rebel said and energy crackled, causing her to grunt. "I'm not sure I'm gonna be able to outrun this."
"Yes, you can, if you leave now." Nine said.
"Nine's right. You get to your home, we'll get to ours." Silver said to her firmly.
"Even if I wanted to, I can't. I'm outta juice." Rebel said.
"You're not doing it alone. Not when you got friends here to help." Renegade said and they looked at her confidently.
She smiled a little and Nine broke down and hugged her and Renegade who smiled and hugged back.
"Now hurry." Nine said and sniffled. "That Gateway won't be there forever." he said and they nodded in agreement and Thorn hopped onto Birdie's back.
"Need a ride?" she asked and Birdie squawked.
Sonic walked forward, but collapsed as he twitched again, with Dread holding her by the chest.
"Easy there, las. I got you." Dread said.
"Let me give you a... hand." Rusty said, picked Sonic up and put her onto Birdie's back.
"Thank you." Sonic said.
"You got no time for speeches, girlo. Fly! And know we'll be rooting for ya." Dread said.
"Right. Take care of each other, okay?"
"Hold tight, friend. Let's go, Birdie. Fly!" Thorn said and Birdie took off.
"Goodbye, Sonic!" Dread said.
"Farewell!" Black said and Shadow and Renegade cleared their throats at the Roses who turned back. "Oh, I suppose you need a ride too?" she said and Shadow looked away while Renegade nodded.
Meanwhile Sonic, Thorn and Birdie, continued their ascent.
"You got this, Birdie!" Thorn said and Birdie sped up along the Void, dodging rocks by swerving, and corkscrewing.
However, she squawked as she was hit by a rock, hurting her wing.
"Birdie, your wing!" Thorn said and Birdie squawked as her hurt wing remained in position, descending.
"It doesn't look good." Rebel said and struggled. "We're not gonna make it." she said and energy crackled, causing her to grunt as Birdie fell.
"No!"
Below, the Yolkomotive caught the injured Birdie on the deck.
"Black Rose?" Rebel said.
"Happy to lend a hand! Now hold on to your backsides. We're gonna pick up the pace!" Black said and the Yolkomotive's thrustered ignite and the vehicle sped up.
It hit a rock, causing Black to grunt in anger. Another rock hit the front of the ship and Rebel fell and collapsed to the ground, with Thorn checking on her.
"Hurry! He's not gonna make it!" Thorn said to Black who groaned.
"I'm doing me best! But this bucket of bolts is barely holding together!" Black said and Rusty extended her arm and made her way to a turret.
"Keep it steady. I will clear a path." she said, fired from the turret, shooting and clearing the rocks out of the way.
Sonic groaned as she twitches. The Yolkomotive was now running with one thruster when another rock hit that last thruster, causing the Yolkomotive to slow down.
"I'm losing speed!" Black said while Shadow caught a rock and threw it away, then kicked another one.
He looked around, determined then sighed and closed his eyes, while Black punched the deck in fury.
"Black Rose, you've brought us far enough. We'll take it from here." Shadow said and Black nodded.
Thorn helped Rebel up again, while Shadow and Renegade took her forward. They held their arms around each other as they slowly walked off as Black jumped onto the deck. Rebel looked back at the miserable looking Roses.
"Goodbye, Roses." she said and Shadow carried her off the Yolkomotive as they jumped from rock to rock while Renegade held his neck.
Rebel twitched as they land on a big rock and Shadow sped along the big rock's surface, with an aura glowing behind him.
"I never knew you were a hugger." Rebel said and energy crackled, causing her to grunt.
"Do you want me to save you or not?" Shadow asked while Renegade snickered.
Then energy crackled, causing Rebel to grunt so he sped to the end of a rock and leapt off the end of it towards the gateway. The frame froze as he lands his foot on another rock, powers up as Renegade transfer some of his strength to him and leaps again, carrying the incapacitated Rebel.
"Hang on, Sonic!" Shadow said and with a golden streak, tried to keep the momentum going as much as possible, and made it through the gateway with Rebel and Renegade. As soon as they go in, everything turned white.
Soon it faded and Sonic opened her eyes to see herself in a room on a bed.
She groaned and turned to see Renegade sitting next to her.
"Knuckles?" she whispered and he looked at her relieved.
"Oh thank Chaos!" he said and gave her a hug. "You scared the crap out of me!"
"Sorry." she said chuckling.
"How you feeling?"
"Tired but good." she said and he nodded. "What's going on?"
"The war is over. Robotnik is still alive but Shadow was able to kill the other four and Robotnik surrendered. After Shadow and Silver became Super and fixed it all." he said smiling and gently rubbed his hand on her cheek. "We won and can now relax." he said and she sighed in relief. "You did it. You saved us all and even with your mental health problems was able to lead everyone." he said and gave her a kiss. "Thank you."
"It's my job as a hero." she said tired and fighting her eyes from shutting.
"Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up." he said so she nodded and fell asleep.
A few hours later she was up and Knuckles was still there along with Shadow.
"Hey Faker." Shadow said smiling a little.
"Hey Shads. Thanks for saving me." Sonic said and he nodded.
"How you feeling?" Knuckles asked.
"Much more awake." she said and they smiled.
"Good." he said nodding.
"Are you really Queen Aleena's daughter and the heir to the throne?" Shadow asked and she nodded.
"Please don't tell anyone else. I'm not ready and won't leave until he's gone." she said and he nodded. "Thank you." she said and sighed. "Where are we anyway?"
"At a hospital. We just wanted to make sure you were alright." he said and she nodded.
"You should be out in a day or two." Shadow said and she nodded.
"What about Tails?" she asked looking at Knuckles who shook his head.
"I don't know. He could be staying at The Grim, could just be taking a break, we'll just have to wait and see." Knuckles said gently and ran a hand on her cheek as she nodded fighting tears. "I know it's hard, but it's his choice."
"I know. And he deserves a good life but it won't be the same without him."
"I know. Only the two of us as Team Sonic, hanging out, no new invention to be confused about either." he said and chuckled along with Sonic. "I'm sure he'll come back when he's ready." he said and she nodded.
A few days later Sonic was let out and staying at her place with Knuckles so he can look after her.
They were just relaxing in the living room watching TV right now and wondering when the next fight will be.
But for now they were going to rest, heal mentally and physically and take care of each other.
"We are not a family, Rodent! We are The Council. One makes five." Sonic heard Eggman say and looked at Knuckles.
'There used to be three, now there's only two. What if he leaves me to?' she thought but shook her head. 'He's your best friend and swore to stay with you until the end.'
"You OK?" Knuckles asked and she nodded.
"Yeah." she said and leaned on his shoulder.
"I love you." he said and she looked at him surprised.
"I thought you loved Sonia?"
"I used to but after knowing and working with you for so long I started loving you." he said and she smiled.
"Well, I love you to."
"Does this make us a couple?" he asked and she nodded.
"Yes." she said and he smiled and gave her a kiss.
'Don't worry guys, Tails, I'll look after her and protect her.' Knuckles thought. 'I promise.'
They didn't know what would happen next or how they'd do it with one teammate gone but knew they still had their friends to help and Sonia and Manic if they ever needed them.
They had Shadow, Silver, Rouge, Amy, Cream, Team Chaotix and more.
They'd be fine.