-Chapter 182-

Hedgehogs of Time


Soleanna Forest Zone

Everyone stood in shock. Sonic lay dead at their feet, while Mephiles raised his hands aloft at the sight of Iblis. Robotnik scowled, pointing at Mephiles in a rage.

"How dare you?!" he shouted.

"You should be happy, Dr. Robotnik," Mephiles said casually. "I did what you never could, and slew Sonic the Hedgehog. He can never interfere with your plans again."

"Sonic was mine to destroy!" Robotnik snapped. "It wasn't the job of some upstart like you! If I just wanted him dead, I could've carpet-bombed him at any time and been done with it!"

Mephiles scoffed. "Gods do not concern themselves with the machinations of insects. Now, it is time for me to be reunited."

He held his Chaos Emeralds aloft.

"It's time for the final curtain call!"

As they watched, Mephiles rose into the air, flying into Iblis. The remaining five Chaos Emeralds were drawn to them, circling around. They glowed with a white light, which shot out, blinding them and engulfing everything...


?

When the light faded, they found themselves on a floating fragment of Soleanna in a black void. They all stood around Sonic's body, Sally cradling his head in her lap. Shadow scowled.

"Mephiles played us all for fools," he spat. "All along, his plan was to cause Elise to be consumed with despair that she'd cry."

"So that's why he sent me back in time…" Silver realized. "Wanted me to kill Sonic."

"From a certain point of view, he wasn't lying," Blaze added. "In the end, Sonic was the Iblis Trigger."

"What do we do?" Knuckles demanded.

"What can we do?" Kat questioned. "We can't bring back the dead."

Hope perked.

"Wait…" she insisted. "Yes, we can! We brought you back!"

"That depends on whether or not she was only mostly dead or all dead," Keith pointed out. "Shadow's power restarted her heart."

"The point is, seven Chaos Emeralds grant the ultimate power. And with that power, we can bring Sonic back to life."

The group's hope slowly seemed to be restored at that, before they heard a monstrous roar. They looked up to see a humanoid form made of light with a red orb at the center. It had no head, with a piece above his core resembling an upper torso with a curve behind the "neck", and a lower body that resembled a stalactite. He also had two palm-less arms not connected to his body at his shoulders, each with three fingers. It wore three cyan shells of light, two of which covered each of his forearms. The third covered his chest area and core, and had a figure on top that resembled an eagle head with glowing yellow eyes and antlers. Additionally, he had a ring with six triangular pieces floating at the edges, resembling a sun on his back.

"Solaris!" Lara-Su exclaimed.

"He will consume all existing timelines," Robotnik said. "And time itself will collapse and disappear into nothingness. This rift won't remain for much longer."

"We've gotta stop it!" Bunnie cried.

"It's no use," Robotnik cut in. "Solaris is a transcendent, omnipresent life form. Defeating it here, now, would do nothing."

"Then if it exists in the past, present, and future, we destroy them all at once!" Silver declared.

"And we can," Shadow agreed. "I'm of the past, and you're of the future."

He looked down at Sonic. "And once he's back, he'll be the present."

"We need to get the Chaos Emeralds and save Sonic," Chris insisted. "We can't win this fight without him."

Tails fiddled with the Miles Electric, Robotnik doing the same with his goggles.

"Solaris flung the Chaos Emeralds to the distant corners of this distorted world," the doctor reported.

"Then we split up to find them all." Tails declared.

Sally stood up, allowing Elise to take her place.

"Please, watch over him for me," she requested.

Elise nodded. "I will. I promise."

As Elise cradled Sonic, the group split off to carry out their tasks. Cosmo remained behind, sitting next to Elise.

-X-

Tails, Knuckles, and Amy all hopped across the rocks floating in the area, only to be shocked when a dark blue rift resembling an eye with a slit pupil popped open, drawing in its surroundings.

"You cannot hide from the Eyes of Solaris!" Mephiles' booming voice sounded. "Nothing you do will make a difference. All that you know is at an end!"

Knuckles turned to face the Eye.

"We'll see about that! Tails! Amy! Find that Emerald!"

They hurried off. Knuckles prepared to punch when Mephiles' voice sounded again.

"I advise you not to attack. Direct contact with my Eyes is a one-hit kill. You'll be just as dead as you will be when I finish tearing apart the timestream, Guardian... but a little bit sooner."

"Oh yeah?" green mist swirled around Knuckles' fist. "I'll show you a one-hit kill!"

He charged, punching at the Eye. It erupted into screams, recoiling as the mist burned it.

"Well, I'm not dead," Knuckles pointed out.

"You wield the Chaos Force. It may protect you for now, but it won't last forever, Echidna!"

"You just watch!"

"Knuckles!" Amy cried. "We found it!"

Tails and Amy came running back, carrying the green Emerald.

-X-

As this went on, Chris, Keith, and Kat were scaling a wall. Kat was in the lead, using her sheer strength to carve foot and handholds to climb up and allow the boys to do the same. As they went, another Eye of Solaris opened above them.

"You shouldn't mourn Sonic's demise," Mephiles taunted. "After all, you'll be all joining him very soon!"

"Screw off!" Kat shouted.

She launched herself up, flaring up before curling into a kick. The Eye closed on impact, allowing them to keep going.

"Do you truly think anything you do will make a difference?" Mephiles demanded. "Your hero is dead! Your hope is dead! I, Solaris, reign supreme! Why bother fighting?"

"We never give up on a fight!" Chris swore. "There's always a chance!"

"And as long as we live, we will never give up hope!" Keith added.

"So I say again, screw off!" Kat spat.

They reached the top of the cliff, finding the red Chaos Emerald.

"As long as you live, you say?" Mephiles chuckled darkly. "Well, that won't be much longer, Keith Kent."

-X-

Elsewhere, Team Dark split into two groups to grab two different Chaos Emeralds.

"Can you feel it?" Hope asked Shadow, looking around desperately.

"Yeah, I can!" Shadow grabbed her wrist. "This way!"

They ran along as another Eye of Solaris appeared

"Oh, Shadow. Still squirming around in your pitiful existence, I see."

"It's not over yet!" Shadow snapped. "You will pay for taking Sonic's life!"

"What do you care? Sonic was your archrival. Your enemy."

"No, Mephiles. He was my equal. More than that, he was my friend!"

"Let that comfort you as I destroy this world and you join him in oblivion. And one more thing: Mephiles the Dark is no more. I am Solaris!"

Hope, who still had the hardened Chaos Spear, gave it a toss, hitting the eye right in the center.

"Whatever you call yourself, you're not gonna win!" she screamed.

They hurried along. Shadow jumped between numerous floating walls and debris to grab the cyan Chaos Emerald.

-X-

Omega and Rouge flew across the sky, looking desperately as Omega scanned the area. As he got a lock, an Eye manifested.

"You merely prolong your suffering!" Solaris roared. "Just tuck your world in and kiss it good night!"

Omega wasted no words, just aiming all of his weapons at the eye and firing.

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Omega," Rouge remarked.

"Ah yes," Solaris deadpanned. "Why bother talking or strategizing when you can just unload a plasma cannon at it, Omega?"

"No one is listening," Omega said bluntly.

They saw the yellow Chaos Emerald ahead. Acting quickly, Rouge plugged herself into Omega's cannon, the Goodnik firing her out. She launched at the Emerald and grabbed it. Once she did, she twirled in the air, turning her momentum towards the Eye, extending the Emerald. She slammed the sharp point of the gem right into its pupil, closing it in a puff of smoke.

-X-

Elsewhere, Silver, Blaze, and Lara-Su were heading for the next Emerald when another Eye appeared.

"All this, I owe to you, Silver!" Solaris gloated. "You were so gullible, so desperate to believe you could do something to change your future, that it was easy for me to play you like a harp from Hell! You practically gave me this world!"

"Shut up!" Silver screamed. "I refuse to listen to you! Not again! Not ever!"

Solaris continued as if he had not heard.

"As I said before, how ironic fate can be. You sought to undo the future that is Iblis... and in the end, all you succeed at doing is replacing your future timeline with an even worse one!" He laughed evilly, Silver's teeth clenching. "Your master and Lara-Su's both died for nothing! NOTHING!"

Power swirling around his fist, Silver prepared to strike. However, Lara-Su was faster. Her spikes unsheathed, she launched herself at the eye, pinkish-red light rising from her fists as she plunged the spikes deep into the eye. Even as it dissipated, Solaris continued his vicious taunts.

"Your time is up, children! It's been up for two hundred years!"

"He's wrong," Blaze insisted. "We still have a chance, and we're gonna take it."

Up ahead, they saw the blue Chaos Emerald. Silver immediately darted forward, surrounded by his aura, and grabbed the gem.

-X-

Meanwhile, Sally, Bunnie, Antoine, Sticks, and Mina were hurrying along when an Eye manifested before them.

"Pitiful mortals," Solaris began. "Don't you see that in the cosmic scheme of things, nothing you do has the least bit of significance?"

"If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do!" Sally shot back.

"We ain't givin' up!" Sticks agreed.

"Oh, Sophia," Solaris sighed. "You of all people should know the futility of your situation. Your father and his social circle taught you better than anyone that people are monsters. So why fight me? Why not just let me put them all out of your misery?"

"Sonic showed me different!" Sticks snapped. "You took out the first friend I ever had, and I'm gonna make sure you pay for it!"

She pulled out her spear, the Chaos Shard tip gleaming as she let out a war cry, charging at the eye. She plunged the spear into the eye, giving it a twist.

"Mobius' fate is sealed!" Solaris declared.

"Not yet!" Mina shouted. "We fight until the end!"

"You know it!" Bunnie agreed. "This is our world!"

"And we will not let you win!" Antoine concluded.

They saw the purple Chaos Emerald ahead. Sally ran for it with all she had.

"Your beloved is gone, Princess," Solaris mocked. "Take solace in the fact that he will not perish alone. Once I finish consuming the timeline, you will be together again... in death!"

"SHUT UP!" Sticks screamed, stabbing the Eye again and again.

Sally jumped out, grabbing the Emerald.

"Sonic… we'll save you," she swore.

-X-

Last but not least, Rotor, Porker, Johnny, Shard, and Shorty were searching for the final Chaos Emerald. Robotnik was with them, a jet pack extended from his coat as another Eye appeared.

"Fifty years of life, and aside from the Great War, you've accomplished next to nothing, Julian Kintobor!" Solaris taunted. "Good or evil, you're a failure, and you always will be!"

"My only failure was ever thinking I could control you," Robotnik shot back. "But know this: what I can't control, I destroy!"

"Good luck with that. If you survive the rewrite, perhaps you should go back and get your teaching degree."

"That's not a bad idea," Robotnik said thoughtfully. "I've always enjoyed telling people what to do."

He shook his head. "What am I saying?!"

That's when Shard aimed his cannon at the eye.

"I believe the words you were looking for are 'Shut up'." he said before firing.

"C'mon, let's go!" Rotor yelled.

They hurried along, seeing the silver Chaos Emerald up ahead as multiple Eyes popped up.

"Oh, crap!" Porker screamed.

"Even the seven Chaos Emeralds cannot save you or this world this time. But why take any chances? You will never resurrect Sonic the Hedgehog! What lives... DIES!"

Everyone exchanged looks, sharing a nod, then split off, each taking an eye. As they fired on each one, Porker and Johnny took off running for the Emerald.

"You won't win, Solaris!" Shorty challenged. "We won't let you!"

"While I can understand his friends being so desperate to save him, I repeat: why would you want to rescue your nemesis, Doctor?" Solaris questioned Robotnik.

"Because Sonic deserves a better death than just being stabbed in the back by a cowardly shadow! When he goes out, it'll be by my hand and mine alone! There's a right way and a wrong way to vanquish your life-long enemy and you did it very, very wrong!"

Porker and Johnny reached the Emerald, grabbing it.

"Alright! we got it!" Johnny cheered.

"Time to go!" Porker declared.


Despite difficulties dealing with more Eyes of Solaris, the group made it back to the spot where they left Cosmo and Elise with Sonic's body. They quickly laid Sonic out in the middle of the platform, surrounding him with the Chaos Emeralds in a circle. Elise and Sally knelt before them, their hands clasped as Knuckles, Kat, and Lara-Su placed their own hands on the ground, reciting Tikal's Prayer in unison.

"The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Chaos."

The gems gave a weak glow as Elise began her own prayer, Sally joining in.

"Oh Chaos Emeralds, gems of miracles. Please heed our call." Elise began.

"We wish to save this world." Sally chimed in.

"I wish to cleanse my father's sin," Elise went on. "And we all wish to see Sonic once again!"
The Emeralds began levitating, Elise continuing to pray.

"In the name of the gods, here lies the hero of the people. The only one who can save us. I beg of you, let him cross over. Release him!"

Sally approached Sonic's body as it also began floating.

"Sonic, the world needs you. I need you. Please... come back."

She knelt forward, tears in her eyes as she kissed him. The effect was instantaneous; Sonic's eyes slowly opened, and he gasped as the Chaos Emeralds spun around, healing him, cleaning the blood off his shirt, before empowering him and turning him into Super Sonic. He stood before them, feeling his chest and the like before managing a chuckle.

"Well… not every day a guy gets to come back from the dead."

"Sonic…" Sally had tears in her eyes as she covered her mouth.

Sonic looked around, then up at the monster that was Solaris.

"Well, this sucks," he remarked. "I'm assuming we have a plan?"

"You, me, and Silver," Shadow said. "We attack him simultaneously across all points in the timeline."

"Destroying him completely, and with luck, erasing him from time altogether," Silver chimed in.

"Then let's not keep him waiting." Sonic held out his hands, Silver taking one and Shadow the other. "Let's do it to it!"

He focused, channeling power into Silver and Shadow. The two went Super, Silver's form consisting of a bright pale golden color replacing his normally white fur, and his mane becoming a darker yellow golden color that floated up behind his head. He had ruby red eyes and his quills floated. The two on the back of his head point upwards, while the five on his forehead push forward and spread out, with the bottom two pointing upwards. The teal glow on his gloves, cuffs and boots turned into a bright yellow color as well, while his other clothes turned pure white. He looked down at himself in awe.

"So this is what Lara-Su's master meant by going Super in her stories…" he realized.

"It's incredible!"

"Just wait, kid," Shadow told him. "It gets better."

Power swirled around them, then they all vanished from sight.

-X-

Silver hurried to the future point, facing Solaris.

"This is the end!" he declared. "Prepare to meet your doom!"

"Young fool…" Solaris scoffed. "You cannot defeat me. The forces of the universe bend to my will!"

Multiple Eyes of Solaris opened up, sending flaming meteors at Silver. He raised his hand, a shield of green telekinetic energy forming before him, catching each one.

"Whoa…" he let out. "That was powerful."

He then summoned his psychic knife, finding he could now summon several at once with no ill effect. Laughing a bit, he launched the knives, nailing the eyes. He followed up by sending the meteors back at Solaris. He raised an arm to block, the meteors pelting his arm before shattering the light armor covering it. In shock, Solaris recoiled before warping away.

"Good luck, Shadow!"

Solaris appeared in the past timeframe, only to be faced with Shadow.

"A super-dimensional being…" Shadow mused. "This might actually be a fair fight."

"What?!" Solaris shrieked. "How is this possible?!"

"I'm a relic of the past, Solaris!" Shadow shot back. "Now, let me show you how we handled things in my day!"

He summoned several Chaos Spears, each brimming with energy as he launched them at the massive monstrosity. Solaris pelted him with lasers, Shadow dodging around as he rained spears on him. Eventually, the shell on his right arm was cracked as well. In utter shock, Solaris warped away once more.

"It's all you, Sonic…"

Solaris appeared in the present, scowling to see Sonic floating there.

"My turn now!" he declared. "Let's have some fun, Solaris!"

Solaris scowled, summoning more meteors.

"Impudent brat," he hissed. "You will feel my power. I killed you once before, Sonic. And I'll do it again!"

"You got lucky, and stabbed me in the back like a gutless coward!" Sonic corrected. "But now, you have to face me head on, and I'm not going down easy!"

Sonic gathered Chaos Energy in his hands, golden light mixing with blue lightning. He then pelted Solaris with these balls of pure power, never letting up. When the meteors came flying at him, Sonic ducked and weaved under them. As one came right at him, Sonic tucked into a Spin Dash, plowing right through it before continuing his assault undeterred. Eventually, Sonic's assault cracked open the shell on Solaris' body, leaving his core exposed. He sparked before tucking into a Spin Dash again, launching at light speed and boring into the core. After a few moments, Solaris reeled back and dropped, dead.

"Is it over?" Silver asked.

"No…" Shadow realized. "It's not over yet."

A column of light formed, and from it Solaris arose, transformed. He had discarded his light shells, and the ring on his back was replaced with a plate that had a pair of wings "attached" to it, each made of five segments. The wings spread as Solaris cried in triumph and rage.

"Guess it's not gonna be that easy," Sonic remarked.

"Wouldn't be us if it was,' Shadow deadpanned.

"You miserable, wretched, insignificant specks of feculent scum (1)!" Solaris ranted. "You will rue the very day you defied and swung your fists at a god! PREPARE FOR OBLIVION!"

He began firing lasers, forcing them all to dodge.

"Is it truly impossible to destroy him after all?!" Shadow demanded.

"No, wait…" Silver perked, sensing something. "That red core! I can sense it. His consciousness! Even if we can't destroy his body, we can smash the core!"

"Of course!" Sonic realized. "Leave him brain dead!"

"We just need to get at it!" Shadow declared.

All three shot forward, summoning their power and pouring on the hits. Solaris kept launching attacks and slashing with his wings

"Struggle all you want!" he shouted. "You may have stood a chance against Mephiles and Iblis, but not me! I am become Solaris, destroyer of timelines! (2)"

"Enough with your taunts, Solaris!" Silver shouted. "It's no use! We won't be deterred! I will protect the future!"

"And I will release you from the chains of your past." Shadow chimed in.

"The present day…" Sonic began, "The here and now that you've stolen... Time to take it back!"

Together, all three began focusing all of their Chaos Energy into one massive blast. Solaris charged up, a laser forming in its core. Red lighting, blue lighting, teal mist, and pure golden energy coalesced into a brilliant ball of pure light. Solaris launched his attack just as the hedgehogs launched theirs. They struggled for a bit before pouring on the pressure, pushing Solaris' attack back before hitting the core and damaging it severely. He hung limply.

"No…" he managed. "This cannot be! I am Solaris! God of time and the sun!"

"Well, your time just ran out!" Sonic shouted.

The three raised their arms, Chaos energy forming in their hands before swiping at him.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Waves of Chaos Energy surged through Solaris, tearing away at him and reverting his form. All the while, Solaris ranted in rage and disbelief.

"NO, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" he screamed, his voice distorted. "IT CAN'T END THIS WAY! I'M AN INVINCIBLE, EVERLASTING GOD! NOOOOOO!"

As they watched, the combined Chaos Control slowly shifted Solaris back, into his first form, then the split forms of Iblis and Mephiles, then the fireball and black goop both originated as, and then the two mixed together into a small white flame in a candle holder. Sonic retrieved the flame, and they headed back to the others. Elise gasped at the sight of the flame...


Flashback

A young Elise and the Duke of Soleanna watching Solaris' original form, a small white flame, in its casing.

"Look, Elise," the Duke told his young daughter. "This is Solaris, the flame of hope."

"It's so beautiful…" Elise gasped.

"When the flame has grown large enough, our world will change. Solaris will allow us to control time and move through history. People will be able to rectify past mistakes and avoid bitter fate."

Elise turned to him curiously.

"Will we be able to see Mama? "

The Duke ruffled her hair, smiling warmly.

"Yes, Elise. We'll both be able to see your mother once again."

With that, they left, leaving the flame behind.

Flashback Over


Elise approached them, looking over the flame.

"It all started with this," she recalled. "My father enacted the Solaris Project in the hopes of enabling the people of Mobius to rectify past mistakes and rewrite history into a beautiful utopia. Undoing such atrocities as King George's Folly, the Great War... and my mother's death." She sighed. "Who knew such a tiny flame could bring such devastation?"

Sonic thought for a minute before handing Elise the candle holder

"You do the honors, Elise," he told her. "It all started with you and your old man. It's only fitting you end it."

Elise took the holder, looking down at the flame.

"May you never threaten this world again."

With a gentle blow, she extinguished the flame. As she did, everything began to shake. A bright light enveloped everything…


Soleanna

Once it cleared, they found themselves standing in the middle of Soleanna, people waking up and going about their business as the sun rose.

"Sunrise…" Chris sighed. "For a second or two, I thought we'd never see it again."

All was silent for a minute or two, until they heard another noise. They turned to see Elise, tears pouring down her face as she let out small sobs. Their concern soon evaporated when, mixed in with the tears, Elise began giggling. It began low and quiet, before becoming full-on belly laughter of happiness. She sat down, letting loose for a full minute before sighing and wiping her eyes.

"Oh, that feels so good…" she said.

"Without Iblis inside you, you can finally... feel," Sally realized.

"Then… it's over," Silver realized. "We stopped Iblis. We did it…"

He and Lara-Su flinched as new memories suddenly surfaced in their heads. After a minute, they perked, looking at one another.

"What… what was that?" they both let out.

"Your connection to the Chaos Force," Shadow deduced. "History has changed, so your places in the timeline were rewritten to accommodate it."

Lara-Su gasped as a memory reached her.

"Master…" she let out. "She… she's still alive! And-... And so is my dad…"

She dropped to her knees, utterly shocked. "Without Iblis... he lived. He raised me… All I ever wanted... and I finally have it."

"Was…" Knuckles began, "was I a good dad?"

Lara-Su rushed over to him, hugging him.

"One of the best," she promised.

Knuckles slumped in relief, happy he hadn't repeated Locke's mistakes as a parent.

"Time for us to go home," Silver insisted.

"Right," Lara-Su nodded. "We have to return. I have to see my… my family." She choked. "I have a family…"

"Well then, good thing I managed to grab these." Shadow held out the green and purple Chaos Emeralds. Silver and Lara-Su both took one, inducing Chaos Control and opening one last time portal.

"Goodbye, everyone," Silver said.

"If we meet again, I hope it will be under better circumstances!" Lara-Su chimed in.

Lara-Su gave Knuckles one last embrace before jumping into the portal. Silver nodded at them, giving a two fingered salute before doing the same. With that, Blaze pulled out the case containing the Sol Emeralds.

"The crisis has been averted," she said. "It's time for me to return as well."

Sonic nodded, the two grasping forearms and shaking.

"Here's hoping the next time we meet, it's under more peaceful circumstances," he remarked.

"One can only hope," Blaze agreed.

She opened the box, the Sol Emeralds glowing before another portal opened and she ventured through it. With that done, Robotnik adjusted his shades.

"Well, now that that's done, I'll be off myself," he decided. "Enjoy your vacation, Sonic. Aurora knows, we all need one."

He called the Egg Mobile, boarding it. "But don't think this will last. Next time we meet, it's game on."

"And I'll be ready to play, Doc." Sonic assured.

Robotnik flew off at that.

"Y'know, why do we keep letting him fly off like that?" Tails asked.

"Eh, someone's gotta watch over Eggatha," Sonic said. "Also because we're usually dead tired after each plan-thwarting."

Tails nodded, seeing both points. "Fair enough."

Sonic stretched his arms. "Well... like Eggman said, let's get to enjoying our vacation. Head to the hotel, maybe the beach, snag some of the local chili dogs."

"Hold on, Sonic," Elise cut in, looking at the dawn. "Let's just appreciate this moment... for a little while longer."

Sonic paused, looking at everyone. They were all just sitting in the grass, looking up at the rising sun with expressions of peace and serenity. After a moment, Sonic smiled, then sat down next to Sally.

"Yeah… let's do that," he agreed, taking Sally's hand. "After all, we've got all the time in the world."

They sat there in peace, watching as the sun rose, and a brand new day began for Mobius.


Author's Note:

(1): Translation: pieces of shit.

(2): Reference to Vishnu's line from the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita: "I am become Death, destroyer of worlds".

Yep! I did things differently for the ending. For one, Solaris is erased without the gang losing their memories of the events. My own twist.

Next chapter will be a breather, as usual.

Please R&R. Until next time!