Metal Sonic stared out of the window of the building that housed those that believed themselves to be true believers of Eggman's cause and observed the forces they had gathered.

It was a motley crew, made up of different organic races from different cultures. There were the obviously human members dressed in white bodysuits that covered even their heads who wore green glowing goggles and bits of circuitry attached to various parts of their outfits, dancing in front of a small speaker that was likely blasting music for all to hear. They were next to a group of various Islanders who were dressed in attire reminiscent of biker culture, who were in the middle of repairing their vehicles which included motorcycles, dune buggies, and Extreme Gear. The Islanders were glaring at the humans and shouting at them.

Nobody in the building that Metal Sonic found himself in could hear them. They had organic ears, and the glass was too thick for the sound to reach them.

But he could read lips.

"…turn that off! We're trying to work here!"

"Couldn't Axel have gotten us a place away from those weirdos?!"

"I'd take the Kukkus over them!"

"Freakin' Noise Tanks!"

"…I dunno. I kinda like the music."

Further away there were a group of various bird Islanders who were maintaining their Extreme Gear and jet packs. A quick search through his records instantly identified the jet packs as belonging to a defunct Islander-based nomadic tribe called the Battle Kukku Empire.

One that had been defeated and dismantled by Miles "Tails" Prower.

Just Tails.

The obsolete Sonic wasn't even around when it happened.

Honestly, it was rather amusing to the badnik.

The doctor's notes on them were appropriately brief and dismissive. After all, why bother studying the group if they could be beaten by his hated copy's sidekick? Especially when he had been so thorough that the so-called empire completely fell apart?

He watched as their beaks opened and shut and snarls formed at the corners of their mouths.

"This is humiliating!"

"I know…"

"We should be soaring in the skies and reclaiming all our lost territory!"

"With what weapons? That freak blew them all up years ago, remember?"

"That doesn't mean we should allow ourselves to work with these… these psychos! What is the Great Battle Kukku doing?!"

"Shut your beak if you know what's good for you. I heard that the last guy that ran his mouth about the Great Battle Kukku's decisions was used for target practice by the rock throwers."

So, it appeared that this group had managed to incorporate the remnants of the failed empire in their ranks. It was likely because their leader saw value in serving under the doctor so that they could regain their strength and obtain more advanced technology for any future endeavors.

Metal Sonic briefly looked through the files he had obtained from the Death Egg and found one that identified a so-called Battle Bird Armada as temporary allies of Robo-Robotnik's empire… at least until he got around to legionizing them all into his slaves.

It seemed as if in the old world, the so-called empire was smart enough to understand that it would never pose a threat and shouldn't even playact at being an empire.

There were other Islanders that were swinging practice swords while Cortez the Badger paced around and barked orders at them. Other Islanders and a few humans were lining up in front of a tent while Islanders dressed in a manner similar to the doctor began working on their sleek cybernetics. There were even a few that were taking aim with blasters and shooting at targets in the distance.

Perhaps the doctor would be impressed with this group's ability to gather a literal army for him behind the scenes. To find so many people willing to serve his cause, both those who truly believed in the future he would create or those who knew they would only benefit if they served him willingly.

Perhaps Eggman would be annoyed and order Metal Sonic to deal with what he saw as a headache.

His maker had been flattered by Starline when he had arrived, glad to find someone who truly appreciated his work and was willing to assist in constructing what would eventually become the Metal Virus. But Starline overstepped and eventually turned on the doctor, and the doctor rewarded the platypus with humiliation and death.

Perhaps he would see organic servants, even those who proclaimed their loyalty and belief in him, as too much of a risk.

Metal Sonic certainly wouldn't hesitate in executing the lot should the doctor order him to.

But for now, they were a tool. A tool who had a plan that would benefit the doctor.

However, if they played coy any longer then he would simply leave this place and continue his search for Mecha Sally.

Metal Sonic couldn't help but notice that Phage had grown oddly quiet. If he had a mouth, he would've been frowning.

While he was grateful that he didn't need to hear the program's unnecessary opinions about his observations, the silence itself was suspicious. Phage was never one for silence ever since it had been released from its digital prison. It hadn't even demanded more data to satiate its seemingly endless appetite.

And it all started after it had consumed part of Nicole the Holo-Lynx's code.

Metal Sonic stared at his reflection in the glass, remembering the rapidly disintegrating form of the lynx as Phage began to absorb her data into itself. Eating the advanced artificial intelligence, one whose origins even Robo-Robotnik didn't know.

Was that the cause of Phage's silence?

The badnik's eyes dimmed slightly as he went inside his own system. The red blocks of data rapidly merged and began to be colored as the inner landscape took the form of the perfected Green Hill Zone, one touched and made perfect by his creator's tools.

A good future.

He sped past the dying grass and polluted waterfalls, the metal flowers spinning as he went through the loops and and made his way through the caverns. Rings were held in the air, each identifying the files in his system. Ones he could access at any time and feed to Phage if need be.

But eventually, he found Phage.

However, it was not the Phage that Metal Sonic had grown accustomed to.

The lake he had arrived in should have been filled with polluted water, but it was instead filled with black water. Upon closer inspection, however, the 'water' merely consisted of tiny black boxes that had tendrils of data rising up and reaching towards a giant white egg in the center of the lake.

It was glowing from within and pulsing. In the center was the black silhouette of an Islander, and Metal Sonic tilted his head as he registered it to be a form similar to that of Nicole the Holo-Lynx.

Floating overhead was the name of the file and something that confirmed Metal Sonic's suspicions.

PROGRAM: PHAGE

UPDATE STATUS: 45% Complete

The silhouette was curled into a ball, like an organic child growing within its mother. Occasionally, it twitched as if it were dreaming.

Metal Sonic could only summarize his opinion in one word.

Interesting.

"Again?" Whisper asked, not even bothering to hide the incredulity in her voice.

Tangle blushed and turned her face to the side to hide it. Even her fur seemed to straighten, as if to highlight the lemur's embarrassment.

"Cute."

"L-Lay off me, Whisper!" The lemur stuttered. "It's just a shock is all!"

The wolf merely shook her head and looked back at the female fox, apparently the mother of the Tails from Mobius, who was frowning as she looked directly into Sally's eyes.

Rosemary Prower… looked only a bit like Tails. However, the woman's fur was completely brown. A far cry from Tails' own yellow fur. From what she could tell from the photo, the Tails of Mobius also had yellow fur.

"Did he inherit it from his father?"

The eyes, however, were remarkably similar to Tails' own. But that seemed to be one of the few things that Tails could have inherited from the woman.

"It's odd. When I looked at Bernadette and Jules, I could see some of the features Sonic might have inherited but… the way their head fur is styled and other features… it's like they're distant relatives rather than their parents."

Then again, it wasn't like the wolf knew how genetics worked. Still, it was something that was rather odd.

"It's…" Sally's mouth twisted as if she was having trouble formulating the proper expression to this meeting. It wasn't like the joyous smile she wore when she reunited with Jules and Bernadette. There was a hint of happiness in Sally's eyes. at seeing the woman, but it was tempered by something else. Something… less than enthusiastic at being in the same area as Rosemary. "It's good to see you, Councilwoman Prower."

Whisper could pick up that part of that statement was a lie.

Rosemary, for her part, seemed partly resigned to the greeting. She nodded her head and said, "The feeling is mutual, your highness. We had nearly lost hope of ever seeing you within our walls again. We had feared that… you were gone like so many others."

The wolf glanced at the memorial wall with all the pictures of those who had been erased from existence… or were dead as far as the people of this city were concerned.

She hadn't expected a warm welcome from the inhabitants of this city. From what little she could gather from both Mina and Jules' stories, she had been prepared for a city that had mostly been swept up by the new king's propaganda.

But she hadn't expected the hatred that had been thrown at Tangle.

She glanced at the lemur, who had gotten over her embarrassment but now seemed to be looking directly at Rosemary just so she wouldn't be looking at the crystal wall full of photos or any other citizen who might be staring at their gathering.

"She shouldn't have to feel like this."

"Yes. I… I'm glad I made it too. And I'm gad that all of you were here, too! I thought all of you were…" The robian shook her head and looked at Rosemary. "But… Councilwoman…"

The female fox closed her eyes and raised her hand. "You do not need to call me that. The title is now retired."

"Huh?"

"The council…" Mina spoke up, and Whisper glanced at the mongoose to see the young woman glaring at Rosemary. "…it got dissolved after Geoffrey was made king."

There were no shocks of astonishment from anyone in the group. No declarations of anger at the idea of a democratic system being dismantled. It seemed that everyone held some suspicion that the council wouldn't have lasted long under a tyrant's rule.

Silver only looked mildly frustrated, which made sense. From his condensed story about his time under the Secret Freedom Fighters in the old world, he had helped to make sure that the Council hadn't been brainwashed by Ixis Naugus.

"Maybe he's wondering what was the point if the council would've been dissolved anyways."

Sally, who should've had the most pronounced reaction to the news, only had a small frown on her face. Did she not hold much attachment to the former governing body of her kingdom?

"Then again, they had assisted with exiling Nicole from the city."

"It was a unanimous decision." Rosemary opened her eyes and looked at seemed so tired. "All members of the council agreed that we needed to step aside so that the king could directly rule over the citizens."

"Indeed!" Mordred Hood laughed and motioned to the castle. "After all, who would want to be ruled by a group of peasants during times like these? It's best to allow those who have the power to be the ones who make the decisions! After all, at least then the weak might survive!"

"Ah swear, that snake's gettin' on mah last nerve." Bunnie grumbled while crossing her arms.

"They actually voted on this?" Tangle asked, turning to Mina with wide eyes. "I know you said that they crowned that Geoffrey guy king because of the mob and stuff, but…"

"A tyrant wouldn't be satisfied with just getting a crown and a fancy title." Blaze interrupted, her voice as cool as ice. "He would want complete and total power. This so-called vote was a farce, it was him allowing this council to vote so that they could feel important one last time for his own amusement."

And the terrifying thing was that Whisper could see it. She could see Geoffrey smirking while holding his staff, watching as the members of the council voted one by one to give up power they barely had anymore.

He probably laughed when they finalized the vote.

"Unanimous my foot. Councilman Hamlin and Uncle Chuck didn't even show up! My mom only attended because she was forced to." Mina shook her head. "She only voted to make Geoffrey king because of the riots that were happening and voted for dissolving the council because it was either that or… or whatever he does to the people who stand up to him!" She pointed at Rosemary. "But she… she voted to make Naugus king when he showed up, back when we had Sonic and everyone but Sally in New Mobotropolis to kick him out!"

Behind her mask, Whisper's eyes widened in shock. "She… allowed this Naugus to become the king of their home?"

From what she could gather from the information Sally, Mina, and Silver had shared, Ixis Naugus had been a major threat to New Mobotropolis and had even fought against the previous Sonic and all his friends. He was nowhere near as overbearing a threat as Eggman had been, but apparently he was still up there and had planned terrible things for the people of this city.

And this woman had actually voted to make him king?!

"When Sonic was there?!"

"Wait, what?!" Tangle looked at Rosemary with a mix of shock and horror. "Didn't this Naugus guy try to, y'know, fight Sonic? Wouldn't he have tried to kill Tails too?!"

A look of pure anguish flashed on Rosemary's face, providing the answer to the lemur's question.

It shocked and baffled Whisper. Why on earth would this woman willingly give power to the man who had tried to kill her own son?! What could possess her to think a force of evil was a good leader? Especially since, from how Mina was describing it, Sonic was literally right there to help try and stop the wizard?

"Prower here simply understands the way things work." Mordred hissed as he leaned in close to the woman's face, a smirk growing from ear to ear while tears formed in the corners of Rosemary's eyes. "She understood that this kingdom needed a strong hand to guide it. A being with power and vision that reminded her of just how small she truly was. She understood it better than her traitor of a husband…"

"Tails' father is either a member of the resistance here or captured." Whisper's lips pursed. "Did he think that would impress us? He just gave away more information about the state of things here."

"…and because of that, she's now a student of Ixis Magicks. A gift for her loyalty to the king." The snake then brought up his hand and reached for Rosemary's head. "Like a good do-."

"Touch her." Sally muttered in a low voice. "And you're losing that hand, Hood."

"He would've lost more than that." The sniper thought in the privacy of her head as her fingers touched her Wispon, ready to grab it. Meanwhile, Mina already had out her guitar ready to hit the snake, Blaze had a fireball in the palm of her hand, Bunnie's eyes were narrowed and her left hand was already forming a gun, Silver's body radiated with turquoise energy, and Tangle's tail was forming into a fist.

The snake surveyed his chances then scoffed and leaned back. "Bah, only you people would think that a simple gesture is worth getting so worked up over."

"Says the guy shaking in his boots." Tangle shot back and Whisper had to suppress a snicker when she saw that Mordred was, indeed, shaking in fear.

"Alright." Beauregard Rabbot sighed and clapped his hands. "That's enough. Mrs. Prower is right. We've been keeping the king waitin' long enough." He motioned to the fox. "Why don't you lead the way, Ma'am?"

Rosemary nodded and brought up her hood, hiding the fox's eyes from view. She took a deep breath and turned around. "Follow me, please."

With that, Rosemary began to walk and the two Grandmasters followed her while the teenagers trailed after them.

"Man, what's with villains and being unapologetic over how terrible they are?" Tangle whispered as she leaned back to talk to the wolf. "Seriously. It's like almost every bad guy we face off against is terrible from the start."

Whisper couldn't deny that statement. Heck, she even thought that Mimic would have at least some reason deeper than 'I don't want to be put at risk' for betraying them all.

But no.

Mimic was just terrible from ther start, even when he spent time with the Diamond Cutters he never considered them his teammates.

The same could be said about Mordred Hood.

"Can't say." She admitted before nodding forward. "Be on your guard."

"Right, right…" The lemur sighed. "Don't worry, I'll be ready for action when it happens."

Whisper frowned as Tangle did just that. She stared forward, focusing solely on the Grandmasters and the castle ahead.

The wolf glanced back at the mural, filled with pictures of people who the loved ones that blamed her and Tangle for their loss.

The mural that Tangle hadn't looked back at or wanted to talk about, even when she just had the chance to.

"Tangle…"

Blaze's fur was practically standing up straight as they walked through the halls.

It wasn't as if she was scared. Far from it. Throughout her time as the guardian of the Sol Emeralds and protector of the Jeweled Scepter, she had faced many dangers and threats to not just her empire but her entire universe. Be it robot pirates or mad scientists from other dimensions, she had faces them all without fear in her heart. She believed in herself. She believed in her power and that of her friends, and that had been more than rewarded because they were still here.

And yet… she felt uneasy.

"Interestin' art." Bunnie mentioned as they walked past a large painting of a strange… thing that only looked vaguely like a bat.

It was a male, as the long grey beard indicated, but he wore a full purple body suit with black cloak and grey boots and gloves. He had a large horn jutting out of his forehead and his left hand looked like a claw. He was smiling while raising his right hand overhead, gripping a staff that contained a Chaos Emerald on the end which emitted beams that seemed to hold off against a white void. His left claw was reaching out and was being gripped by a small hedgehog child while various arms reached out across the frame as if hoping to touch him too. On his head was a golden crown that shone just as brightly as the jewel, as if to say it was just as important.

"Someone with an incredible ego had this made…"

"That is the art of the former king, Ixis Naugus." Rosemary said from the front. "Our king… he commissioned for it to be made. So that all may remember his sacrifice."

"Wait, THAT was that Naugus guy?" Tangle glanced back and frowned as they continued to walk forward. "Have to say, he's got the whole evil wizard look down."

"Trust me when I say he looked a heck of a lot worse in reality." Silver muttered to Blaze as they continued to walk. "Hybrids back on Mobius were limited to just him compared to here, and let me tell you he looked off."

"I can imagine." Hybrids weren't unheard of even in her world. But even then, this Naugus appeared alien to her. Like he simply didn't belong. As if his entire body didn't make sense, even accounting for something that would logically arise like hybrids in their world. "However, the fact it was even made is… concerning."

The citizens of New Mobotropolis were obviously dehydrated and malnourished, and yet their king commissioned these vanity projects?

"That's nothing." Mina grumbled, and the cat turned her head to see the mongoose rubbing her arm while not meeting her gaze. "Geoffrey tried to make us sing these songs propping him up. Said we had to do our part to keep the peace and keep the citizens happy. I… I tried to hijack it and remind everyone to think for themselves. But my boyfriend… Ash… he… He stopped us when we were starting our first song. He cut our sound before we could get really into it."

"It saved yer life." Beauregard said plainly, glancing back at them with a frown. "I was there, and if you had gotten really into it ah would've had no choice but to bring you in."

The mongoose gripped her arm even tighter at that, but relaxed when her wisp petted the side of her face.

"He doesn't allow any expressions of dissent in his kingdom." Blaze narrowed her eyes. "Even in the Sol Empire, we allow for our citizens to air their complaints and express themselves freely so long as they don't talk about open and armed rebellion. To not even allow protest songs…"

The Sol Empire wasn't perfect. Even Blaze knew that there were certain areas her empire could improve. But what she had seen and observed within this kingdom brought to mind some of the greatest fears a minority of her subjects had.

What would happen if the emperor or empress after Blaze had total power?

What if the government declared martial law to simply control the citizens?

What if they retracted the free speech they so graciously allowed the people to have?

"You should have done it from the beginning!" Mordred snapped at the rabbit. "Then we wouldn't have had to deal with that abysmal search for her once she escaped under your watch!"

"It was mah call and ah own up to it." Beauregard shot back with a glare. "The king already knows it and ah took my licks from him, so ah don't need to hear it from you."

"You dare…!"

"Where did all of my family's portraits go?" Sally asked, causing the two to stop their argument. "I don't see any of them hanging here."

"…The king believed we shouldn't focus on the reign of the Acorn family, who committed so many mistakes during their time on the throne." Rosemary said, not turning around to face the chipmunk. "He said we should instead focus on the reign of King Naugus, who gave us all the chance to live from the consequences of the Acorn Family's errors."

Blaze saw that the robian's hands clenched into fists, but she didn't say anything. What would even be the point? Starting a fight now wouldn't bring them any closer to the king.

"He's trying to rewrite the past. To place himself and his master as the true heroes, and teach all future generations this so-called truth." It was simple in a twisted sort of way. Erase the positive accomplishments of the previous royal family to prop up the new one. History was written by the victors, after all, and those who had access to the pens, paint brushes, and paper. "And that memorial wall…"

It was a disturbing sight when she beheld it. A symbol of all the people who had been lost by the Super Genesis Wave. Blaze knew the devastation and of all the lives lost by Eggman and WIly's mad quest for control over reality, but it was simply an idea and numbers. It made things… easier to comprehend.

She didn't have faces and names to attach to those numbers.

And now… now she did.

And to the minds of these people, they included her dear friends.

And they all blamed it on Sonic.

"It's not fair. He… he fought to try and stop those two madmen! He fought to save his entire reality from their machinations!" But, what else could they do? The entire narrative had been crafted by this Geoffrey character, and he was the one who told them what had 'happened'. "If I… If I had known this place existed… if I knew how much Sonic's world had changed then…!"

Then what?

Would she have told Sonic about how much he had lost?

Would she have explained to him that there was a city he had once called home that he couldn't remember because it existed in another life?

Would she have marched over here with him to liberate this place?

"…No. I can't think like this. What's done is done, and nothing can change that."

It didn't make the princess of another dimension feel any better.

"So where do y'all put your prisoners?" Bunnie asked, snapping the cat out of her thoughts. "Ah know a castle like this has a dungeon or somethin'. Where is it?"

The snake looked at her incredulously. "You seriously believe we're foolish enough to tell you that?"

"You'll know where it is, if you even want to go there for those scumbags." Beauregard didn't even turn to look at her. "After the king fixes you up."

The hooligan bristled at that. "Ah don't need any fixin', you monster!"

"I'm not a monster!" The older rabbit shot back. "Ah'm only tryin' to help yo-!"

"Acolyte Prower." A smooth female voice echoed down the halls, cutting off the argument before it could get any father. "I see you have made it."

A white-hooded female figure stood in front of a pair of large oak doors, her hands hidden behind her back as they approached. She was tall, perhaps nearly as tall as Cream's mother. Like Rosemary, her face was hidden by the shadows of her hood.

But what caused the fur in the back of Blaze's neck to straighten was the feeling of power in the air.

It wasn't nearly as powerful as Mogul's own, but it contained the same greasy feeling of wrongness. As if it was something that had managed to slither its way into this reality where it did not belong, and had made this plane its home.

And that's what made the princess feel on edge about even being inside this castle.

"Indeed." Rosemary stated as they drew closer. "I apologize for keeping the king waiting, Acolyte Ebony."

"Wait, Ebony?" Sally asked, her eyes widening. "Ebony Cat? Aren't you… weren't you one of Amy's friends?"

The figure reached up and lowered her hood, revealing the thin face of a black cat with a gray-furred muzzle. On her right ear were two silver earrings that looked as if they were inscribed with runes, ones that Blaze couldn't recognize at all.

"Friends." The cat let out a humorless chuckle. "I wouldn't describe us as such."

"But Amy, she…!"

"She hardly spent time with either me or…" Ebony grimaced. "…Or Tekno… after she met that rabbit girl." Her eyes narrowed and she spat out, "Perhaps she preferred being with children closer to her actual age."

"Hey!" Tangle shouted, pointing at her. "Don't talk about Amy or Cream like that! You…!"

Whisper put her hand over Tangle's mouth as she shouted something muffled into it. Blaze noticed the look of hate in Ebony's eyes as she stared at the lemur and wolf, and she recognized it well.

"They hate them for even existing."

Slowly, the cat let out a breath and turned to Sally. "It doesn't matter. That is all in the past. Now I am merely a student of Ixis Magicks…" She put her hand on the door. "And the one who shall introduce you to his majesty."

With that, Ebony opened the door and a rush of cool air greeted them.

Blaze's eyes widened as she saw the state of the room.

It was bare, but there were columns of ice that stretched from the floor and to the ceiling, steam slowly coming off of them as the ice met the heat of the desert. Green crystals lined the walls, giving what should have been simple stone an almost reptilian look. White banners of a simple purple Chaos Emerald lined with magenta cracks that almost look like veins hung from the ceiling. The room itself was lit by candles that sat atop alien green crystal stalagmites.

And in the center of the room was a mountain of crystal with a staircase leading to a green crystal throne.

Sitting on it was a skunk, but one that had obviously seen better days. His body looked thin, almost skeletal, with fur that hadn't been brushed in what appeared to be a long time. His eyes looked almost sunken in, the pupils a strange mixture of blue and purple. Resting on his head was a golden crown, whose gold sheen and gems seemed to glow eerily in the candlelight. In his right hand was a silver staff, on top of which sat the Enigma Emerald.

Blaze felt her eyes widen as she stared at it. The thing that was a Chaos Emerald yet wasn't which seemed to pulse with its magenta veins as if it were alive.

"It does not belong. It does not belong here. It's all wrong. It's…"

They were the same feelings she had when she laid her eyes upon Mammoth Mogul's own Enigma Emerald. But for some reason it felt… stronger here.

Why?

What had this man done to make it feel… stranger?

As if it were rehearsed, Ebony and Rosemary got onto their knees and bowed while Mordred and Beauregard simply kneeled. However, the adult rabbit looked as if he were swallowing a particularly sour grape as he did so.

"King Geoffrey St. John." Rosemary spoke solemnly. "I present to you the former Princess Sally Acorn and her compatriots."

The king smiled, and it was one that made Blaze the Cat's skin crawl.

"Hello, luv." Geoffrey St. John, King of Mobotropolis and former apprentice of Ixis Naugus, said in an almost raspy voice. "Welcome home."

Once upon a time, Geoffrey St. John was a man who made Sally's heart flutter in a way she thought only Sonic could.

He was a skunk with roguish good looks brought upon by his age and lifestyle. Physically fit thanks to his years running the Rebel Underground and performing guerilla warfare against Robotnik's empire, and he did so in a way that Sally couldn't help but admire. He had the mind of a soldier and when he spoke in that Downundian accent that sounded so exoctic to her, especially when he complimented her abilities and looks.

And when Geoffrey kissed her, she had never felt so… wanted… needed… in her life.

The fact that he was older than her only made her feel more powerful in a way. More beautiful if she could make someone as dashing and capable as Geoffrey swoon over her.

He had honestly made Sally question if she really wanted to be with Sonic for a time.

The foolishness of a teenage girl who could never pick up how fast and how wrong such a relationship was. Who never stopped to ask herself if there was a reason why a grown man like Geoffrey would instantly be making all these passes at her despite having just met her and seeming to take joy in berating Sonic and the rest of her friends as children.

The Geoffrey in front of her now resembled nothing like the man she had a crush on years ago.

"Geoffrey?" She stared up at the crystal throne in wide-eyed wonder and horror as the almost skeletal figure stared down at them. "Is that… is that really you?"

The skunk chuckled and nodded. "Surprised? I do not blame you. Using this emerald has been… taxing… for my body."

That was an understatement! The former Royal Secret Service member looked as if he were ready to fall over dead!

And that voice… it sounded so… dry. As if it were coming out of a throat that wasn't so much dehydrated as it was… worn out. It belonged to someone that was far older than Geoffrey was.

"But all of it was necessary so that my kingdom… our kingdom… could survive and thrive in these difficult times."

"Thrive?!" Tangle shouted incredulously. "Have you seen what's going on outside of here?!"

Rather than respond to the lemur, Geoffrey's eyes flickered to Rosemary and Ebony. "You two may wait outside. I wish to have a private conversation with the former princess and her… guests."

Tangle bristled at that. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"As you wish, my king." Ebony rose as did Rosemary, walking around the group and towards the door.

"What about your pet monsters?" Bunnie asked as she eyed Mordred and Beauregard. "They stayin' in here with us?"

"Of course!" The so-called 'king' rolled his eyes. "I am not foolish enough to remain here unguarded!"

"Nicole?" Sally narrowed her eyes as she scanned the room. "Can you activate thermal?"

OF COURSE.

Her vision became hues of blues, greens, reds, and purples. She could see her friends, the Grandmasters, and Geoffrey. But as she turned her head she couldn't see any more heat signatures.

Were they really the only people in the room? It wouldn't make sense for Geoffrey to completely rely on Beauregard and Mordred for his safety. And there was the Bride of the Conquering Storm to take into account…

"Looking at something, luv?"

"Just taking in all the changes you made to the throne room." Sally lied as Nicole returned her vision to normal. "They're very… unique."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, these? Most of them are done out of necessity. My current state does not agree with the heat of this desert or the sun."

That she could imagine. From the looks of things he would pass out from simple heat exhaustion if he went outside.

"Am I to assume that most of these crystals were made from your magic?" Blaze asked, keeping a steady gaze on the skunk. "The princess mentioned that it was one of your master's specialties."

"Yes." Geoffrey's smile didn't disappear when he looked at the cat. In fact, his gaze seemed almost hungry as he stared at her. He was looking at her from head to toe as if she were a slab of meat he was appraising, and it made the princess' skin crawl. "It is me honoring my master, in my own way. To mark this throne room and the castle itself in his memory and symbolize our reign."

"Quite the careless use of magic."

The skunk shook his head. "Not at all! All of it was necessary for the good of the kingdom."

"Good of the kingdom?!" Mina spat out as she motioned to one of the ice pillars. "You gave yourself ice to cool yourself off while the rest of us had to bake in the heat!"

"Yeah!" Tangle shouted in anger. "If you actually cared about the kingdom you would've given everyone else in this city one of their own at least!"

"Not really the point, Tangle." Silver muttered under his breath.

"Ah. Mina Mongoose." Geoffrey now turned his gaze onto her, and that smile turned into a sneer. "You caused quite a bit of trouble when you decided to completely spit in the face of my generosity and my master's sacrifice by running away from my kingdom."

"My kingdom." Just hearing Geoffrey state that felt like a slap to the face. "He's actually saying that."

Geoffrey St. John was never a perfect person. Even during that time when Sally had that stupid crush on him, she could see that. The skunk had a high opinion of himself and his capabilities, perhaps too high of an opinion in hindsight. While true he did conduct himself in a professional manner for missions, the fact that a grown man like him was willing to talk down to Hamlin and Sonic was just plain embarrassing.

She even tried to cover for his needless antagonism at times, like telling Sonic that everyone needs to prove their loyalty when Geoffrey called into question Uncle Chuck's before she was taken out of commission by Drago's scheme. But the skunk just wouldn't stop and perhaps that was part of the reason why her crush for him slowly but surely ended.

But for all of Geoffrey's faults, there was one single aspect of him that remained consistent: his loyalty to the kingdom. Even when he served Naugus, he did so because he seemed to honestly believe that Naugus was better suited to rule the kingdom.

THAT IS CORRECT, SALLY. Nicole said in her mind, and she saw the lynx's sad frown in the corner of her vision. DURING HIS TRIAL WHEN YOU WERE… AWAY… NAUGUS RECRUITED HIM BECAUSE AS A CHILD GEOFFREY WAS MOURNING THE LOSS OF HIS FATHER AND BLAMED YOUR FATHER FOR TRUSTING OVERLANDERS. NAUGUS MADE HIM BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE KINGDOM WAS TO AID HIM.

Sally narrowed her eyes. "…But he never thought about taking the crown for himself."

NO. NOTHING I CAN FIND IN HIS HISTORY OR HIS CROSS-EXAMINATION DURING THE TRIAL INDICATES HE WOULD WANT THE CROWN.

Right. Because it didn't make sense. None of this made sense for Geoffrey St. John!

"Good of the kingdom?" Mina's voice snapped Sally out of her thoughts and brought her back to reality. "Good of the kingdom?!" She pointed at the skunk. "You practically started a riot and forced the Council to make you king! We needed food and water and you just gave us the bare minimum to survive! You kept us here when people were obviously suffering, and if anyone complained you just had that man…!" She jabbed a finger at Beauregard, who flinched only slightly at her accusation. "…round them up and imprison them! You…!"

"I am the king." Geoffrey's eyes were blazing but his voice was as cold as the ice in the room. "It is my right. My master is the reason why you are even alive after the shift in reality thanks to your so-called hero's blundering! His dying wish was to make me the king! Your little show of rebellion is spitting in the face of his memory!"

Mina's hands were clenched into fists and her teeth were grinding. A part of Sally couldn't help but feel proud for her. But they couldn't let this argument get any more heated. They couldn't start a fight. Not now.

"Geoffrey, we talked to Mogul." The robian narrowed her eyes at the 'king', who frowned at the mention of the mammoth. "We know it wasn't just Naugus who saved this city, so cut the act."

The king was silent for a few seconds before he sighed and gripped his staff. He leaned forward and asked, "Tell me, luv, do you understand what it means to truly rule? To control one's subjects?"

"No, but ah guess you're gonna lecture us about it." Bunnie sounded absolutely bored as she crossed her arms. But a glare remained transfixed on the skunk.

"My master… he understands how the minds of the common folk work. They need a story. One of heroes and villains, villains who can destroy what little peace they have in their lives and any opportunity for their lot in life to become better." Geoffrey seemed positively giddy as he spoke, as if he had long been waiting to tell someone this secret. "They need to understand the true danger of the villains in these stories and comprehend the danger they represent." He waved towards Mina. "Something that Mongoose here was able to do with the computer with minimal effort on my master's part!"

Mina's pupils seemed to dilate and she took a step back, her eyes closing and her face turning into a mask of shame.

MINA… Nicole muttered sadly in Sally's head.

"They seek heroes… leaders… kings… who confront the villains and battle against the darkness. Who gives them a vision of the future where all their hopes and dreams are fulfilled." The smile on the skunk's face turned even more savage as he said, "And if a king is smart, they make it clear that any disobedience is a threat to achieving this vision that must be punished swiftly and severely." He motioned to Mordred. "Something that Hood here is very much familiar with."

The cobra grinned. "I only acted as how a true monarch should, my lord."

"Even if he is too foolish to understand the first part of what it means to truly rule."

That grin turned into a snarl, but Mordred said nothing. Like the worm he was, he understood who was really the master in this room.

"Geoffrey… what the heck happened to you?!" Silver shouted, his eyes wide in horror as he stepped forward. "You warned me in the previous world about Naugus' ritual to enslave the city! You wanted me to help stop it so that he wouldn't have total control over the kingdom, because you knew that it was wrong! Why would you…?!"

"I was a fool who didn't understand leadership. Now I do. That's all there is to it." Geoffrey seemed to remember something and added a reluctant, "Mate."

"He almost forgot to say that. Something that came naturally to him before."

It just added more proof to her suspicions.

"So you rule by making up a story that you know isn't true and if they don't worship you or Naugus then you imprison them?" Sally's hands clenched into fists. "This isn't the Geoffrey I knew."

"As I said…" Geoffrey's raspy voice made it seem as if he were an old man lecturing their grandchild. "…Times change. All of this is necessary…"

"Necessary my butt!" Tangle stomped her foot down and shouted while pointing at the skunk. "You're doing this to just feed your own ego and lord over people! You can dress it up in pretty words, but that's all it is! If you didn't do that none of these people would've ever followed you! You're nothing but a freakin' tyrant, dude!"

"Tangle…" Whisper cautioned while putting her hand on her friend's shoulder, who shrugged it off as she stomped forward.

"I don't know all the details about what things were like in Sally and Mina's world, but I know that a bunch of messed up stuff happened there. I know that all of these people living here were scared and screwed up because of stuff that Eggman did, and then that wave thing happened!" Tangle was approaching the throne and Sally ran behind the lemur. Mordred and Beauregard were already getting up, ready to strike if she got any closer. "You could've told them what really happened and brought them out of here! The Restoration would've helped all of them without question! Instead you're holding food and water hostage while telling them this new world and Sonic is the reason why all this is happening!"

The princess knew that everything the lemur was saying was true. She also felt that burning anger and disgust hearing Geoffrey explain how all of this was supposedly necessary and his twisted idea of what it is to truly rule. It was completely vile, and even her father at his worst would be horrified at what was coming out of the skunk's mouth.

"But I can't let her get close to Geoffrey! Even with how fast she normally is, at that range she won't be able to dodge in time!"

Sally instead took Tangle by the arm and dragged her back, causing the lemur to look at her with surprise.

"Sally, what are you doing?!" She shouted while pointing at Geoffrey. "Are you seriously going to let that jerk spew all that…?!"

"Okay girl, that's enough!" Beauregard shouted as he marched over to them. His eyes were blazing as he shouted, "You don't understand! Ah don't like how things are either, but in case you haven't noticed the situation's more complicated than you could imagine! Some sacrifices need to be made…!"

"Dude, are you even listening to yourself?!" Tangle was now practically screaming as she looked at Beauregard. "Sacrifices?! You were lecturing Bunnie over saying working for our Eggman wasn't that bad because things were worse under yours, but now you're right back to serving another bad guy! You're walking around in another person's skin! Those aren't sacrifices!"

"What's happening?" Sally couldn't help but stare at Tangle. While the lemur's righteous anger was something expected considering how she apparently acted towards Mecha Sally and how she talked to Mogul, this was… different. There seemed to be a desperation in her voice, as if she were trying to convince everyone in the room about the utter insanity she had seen and listened to. "Nicole, has Tangle acted like this before?"

NO. The lynx seemed just as shocked by their friend's actions. NOTHING IN THE RESTORATION'S FILES OR HOW SHE INTERACTED WITH US SAY THAT THIS IS EVEN A RARE REACTION TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. SALLY… I THINK WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE.

The robian knew that the lynx was right. At this rate a fight would break out before they got all the answers they needed. They needed to let Geoffrey still think he was secure and keep him talking. That was the only way…

"It's not another person's skin!" The older rabbit shot back. "It was supposed to be mine! It is mine!"

"No it's not!" Bunnie was now walking to Beauregard with fire in her eyes. "It's mah uncle's! Mah real uncle, who never would've done all this is he had a choice! He may not have been perfect, but he never believed in hurtin' people unless there was no way to avoid it!"

"No." Sally muttered under her breath. "No, Bunnie. Not now…!"

"Ah am your real uncle!" Beauregard's teeth were grinding as he shouted at the younger rabbit, "Ah'm the uncle who would've been there with you since the beginning if it weren't for Eggman! Ah'm the uncle who never would've let you get those things in the first place!"

The hooligan sneered at the older rabbit before looking towards Geoffrey, who now had a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he observed their argument.

"You!" She shouted while pointing at the 'king'. "You're the one who screwed up mah uncle! You're the one who took mah crew! Give 'em back, now!"

The robian knew Geoffrey's answer before he even said it.

"Why on Mobius would I even do that?" The skunk asked with a raised eyebrow. "The consciousness in that body was a mere Shade."

"A… Shade?" Whisper repeated, her voice shaky and even Sally could tell that the wolf seemed mildly disturbed at the word.

As if she already knew what the 'king' was getting at.

"Yes. A Shade. It is what I dub the bodies and the consciousnesses of those who exist in this false world." He waved a dismissive hand at Tangle. "Shadows merely playacting at life, inhabiting spaces that they were never meant to be in. Inhabiting bodies that were never theirs to begin with. They are nothing more than shadows meant to be dispelled once the light of the proper world is shined on them."

"That's not true!" Despite her better judgment, Sally was shouting at the skunk. She could see their reactions. All of them. Mina and Silver looked absolutely horrified at what Geoffrey was saying while Blaze and Bunnie were simmering in a quiet rage. Mordred was nodding in agreement while Beauregard tipped his hat to hide his expression. She couldn't see Whisper's expression beneath the mask but Tangle? Tangle looked lost. This was never something she had to experience before. It was simply beyond her scope. "They are meant to exist! They are alive! They have lives, feelings and history and…!"

"All of it, empty and without substance." Geoffrey scoffed as he pointed to Beauregard and Mordred. "This world and its people are lesser compared to what came before. Why do you know what the Shades in their bodies were before I brought out their proper consciousness? Mere petty criminals! Imposters compared to the true Beauregard Rabbot and Mordred Hood standing before you!"

"And I thank you every day for the bountiful boon you gave us, sire." Mordred bowed once again. "Honestly that Shade was disgracing my name with its mere existence!"

"Ah don't care! He was mah uncle and you took him away!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she shouted, "Ah loved him! Ah… ah ran away to protect him, to not be a burden to him, and you're talkin' like all of that was for nothing! That he was nothin'! You… You…!"

"Bunnie…" The robian could only stare at the rebooted version of her friend with a sinking heart. Bunnie had ran away from her family in this world in an effort to protect them, possibly from the very bomb that was in her limbs and from whoever she was indebted to. She couldn't even imagine what the rabbit was going through right now. To think that her uncle was now gone with a stranger in his body and that these people thought nothing they lived through even mattered.

Just like how everyone in this city viewed what had happened to them thanks to the Super Genesis Wave.

Bunnie shook her head and looked around. "Where's mah crew! If you messed with their heads like you did with mah uncle then…!"

"No. They were merely mercenaries in the previous world. One who's loyalty could be bought and would be unable to see the value of the promised day." Geoffrey scoffed. "They were merely useful for trying to capture Mongoose. And when they were unsuccessful at that I had my forces capture them so they could be more useful."

"You've done this before, haven't you." Bunnie whispered. "With Jackal Squad. You paid them…"

"Yes. To capture and bring Shades with bodies belonging to the proper world for the Promised Day. They did not ask questions so long as they were given gold and jewels from the treasury." The smile turned into a sneer on the skunk's face. "Of course, Shadow the Hedgehog complicated matters by killing all but one, who then ran off to Julian."

"Julian." That wasn't Eggman's name.

It was Robotnik's.

And Geoffrey never called him that.

"All of them serve a grand purpose, just as you can." Geoffrey's toothy grin returned as he said, "Aren't you tired of this useless life, D'Coolette?"

The younger rabbit's fur bristled. "Ah'm not…!"

"Oh, but you were. You were not a mere mercenary, feeding off of the table scraps and living off of treasure of bounties. Once, you were a hero. Loved by all. Respected by all. Married." He pointed down at them with his staff. "Whole."

Yes. Sally remembered from her time trapped within Mecha Sally. How Bunnie had all her limbs, rather than her usual artificial legs and arm. How she needed to use an Extreme Gear to fly around at even a fraction of a speed she used to. Mecha Sally barely considered her a threat because of it.

Of course Naugus was the reason for it.

Bunnie was shaking as she stuttered out, "Y-You mean…?"

"Yes. My master once gave you all your limbs. The ones stolen from you. Oh, you and your husband were overjoyed at that development. At his love and generosity." He reached out with his free hand. "This life…. It is a useless one. One where you're unhappy. Even I can see that. Would it not be better to just leave it all? To make room for a better you? One that can be all the things you are not? Who you never will be thanks to the hand you were dealt?"

"Don't do it." Blaze hissed. "Magic has a price, and what he is proposing… you will be like them!" She pointed at Beauregard and Mordred. "You will cease to be! And I may not know who you were in the previous world, but I know she would never…!"

"Shut up." The rabbit spat out while glaring at the floor. "All y'all need to shut up!"

Tears fell from Bunnie's eyes and landed on the floor, leaving little dark and wet spots on the stone.

"Everyone… everyone's tellin' me what I should or shouldn't do. Who I should be and all that… Ah'm tired of it!" Bunnie looked up and glared at Blaze. "Ah'm sick of it! You ain't tellin' me anythin' ah don't already know! Ah already escaped one debt! There ain't no way ah'm gettin' myself to another!"

"But… Bunnie! You don't understand…!" Beauregard stepped forward, only to stop when Bunnie turned her glare towards him.

"As for what the so-called 'real' Bunnie would think… ah don't give a crap!" The younger rabbit jabbed her right thumb at her chest and said, "Mah name is Bunnie Rabbot, an' this is mah life! Ah'm free at long last, and ah'm decidin' how mah life is going to go!"

The thin red glass-like material slid up from underneath Bunnie's right eyelid, covering the entire eye as she pointed at Geoffrey with her left hand.

"Bring Fang, Bark, an' Bean here right now." Bunnie said coldly. "Or else ah'm gonna make you regret messin' with the Hooligans, ya piece of filth."

"She's thinking about her friends above all else." The princess wasn't exactly happy that Bunnie said she didn't care about what the one who had been Sally's friend thought, but she couldn't say she hated the rabbit for it. Once, she also tried to force her image of Bunnie onto her rebooted self. Disparaged her for not being like the Freedom Fighter and the loving wife of Antoine D'Coolette. But she too understood that this Bunnie was her own person. She should be allowed to make her own decisions, now free of the bomb that had chained her to the life of a Hooligan. "And even the Bunnie I knew always thought about her friends first. A part of her is there…"

THEN I GUESS WE ARE FIGHTING, THEN? Nicole looked nervous in the corner of her vision. SALLY, I'M NOT SURE IF…

Geoffrey let out a scoff. "Princess, surely you see reason. Control the Shade and I can work to restore both of you before we can…"

"Geoffrey… on that night when we returned to Mobotropolis after Robotnik was killed by the Ultimate Annihilation…" It was now or never. Time to see if her suspicions were correct. "…When I was thinking that rebuilding was impossible… you came to me. I needed a friend and you came to me… but I told you that you could only ever be my friend, even though there was something between us back then." She looked up at the body of the man she once loved and asked, "Do you remember what I told you after that?"

A puzzled frown spread on Geoffrey's face. "What does that…?"

"Just answer the question."

The room went silent for a second as the skunk contemplated his answer. Then, a smile lit up across his face.

"Why, I reminded you that if Sonic were to stumble and drop you, I would be there to pick you up!"

Sally closed her eyes.

"…I also know that my heart belongs to Sonic! I can't go forward until I know what I have? Do you understand?"

"Not really!"

"That's okay! So long as I do!"

"Your loss, luv!"

"Time to drop the act, Naugus." She opened her eyes at the thing impersonating Geoffrey St. John. "I know it's you."

The skunk blinked several times in surprise, but didn't say anything.

"Wait, seriously?" Tangle pointed at the wizard. "You mean that was that hybrid guy?!"

"Illusions." Whisper muttered. "Had to be."

"But… but how?!" Silver shouted. "Why?!"

"To aid in his narrative." Blaze spat out in anger. "People worship martyrs, especially if they're told they died to save them all."

"You were right." Mina muttered, her eyes widened. "You were right, Sally. Nothing about that story made sense. Naugus would never sacrifice himself for the kingdom if he could help it. He wouldn't have…"

"Kehehehe…."

That voice… it sounded like Geoffrey's… but there was another one there that overlapped it.

It was old in a way unlike the one that came from Geoffrey's throat. It was as if it were croaking out every word. Every breath seemed labored and yet it wasn't. It was rasping in a way that would have made her eardrums rattle, as it did all those times they had encountered him.

The former Royal Wizard of the Acorn Kingdom.

The one who helped Warlord Kodos to kickstart the Great War.

The self-proclaimed King of the Acorn Kingdom who only got his title after he forced her father to swear the throne to him for protection in the Zone of Silence.

And now… ruler of New Mobotropolis.

Ixis Naugus.

"My, my…" Naugus rasped out in that strange alien mix of both his and Geoffrey's voices. "…it appears my apprentice has fed me some false information. I will have to punish him later. And I thought my impression was rather good…"

"No offense, but you were doing the bare minimum to replicate his accent and quirks." Sally crossed her arms. "You almost forgot to call Silver your mate."

"Hm." The sneer now seemed more natural when she imagined Naugus' face instead of Geoffrey's. "I never understood why he said things like that. Such a useless title."

"Oh great. Now he makes fun of accents." Tangle muttered under her breath. "Real winner of a villain."

"But how did you even guess the nature of my deception? The only one who was able to piece it together was…" Naugus looked as if he were swallowing a rotten egg as he spat out, "…The Quickster."

"Did you really think that Sonic wouldn't tell me about what you tried to do to my father? To the kingdom?" The wizard, after his first attempt to seize power after he had been released from the Zone of Silence had failed, had tried to obtain power more subtly. He had attempted to start a Civil War against the mobians and the recently freed robians using the Freedom Fighters forms to sow fear and distrust amongst the population. It in turn allowed to Naugus to possess her father because his bigotry and paranoia towards the robians reached its peak, but Sonic helped to save him using the Sword of Acorns. She had nearly forgotten about it! "So is this one of your illusions? Or…"

The evil smirk that returned on the wizard's face to the wizard's face was all the answer she needed.

"Geoffrey…"

Was he still in there, fighting against the madman?

Nicole nodded, and there were tears in her eyes as she said, HE HAS TO BE, SALLY. HE WOULDN'T HAVE GIVEN NAUGUS THE WRONG ANSWER IF HE WASN'T.

"What kind of magic…?" Blaze was now staring at Naugus in horror. "That… that's obscene! Only the darkest of magics could allow a wizard to do that!"

"It is the power of the Ixis Magicks, guardian of the Sol Emeralds! One that neither this world or your own has seen, let alone is able to comprehend!" Naugus cackled as he stood up, and she could practically hear the skunk's bones creak and groan as he performed the act. As if his body were at least trying to protest against this foreign mind taking over. "However, even I must admit that this body has seen better days. But… sacrifices do need to be made to use the power of the emerald to its fullest potential."

He began to pet the Enigma Emerald as if it were a lover, while it seemed to pulse at his touch.

"And it has shared such secrets with me. Secrets that I need to put this world right." He chuckled before turning his attention back to Sally. "Now then… princess… my offer still remains. I can restore you just as I did to D'Coolette in the previous world. I can restore you both. All you need to do is kneel and serve me in bringing about the Promised Day." His mouth then twisted into a leer. "And if you behave, perhaps I'll even allow you to become the Queen of my kingdom."

Honestly? If she still had a stomach she would've puked at the thought.

Heck, Tangle was even gagging as if she were about to do just that.

"Yeah..." Sally shifted her stance and Nicole activated her arm blades which hummed and glowed in the mostly darkened room. "No."

Naugus let out a sigh. "So be it."

With his free hand he snapped his fingers…

And she heard Silver let out a cry of surprise.

Whirling her head, she turned to see the gray-furred hedgehog stumbling while a purple, feathered dart stuck out of his neck.

"SILVER!" Blaze shouted in alarm and rushed to his side.

He pulled out the dart and stared at it in bewilderment before muttering, "Oh come on…!"

His eyes then rolled to the back of his head and he would have fallen face-first if Blaze and Whisper weren't there to catch him and set him down gently.

"I-Is he…?!" Blaze stuttered out only for the wolf to shake her head.

"No. Still breathing."

Sally cursed and looked up, and that's when she saw them.

Hanging from the ceiling were several black-clad lynx, dressed head to toe in garb that marked them as members of the Raiju clan.

One purple-clad figure dropped and was now in front of Sally, and she instantly recognized her from the outfit and straw hat alone as the Bride of the Conquering Storms.

Then, from behind the pillars, came the several armored figures that wore the armor of the Royal Knight Order. Swords drawn as they lumbered forward like robots.

"Why didn't I see them? Why…?!"

"W-What are you guys doing?!" Tangle shouted as she stared at them wildly. "You heard all the stuff he said, right?! He lied about everything! About sacrificing his life for you all, of what happened, of you guys even needing to be here…?! You don't have to serve him! You…!"

"Your pleas fall on deaf ears, Shade." Naugus snapped his fingers again, and as one the Royal Knight Order stopped. Then, as a unit they reached up and lifted their visors…

…to reveal green crystal.

All of them… all of them were mobians! Their eyes frozen in expressions of horror and pleading as they stared back at her.

"When that little plague of Julian's was lifted, I had multiple Shades who had attempted to reach my kingdom begging for release." Naugus smirked. "Some I sent down to be ready for the Promised Day. Others I promised to free them from the crystal so long as they made a pact with me. And in a way, I did!"

Sally felt fear grip her metaphorical heart. This was like what had happened with Uma and Kodos, who Naugus had once turned into crystal warriors to make them invincible in combat!

"Oh god…." Tangle muttered in horror. "T-The Zombots… that's what happened to them…"

He cackled evilly as the Royal Knight Guard dropped their visors and began their march towards them.

"Surrender." The Bride of the Conquering Storms intoned as the other members of her clan followed her to the ground and readied themselves for combat. "Or face our might."

"You're outnumbered and outclassed." Mordred agreed with a nod and a smirk as he seemed to relish in the turn of the tide. "Do the smart thing."

"You can't win, princess." Beauregard's voice contained both resignation and pity. "It's better if you just stand down. It's better this way."

Sally looked around at the forces against them. They were right, in a way. They were outnumbered ten to one.

"But what else is new?"

AS SONIC WOULD SAY… Even Nicole seemed determined despite her earlier worry and concern. RIGHT ON, SALLY.

"Sorry, but I wouldn't have been the leader of the Freedom Fighters and Sonic's girlfriend if I just gave up when the going got tough." Sally looked behind her to see Tangle getting into a fighting stance with her tail raised and curled into a fist. Whisper had her wispon out and was aiming at one of the members of the Raiju clan while Mina held her rhythm wispon in her hands with Bowie already going inside, a strange almost electronic beat being hummed through the guitar's cords. Blaze was in front of Silver and just behind Sally, fireballs in her hands as she stared up at Naugus while Bunnie was now aiming her hand gun at Beauregard.

She couldn't help but smirk.

"You won't let us out of here without a fight? Fine." She pointed forward and shouted, "Alright, Team Freedom, priority one is to retreat by any means necessary! LET'S GO!"

To Be Continued….

Note: Hoo boy that took longer than I thought! Had a lot of ground to go over before we could get to the big reveal!

Man, I had to admit I kinda liked exploring Sally's thoughts on her relationship with Geoffrey. How it would make sense for a young girl like Sally to get a crush of a superficially cool guy like Geoffrey, even though on some level she would've known that it was wrong to like a guy that was in his twenties while looking back on it with the new information that he was manipulating her. I also wanted to highlight how she also knows Geoffrey's positive traits and would've picked up on the fact he was possessed sooner than most of the people of New Mobotropolis who didn't really know him.

Anyways, I hope you liked it! Be sure to leave a review and to add to the TV Tropes Page!

Until next time…