I do apologize: I meant to get this out much sooner, but things kept happening. I'm sure you all know how it goes, but I am honestly trying to update faster.
But at least this chapter will be a doozy, so please enjoy!
The group stared at the center where the young woman made of light stood. "Who is this?" Katherine asked. "WHAT is this?"
"I think it's some form of light alchemy." Al answered. "I heard of theories of memory alchemy too; maybe it's some kind of combination of the two."
"I have unlocked a grotesque form of alchemy in the world, the power to combine creatures." The hologram continued.
Another hologram of an animal that looked like a cross between a horse and a dog walked by. "That's it!" Sonic exclaimed, not mindful of the company of Katherine. "Felicia's first!"
"What started as an accident I had to take responsibility for would become a plague upon both the earth and the science of alchemy. I was once a mother and a wife," More holograms appeared, this time of her and a young man, Renley they assumed. They fought several soldiers, and Renley fell. "Desperate to save my husband, I combined him with a hedgehog. He lived…but changed forever." Renley's hedgehog form came into view; he looked just like Sonic! "I have worked to restore him to what he once was, but nothing worked! But war continued in my country, people where gravely hurt. Upon learning of my alchemy, the mortally wounded sought me out. They wanted desperately to live, no matter how changed they would be. Soon word reached the king, and ordered me on the front lines. I thought it was to heal his soldiers…" She disappeared.
"Wait, what?!" Sonic shouted. "That's it?!" Sonic kicked at it with his foot. "It only told us what we already know!"
"Told you what?" Katherine asked. "What's going on?"
Alphonse sighed, and kneeled to Katherine's level. "Katherine…we haven't told you the whole truth."
"Then tell me!" Katherine said. "You've let me come with you this far!" Al looked to the side.
"The truth…is a bit much." Al told her honestly. "What I can tell you right now is that through them," he gestured towards the children. "We learned of a history forgotten here. We're here to find it out exactly what it is."
Katherine nodded. "I see. I must admit, outside of my family, I know little of alchemy. But why chimeras? It feels like a rather useless form of alchemy in most areas of life…and cruel."
Alphonse thought back to Nina. "Yes. It can be." He stood. "But even so, we must find out more."
"Do you think Felicia's message was somehow corrupted with time?" Winry asked.
"She had to have known that was a possibility." Al said. "She must have done something more elaborate."
"Kevin" walked over to the wall, knocking on it with his knuckles. "This wall is hollow."
Winry stared ahead. "You think there's a way to more messages?"
"I don't know." Alphonse said honestly. "This alchemy is very theoretical; we may find nothing."
"We have to try; maybe we can look for alternate routes." Winry said as she fumbled with the map. "We'll have to preserve the integrity of the castle…" "Kevin" suddenly cocked his fist back and punched his way in. Al palmed his face, Katherine looked on in pleasant surprise, and Winry's jaw dropped. "Are you insane?!" Winry screamed. "This entire place is a national treasure! You can't must…"
"I'll get to work fixing it later." Al tried to reassure her. "Let's go!" The three followed the "kids" into the corridor.
Several other pairs of eyes, so to speak, watched them through a hue of Infra-red. Stats appeared over each individual.
The watchers marched forward, not making a sound with each step.
The group searched the walls, when Sonic looked back. He thought about Katherine. She just randomly attached herself to the group, with no way to dissuade her, and he wasn't confident using force was going to be easy if they resorted to that. If she continued on, they wouldn't be able to hide their secrets for much longer. "Hey…she's going to be part of the group?" Sonic asked.
"Yeah, I think so." Al nodded.
Sonic sighed, and the others stopped. "Well, no one else is here, so we may as well reveal the truth. Okay with you, Sal?"
"She's come with us this far." Sally agreed. They stopped, and turned to Katherine. "So, you saw that thing about the chimeras?" Sally asked. Katherine nodded. "What if we told you that alchemy may have birthed a race you have never thought possible?"
"What?"
Sally looked to Sonic, and nodded. Sonic reached for his bracelet, and with a switch, deactivated the hologram and revealed his true hedgehog self. Katherine gasped, and her eyes widened. One by one, the other mobians deactivated their holograms. Neither said anything. They just stared at one another.
"Is she okay?" Winry whispered to Al.
"I don't know." Al said. "I was worried she'd have a reaction similar to yours."
Finally, Katherine's lips began to move. "You-"
"Uh oh!"
"Here it comes!" The mobians prepared themselves in defensive positions, Al ready to restrain her if need be.
"ARE SO CUTE!" With speed that caught even Sonic off guard, Katherine ran up and squeezed him in a tight bearhug. Her face was contorted in pure bliss and the others could swear they were seeing hearts float around her. Al and Winry could only look on in absolute shock. No one expected this to go so well. But it was a relief.
Except for maybe Sonic.
The downside to being blue: no one could tell if you were suffering from asphyxiation. His eyes contracted as he had a face of pain. "Uh, sweetie, Sonic can't breath…" he wheezed.
Eventually, she let him go and just looked at them in wonder while he recovered. "What fascinating, adorable creatures you are!"
"Uh…thank you?" Bunnie Rabbot said.
"I'm sure you have many questions, Katherine." Sally said. "To cut to the chase, we are not from this world…but our kind may have originated here."
Katherine's eyes widened in awe. "And that woman-?"
"May be our creator."
Seeing they got that out of the way, the group scanned the walls. Winry ran her fingers across, and found some lines, almost like a tree ring. They were faint, but clearly carved. "Al, check this out!" Al walked over, looking where she was. "Do you think this might be one of your circles?"
"Yes, it might be." Al agreed, scratching his chin out of habit. He placed his finger on it, and it glowed. "It is! She left messages all around!" The crevices glowed into a center point on the floor, and another being of light formed.
However, this one was not human; in fact, the being in question looked almost identical to Sonic. "It must be Renley!" Knuckles exclaimed.
"If you are here, and you are witnessing this, you have discovered the secret of chimerism, and its origin." Sonic paused. He read the journal, he had his suspicions…but this was definitely his ancestor. It was uncanny, and quite frightening. "I was mortally wounded, and my wife fused by dying body with a hedgehog." He then brushed his quill. "I retained the blue from my hair, as well as my memories." The hologram seemed to sigh. "If you've seen my wife's message, you know she was called upon by the King. Months had gone by, and I hadn't heard a word." Other mobian-like chimeras of various species appeared behind him. "So I went to see her, but I knew I couldn't do it alone. Though I did not know it at the time, I had a feeling this was a rescue mission. Not just for my wife…but for others…"
His hologram too disappeared. Knuckles saw the trail of blue energy traveling in the bricks. It travelled behind another wall. "So…I guess I'm going to be breaking down walls." Knuckles sighed. He cracked his neck, and proceeded forward.
This new room was completely different. They expected a cell, but it had desks and beakers. "This looks like a lab…" Katherine said.
"Chemistry was the precursor of alchemy." Alphonse said. "Chemistry is about understanding matter on a level we can't see with the human eye. Alchemy simply teaches us how to control it…as much as the elements can be controlled."
Sonic reached out for a desk, which crumbled at his touch, and the beakers on top fell to the floor, breaking on impact. "Careful!" Geoffrey warned him.
"Sorry." Sonic said, like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Though most of the substances solidified, some residue leaked onto the floor, and the cracks began to blow.
"Sonic!" Sally shouted. "I think you triggered a reaction!"
They waited for the blue lines to coalesce, and Felicia once more appeared. "As Alchemists, we had a vow to never work for the state, less our power becomes abused." Alphonse remembered it was not until 300 years ago that State Alchemy program within the Amestrian Military was formed, other countries following suit soon after. After everything he and his brother had seen, he wondered if such a program should never have been created. "But the war was taking its toll on our country; it's what ultimately forced me to transform Renley. Under the pretense of saving lives, I agreed to work as the Red King's alchemic physician."
They saw the King come into view, with regal armor and a cape. He wore a crown with long hair. But what stuck out the most was his mustache; it was thick and stuck out from both ends of his face like wings. "Sonic!" Tails said. "Is that…?"
"It can't be…." Sonic whispered, clenching his fists.
Al and Winry had the same thoughts, but remained silent. "I should have known what his real plans were, when the animals he provided were exotic and predatory." The images of several animals zoomed past her.
"This Red King specifically selected these sub-sentients?" Bunnie asked.
"We've considered ourselves one people, but we've had differences. The flying of the birds, the strength and claws of the wolves and the lions…" Sally shook her head. "I could have never imagined so many of us were bred for war."
"I saved their lives, but the patients never seemed to stop…" Soon, that hologram too disappeared.
The mobians were speechless. Al walked up cautiously. "Sally…"
"He used her." Sally said. "The Red King was not interested in saving lives, he wanted an army of monsters!" Sally felt her hand tremble.
Sonic quickly walked up. "He may have wanted monsters, but he what he ultimately created had far more meaning and greater potential then he could ever imagine." Sonic said. He took her hand in his. "Even if he succeeded, what made us what we are now was the ability to choose our own destiny."
Sally looked at him in shock. Sally calmed sown, brushing her hair. "You still amaze me with the way you know what to say at the right time."
"Hey, it's a gift." He turned smugly, feeling himself.
"Maybe…you'd even make a decent king." Sally walked away, smiling coyly.
"Well, I'd like to think-" Sonic stopped his bragging as the implication of her last statement hit him. "Wait, what?"
"Let's move on!" Sally ordered. "Knuckles!"
Knuckles felt the walls. "I don't think knocking this down will be necessary." He said. "I feel a breeze under the wall. It might be able to open up." He bent down, and dug under the crevice. "My fingers can't quite get through! Someone give me a hand!"
Geoffrey walled forward, helping him out. "Come on, mate! Push!" Finally, the wall began to come up, but the two struggled.
Suddenly, it shot up when Katherine dug her right hand under and gave it a hefty push. "Whoa." Knuckles said. Katherine only smiled.
Sally stepped forward, Nichole shining a light. "Another passage." Sally said. "Let's go!" The mobians followed after her, though Geoffrey hung back for a moment to scowl at Sonic.
When he finally went down, the humans hung back for a moment. "Can I ask you something?" Katherine said to the others.
"You can ask. I'm just not sure if we'll have a satisfactory answer." Winry answered.
"When they showed the Red King, you all looked terrified." She said. "It was like you recognized him."
Al rubbed his helmet. "They're not the only ones from their world here." Al said. "They're trying to reclaim their home from a despot. A human. And he came here with them."
"He and the Red King looked identical!" Winry exclaimed.
"It can't be him!" Katherine said. "All history says the Red King remained in his castle until the day he died. He lived decades past the wars!"
"You said he was missing his son?" Al asked. "Maybe-?"
"But that doesn't answer how they got to wherever their world was." Katherine said.
"We better hurry up then." Winry said. "The longer we dwaddle here, we won't get any answers." The three went after them.
It seemed the corridor went on forever. Sonic was tempted to run ahead, but even he knew better than that in a strange place like this. "It sure is a long one out here, Sally girl." Bunnie said.
"It doesn't make sense." She said. "The architecture outside implies any space to be much smaller than our trip would suggest. The only way this can be-"
"Is if we went underground." Both Sonic and Alphonse said in realization. Al elaborated further. "What if the castle above is only a part of a greater civilization lost to time?"
"A cover-up in ancient times?" Katherine asked. "That would be incredible-!"
"But not impossible." Al countered. "In fact, such a grand conspiracy would have been easier to do then!"
"But why?" Winry asked.
"Perhaps the Red King suffered a defeat so terrible, he did not wish for history to remember…" Sally began.
"But truth always has a way of rising from the grave." Al said. "Even if only a few will ever know it."
"That's good and all." Sonic said. "But it doesn't help us get to the end any sooner."
"We just have to stick together." Sally said. "And while I doubt this place has booby traps…try not to touch anything." She turned back to eye Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. "That goes for you three." The three just looked at each other.
"Aw, Sally. I'm young, not stupid." Tails said.
"I've experience with these sorts of things." Knuckles said. "I only break things when there's no other options…though I admit it comes to that often…"
The two turned to Sonic, only chuckled nervously. "Okay. I got nothing."
Somewhat satisfied, Sally turned and waved her arm forward. All followed…and a stone under her foot sunk. The floor cracked and they began to feel it give way. "What were you implying earlier?!" Sonic shouted.
Geoffrey fired a grappling arrow up to the roof. Tails, Knuckles and Bunnie quickly became airborne, careful to avoid the debris.
Despite his overall bulk, Al was incredibly agile. He jumped off the falling rocks, scooping up Winry and Katherine. Sonic did the same thing, catching Sally and landing on his feet.
The drop was deep; those not prepared would no doubt have found a landing to an early grave. Soon enough, everyone touched down without injury. Sally and Sonic looked into each other's eyes. The hedgehog gave a smirk. Sally rolled her eyes. "Okay okay, that was my bad."
As Sonic set her down, he said "Hey, no biggie. Princesses should be allowed to be wrong every now and then."
"I prefer for my mistakes to be culinary." Sally said as she got on her own feet. "And that porridge was a great help in the end, mind you."
Al couldn't help but notice how close the two were. He thought she liked St John…but it felt different when she was around Sonic. "Eh, none of my business." He thought.
Bunnie then interjected "Ah think the major question is: Where are we?"
Knuckles nose twitched. "I smell something." He went over to a rivet, feeling something liquid. Cautiously, he dabbed a gloved finger in and tasted it…and spat it out. "It's oil!" He shouted.
"We can use it to light the area up!" Tails said.
"Allow me." Al stepped forward, tracing a transmutation circle. "I may not have Mustang's flame alchemy. But all alchemy generates heat. And with the right material…" The light flickered as he activated the alchemy. "…we may be able to create sparks."
Indeed. Embers erupted from the circle, and upon contact with the oil, a trail of fire blazed across the area. Eventually, the room came alight, showing it was an entire courtyard surrounded by a town, a roof of earth overhanging above him. They were amazed at what they saw. "Is this the city of the Red King?" Al asked.
"It can't be, the castle is above us!" Katherine shouted. "The city was never this large! Unless…" She covered her mouth in realization.
"Unless want?" Sally asked.
"…unless the castle above known to history is a fake!" Katherine exclaimed.
"A fake?" Sonic asked. "Why would a powerful monarch bury his real castle and create a fake one?"
"Because he had something to hide," Al said. "Or, maybe…it is something he wishes to forget." The group looked around quietly.
Winry's eyes widened and she motioned the others over. "Guys…" They walked over and saw what she stumbled upon: a skeleton.
Most of it was gone, but they could make out a rib cage, an arm, and a skull. But it was that last thing that threw them off. The skull's jaws were slightly elongated, and the canines were huge. To normal eyes, it would be a disrespectful prank. But they could all see that skull belonged with the rest of the parts. "It's a chimera! Or…a mobian, I should say." Al said.
Sally bent down to look at it. "I think it's a lion…maybe a bear."
"There's a whole lot of cages here." Bunnie noted. "Ah guess this king feared the very soldiers he created."
"Guess it's what Buttnnik would have done if he never made the roboticizer." Sonic quipped.
Al transmuted a torch to look around, the oil light only illuminating so much. For several minutes, he inspected the floor. "Guys." He motioned for everyone to gather around. "I think we're in the middle of a giant transmutation circle."
He tossed the torch to Tails who flew up into the air. Giving the ground a cursory look, his eyes widened. "I see it!" Only the trained eye could have made out the grooves from ground level. But from up here, even in the dim light, someone like Tails could make out the intricate patterns of the alchemic circle. He flew back down, joining the others. "So activate it!"
"I don't think it's that simple." Al took his torch and walked a couple of meters back. "See this symbol? It's a bat." He said.
"So?" Sonic asked.
"In alchemy, certain animals are symbolic of certain elements or reactions. Colonel Mustang has a salamander on his gloves, representing fire."
"Cool. What does the bat represent?" Sonic asked.
"Blood." Al answered.
Everyone freaked out. "You mean sacrifice!?" Sonic shouted, his hands on his cheeks.
"No, no. Not that much. At least, I hope not." Al turned back to face them. "The grooves should be able to carry a fairly small amount of blood to the center. It will trigger several reactions, and on reaching the center, the reaction will be complete. It's like a domino effect of alchemy."
"The question is…who's going to give the blood?" Knuckles said.
"I'll volunteer." Katherine said, rolling up her sleeve.
"Thank you, but I have a feeling it won't do us any good." Al said. "Most blood alchemy needs the blood of the people who made the circle."
"Oh, that's just perfect!" Sonic threw up his arms. "No matter who they are, they're all dead! And even if they have descendants, we're never going to find them!"
Al just looked at him. "There is one possibility. We knew Renley became a hedgehog like you. And Sally's family…"
Sally and Sonic looked at each other. "We understand." Sally said. "Do what you think is necessary."
Al nodded, transmuting a small knife. The blade was made of clean steel, reducing the chances of infection upon cutting. "Take off your gloves. And don't move." He said. Sonic did so, he and Sally held out her hand. Quickly, Al sliced at their palms. They both winced, but wasted no time in turning their hands over and let their blood flow into the cracks. Winry immediately came over to bandage both of their hands.
The blood flowed slowly, but steadily. Upon reaching the center, a light shone. "Here we go mates!" Geoffrey said. "Hope this is good!"
The light coalesced again. Felicia appeared again, along with a man with spikey hair dressed in simple clothes. "If you have made it this far, you have returned." The man said.
"It's Renley!" Tails exclaimed.
"This must have been back when he was human!" Knuckles said.
"You know only part of the story as described by the notes we left behind. Now, listen to how it ends, and hopefully, learn." The images changed. Felicia was kneeling before a table, as a mangled man was brought before her. "I had healed the King's men for nearly a year. I told myself I was ultimately saving lives, even if I had to alter them. But a part of me knew there was a more sinister motive. As the King began to demand the acquisition of more exotic and dangerous animals, it became clear that he wanted to conquer, and used my chimeric alchemy as a weapon. My conscience pushed me forward with doing his work, but deep down I knew I was destroying lives instead of saving them. He approached me with another soldier, slashed down near his entire body. He supplied me with a tiger, expecting me to do his work. I refused. He tried to appeal to my nature to help others, but I did nothing. He began to become more frantic, arguing harder while I remained unresponsive. He kept at it, until the soldier at my feet died. Furious, he threw me in the dungeon."
The form turned back to Renley, back in his hedgehog form. "After journeying to the frontlines, we discovered people were chimeraized not for healing, but for war. I did not know if Felicia was forced, duped…or perhaps driven mad. But I knew I had to get her out. We found the castle. With our newfound agility, and in some cases small size, we scaled the castle walls." A knapsack carrying a baby suddenly appeared on his back. "I foolishly brought our daughter along. I know it was wrong, but I trusted no one else to look after her. And…I feared the worse. I couldn't bare the thought of Felicia dying without seeing our daughter one last time. We evaded the soldiers well enough, but the chimeras' superior senses ultimately spotted us. Most of them were of animals more powerful than the majority of us, but we managed to defend ourselves." The images showed many humanoid chimeras small and large fighting. "However, in the end, the majority were prisoners of the king. Seeing me gave them hope for freedom, if not a return to what they once were."
The image changed back to Felicia in chains, Renley unshackling her. The two hugged before escaping. Renley took the center again. "I had gotten Felicia out of the cell, but now the concern was where do we all go? The Red King was on our heels. Even if we discovered uncharted land, our very presence would be a beacon for trouble. There was nowhere on Earth we could find. And then…I had a crazy idea, perhaps even more so than Felicia's accidental discovery of chimerism…what if we went anywhere BUT earth?"
Everyone's eyes widened. Though the Mobians anticipated this answer, they still had issues believing this. Ed and Al's people BARELY begun their industrial age…how could they have conceived of quantum physics so long ago? Al and the other humans had similar thoughts. Al would have thought such radical methods of transport ludicrous mere weeks ago. Now, he wasn't so sure.
"I was an Astrology Alchemist; I could convert energy in ways to study the stars. Among them, you see patterns, including what worlds would be like ours, based on their positions to their stars and the gasses they gave off. We knew the Red King's armies would be on our heels; we couldn't hide forever. What's more, we have become so numerous, there would be no place to live. And in a moment of desperation, I too had a moment of desperation: what if I used my alchemical knowledge…to travel worlds?"
Everyone's eyes widened. "I had little time to study, but I knew of forbidden alchemical tests speak of "The Truth." Sonic and Sally looked on, Sally quietly reaching for Sonic's hand. Then, the image changed to a large door with various symbols. "It is said that those who seek truth pay an enormous toll. I had half-expected to lose everything, bit instead, I saw something wondrous. I don't know if it was merely another planet, or perhaps a dimension of reality between planes. But I saw sources of energy. Energy as solid objects."
Renley's arms were suddenly imbued with several rings "Power Rings!" Sonic exclaimed.
And then, a stone in his hand. "A Chaos Emerald!" Knuckles exclaimed in turn.
"Upon receiving these talismans of power, I had visions of a world. Teeming with life. And I knew, it would be our new home."
The chimeras, now looking very much like the mobians, began building a familiar structure. "The Temple!" Al exclaimed. "That's how we got to their world!"
"I do not know if the structure we created is still standing by the time this message is viewed, but it was merely a launching point. Still, it needed one final ingredient: a source of power." From there, the primitive structures of atoms appeared. "There were two sources of energy to use: fusing the human souls together into a single entity…"
"The philosopher's stone…" Al whispered.
"…But I could not. To take lives in order to convenience us…I could not, not after everything we've been through…but there was another: the universe itself." Renley and Felicia were seen kneeling together, a circle between them. And in the center, a Chaos Emerald. "It was a huge risk; we could not predict what we would have to give in order to store the enormous cosmic energy we sought." The hologram paused. "We were given more than we bargained for."
A beam of light came down upon them. The light seemed to branch across the cosmos, like what they were doing was affecting the universe itself.
"This should have backfired. Yet, it all went swimmingly. And then…"
Felicia's body was then impaled by a javelin. "The Prince attacked." Renley explained. "And suddenly, the price for my daring experiments became clear: the life of the one I loved." The hedgehog knelt beside his human wife, cradling their baby from before his change. "Felicia, however, left me a parting gift. Before her heart gave out, Felicia grabbed a squirrel. And performed one last chimeric transmutation." Felicia used her blood to make a transmutation circle with their baby in the middle, ignoring the squirming animal in her hand. After a blinding light, in the baby's place was a small mobian.
Sally's eyes widened; it almost looked like a baby version of her father. "It was the hardest moment of my life. For a moment, I was furious with Felicia. But then I understood: if we were to escape, all hope of being human again would be sacrificed. And our daughter was transformed, so that among us, she would never be alone." The holograms finally ceased.
Everyone just looked on shell-shocked, Sonic falling back down on his butt. "That was…" The whole thing left even Sally speechless.
"It's incomplete." Al suddenly said, stepping forward to the center.
"Incomplete?" Geoffrey said. "It overturned everything we once knew about ourselves!"
"I'm sure it did. But it is missing one piece." Al said. "The point of view of the Red King."
"What good will his story do?" Bunnie asked. "Renley already told us everything!"
"Not everything." Al said, holding up one finger. "I didn't think of this before while it was going on, but how were these memory seals planted here? I don't doubt the story we were told. But he could not have created them on the spot. These were made after the liberation of the pre-mobians…"
"And were placed here." Sally finished for him. "Yes, it makes sense. I was so engrossed in everything, I didn't even think of it!"
Al nodded. "Perhaps a friend left behind." He walked forward, and stopped. Looking to the others, he pointed to the mobian skeleton. "I think I found him." Upon inspection, the limbs were positioned with the left arm holding the body up, the right extended with a finger pointed. Al walked forward and kneeled. After a brief moment, he looked back to them. "It's blood." He confirmed. "He must have used it to make a transmutation circle, and record the memories." He said. "The poor guy. He must have been an alchemist and a friend of Renley and Felicia. He gave up not only his life so they would be remembered someday; he gave up the memory of his own existence. We may never even know his name."
Katherine gave a sad look, and moved towards his hand, gently clasping it.
"So, now we need to find the king." Geoffrey said. "Any ideas where to look?"
"To the palace where he could feel most like a king, I'd imagine." Winry said. "A citadel, perhaps?" Tails looked up, and took to the sky.
Indeed, he found it: the tallest tower in this city tomb.
The tallest tower was narrow, only a single flight of stairs leading the way. It twisted around like a corkscrew; Winry and Katherine were beginning to feel dizzy from the climb. Eventually, they reached a door, which Al kicked down. It was so brittle, Al felt just touching it would have done the job.
They all helped themselves inside the single room. It was completely bare, except for the skeleton in the chair. It wore a regal uniform with a furred, dark red cape. "It must be him." Al breathed.
"You think he was injured?" Sonic asked as he stepped forward.
"Maybe." Winry said. "But judging by it's position, I think he simply passed away."
"He wasn't that old, was he?" Knuckles asked.
"They never specified his age." Katherine said, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "But…if he really did seal himself in here, I imagine he purposely starved himself."
Geoffrey winced. "Bad way to go. That takes…commitment."
Sonic then noticed a parchment clenched in his hand. Sonic reached for it, but Winry stopped him. "It's been here for a long, long time." She said. "If you're too rough, it could disintegrate." Winry pulled out a small pair of pliers. She bent down, gripping the paper with her pliers, and carefully pried open the hand. The digits broke and shattered to the floor, but Winry still held onto the paper. "Sorry." She whispered. Seeing nothing around, she gently set it on the floor. Carefully, she opened it. After a quick scan, her eyes widened. "I think this is it." She said. She waved them over. "Gather around."
As they circled around, Winry began reading aloud: "I pray that with time this will be discovered…
I know not what the generation that reads this will believe what ended my reign. I imagine all theories will be wrong. I sealed away my knowledge and my shame so that others will not repeat my terrible mistakes. But eventually, the truth must come out in order to prevent greater tragedies.
Like all Kings, I sought to be the one to rule them all. It was not greed that drove me, it was the necessary burden to protect my people that dis. Though I had maintained my empire, our enemies were slowly growing stronger. Seeing the imminent threat, I desperately sought to make my army the strongest in the world. One day, while touring the country, one of my spies reported a strange creature that seemed to be a cross between a dog and a horse. At first I thought him drunk, but seeing he was convinced of what he saw, I sought out the creature myself. Indeed, it existed, and it was at a simple family home. I discovered the creature came about through a form of alchemy that combined two creatures, and suddenly what started as a tourist trip opened a world of untold possibilities.
Could you imagine, a soldier with the strength of a bear? The fangs and ferocity of a wolf? I immediately commanded the woman, the creature's creator, to create more like it. She outright refused me. I should have imprisoned them on the spot, but I stayed my hand. This skill, this form of alchmey…I needed it. And if I couldn't get what I wanted through a command, there were other methods…
War is a dangerous game, and I took the biggest gamble. Had I failed, I could have risked a revolt. It was a long shot, but I provoked Croit into attacking us with a small force. I sacrificed many of my people, but thankfully it had the intended effect. The woman's husband died, but he was revived through the same alchemy. As a hedgehog.
It almost makes me laugh looking back at it, but now it fills me with rage.
I'm getting ahead of myself.
As I suspected, the wounded villagers sought to extend their life by fusing with the animals. Though I was fascinated that such a thing was possible, I was also disappointed. Most were fused with the average woodland creatures. Most of them could barely come up to my stomach! But that was okay; I had tempted the woman back into the alchemy she swore to never use again. With the war getting worse, I made her believe her knowledge was needed.
In the end, her compassion got the better of her, and she agreed to join me. In advance, I had prepared a caravan of exotic, more dangerous animals. Tigers, wolverines, even monitors! I spared no expense in buying every dangerous creature I could, some I never even heard of until then! When I brought her to her first patients, I feared she was onto me, as she eyed the predators with suspicion. However, upon seeing some of my foot-soldiers in dire straits, she pushed her doubts out of her mind and began giving orders to my men for materials and preparations. The first successful one was a man turned into a lion. Despite his changed features, I remembered how he smiled with glee, relishing the power he possessed now.
I also realized I had to throw off her suspicions. I would wound my serfs for her to blend them with pets and farm animals. But my military chimeras were always top priority. It went on for nearly a year, and by then my castle was almost unrecognizable! More monsters than men occupied my capital!
My son, Kintobor, hated the chimeras from the very first one we successfully created. He saw them as vermin of our creation that had to be culled. I stayed his hand, but I suspecteded my ministers were conspiring against me for my experiments as well.
Though my chimeras were mighty in war, they were not invincible. Crimea began to figure out counter-measures and I was suddenly needing more. Before I could figure out our loses, I presented Alicia with another wounded soldier. I remember when I first met her, she was full of joy, of life. During her time in my castle, she had a face of determination. But when I stared into her that night, her face seemed blank. She would normally get to work immediately, but now it seemed the man dying before her meant nothing to her. It only took a moment, but between us if felt like an eternity. Finally she refused to treat him. I tried to be gentle in coaxing her at first, but when that didn't work, I let my rage show. She responded to nothing. Before I could even let my hand fly, the man in front of us died, coughing up one last spurt of blood. Though I ordered her thrown in the dungeon, I too felt responsible for letting one of my own die.
And then it struck me; I had commissioned the creation of the chimeras in order to protect my kingdom. What good was that, when I was willing to let them die if I couldn't change them to my liking? Wasn't forcing these changes on them doing my enemy's work for them?
That night, I stewed on my throne. My son had insisted that I continue the war as planned. Though he hated the chimeras, it seemed he too acknowledged their abilities in the end. He offered to even have Felicia tortured, but for some reason, I vetoed his proposition.
Later, we came under attack. Not by Croit. But by the other chimeras, the ones Felicia had created before I conscripted her. I had no fear of them overtaking us; there were too few to pose a genuine threat, and whatever advantages they held over my ordinary soldiers, they would fall before my chimeras.
And that was when we were hit by a hard truth: our own chimeras that we created mutinied against us. Against me! Yet, unbefitting for a monarch, I just sat there and let it happen.
When the chaos subsided, I had surveyed the damage. Many of my regular soldiers were killed, and I lost all my chimeras. Eventually, I saw the damage I had done to my kingdom. What was once a prosperous capital was barely more than a village. My army, now a fraction of what it once was. I had created the perfect combination of human and beast…and it seemed I left little of either. Kintobor came back finding one, a wolverine. He spat, saying he gave up everything important to serve me, but instead of ending the war, I simply created more monsters to continue it. He was executed on the spot, but his words may have well been my own death sentence. I had realized I was so lost in my hatred for Croit that I stopped loving my kingdom.
For days, I refused to leave my chambers; the chimeras and Felicia had disappeared, and I cared not where they went. Kintobor wanted to form a search party, and I let it be. A messenger eventually raced to my castle, bearing a message from Kintobor. He had found the Chimeras, and was preparing an attack. I immediately mounted my horse and rode for the battlefield. I know not what happened, but by the time I arrived, the army was charging for battle. In spite of the chaos, I made the way past my men until I found Kintobor, aiming to drive a pike through the hedgehog. I called his name, and suddenly a large column of light descended upon the heavens. So bright it was, I shielded my eyes. When it stopped, I looked upon the field…and I was alone.
All I found was Felicia's corpse, a javelin having gone right through her heart. Had she been left alive, I am not sure how I would have acted. But with her gone from the mortal plane, I couldn't even entertain the thought of revenge: the damage was done. Everything I lost could never come back. Such a price would be too high, and it didn't change the fact that everything that happened…was my fault in the end.
One chimera remained. Upon seeing I no longer had the will to fight, he explained that he volunteered to leave records of what happened, should they ever return. What the messages say, I never found knew. They were not for me; the least I could do was respect the wishes of this new race I had forced into creation, and ultimately doomed to exile. But I had decided to commit one last atrocity in order to prevent more. I had what little men remaining kidnap all the alchemists they could find, and sealed away my kingdom, leaving only a small piece of my glory behind. Now, I stay here in this dank cavern, simply waiting to fade away…
The group just looked blankly as Winry finished the story. "Renley was the first…" Sonic said. "And saved us all…"
"And their daughter…" Sally said. "Became the matriarch of Acorn…"
The group descended down the spiral staircase back down to the foundation. The mobians were in shock; Al and Winry couldn't blame them, as they were still reeling from it all as well. "Incredible." Katherine breathed as she thought about the King's testament. "Such a missing component of history! It's unthinkable! I cannot imagine how the historians would-!"
Al stopped and gently gripped her shoulder. "Katherine, I know you don't mean any harm. But this is almost too much for our friends here." He looked back at them, sighing. "I have to admit, it's almost too much for us."
Katherine's eyes widened, and her joyous face softened to sympathy. "You're right. I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking."
Al nodded, and headed back to them. "I can imagine that was a lot to take in." He said to them. "But now we have to find a way for you to go home."
Sonic faced him. "You're right." Turning back to the others, he said "I know everything we learned was way past mind blowing, but in the end, it ain't changing our mission!" He said. "We need to get back home, and drag Buttnik back with us!"
Tails and Sally smiled. "Right, Sonic!" The two fist-bumped.
Sally, despite the situation, managed a chuckle. "Don't you steal my job from me, Sonic Hedgehog! I'm the princess here!" She and Sonic began their famous shake. "I'm the one who is supposed to be instilling hope!"
"Eh, I'd say we traded positions on that several times." Sonic shrugged.
"So what now, sugar?" Bunnie asked.
"We're heading home. MY home." Al said. "Ed may have duties with the military, but I don't."
"Back to Resembool then." Winry nodded. She didn't realize that something was watching her through infra-red eyes…
Elsewhere, someone was looking at a monitor. His hand reached foe the console, and pressed a button…
Knuckles spotted a red dot streak across Sonic's face, completely oblivious to it. "Look out!" Knuckles tackled him as a laser landed where Sonic once was. "You didn't see that!?"
"See what?!"
Suddenly, metallic cords wrapped up Winry and Katherine, causing them to yelp as they were hoisted into the air, and the combots made themselves visible, hovering with their rockets. "Shoot!" Sonic said as he got to his feet. "We were being tracked! Literally!"
"Greetings, Hedgehog!" The familiar voice of Snively said over the Combots' com-link. "Robotnik didn't want any action taken against you unless Mr. Elric broke his end of the bargain, but things have changed! Still, I must thank you! Such a fascinating history, this world has! And to think, we owe our existence to this place…"
"Why don't you make a tape?!" Sonic yelled. "It will last longer!"
"I assure you, I have recorded everything for the doctor's leisure!" The Combots holding the young women turned their heads towards the hostages. "And he has a recording of his own he is watching with glee."
"What?!" St. John yelled. "Spit it out!"
"I am not clear on the details, but it seems Mr. Elric has met an unfortunate end…along with His Majesty."
Sally's eyes widened, as she fell to her knees. "What?"
"Brother!?" Al cried. "You lie!"
Snively began to cackle. "Really, should it not surprise you? Robotnik initially imprisoned the king in hopes of obtaining his mystical crown in the future. However, when retrieval proved untenable, we eventually moved on. Now that he was released under Naugus' servitude, he has unfortunately become a common enemy between us."
"You're lying!" Sally screamed, repeating Al's sentiment. "Even brainwashed, he was strong enough to fight off whatever you threw at him!"
"Indeed." Snively concurred. "In fact, from the footage I viewed, he has become more powerful than both of us anticipated. But Mr. Elric came through for us!"
"Hold up!" Sonic shouted. "There's no way he-!"
"Well, perhaps not willingly." Snively cut him off.
Winry's eyes widened. "The arm!"
"Arm!?" Al panicked. "What arm!? What are you talking about!?"
"Robotnik forced Ed to wear a new arm!" Winry cried. "He must have booby-trapped it!"
"Nonetheless, the deed has been done." Snively said. "I only let you live to tell the story. And now that we no longer have a deal to uphold, I believe it is time to eliminate you all." The head combot holding Winry turned its head. "And I will save these young ladies for last; if any of you try anything, they will be first." Al and the Freedom Fighters began to lower their arms, while the combots raised theirs. "Robotnik also ordered me to allow you last words if it ever came to this. However, you've taken advantage of his ego for too long. I will not make the same mistake!"
All loaded weapons began to glow. And then… "You evil man!" Winry jammed one of her wrenches under her combot's neck, hard enough to make sparks fly. Its eyes went dead, and fell, taking Winry with it.
"Do not take a hostage you know nothing about!" Katherine elbowed hers, denting its metal hull. As it flailed, she grabbed the head and forced it to descend in a circle. It landed with a thud and its limbs flew off its body.
"Way to go, girls!" Sonic and Knuckles were the first to act. Sonic avoided the laser fire and bisected the head of one. Knuckles found his fist caught in one, but as he was reeled in, went with it and knocked his down. "They've got, lasers, flamethrowers, cables, poison gas, pressurized water, and cloaking tech!" Sonic called to everyone as he bounced between them. "And maybe other things we don't know about! Assume the worst, and hit them with everything you got!"
In spite of his warning, one managed to hit Al in the side of his body, burning a hole right through it. Luckily Al wasn't a mere mortal. But it would be bad if any of those hit his blood seal! He immediately transformed an earth wall, stopping a torrent of flame. "Good job!" St. John ran from behind and fired his crossbow, nailing a combot and exploding on impact.
"If you're complimenting me, we must really be in trouble!" Al made a javelin, throwing it and managing to impale a combot right in its head.
"No, but actually yes!"
While the others were distracted, Winry took apart her combot. Given enough time, she could figure this out and revolutionize not only automail but technology as a whole! Unfortunately, she didn't have that opportunity…that would have to come at another time! Taking a screwdriver, she fooled around with the wires inside the shoulder. "A power source must give it its ammunition; I need to be careful not to completely disconnect the shoulder…" She heard the hum of the electricity, and saw the hand glow. "Yes!" She noticed Tails getting caught in the cable of another. Winry's brow bent down, and she lifted the arm. "Keep your hands off my friends!" With a twist of the driver, the arm fired, blowing the Combot in its side and releasing Tails. The fox was surprised, but nonetheless gave her the thumbs up.
Knuckles jumped up to ram another, but he was blown back by pressurized water. It seemed he was unconscious, so the combot hovered lower to aim its flame thrower. Suddenly, Knuckles eyes came alive and he jumped to it faster. He pounded his fist into its face at a speed that rivaled Sonic's own. When he finally let up, the robot's head was utterly annihilated except for its internal frame, falling over in a heap.
St. John fired a paintball arrow into the eyes of one. Though the shot was dead on, it did little to stop it. The combot fired off its flame thrower, which Geoffrey avoided by jumping behind a rock. It was enough to save him from incineration, and it was at that moment he realized how lucky he was to have the Elrics as allies. It made him reconsider a lot of things he thought about overlanders. Or humans. Whatever they preferred to be called. Before the flame disappeared, the skunk fired an arrow through the flames, hitting the assailant right in the core. The arrow caught fire, but that had hardly any effect. What ultimately would was the explosive on the shaft. Once it reached its flashpoint, the combot was blown to bits in a geyser of heated magnesium.
Bunnie blocked some lasers with her shield. She may have been the best equipped freedom fighter to fight the combots next to Sonic, but they still got the drop on her last time. Rotor worked hard on upgrading her limbs to make sure that wouldn't happen again. Her robotic hand retreated inside her wrist as it shifted to her pulse cannon. The pink laser hit her assailant dead on, blowing a hole clean through its torso.
Alphonse was surprisingly having the hardest time among them. One caught his arm in a cable, and another leaped towards him with blades. Al stepped back, but the Combot caught him, cutting two large gashes where his wrist would have been. Another knocked him back with the water Sonic mentioned, and Al panicked. A hole was already blown in his armor, and water coming in this strong could very well wash his seal away. It was a strange feeling, to have fear of death without the hormones and physiological responses that accompanied it. Al got up, relieved that he was still of this world. But then one of them pinned him underfoot. Al turned, seeing Sally on her knees. She was not injured, but instead in absolute shock. "Sally! You have to get up!" He cried. The combot aimed its flamethrower, and seeing what he did, Al was not sure his metal hide could survive this. "There is no way your father is dead! Ed saved him, I know it! And even if he is dead, you have others to depend on you! Think of them! You have to act while you still haven't lost everything!" Sally's eyes seemed to flicker for a moment. "Act…" she mumbled, a tear dropping from her right eye.
"Sal!" Sonic saw what was happening. After bouncing off one bot, he tried to run to her aid, but a cable grabbed his body and pulled him in. One which he spun through earlier was still functional, and determined to impede the hedgehog as much as possible. "Sal! You can't give up! Not while I'm still running!" He could see the flame inside the combot's turret light up. "Are you going to just let Al die!?"
Sally blinked, and suddenly her mind was once again in the here and now. She turned her head towards the combot, and let out a feral scream. She pounced on the Combot's neck, throwing it off balance as the flame veered away from Al. By herself, she would be no match for not even a single combot. But she didn't ever count on her physical attributes alone. She pulled out Nicole and jammed her end into the crevice. Without having to utter a command, Nicole discharged an electric pulse. The combot convulsed and short-circuited, collapsing. Sonic broke free and took care of the others restraining Al. Sally breathed, and got to work untying the cables around the boy in armor. Suddenly, the living armor gathered her up and rolled over her. The flames seared Al's back, but he protected Sally from serious bodily injury. While the flames roared, he made a small transmutation circle and erected a wall, cutting the flame off from them. Al's back was charred black, and his tassel was nearly burned asunder. Any longer and he would have melted. "I'm sorry Al!" Sally said.
"It's okay; no one could handle something like that well, even if it's a lie!" He finally stood and ran, carrying Sally. "But we need all hands on deck!" He jumped over rubble as the combot shot more flames.
"If it weren't for me, you could fight them!"
"No, it wouldn't have made a difference! I'm ill equipped to handle these monsters!" He looked down at the oil, and back to the rubble. "But we can still turn the tables!"
Sonic broke away from one and spin dashed into another, but one managed to nail him with its laser eyes. He fell back, stunned. He may have only had a moment at this point, and one chance: his Power Ring! He only had one left. Was this really the time?
A combot charged its hands, prepared to fry him point blank. At that point, Sonic felt the decision had been made for him. He reached into his back, but the Combots turned their attention to a blue light, electricity crackling. Out of the rubble, a giant turret gun was pointed at them. Al was at the base, transmuting the rubble and oil into the weapon. And in the seat was Sally herself. "Suck on this, Creepbots!" She pulled the triggers, and shredded the first one in a torrent of bullets.
The others dispersed, but another lost its leg. The turret gun followed them as she shot them out of the air. Sonic looked on in awe…and horror.
One combot tried to punch Katherine, who found its fist caught in her hand. The two stayed in this position, as Katherine began to crush its metal hand. Though the combot was not programmed to feel, on some level not even programs could limit, it was the closest thing it could be to surprised. It rose its flamethrower at her face. "I don't think so!" She punched it in its chest, sending it flying into a pillar. She was knocked off balance by a hose of water from the other hand and pushed back. She dug into the ground and broke off a piece of rock, using it as a shield against the water. "I liked this outfit!" She yelled, being unprepared to get so wet.
She charged as she rammed to the stone into the robot, cracking it. The Armstrong heiress spun, throwing an old sword right into the head of another. She walked forward, and stumbled when she felt something hit her in the face. A combot revealed itself out of camouflage mode, squaring her up. Katherine wiped her mouth, and kiyuped back up. "It seems you have some actual combat skills." She punched her fists together; had Alphonse been able to watch she would have noticed the similarity between her and her brother. "Let's see if you can match that which has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!"
She rushed forward and punched, the combat mimicking her. On impact, its fingers dented. Determining it could not match her directly, it adjusted its style more to evasion and counters. It expertly parried her powerful punches and got in a chain punch to her liver, blowing her back. Though she skidded and fell on one knee, Katherine did not let the pain stop her. She dodged a haymaker by the robot, and landed a solid punch into its midsection, sending it flying into the debris.
Katherine ran forward, intending to finish it off. At this point, the combot had it with honorable combat and charged its blaster. Katherine feared she wouldn't be able to dodge.
Then something blue and fast got in between them, severing the robot's arm. Sonic skidded, giving Katherine the thumbs up.
Katherine then threw a roundhouse kick at the combot's head. It went flying upon impact as if it were a ball, finding itself up in the ramparts, the rest of its body sitting on the ground. Katherine sighed, patting down her skirt. "Thank you."
On Snively's end, the screen went blank. "Shoot!" Snively pounded the console. He wiped his face as the fear of his failure caused him to sweat. "Robotnik will not be pleased!"
"Indeed." A familiar voice spoke over him.
Snively eeped as he spun in his chair, looking up at the uncle he loathed. Even though he was in his undercover blue uniform, he still was as intimidating as ever. "R-Robotnik, sir! We had some technical difficulties, but- "
"By technical difficulties, you mean the hedgehog, correct?" Robotnik growled.
Snively trembled, fearing he couldn't keep this charade up anymore. "Y-yes sir!"
Robotnik's eyes glowed, red beams of light leering down on him. Then, they ceased, and he grinned. "Oh well. It is to be expected."
"Sir?" Robotnik walked towards the waterfall. Taking his robotic hand, he placed it against the stone. Above them, the earth grew and transformed, parting the waterfall from above and leaving a path for them to walk through unmolested. "S-sir! You have mastered Alchemy already!?"
"It is a…work in progress." Given his narcissistic nature, it was a miracle that Robotnik could ever admit to one of his endeavors being less than perfect. "Come in."
Snively followed him inside to the master computer they had made together. As Robotnik pulled up a chair, he began typing. "I presume you recorded everything before the hedgehog and his friends destroyed the Combots?"
"Yes sir! We managed to get the full tale!"
"Excellent, Snively. That is actually better than I hoped for!" As he spun his primitive office chair to face Snively, putting his hands together. "Now, we have a much larger problem! A more…chaotic one, if you will."
Snively chuckled. "Why, sir. You make it sound almost as if you've lost Enerjak…" Then he saw the scowl on his master's face deepen, and somehow he could feel the rage within. "Oh mother of-! You really lost him-!"
"And to make matters worse, I believe he has turned Naugus to his side!" Robotnik seemed to relax a bit, and massaged his head. "It is a blunder on my part. I admit that."
Snively blinked. Did Robotnik just…admit fault? "Sir…?"
"Oh, don't be a coward Snively." Robotnik said. "Well, more so than usual anyway. It would be easy to blame something else for every inconvenience in my life."
"Namely me." Snively thought silently.
"But…now, I think of this as an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Snively asked. "For what, sir?"
"Why, to prove my genius of course!" Robotnik raised his arms, grinning manically. "For years, I have made invention after invention. All perfect for their time, yet each one failed me! Do you know why?"
"The hedgehog, sir." Snively answered without hesitation.
"Correct, Snively. I am smarter, I have invented things that have matched his speed, yet nothing has worked!" Robotnik reached for something, as if grabbing for a drink. Seeing it was empty, he began to lose focus. "Snively, do we-? No, no we don't." He sighed. He put his fingers towards his temples, making quick calculations. "Hold that thought for a minute." He touched the stone floor, and as he rose his hand, the earth glowed blue with electricity as it took shape. A plastic cup formed, complete with a straw. Snively blinked. Robotnik reached for it and drank through the straw, slurping loudly. He pulled away, sighing at the taste. "Ah, the best 10W40 I've ever drank." Setting it down, he said "Now where was I? Right, the hedgehog." Leaning back in the chair, he continued "My new studies have made me realize, the reason I keep losing is because I've been thinking too small."
"Too small, sir?"
"Enslavement of whatever I could find? Taking a city for my own? Finding trinkets as a means for power?" Robotnik listed off his accomplishments and quests. "Yes, Snively, I HAVE been thinking too small. I have been seeking easy ways to power, all without realizing I had it in me all my life!"
"Alchemy, sir! You're referring to alchemy!"
"Precisely, Snively!" Robotnik raised his index finger. "The ability to transmute the materials in front of you is handy! But there is so much more to this! Alchemists of this world not only found a gateway to our planet, but they also gave rise to our races! Both Mobian…and Overlander!" Robotnik rubbed his palms together. "If I can record and duplicate the late Renley's research, I can possibly rule the cosmos! Perhaps even the multiverse! Or even beyond!"
This gave Snively pause. He was evil and conniving like his uncle. Yet that evil seemed to differ in scale. To rule a planet was one thing! But beyond that? No mortal should have that much power! Not even Enerjak could hope for such a vast amount of control over the forces of the universe. "But the hedgehog-"
"Snively, Snively, Snively." Robotnik drawled, waving his finger. "If I do my homework…when I'm ready, Sonic will mean nothing to me!"
"A grandiose plan, to be sure." A young, feminine voice said. "But, given how far you have advanced in your studies, you might just be able to accomplish it."
Snively blinked and narrowed his eyes. "Of course, she would say that." Though not as involved as his uncle had become in this fusion of science and magic, Snively too became aware of the philosopher's stone. Its power could rival that of the chaos emerald! Which was why there was no way she was just going to let Julian use it as he pleased, and, he suspected, the doctor would also not let her use the object as she desired! This was a game to both of them, it seemed. One where they would work together until one betrayed the other first. Neither would act until the proper opportunity presented itself, and not while one needed the other. It was a game he thought he had been playing with his uncle for years, but now he questioned if he was even a player.
"Of course, I would offer you an…esteemed position." Robotnik said carefully with a small smile.
"How kind of you." She said. "But I rather enjoy my privacy. The greatest rulers are those the sheep are not even aware of."
"It doesn't hurt when you are already immortal, I suppose. No need to have future generations know and fear you then." Robotnik surmised, scratching his chin. "Either way, we have confirmed your theories."
"Excellent. I would like a report by the end of the day. Oh, and do please put a leash on that…problem, of yours soon."
"I intend to." Robotnik made a curt bow. "And I have already hypothesized several. All of which involve the gate."
The master grinned. "You are a fast learner."
A large stone outside the castle grounds moved. Finally, it was pushed off, revealing Katherine, Knuckles and Bunnie, working together to move it. Katherine extended her hand to Winry, who accepted it in thanks. The other mobians popped out soon after. "Well…" Sonic began. "That was something."
"Indeed, it was a lot to take in." Sally concurred. "Unfortunately, I fear we do not have time to dwell on it."
"Sally's right." Knuckles agreed. "We have to get moving, and stop Robotnik."
"And whoever is working on this end." Tails added.
"Right." Sonic agreed.
Finally, Al helped himself out. Sighing, he said "I'm starting to miss the days when the weirdest thing alchemy ever created was me. But this world…our worlds…are much more than we could have ever dreamed…"
Everyone stared out into the fields, willing to meet this new quest head on.
Alas, time did not stand still on Mobius. Knothole Village went about its day as if Robotnik had stopped trying to find them. And, as far as they could tell, Robotropolis came to a screeching halt.
Somehow, for the remaining Freedom Fighters, that just made things worse. Their new mission: find their comrades and return them home. The tech walrus Rotor had a few ideas, and was already hard at work constructing a prototype to open the door. A task that took immense concentration. Concentration so easily broken by-
"Rotor!" Antione stormed into the lab. "How goes zee discovery?"
Rotor turned off his blow torch and lifted his visor. "Oh, nothing much Ant. In fact, it's basically unchanged since the last time you checked in!"
"I have been most patient weeth you, Rotor!" Antione pointed his finger at him.
"Twenty minutes is not patient!" Rotor shouted back as he typed his on his computer. "I don't want to say you are asking the impossible, Ant…but you may as well be!" A rough schematic of the temple came up on the screen, but it was quite crude. "I didn't get a chance to make a 3D model of the temple; never thought it would need to be reconstructed! I have to render it from scratch the best I could, and I still don't understand the energy source of the portal!"
"But, zee Power Ring…"
"Sonic's Billionth Ring only responds to or through him." Rotor sighed. "Sally made note of a lake where they pop out; I sent Penelope and Arlo over there to investigate, but it will take time. We don't know the fate of the Grotto and don't have the manpower to look into it. Why don't you do something else to take up your time?
"Oh? Oh, oui oui. I should cheick in weeth Uncle Chunk." Antione ran over to the ham radio for Chuck's frequency. Rotor sighed; this would only buy him a few minutes. And he felt bad for redirecting Antione's nagging to someone else.
"Uncle Chunk?" Antione said into the microphone. "Come in Uncle Chunk."
For a moment, there was only static. "I'm here, Antione. Without Robotnik or Snively, it's been quiet here…"
"Your report eez overdue!"
Again, at first there was nothing but static. "You were serious?"
"Reports must alwayz be on time!"
"We talked an hour ago!"
"I ordeaired zee for a report every half hour!"
"I said IF something happened you would be the first to know!" Chuck grumbled, before saying "I'll keep an eye out; you figure out something else to do!" With that, Chuck cut him off.
Antione groaned, hanging up the mic. "Oh, theese eez terible."
"Tell me about it." Rotor grumbled before cringing. The saying "poor choice of words" came to mind.
"Our best Freedom Fighterz are gone, we've no idea what Robotneek eez up to, and worst of all, WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PRINCEZZ!?"
"I didn't mean that literally." Rotor grumbled. "Listen, just relax. Sonic and the others will come back…"
"And what weel she think of zee?" Antione slapped his cheeks. "On theese cannot be happening!" He began to sweat. "Oh, eef I do not do somezing, she weel never forgive zee…"
At this point, Rotor rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. Neither he nor any of the other guys wanted to tell him this, figuring it was just best to let it play out in the long run. Whether it was because he was fed up with his whining, or pitied him…maybe a bit of both, it was time to hit him with a hard truth bomb. "Antione…you know Sally will never love you the way you want her to, right?"
Antione seemed to freeze at that declaration. He just stood there, and Rotor noticed him balling his fist. Then, he spun around, and shouted "Impossible'!" He continued, "It may look bad now, but I…Antione D'Collete!" He pointed his finger up. "Weel prove thyself and win zee heart of my princezz!"
"Antione, you could be twice as fast as Sonic, and twice as strong as Knuckles, and it wouldn't matter." Rotor said. "Sally…she may not act like it, but I can see she already decided who to give her heart to."
Antione was about to retort, but paused. It seemed deep down, even HE knew the answer. "Zee hedgehog?"
"The hedgehog." Rotor sighed.
"No, et eez unacceptable!" Antione shook his head. Palming his fist, he said "I must work hardair! I must rally zee troops, and breach theese dimensional reeft…"
"Ant!" Rotor slammed his fist. "This isn't love! This is obsession, this is compensating!"
Antione's face seemed to turn red under his fur; it looked like his head was about to pop. At first, Rotor feared Antione would lose it completely and let him have it with a few choice words that he normally refrained from using. If he even knew those words. But, to his surprise, he got a very different reaction, at least in words. "Fine!" He yelled, throwing his hands up. "Eetz az you zay, constipating!"
"COMPENSATING." Rotor corrected him. "Though if I were honest, I thought half of your problems were from constipation…"
"I've been trained as a squire, but my fathair was captured before I came of age! I had notheeing! How could I let my fathair pass without an achievement to make it worth his sacrifice!?
"We had nothing too after the coup, Ant! You ever think of that!?" Rotor shouted. "I lost my herd! Sally lost her father! Sonic lost his uncle! Tails never even knew his parents, and suddenly you think you're so special!?" Rotor slammed his tools, causing the coyote to flinch. Rotor stared him down, then turned around and sighed. "I'm sorry." Rotor said, walking to the wall and taking a seat. "I shouldn't have said that. Not like that at least. But are you really hounding us for everyone's sake? Or just Sally's?"
Antione's look softened. He walked over, and took a seat next to Rotor. "I apologize. You are right. And not just the princeezz. I conffezz, I deed it all…to prove myself."
"How so?"
"Sonic haz heez speed. Tails has zee flight. You have your gadgetz. And Bunnie has zee muscles!"
"Well, a steel-titanium alloy. But all the same, I guess." Rotor shrugged.
"And me? All I have eez a metal steeck!"
"Okay, Ant. You're not as special as the rest of is. But darn it, you try. Given what little you have…that's pretty darn brave." Rotor told him.
Antione seemed to relax a bit. "I should have known. Sally always pined for Sonic. Even at hees low points. And me? I feared eef I disappointed her once, that was eet."
"Sally could never hate you, no matter what." Rotor said. "She probably has the biggest heart of anyone we know, maybe even of anyone who's ever lived. But she made her choice a long time ago who she was giving that heart to…even if Sonic doesn't realize it yet."
"Perhaps, she eez just too beautiful. Both inzide and out. She waz zee kindest person to moi out of everyone here. I guess I feared if I couldn't have her…I could nevair have anyone else."
"You know the saying 'There are other fish in the sea?'"
"What do you mean zeir are othair feesh in zee sea?" Antione asked, oblivious to the metaphor. "Of course zeir are feesh in zee sea!"
"That's not-!" Rotor groaned as he palmed his face. Seemed he needed to just be literal again. "Oh, Bunnie likes you!"
"Oh, well why didn't you just say-pardon?"
"Bunnie likes you." Rotor repeated reluctantly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that either. But it's the truth, I swear."
Antione seemed to be going through shock as the admission hit him. "Bunnie? And zee?" He patted himself. "B-but why? I am merely-"
"That I don't know. But I can tell." He feared he was going to regret this, but with all the cats out of the bag, he continued "Do you not like her?"
"Not like Bunnie!? Nononono. Bunnie eez a lapin fantastique! She eez brave, powerful, and most charming…"
"And you don't think she's pretty?"
"What?" Antione almost shouted. "Au contrair, mon ami! She is most beau…" Antione stumbled. It wasn't that what was about to come out of his mouth wasn't disagreeable to him. It's that it was true, and he realized what s fool he was to not realize it. "…beautiful." Antione palmed his face. "Mon Deu, I am zee fuel."
"Well, if we can find them, it's not too late to make things right. Right?"
Antione slowly stood. It seemed he was a whole new animal now. "Steel, I must address my Princezz at the appropriate time, and confront my destiny. No matair how it may end." He turned to Rotor. "How long have you worked on zee scheematics?"
"Nearly a day."
Antione nodded. "Thank you, Rotor. You are zee good man, but zis ees too much. Rest, mon ami." He patted his shoulder. "We could all use it. Zey are strong; I know zay weel be bien."
Rotor smiled, and nodded. "NOW you are acting like a real general."
Antione's ego almost flickered back to life. "A general?" He began to smile, not an egotistical smile, but a genuine one. "Maybee…"
As he turned to the door, he screamed "Zut Alors!"
Rotor also fidgeted at knocked his tools onto the floor. "Damn it, Ant! You just had to spoil the…" He stopped. "…moment."
The familiar faces of the Chaotix stood in the doorway. "Yo." Vector held up his hand. "Wat' up?"
"You're the Chaotix!" Rotor said excitedly as he walked over to shake their hands. "It's good to see you all again! But I take it you're here for Knuckles?"
"Well, we're here to help you find Knuckles." Mighty said. "I guess it's not going well?"
"Can't say it is." Rotor conceded.
"Well, we're here to help." Espio crossed his arms.
"I appreciate it. What have you got?"
"Perhaps this would help." A mature voice said. The Chaotix made way for an echidna to step through. He looked similar to Knuckles, but sported a white gi and goatee. He held a chaos emerald in his hands. "You will need this to unlock the portal. And I have retrieved a rough schematic of the ruins. It will need much refinement, but it's a start." He said as he handed Rotor a disc.
"Thank you!" Rotor exclaimed excitedly. "But…who are you?"
"I am my son's father. You know him as Knuckles." was all Locke told him.
This was a difficult one, as I wanted to reveal the truth behind the mobian-chimera ancestry. But upon looking at it, I realized that I had to get the Red King's point of view in too, otherwise it would be incomplete, or you would ask "How could Renley know that?!"
There were also other things I wanted to do, like revisit Mobius.
If I were to guess, I'd say we're 3/4 done here. Maybe that will change, but with this revelation things are only going to shake up further.