TEMPORAL SHADOW: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
by Shayne “Sonic Remix” Edwards
based on a comic story by Ken Penders
Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters and indica © and ™ 1991 · 2017 SEGA | Sonic Team
In the city of Mobotropolis, the old freedom fighters of the Underground were working on cleaning up the place. Among those helping to clean were Mighty the Armadillo, Cyrus the Lion, and Trevor the Mouse.
Suddenly a shout from one of the other freedom fighters called out. “Mighty! We got incoming at 12 o'clock!”
Cyrus and Trevor gathered up near Mighty as he looked up, spotting some kind of hovercraft. “That looks different from anything I seen in the city. Where'd it come from?”
Trevor looked to Mighty. “We should stay back, it could be an attack.”
Mighty eyed it for a few more seconds and smirked. “You know I can handle anything, Trevor.”
As the hovorcraft began to land, they could see a red and a pink echidna inside. “-besides, it's my pal Knuckles! Looks like he's got himself a new friend with him too.”
“Hey, you guys look tense!” Knuckles called as he started to get out. “We came all this way for such a hesitant welcome?”
“It didn't take that long,” the pink echidna pointed out as Trevor helped her out of the hovercraft.
Mighty grinned, looking to them. “You won't believe everything that's happened. Thanks for coming, Knux.” He turned to the female. “And you are-”
Knuckles gestured to her. “Mighty, this is Julie-Su. We just recently met.
Julie-Su nodded. “You could say we didn't exactly start out as friends, but we quickly found we shared some things in common.”
“Aah...” Mighty nodded. “So you two are-”
“JUST friends,” Knuckles quickly responded.
“Yeeeah...I can tell you we have a lot of disagreements as well,” Julie added.
Mighty nodded and began to gestured for them to follow. “I'm sure you do! However, we can discuss that later. For now, we got more urgent matters to discuss.”
“What is it?” Knuckles asked.
Mighty sighed. “You know how I left the Chaotix to help Sonic and the Underground some time ago?”
Knuckles nodded. “Yeah, by the way the others miss you and say hi.”
“And I miss them too. Tell them I say hi when you get back to Angel Island. Anyway, you know this whole timeline mess that this Princess Sally was going on about during her communication with us?”
Knuckles nodded. “I remember. Has anything more been made of that?”
“Yeah, it seems that the two timelines have somewhat merged. Their Sonic is now our Sonic, and so forth. But here's where it gets messy: Princess Sally's father, King Acorn, is trying to claim Mobotropolis as his city.”
“Ooh, that is messy. This is supposed to be Queen Aleena's city, right?” Knuckles asked. “But she hasn't been around...”
“Actually, she just came out of the woodworks,” Mighty informed him. “Now that Robotnik is gone, she thought it was safe to come out.”
“I see. So what does she plan to do?” Knuckles asked.
“Well, she was willing to work with King Acorn on coming to a diplomatic solution. But the guy is clearly unreasonable and was demanding for us to leave his city. And now our group had become so tense against their group, that we had to ask them to go back to Knothole.”
“Something tells me that's not going over too well.”
Mighty shook his head. “No. We're willing to take in small groups approved by Princess Sally, since she wants peace as much as Queen Aleena. But Aleena also wants to prove once and for all that this is our city, not theirs.”
“I take it she has a plan?” Knuckles asked.
Mighty nodded. “Have you ever heard of Excalibur?”
Knuckles stopped in his tracks. “The legendary sword? That's just a myth, isn't it?”
“Apparently not. Supposedly it helped establish the Hedgehog line as the true caretakers of the planet, blessed by the gods themselves. Queen Aleena has tasked me with setting out to find the sword. But I don't know where to start, and I can't just leave the city where there's still too much work to be done.” Mighty looked to Knuckles. “I was hoping you'd be able to put your treasure hunting skills to the test and find the sword for us.”
Knuckles sighed. “Sorry, pal, but I been busy myself ever since I discovered that my birthplace still existed, but in another zone. It seems that ever since the timelines changed, the barriers between the two zones allowed for my Grandfather Athair to restore the city to the original zone.” He looked down. “When you called, it gave me the excuse I needed to get away and think, especially after discovering a mother I never knew I had.”
Mighty laid a hand on Knuckles' shoulder. “Sounds like you and someone else we know have something in common, more than you think. In fact, I think the two of you need to talk.” Mighty turned to Trevor. “Trevor, why don't you take Knuckles to see-” and he grinned playfully, making air quotes with his fingers. “'his royal highness'?”
Knuckles, curious by what Mighty meant by that, was lead away by Trevor while Mighty looked to the other echidna. “Julie-Su, would you like to join us?”
Julie nodded and began to follow Mighty. “I'd like that. You know, it's a whole new world for me as well.”
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Trevor grinned as he lead Knuckles to an abandoned building. “He's supposed to be working, but if I have him figured out, he's been sneaking away to this area.”
Knuckles looked to Trevor. “Who?”
Trevor gestured for Knuckles to peer inside the building.
Sitting on a bench inside with their backs turned, Knuckles could see Sonic the Hedgehog holding hands with a strange black and red hedgehog. Knuckles couldn't help but grin deviously and spoke loudly. “Looks like we gotta couple of lazy bums loafing about!”
Startled, Sonic let go of the hedgehog's hand and turned, surprised before he stood, grinning. “Rad Red! I was hoping I'd see you again!”
The two fistbumped as Knuckles responded. “Looks like reports of your robotication have been grossly exaggerated.”
Sonic chuckled and held up an arm with a device clamped to it. “Technically, I am, but this little gadget from the future makes me look normal.”
“Speaking of future-” Knuckles pointed as the black hedgehog approached. “-is that him?”
Sonic nodded. “That's Shadow, the 'Hedgehog of the Future'!”
Shadow and Knuckles shook hands, with Knuckles smirking. “So you're the troublemaker causing all sorts of problems.”
“Don't tell me, the timelines screwed up something for you as well when I showed up,” Shadow guessed.
“In a good way! I should thank you for your fuzzy butt dropping out of the sky.”
“For what?” Shadow asked, curious now.
But before Knuckles could respond, a woman's voice called out from a distance. “Sonic!”
Sonic groaned and leaned against a wall, rubbing his head. “Not now...”
Knuckles looked to Sonic in concern as Shadow went to console him. “What is it?”
At that moment, a lavender female hedgehog came in, smiling as she saw Sonic. “Oh there you are!”
Knuckles inhaled sharply at her presence and got down on a knee. “Queen Aleena!”
Aleena smiled softly and gestured to Knuckles. “Please, no formalities needed for now, Knuckles.”
As he got up, she turned towards Sonic. “I was just looking for my son.”
Knuckles turned to Sonic, who was leaning against the wall, rubbing his temples in annoyance. “Wait...wait wait wait WAIT! Queen Aleena is your mother?!”
“Believe me, it was just as much a surprise for me...” Sonic said rather bitterly before looking to Shadow. “I need to go for a run.”
Before the queen had a chance to stop Sonic, he ran off. Shadow frowned, looking to Aleena apologetically before taking off after Sonic. “Wait for me!”
Knuckles blinked as the two left, looking to Aleena. “What was that all about?”
Aleena sighed. “Sonic is still upset because he comes from a timeline when both of his parents were still together. Now that its changed, he's learned the truth about his father in this timeline and has yet to really accept his new reality.”
“Oh believe me, I have my own parent problems,” Knuckles nodded. “So I know how it is.”
Aleena nodded and gestured for Knuckles to follow her. “Oh believe me, every relationship has its problems. It's just a matter of the good ones overcoming them. Now, how about we treat you and your friend to dinner while you're here?”
THE END, FOR NOW
NEXT – TEMPORAL SHADOW: SOUNDS OF SILENCE
