Sonic GeneX: Doomsday
Chapter 33 - Sour Dream
Stage 17 - Dream Temple
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
"I will give my word that I will come in time to rescue.
My heart will always be with you.
I'm so glad I met you being with me wherever,
We're made for each other forever." - Dear My Friend; Sonic Unleashed
Previously on GeneX…
Vengeful over the death of Razor, Sonic pursued Dr. Eggman into the skies in his Eggtopia airship. There was a battle aboard the deck, but as the ship began exploding around them, Eggman escaped once more, and Sonic found himself faced with the second Doomsayer, who he clashed with before discovering that this Doomsayer was, in fact, a version of himself. The Doomsayer sent Sonic plummeting into the forest below as the ship exploded.
Following strange creatures through the forest, Sonic found himself at the Dream Temple. At first, he found himself trapped on an endless path within, running until his negative thoughts could no longer be ignored. That was when the Dream King appeared.
Reacting to Sonic's presence, the Dream King was revealed as a manifestation of Gaia's slumbering consciousness. He turned into Chip, allowing Sonic a reunion with his former friend. However, Chip can't allow Sonic to leave the temple until he faces the temple's tests...so, Sonic decides to play along and see how Chip intends to test him.
Now, our tale continues...
A staircase appeared in the crystal room that Sonic and Chip were in. Sonic looked up to see it continue through the wall and up into darkness. "Guess I gotta go that way..." he murmured, glancing at Chip, "You comin?" The fairy-pup rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Uhhh... Yes and no? I'm everywhere and nowhere in this place. For the most part, you gotta face these tests alone. It's all about facing your inner demons... That's why typically these tests are framed as nightmares by Dark Gaia's consciousness. Good dreams don't make much of a test, normally." he stated. Sonic smirked at him. "I dunno. I think dreaming about a world of sweets and treats might be a good test of YOUR self-control, hehe!" he teased. Chip pulled a chocolate bar seemingly out of nowhere and gave it a munch. "Hey, I spend eons asleep! It's only fair to let me indulge my sweet tooth while I can! ...Too bad this is dream chocolate..." he sighed. Sonic chuckled again and started up the steps. "Guess I'll make this quick so you can get back to sleep. Hey, there's no chance of waking Dark Gaia while I'm in here, is there?" he asked, "Cuz that'd be the absolute last thing we all need right now." That was certainly a question worth asking, and Chip looked a little awkward to hear it. "Aaahh... Well, it's never happened before, but... I've also never manifested like this before. Sorry, I don't have all the answers. I'm just dreaming here. Better ahh... b-be careful up there." he said with a nervous chuckle. Sonic resumed heading up the stairs, looking up into the darkness above. "All right, then, inner demons. Let's see what you guys look like... Eggman, I'm betting." he mumbled to himself. Chip watched him. "Reach the top, Sonic... You'll find the strength and clarity you need..."
Eventually, the staircase came to an end, and Sonic found himself, oddly enough, in the underground Raisol Sanctuary, which he recognized from Punchy and Rainbow's wedding. "Okay, I'm under Station Square somehow... Just roll with it, Sonic..." he murmured, looking around to see Punchy, Rainbow, Heather and Guard all camped out in the middle of town. They were roasting marshmallows on a fire. Quite odd...but then again, it did seem darker in the city than usual, so the fire was a good source of light. Sonic hurried over. "Hey, guys. Good to see you're okay." he said, slightly cautiously. Rainbow giggled and waved. "Hey, Speedy! Pull up a seat and have a marshmallow!" she offered. "They're sweet, just like my Garen..." Heather cooed, snuggling up to the purring gargoyle. Sonic scratched his head. They were being way too chill. Sonic saw something move in the shadows, and raised his fists. "Watch out! Somethin' sneakin' this way! C'mon, guys!" he said, dashing forth to combat the intruders! "Chill out and enjoy the calm, Sonic. Everything's good..." Punchy sighed. "They're oblivious! Hiyaaaa!!" Sonic cried, launching into a homing attack...that knocked down Rainbow? "Sonic, what are you doing!?" shouted Punchy, rushing to help her up. "Wait, if you guys are in the shadows, then..." Sonic murmured, glancing back to see Punky and Soleil, the Darks, sitting by the fire and holding the Chaos Crystal with Darks of Rainbow and Guard cackling beside them! Before Sonic could chase them, they faded into the darkness! "Grrr! Way to go, Sonic!" Guard grunted, helping Rainbow up in the shadows. Sonic glanced back to see his four friends vanish, the room turning to crystal around him. "Don't run too single-mindedly into action, Sonic. Slow down, see the bigger picture." Chip's voice stated, though Sonic couldn't find him. Instead, he found another staircase. "So, am I starting over?" he asked. "It's not a driving test, Sonic. It's more in your mind. Every step is progress if you let it be." Chip told him. Sonic shrugged. "Whatever you say... But I hope the next part makes sense..." he stated, heading upstairs.
It grew dark again as Sonic climbed upward. As he popped his head up out of the opening at the end of the staircase, Sonic saw a foggy place with a dirt ground. He felt almost like he was climbing out of a grave as he stepped out of the stairway. Close by, he saw Silver and Blaze standing within the fog. Sonic cautiously stepped over. "Hey, guys... You really...you?" he asked. Blaze was holding Silver, sobbing into his chest. Something was wrong. Sonic looked in front of them, and the fog lifted slightly. At the feet of Silver and Blaze was a small tombstone. Etched on the stone was the name "Marine." Sonic's eyes widened. "Ohh..." he said softly. He knew that the Sol Dimension had fallen, so this made a certain sense. Looking beyond the stone, Sonic gasped louder. It wasn't one grave, but a whole graveyard. The faces of koalas and polar bears were carved in the stone. These were the graves of everyone from Blaze's world. Sonic glanced at Silver and Blaze. "I-it's all my fault..." Blaze sobbed. "We all failed them..." Silver sighed, holding her gently. Sonic couldn't disagree, and really, he had no idea what to say or do. As they stood in their grief, Sonic heard sound coming from the dirt below. Hands dug their way out, and grabbed at Silver and Blaze's ankles! "Guys! Move! Get away!" Sonic gasped. "We deserve to join them..." Blaze sniffled. "No, you don't!" Sonic shouted. "Yes, you do..." Sonic froze, looking to see the source of this voice. There was a grave behind him. "Astra" was etched on it. The fennec was rising from the ground, her body quite rotted. "You let me die, Sonic..." she hissed. Hope the raven, the Nocturnus echidnas, and others Sonic knew to be dead started to rise from nearby graves as well. Even sparking versions of Gamma and Emerl emerged, wires exposed throughout their bodies. Sonic backed away. "No... Your deaths weren't our fault!" he stammered, grunting as his ankle was grabbed. He looked down to see Razor clawing out of the ground under him. "You failed us all... You failed me! You failed my brother!!" he snarled. Sonic looked to see Silver and Blaze sinking under the ground. "No!! No!!" he shouted, holding his head, "It wasn't us! It was the Lost Ones! Eggman! Despair! Zodiac! They're the ones who killed people! It's not our fault!!!" As Sonic cried this out, light flashed through the room, and when Sonic opened his eyes, he was in another crystal room. "Good realization, Sonic." Chip said cheerfully as another staircase appeared before the hedgehog.
Sonic found himself in some sort of fighting arena. "Hey... Is this from the Tournament of Chaos? ...sponsored by GUN..." he murmured, looking around. He hadn't exactly participated in that tournament; he had his own problems that year and he was all too eager to take the L when his round came up. As he looked around this arena, he heard footsteps charging toward him. Leaping aside, he avoided a punch from Knuckles! "Whoa! What's the deal, Knux?" he stammered. "You hit my sister, that's what!!" came Violet's voice, a blast of dark energy following that Sonic also had to hurry to avoid! "What? I didn't...oh." He'd struck Rainbow two floors down. "Hold on, though..." he began, only to be interrupted by someone in the stands. "Don't let him lie his way out of this one!" It was Eggman! "That hedgehog's a menace! He left Silver and Blaze to their doom, like so many others before!" Seeing Eggman up there, talking about him like that, when he was responsible for Razor's death, had Sonic seeing red. When Knuckles came at him again, he leapt up and slammed back down onto the echidna's head with a homing attack, growling as he struck him again and again. "Always wanna fight me, Knuckles!? Always wanna believe the bad guy over me!? Fine, then!!" he shouted, dashing over to Knuckles after knocking him down and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. Violet was staring in shock, while Knuckles growled defiantly. Sonic raised a fist to strike him, but his eye caught sight of someone else in the stands. Lara, Knuckles' daughter, was sitting there holding her face in her hands, looking frightened. Sonic gasped, glancing back at Knuckles. "...What am I doing?" he said, lowering his fist and placing Knuckles on his feet. "You're not the bad guy here..." he sighed, turning toward Eggman with a growl. "Well, Knuckles? Hit back!" the doctor shouted. Sonic pointed up at him angrily. "Don't test me, Egghead!" The scene started to fade like the others, and Sonic found himself staring up another crystal stairway. "Careful with that anger, Sonic." Chip warned. "I get it... I'm fine... What's next?" Sonic sighed. The anger was still there, but he knew he had to keep things in perspective going forward...
The next floor didn't transform at all. It remained a simple crystal room. However, Sonic found Copter and Gemini waiting for him there. Chopper and Skye, the future sons of Tails and Copter, were also with them. "Hey, I didn't think you guys were in the temple! You, uh... You know Chip?" Sonic asked. Copter shrugged. "Probly, I met everyone at some point or other, feels like." he said. Skye ran up and tugged Sonic's arm. "We have to hurry! With a time-duplicate Chaos Emerald, I was able to perfect my time machine! Now we can go back and save everyone!" he explained. Gemini nodded. "And Ophiuchus from the past won't notice, either! We can fix this safely!" she smiled. "All we need is a guy fast enough to make the changes needed before we're noticed!" Chopper added. Sonic smiled wide. "What are we waiting for, then! Let's save Blaze's world, Razor, and everybody from this nightmare!" he replied, seeing no downside. Before they could go, however, a portal opened at the stairway leading down! Out jumped Copter and Gemini... their bodies slimy and their eyes glowing green. They'd become Lost Ones, and quickly they charged at their normal selves! "Gaah! Wh-what the hell? What's a slimy clone of me doing here!?" Copter yelled as he struggled against himself! Lospecter flew out of the portal with a maniacal laugh. "Caught ya sneaking around the past! You sealed your fate the moment you decided to go!" he taunted. Sonic looked between Lospecter and the others and tapped his foot in an annoyed fashion. "Fine, fine, we won't time travel, then." he grumbled. After he said this, everyone in the room vanished except Sonic, and he looked up at the ceiling as though searching for Chip. "These tests are getting kinda silly." he grumbled. "I don't have all that much control over the dreams, Sonic..." Chip said with an awkward chuckle, "But I'll see if I can't make the next test be the last... It might take letting Dark Gaia in a bit, though..." he warned. Sonic nodded. "Long as you don't wake him, I don't mind this gettin' a little dangerous. Wait, you're telling me Dark Gaia had nothing to do with zombies??" he questioned. Chip chuckled awkwardly. "I...don't know..." he said, voice trailing off as the next stairway emerged.
A familiar scene unfolded in front of Sonic as he found himself on a rooftop. The scene before him was Troblusk City, swarming with Lost Ones. Shadow and Kosmo were surveying the scene from the same rooftop. "About time, Sonic..." Shadow grunted. Kosmo pointed to a central point in the city, where Sonic gasped to see the twisted form the Clock Tower had taken before it blew up. "We've been betrayed." Kosmo told him, "And now one of our allies is fighting for his life up there." The scene was pretty familiar, although Shadow hadn't been there for the last assault on the Clock Tower. It might be an illusion, but to Sonic, this felt like a second chance to get this right. "Okay, Shadow. Let's get in there and save our guy. Any intel?" he asked. Shadow looked grim. "The city's in enemy hands. Don't expect any part of this to be easy." he stated. Sonic shrugged. "Yeah, yeah... Race ya to the tower, Faker!" he said quickly, leaping over the edge of the building and starting into a run down the wall! Shadow and Kosmo started to follow in their own ways, but Sonic wasn't too concerned with them. As he headed straight for the Clock Tower, Kosmo's words hung heavy on his mind. "I probably know who's up there. Dunno if I wanna face what I'm gonna find..." he thought, speeding through the streets without giving much thought to the Lost Ones glancing in his direction. "Just gotta get up there fast... If I can just be fast enough... I need to be fast enough!" he told himself, determined not to allow this Clock Tower to be the site of tragedy again!
With Shadow and Kosmo joining him, Sonic raced up the floors of the Clock Tower. The irony of climbing a building within a building was a bit lost on him; he was too immersed in the situation. Additionally, there were distractions on the way up. Rather unusual Lost Ones, in that they were in the shape of Dark Gaia's Nightmare spawn. Tough customers, as Sonic's homing attacks barely made them flinch. Kosmo led a few of them on a chase through giant turning clock gears, morphing wings onto his back to fly up before running into the place the gears linked, and causing the confused slime creatures to get caught between the gears and gum up the works. Shadow took out a Lost Nightmare with a Chaos Blast, but saw more swarming into the area quickly. "Sonic, you should go on without us!" he suggested. Sonic glanced back and nodded. If he was simply evading the creatures, he could slip by easily. "You two sure you'll be alright?" he asked. Kosmo morphed into his own rendition of the Werehog form, ripping off one of those gears and using it as a weapon to smash approaching Lost Ones. "What do we look like? Some starry-eyed Wispon-toting rookies?" he shouted. Sonic chuckled softly. Of course, he knew full well Shadow and Kosmo could hold them off. That's why he didn't question the idea of sending them off on a solo mission to the Gaia Remnants when the comms were still working. Sonic slipped between the two Nightmares blocking his way and sped up the stairs of the Clock Tower, building enough speed to swerve up the walls if he needed to pass more adversaries, which he inevitably did. He had to hurry and wrap this up so he could get out of here and stop the Lost Ones for real...
Sonic arrived quickly at the roof, but even with all his speed, he was too late. "No...!" The scene he feared to see was laid out before him. Tails was on the floor, unmoving. Fera was kneeling before the Doomsayer, his hood up and concealing exactly which Doomsayer it was, but did it matter? Both seemed to want their dire prophecy to come to pass. "Welcome, Sonic the Hedgehog..." the golden-eyed figure said in his raspy voice, "As you can see, Prower has fallen. Now, the prophecy is begun. The world will crumble next!" he declared, thunder crashing around him. Sonic rushed to Tails, lifting the fox in his arms. He wasn't breathing. Sonic closed his eyes tightly, clutching his friend in his arms. "He was just a pawn to you...just a name in a prophecy and nothing more...but you're wrong!" he shouted, tears starting to fall from his eyes, "He was my friend! He had a life! He laughed, he loved, he played and yeah...he got scared, too. Unlike you and those Lost Ones, he had a heart!" he shouted, gently setting his friend's body down and standing before the Doomsayer defiantly, "You wouldn't understand heart, whoever you are. You lost it a long time ago... But for the sake of Tails...and everyone who's fallen...I won't allow myself to become you! I refuse to lose my heart!" he cried. Fera scoffed at him. "Your funeral... I choose to live, and such sentimentality was holding me back..." she huffed. The Doomsayer glanced her way. "Now you're holding us back... You've served your purpose!" he declared, launching a bolt of lightning at the shocked wolf that pierced her body and caused her to collapse in a heap! "Fera!!!" Sonic shouted in shock. Despite her apparent betrayal, she was still the Rookie to him. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "You'll pay for that!" he yelled. The Doomsayer caught a bolt of lightning in his hand, chuckling softly. "You cannot defeat destiny. I AM your destiny!!" he roared.
The usual storm that accompanied the Doomsayer grew in intensity. As Sonic shielded his face against fierce rain-filled winds, the hooded figure leapt onto a small cloud. That was surprising, but it was the Dream Temple after all. Of course a cloud could be solid. And this created a vantage point for the Doomsayer to hurl bolts of lightning down on the wet roof, forcing Sonic to dash and leap for safe places as electricity spread across the roof from the points of impact! "Stay up there, then... Be right back!!" Sonic shouted, leaping down the side of the building! The Doomsayer looked around, glowing eyes narrowing in the darkness. In a moment, Sonic came speeding up the side of the building, and then leapt up high, launching a homing attack at the cloud! His attack was stopped as the cloud dropped an icy blast of hail Sonic's way, the wind blowing him back while the cold caused chunks of ice to form along the side of the building...which formed a series of cold platforms for Sonic to land on. Another bit of dream logic, but Sonic took it as a means to climb his way back up, leaping from icy platform to icy platform. The Doomsayer worked to destroy those platforms, hurling lightning down to smash the ice! Though the footholds were crumbling under him, Sonic bounced up them anyway, leaping up once again above the Doomsayer's cloud! "The world will go on... without you!!" he cried, his homing attack smashing through the lightning spears that the Doomsayer tried to use to block him, and then smashing through the Doomsayer himself! Sonic leapt from the cloud back to the roof and turned around to see a shadow where the Doomsayer stood. "It is no longer will against prophecy. It is will against destiny. You know your future... Can you stop it?" asked the voice of the Dream King before the shadow faded away.
Sonic knelt down next to Tails' body. He patted the fox on the head. "The prophecy is the future..." he murmured, scared that this was an unstoppable truth. Two hands reached out to him, and he looked up to see Amy, and their son, Juice. "We're here for you, dad." Juice said. "You don't have to face this alone..." Amy added, a look of sympathy in her eyes. Sonic took one last look at Tails, and then accepted their hands, letting them help him to his feet. "Thank you..." he said, looking at Amy with a soft smile. Around him, the scene was changing back into the crystal room of the Dream Temple. Amy and Juice faded, and Sonic found that he was holding Chip's hand. "You've accepted what's inevitable. And you're ready to fight for what will be left behind." the fairy said in summation. Sonic nodded, brushing a tear from his eye. "I accept... that Razor's gone. I may not be able to save everyone. It'll hurt, but we can't give up." he smiled, "If I give up, then the future of the Doomsayer will be set in stone. I need to keep going, for everyone still counting on me... I'll find a way to save everyone that I can! Even...if it seems impossible. I get it, we'll lose people. But it ain't over for anyone 'till it's over! And if I can change my destiny, I can change it for my friends, too!" he declared, holding out his fist to Chip, who chuckled and gave it a bump in return. "That's the Sonic I know! No more doubt! Now listen, you need to hear this... Those Lost Ones, they're raising a huge fortress. A flying fortress! It rose from the ocean near Station Square! Your friends need you, Sonic! Now!" he said, snapping his fingers to cause the exit door to appear! "Hey, aren't I on a really high floor?" Sonic asked. Chip laughed. "The Dream Temple has no floors!" he winked. Winking back, Sonic ran for the door, heading out into the forest outside! "Run, Sonic! Never stop running..." Chip said with an enthusiastic wave before yawning and fading away, returning to his long sleep once more...
To be continued...
