Sonic GeneX - The Series - The Complete 4th Season
Zodiac in Time
Season 4 Prologue
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
"Good day, my friends, though the tidings are bleak.
If you'd stop to listen, I've a tale to speak.
A sadness and tragedy carried through song,
Of seven chosen heroes, whose mission went wrong..."
In a lonely town, far from the troubles of warring echidna tribes, greedy dragons hiding in their temples, and the seven Chaos Emeralds watched over by sweet creatures and their protector... a saddened fox wearing a beret played his lute and sang his sorrowful song for any who would hear. Most ignored him. Some laughed at him. However, a round bodied human stopped to listen, transcribing his words onto a sheet of parchment. "Such music... It rings of experience... The story you have to sing is personal, isn't it?" the man asked. The fox fell silent, glancing at the gentleman with the magnificent mustache. "Oh, go on. But tell me your name, good sir. For posterity. And maybe some coin?" the man asked. The fox sighed.
"Bard is my name, one of seven I was.
A knight, a warrior, a guardian with a cause.
Take heed of my story, my tale of woe.
Lest the evil I speak of... return, and grow."
The heavy man hurried to copy his words. "Evil... grow... Evil, you say?" he said, looking around cautiously, "Might we adjourn somewhere more... private? You never know who might be listening..." he murmured. Bard scratched his head under his beret. "And... who might you be, sir?" he asked. The man smiled warmly. "Prescott Kintobor... A simple scholar, my good man... With more money than business to apply it to. I'll gladly record your story for something to do..." he grinned, leading Bard away. "...And keep it for my private collection..." he added under his breath.
The recorded story was preserved for generations, until at last the volume was forgotten, shelved in a library hidden in one of many bases across the globe. Bored and drowsy, Char the Chao found himself guarding this library while the rest of Dr. Eggman's forces seemingly had more exciting things to do. "We took over the whole world and I got stuck in a musty basement full of... paper..." he sighed, crumbling up a page from "The Diary of Ivo Robotnik" and taking a shot at the wastepaper basket. Suddenly, the door burst open at the top of the nearby steps, and Char scrampled under the table. "Ohhh, I hope it's not Infinite...or those Zeti..." he whined. Instead, Capricorn the ferret came down the stairs, her white robes looking a little sooty. "Who's down here? This base is fallen. Forces are rallying against Eggman. It will not be long before his uprising is quelled." she stated. Char peeked out from under the table. "Aww, I knew he'd blow it again somehow..." Char sighed, "Actually, it's kind of a relief... but I still can't just let you do whatever down here!" he said defiantly.
Capricorn ignored him, her eyes scanning the shelves for anything clearly ancient. "...There it is." she said, walking over to a shelf in the corner. "Hey! Pay attention!" Char snapped, flying up and moving towards her. Capricorn flitted her wings and glanced at him. "I'm doing this for the good of the timeline... Someone is going to the past, seeking to overturn a great tragedy." she stated. Char squinted, like he was straining his mind to comprehend her words. "Who turned over a truck? Don't confuse me!" he growled. Capricorn chuckled softly. Despite his posturing for the Eggman Empire, Char was still just a Chao. "Someone is going to the past in order to change events described in this book." she stated. The book, as she removed it from the shelf, could be seen titled "The Tragedy of the Bard." Char scratched his head. "Well... What's the big deal? People change the past all the time around here." he shrugged. Capricorn crossed her arms, clutching the book. "The further back in time one goes, the greater the consequences to meddling with time... You may want to stop something bad from happening, but it could change things so much over time... that things end up worse in the end." she explained.
She turned to leave, but Char flew into her path. "Hold it! You still can't take that! It's Dr. Eggman's!" he insisted, "I hit a silent alarm under the table! Bots are on the way!" he warned. Capricorn chuckled again at him. "Char... You're too small to understand. I need to take this book before changes to the timeline take hold and alter its contents, or erase it..." she stated, "And... I wasn't leaving through the door..." She pointed to the side, creating a time portal. "Maybe call it a false alarm?" she smirked, stepping through the portal and vanishing. Char flitted in place, dumbfounded as Egg Pawns stormed the library. "Uhhh... False alarm? My... fingerless hand slipped on the button?" he chuckled awkwardly.
Episode 1 - Ancient Origins
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
"We're back, and Happy New Year, Station Square!" Katie the Coyote was on location, doing her first news reports of the new year. "Last year was a bit of a...well, a nightmare. Dr. Eggman certainly made a mess of everything, but the efforts to rebuild are coming along, as you can see from the restored City Hall behind me!" she said, motioning to the building for her viewers, "However, throughout the world, citizens are still reeling from Eggman's six-month conquest. There are a number of loved ones still missing...some we all miss very much..." she said, given pause as she thought about Mia the Cat, her friend who first had been put in a coma last year, and then robotisized during Eggman's invasion. "Fortunately, we've received reports that GUN is back up and running. Hopefully, they'll be better prepared the next time Dr. Eggman rears his ugly head and tries to take everything we hold dear from us..." she said, starting to clench her teeth. "And...cut. Try to keep your cool, Kate!" her cameraman stated. Chet the cheetah was sitting on a bench not too far away, and watched her approach. "Well, we made it through. And Tommy, amazingly." he said. Katie didn't need the reminder; Tommy's brother Razor was missing, too. "I heard you were quite the hero to the little guy during the war." Katie said to Chet, avoiding the subject. He shrugged. "Someone had to stand up for the people while the real heroes were fighting a war..." he muttered, "I heard you were like that, too." he smiled. Indeed, there had been heroes everywhere. One question was on everyone's mind now, though...where was the villain?
Dr. Eggman watched Katie's report on an old TV set from whatever hole he was hiding in. "Oh, so I'm ugly, eh? Well... you've been wearing that same outfit for a decade, coyote-girl!" he huffed. "So have you, ugly-face!" Alpha pointed out to him. Eggman rubbed his face. "Who let you in!? Where are Orbot and Cubot!? Ugh... Where's Infinite, for that matter?" he groaned, sitting back in his seat. "They're all AWOL!! Well, you said you'd build walls when you took over." Alpha babbled. Eggman threw the remote control at Alpha, gritting his teeth in anger. "Where did I go wrong?? I had a flawless Phantom Ruby!! And Sonic didn't even go Super! I... I'm losing it!" he cried, burying his face in his hands, "My genius has left me! I'm getting too old! My mental faculties must be going... Soon I'll be a vegetable!!" he wailed. "A radish?" Alpha asked. Eggman growled at the crazy robot. "I don't want to eat my veggies. Bye!" Alpha said, skipping away. The doctor took a deep breath. "What am I gonna do now? Look for my tiny miscalculation? Build a bigger robot? Hunt down the Chaos Emeralds for the millionth time?" he asked himself in frustration. Orbot and Cubot suddenly came in holding a flat box. "We brought the pizza!" Orbot announced. "Pickles and eggs! ...You're a weirdo, you know that, boss?" Cubot mumbled. Eggman growled and took the box. "Gimmie!" he said, turning to the TV. "And hand me back the remote!" Orbot looked at him with concern. "...I think the boss is depressed..." he muttered. "Does that mean we're not gonna do anything this season?" Cubot asked.
Darkegg Fortress was no longer safe for Punchy, Rainbow and Gemini. The three of them, accompanied by Timothy the fawn, had been staying with Kosmo and Carrie in an abandoned building in Troblusk City in the weeks following Eggman's defeat. It was large enough for them, but many of them were restless. Punchy and Rainbow were eager to get back to their plans to marry, while Gemini and Timothy had more urgent worries. Copter was working with Cancer as Aries. Libra was fighting them both as the Deathbringer. Lospecter was holding Timothy's life for ransom in the future, trying to prevent Gemini from opposing him. When Gemini told Punchy and Kosmo about this, none of them could think of any great solutions. "Why don't we just punch some sense into Copter and Libra?" Punchy asked. "That didn't work last time..." Gemini sighed. "We could eliminate Lospecter." Carrie suggested. Gemini shook her head. "He has contingencies in place for that..." she murmured. "If I might interject..." The door opened, and Gemini's teacher stood there; Fred Leo the fennec. As he stepped in, it could be noticed that Adam the bat and Evelyn the fox were waiting outside. "T-teacher?? Um... Look, Timothy's back!" she smiled. Timothy waved awkwardly, and Fred nodded. "I've been made aware of your situation... The Zodiac Council is adamant about your returning home." he said. Gemini and Timothy both gasped. "You know those jerks?" Tim snapped. Fred crossed his arms. "Well, they were my teachers. But I can't convince you of anything directly, kids. So, I'm going to tell you a story... A story of how all of this... Everything that's been happening these past few years... How it all began. At least, as I know it..."
And so, Fred began to tell a story that began long, long ago. Eons back, in fact. It was a time when even Dark Gaia and Light Gaia were young. At that time, when the first life was crawling forth from a primordial ooze, the ooze left behind was filled with a sense of loss. Energy that would later become known as GeneX had escaped from this ooze, and it wanted that energy back. If GeneX energy was life, what the remains of this ooze became was Anti-Life. Living Death. It became a force of endings, and thus was called Doomlings. They were monsters, much like the Lost Ones, but their goal was to reform the primordial ooze...to return existence to the state it was before. Doomlings were a terror through the time of the Dinosaurs, bringing down these great but not so intelligent beasts with relative ease. However, they would not be the force that would end the Dinosaurs. Dark Gaia awoke, and his rage was to be the end of the dominant form of life at the time. Light Gaia was left with a problem. The Dinosaurs would all be wiped out, and then the Doomlings would overpower all remaining life on Earth. Light Gaia did not wish this to happen, but he had little energy to do more than put the planet back together when Dark Gaia splits it apart. He would return to slumber. What could he do?
As Dark Gaia split the planet, the dinosaurs had nowhere to run from the Doomlings. On the plus side, each life snuffed out by a Doomling also ended the monster, reducing both to a state of nothingness. But more Doomlings constantly were birthed from somewhere... Light Gaia needed a champion to stop them. He searched for that champion as he worked at piecing the planet back together. Eventually, he discovered a baby Tyrannosaurus, sitting by a fire in front of a cave. It had managed to hide from the Doomlings so far. Light Gaia was impressed, but he knew that the dinosaurs were essentially finished. He flew to the youth, who recoiled from him. "Don't be afraid, young one... Aw... your parents are gone, aren't they?" he asked, patting the T-Rex's nose. "I can't save your kind... I'll return to slumber once I fix the world... but maybe you can help me?" he mused, light coming from his hand and flowing into the Rex! The dinosaur's body transformed, becoming smaller, more nimble...spikier. He'd become a hedgehog! "Mammals are all that will be left after this cataclysm... well, maybe birds. I gift you this form, and enough life energy to take you beyond your mortal years. I want you in return...to find a way to defeat the Doomlings. Protect life from being extinguished by them... Will you do this?" The new hedgehog nodded, and Light Gaia ascended to the heavens. "Good luck, little Rex!" he said.
"Legend has it, Rex went on to assemble the original Chosen Ones of the Chaos Relics. They tried to destroy the Doomlings, but in doing so, they somehow gave way to the Lost Ones, a purer evil that grows as it takes life, rather than shrinks." Fred concluded. Gemini had listened closely to his story. "I understand... I know now what to do... If the Lost Ones were formed during the trials of the first chosen ones, I go back to their time and stop the Lost Ones from ever coming to be! And... the chain reaction might impact the future enough to save Copter and Libra, too! Well, I won't likely be in their lives anymore, they're bound to be better off!" she stated. Fred stared at her. "That...wasn't the point of my story at all! The point was there are some things you shouldn't change! In trying to destroy Doomlings, Lost Ones were born! Maybe...maybe there's just a natural order to the world that you're not seeing!" he snapped. "You believe in magic and you want to preach about the natural order?" Kosmo snickered. Timothy took Gemini's hand. "I'm not afraid. I'll go with you, Gemini!" he said. "Aww." Carrie grinned, "You two need a chaperone. I think I'll go, too." she stated. Kosmo stared at her. "Time travel? Just like that?" he stammered. "No one's going anywhere!" Fred snapped. "Oh yes I am!" Punchy retorted, "I'm goin'... Out. Have fun refereeing these goons, Rainbow." he grumbled. "Bye, One!" Rainbow waved. Punchy pushed past Adam and Evelyn, grumbling. "Time travel... Ugh..."
Tails heard a knock at his door. Answering it, he found Sonic with a suitcase. "Heeey, roomie! ...Uncle Chuck's busy renovating. Eggman seemed to think it fun to blow holes in my house when he found it. You don't mind me bunkin' here, right?" he said, walking in. Tails had a tool belt on, and was obviously busy with something before opening the door. "Um...well... I guess not? I don't have a guest bedroom, though..." he pointed out. "Couch is fine. Hey, what's with the utility belt? Tuning up the 'ol Tornado?" Sonic asked, plopping his suitcase onto the couch before taking a swift run around the workshop! He sped back and stopped in front of Tails with a look of shock. "Tails! The portal to Blaze's world is a wreck!" he stammered. "Yeahhh... I was just working on fixing it or building a new one..." he mumbled. Sonic scratched his head. "Geez, Eggman left the workshop intact. He just busted in to take out Blaze??" he wondered. Tails sighed. "No... I blew up the portal..." he said, looking away from Sonic sadly. "You??" Sonic gasped. "I... I couldn't let Eggman invade Blaze's world like ours..." he sighed. Sonic nodded. "It must've been hard for you, alone all that time... What say we bring Blaze back together?" he smiled. Tails smiled back and nodded. "Okay, Sonic!" he said enthusiastically.
Richard Gunner, joined by Guard the Gargoyle, stepped into the President's newly refurbished office, where the GUN Commander stood at attention and the Prez saluted the pair of them. "Colonel Gunner! It's a privelidge to see you again, and let me first say how deeply sorry we are to hear about Drol. He died a hero." the President stated. Gunner rolled his eyes slightly, like he wanted to disagree, but he let it slide. "While we were in hiding, you went above and beyond, Richard. You assembled forces and helped beat back Eggman. And although the doctor escaped, our world is free again. I hereby confer upon you the rank of General..." the Commander said, shaking his hand, "And offer you my personal thanks." Gunner nodded. "Somebody had to do it. As General, I get to line up my own personel?" he asked. The Commander nodded, "Within reason." Gunner saluted his superior and started to leave. "Thank you, sirs." he said, only to gag once he was out of the office and away from earshot. "Damn their survival. I was THIS close to taking over the whole outfit!" he complained. Guard glanced at him. "Grrr... Seeing as you have so much more resources at your disposal now, I wonder if I might ask for a leave of absence?" He still needed to find Mia, after all. "Denied. You'd think you'd know something after all this time working for me, Guard!" he grumbled, walking off down the hall. "Grrr... It's Garen..." Guard grunted angrily.
Sonic ran up to answer the door for Tails when another knock was heard. He was quick to flee back to the garage workshop when he saw who it was: Amy Rose. "Tails... Did you call Amy and tell her I was here?" he asked suspiciously. Tails sighed. "Come on, Sonic. She guessed. This is a pretty obvious place for you to be." he pointed out. Amy found them in a moment. "I thought that was you! Soniiiic!!" she cheered, rushing over to squeeze her favorite hedgehog. "Ack! Leggo, Amy! I'm doing delicate repair work!" he said, stumbling over Tails' nearby work bench. "Could you two take this outside?" Tails groaned. Amy stopped and glanced at the fox. "Actually, I was here to see you! Tails, do you have any idea where Punchy and Rainbow have gotten to?" she asked. Tails scratched his head. "Why would I know that? You should try Knuckles..." he stated. Amy nodded. "That brings me to my next question...can I borrow your plane to get to Knuckles?" she asked. "Why do you wanna find Punchy? When did you guys become friends?" Sonic asked. Amy sighed wistfully. "They're getting married, Sonic! Obviously, they're gonna need my help! I'll gladly be their wedding planner and organize the whole thing for them! Ohh, it'll be SO romantic!!" she said, bursting with excitement. Tails tossed the keys to the Tornado at her, glaring in her direction. "Out! Now! ...Please..." he snapped, a lightly hurt look in his eyes. Sonic and Amy exchanged glances before heading for the plane. "I'll drive ya, Amy... Just...try not to talk about lovey-dovey stuff around Tails right now. He broke up with Cream not too long ago..." Sonic whispered. Amy held her mouth and nodded. "Aw... H-have a...nice day, Tails..." she mumbled as she left. Tails nodded and focused on his work once they were gone. "...I gotta get over this if I'm gonna have to go to that wedding..." he sighed.
Punchy was taking a load off at the Neon Tavern, now back up and running with Bill and Bob the hedgehogs reunited to boot. They'd had a big New Year's party the previous night, and there were still decorations strewn about, and Bill wore a top hat to serve the customers. Punchy sat with Talon the griffin, Illusi the shrew and a handful of others. Illusi had determined that he was the designated driver...despite the fact that none of them actually drove. "Take it easy on the booze, Dark One. You know, I don't think Knuckles is even old enough to drink..." the shrew muttered. "If I'm old enough to get married, I'm old enough to get washted..." Punchy slurred. "Start over, Punch. Tell me again how your friend is dragging Carrie through TIME?" Talon asked. Punchy groaned and nodded. "Oh, her teacher... I think he's actually Gem's dad, prolly... He told this story about how the goopy Lost Monster Guys were came about same time ash the first Chosen Ones...or summin'... And now she wants to go back and stop that from happenin'. And a deer and the fork-tail lady wants to go with her! Rainbow better not go with her... I'm not marryin' a caveman..." he drunkenly explained. Silver the hedgehog was sitting a distance away, and choked into his hot chocolate upon hearing this. "Gemini wants to do WHAT?!" he yelped. Punchy glanced at him. "I ain't tellin' it again..." he slurred. Illusi shook his head. "Someone needs to talk her down." he stated. "Oh, someone will!" Silver shouted, rushing for the door. "Hey!! Hey, tip!!" Bill shouted, "Aw, ingrates. See if I fancy up the joint next holiday." he sighed. Bob nodded. "Weren't easy, either, after Eggman wrecked the place." he grunted.
Gemini and Fred were having a heated argument. Rainbow and Timothy couldn't manage to interrupt with their two cents, and Kosmo and Carrie started playing cards at the table while they waited for the arguing to die down. "I've already changed the past left and right! Why won't you let me make one last change to try and fix everything?!" Gemini shouted. "By your own admission, things are more or less worse than they were before! And any changes you make further back in time could have greater consequences through history! You could be unintentionally ending the world in your efforts to save it!" Fred pleaded. Gemini scoffed. "It's always the same arguments with you. But I...haven't really changed anything in the grand scheme of things, have I? No... I've only met with personal pain... And Timothy's a hostage. I can't allow that!" she stated, heading outside. "G-gemini??" Fred stammered. Everyone began to follow her to see what would happen. "Don't do anything rash, Gem!" Evelyn warned as she passed her. Gemini pulled out her wand. "Chronokadabra!!" she called, opening a great rift in time just outside the building! "Come on, Tim!" she called, jumping in! Timothy was quick to follow her despite Fred's protests. "Uh, are we just gonna...allow this?" Adam babbled. Carrie shrugged and ran at the rift. "See you in a thousand years or so!!" she shouted, making Kosmo gasp. "She...she's gone! Should...I go after her?" he wondered. "Don't! I... I need to think..." Fred stammered. Silver the hedgehog found the rift in a moment, and ran up to it. "I'm too late! Well, I'd better go after her!" he said, diving in as well! "Gah!!" Fred grunted, pulling out his wand, "Dispellicazam!" he cried, using his magic to shut the rift. "...She never shuts the hole behind her..." he huffed. "You're not gonna bring Wanda back?" Rainbow stammered. Fred motioned to Adam and Evelyn. "Get Cuthburt. We're popping home. I need to consult with the Zodiac Council..." he said, heading off. "Hoo, boy... Gemini's in for it..." Adam sighed. "I hope we're not going to the stupid ages. The phone service is bad enough here..." Evelyn groaned.
Rex the hedgehog lived many a year, and in that time he realized he could not defeat the scourge of the Doomlings alone. He sought allies, and his first major ally was a human named Gunther, a brilliant man with great organizational skills. Gunther learned of the Raisol clan echidnas, and their great mines where they'd uncovered powerful gems similar to the Chaos Emeralds; the Chaos Crystals. Talking things over with their chief, they convinced the Raisol clan to forge weapons for the fight against the Doomlings. Thirteen relics were created, imbued with Chaos Crystal power and adorned with gold. The Chaos Relics. An emissary of the Raisol clan, Radia the Echidna, was sent to help Rex and Gunther find champions who would be able to wield the power of the Chaos Relics. A Dragon named Brutus also joined the search, and eventually the four of them assembled nine others to form up their champions. They gathered on the surface above the hidden city of the Raisol clan, and Rex and Radia chose who would hold each Relic. "I have brought us all together for a noble mission. A vile enemy, hidden in the shadows has killed without mercy for eons. If unchecked, the Doomlings will end life in our world, so it has been warned by Light Gaia." Rex announced. He held up the Chaos Sword in his hand. "With this blade, I will lead you. With these gifts we bestow, we will prevail together." he said. Radia handed first the Chaos Crown to a princely gray cat. "Spiro, you will wield the Chaos Crown. Wear it well." she said. Spiro smirked. "Naturally, you would recognize my regal bearing." he chuckled, taking the crown with a grin. Rex handed a pair of gauntlets to a blue echidna next. "Monty of the Knuckles tribe, you are entrusted with the twin Chaos Gauntlets. Fight well with them." he smiled. Monty nodded. "I'll... do my best. Better keep these away from my chief's line of sight..." he chuckled. "Hey, he gets two??" Brutus grunted. "That attitude is why you get none." Gunther huffed. Radia handed the Chaos Claws to a female wolf whose fur was white as the full moon. "Be careful with these, Luna..." she warned. Luna the wolf nodded. "I will try not to betray your trust in me." she said. The Chaos Cards went to a female chameleon ninja named Aya, the Chaos Boots went to a walrus named Paul, and the Chaos Wing went to a sparrow named Red. "Like I need wings..." Red chuckled, modeling the cape. "I think I prefer my snow boots..." Paul murmured. "What do I do with...cards? Throwing stars might be more my speed..." Aya sighed. "It will all become clear with time..." Rex stated, holding two sparkling rings, the Chaos Tailbands. "I, um... I'm not sure how these work. You two can take these..." he said, handing one to a Raccoon named William, and the other to a Fennec named Astra. "Swell... I'm fighting evil with a ring." William said. Astra simply smiled. She was a blonde-furred fennec with white as her secondary fur color. The last relic to be given was a key. Rex turned to a fox, seated on a rock. He wore a beret and held a lute, strumming it as he watched the proceeding. "Can't I just sing your praises as you defeat evils?" he asked. Rex slipped the key into his pocket. "I trust you'll do better than you expect... Even if foxes aren't particularly considered trustworthy." he smiled. The fox sighed, touching the key in his pocket. "I don't know what it is you see in me... How about a song, then? To celebrate our fellowship!" he smiled. Radia smiled at him. "That'd be nice, Bard. Quick, before I must return home. I'm not part of your company, though I feel like I am..." she said. "Oh, you are! Hmmm... Now listen to my song..." Bard said, strumming his lute.
"Gathered...from lands near and far...
United, bound together we are!
A common mission, an epic quest,
Until journey's end, we shall not rest!
And with our power joined... darkness shall not win...
And I'll sing a song of victory! Now it's time we begin!"
The group listened to his song, the holders of the Chaos Relics looking over their new treasures with mixed feelings. Rex nodded once the last word was sung. "Agreed, Bard. Let's get to work!" he said. Little did they know...visitors from the future were arriving not too far away...
Mini Episode - What I did During Wartime
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
"So, you're wondering where I've been... What I was doing during that war with Eggman?" Violet the echidna had caught up with her sister, Rainbow. They were relaxing at the Neon Tavern, where Violet could talk about things. "Well, sis... I was in a bad place last year. I'd broken up with Copter...who would probably be at your wedding. At least, I would have figured when you announced it. If I was gonna show up, too, I needed to work some things out for myself..." she explained. Rainbow sipped some soda out of a bottle, listening intently. "So... when Eggman took over... I was vacationing in Soleanna. That vacation turned into me running a safe house for anyone who needed to hide from Eggman's forces... And who should turn up but one of my old bosses from Despair, Mitch the weasal..." she murmured. "Just start the flashback already!" said Gator, sitting on Violet's other side with a milkshake. "Uhhh... Ooookaaay..." Violet said, waving her hands around, "Commence flashback..." she said, rolling her eyes. As if a flashback would just happen. What is this, TV? Well, this is writing. Let's go into flashback mode anyway.
"My foot hurts! I need ice! And a pillow!" Mitch, or Infin as he preferred to be called, was a lousy guest. He claimed to be injured, and was quite demanding as a patient. "...Here ya go." Violet said grouchily, pouring ice into a pillowcase and tossing it at him. "Very funny! If you hadn't deserted us, traitor, maybe Eggman wouldn't have destroyed the Covenant of Despair!" Infin griped, lighting a cigarette. "I highly doubt one of me would make much difference. And put that out! Wanna burn down the safest building in Soleanna!?" she snapped. Suddenly, explosions were heard outside, and the lights went out, leaving the room pitch black. "Eggman's found us! Every one-footed weasal for hisself!!" Mitch cried, stumbling out of his bed and knocking things over as he tried to flee. Violet grabbed him and covered his mouth. "Shush! It's just a random bombing!" she whispered. The room fell silent for a moment until the explosions stopped and Violet released Mitch. "I thought you couldn't walk." she smirked. Mitch sat down and held his foot. "Ohhh, the pain!" he wailed. "That's your robo-foot. It may be dark but I can see that." she muttered. Mitch pouted. "Fine. Whaddya want? I lost my gun, my contacts are back in Troblusk City. I got nothin' here." he grumbled. Violet crossed her arms. "You can run that ice to someone who needs it before it melts, for starters." she insisted. "I don't take orders from..." Mitch quited when he heard the sound of dark energy coming from Violet's direction. "Okay, fine, fine! I'll play doc for a while! Yer worse than Fera!" he complained, grabbing the ice-filled pillowcase. "And put out that cigarette! Yeesh!" Violet groaned.
Violet sighed as she told her stories to Rainbow. "I guess I realized after a while... if I can handle Mitch and random bombings and running a safe house... How bad could seeing Copter at the wedding be?" she chuckled. "I spent the war in a big closet!" Gator remarked. "I was locked in a tower!" Rainbow giggled, imitating Gator's silly tone. "I was being serious, sis..." Violet sighed. Rainbow shrugged. "Well, you don't have to worry, Viola... Two's probably not gonna be there. Not since he went all evil..." she said sadly. Violet patted her sister on the shoulder. "I'm sure he'll come back to his senses soon enough... But if he thinks I'll take him back at that point, he's sadly mistaken!" she chuckled. Gator shrugged. "He can always rejoin my pirate crew!" he murmured. "Who even invited you to sit with us?" Violet grumbled. "No one! ... Aaaand now I think I'll sit with Vector. Hey! Croc boy!!" Gator said, leaving the sisters alone. Rainbow smiled at her sister as she sipped her soda. "Well... Wanda's missing too, so... wanna be my maid of honor, Vy?" she asked. Violet smiled and hugged her sister. "Glad to, Rainy... Now let's get out of this depressing bar and find something fun to do!" she smiled. "Hey! My bar's not depressing!" Bill protested. The sisters shrugged and went on their way, giggling together. Everything might not be perfect, but at least they had each other again!
Episode 2 - Mighty Rex the Hedgehog
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Previously on Sonic GeneX - The Series...
Punchy, Rainbow, Gemini and Timothy had moved into an abandoned building with Kosmo and Carrie. Desperate to find a solution to all their problems, Gemini listened to a story from her teacher Fred about the Doomlings, and ancient evil that was left over when the first life crawled out of the primordial ooze. To stop the Doomlings, Light Gaia saved a Tyrannosaurus from an impending cataclysm, turning it into a hedgehog and gifting him with unnatural long life so he could search out a solution to the Doomling menace while Light Gaia slumbered. It was said that this hedgehog brought together the first chosen ones of the Chaos Relics...but also unwittingly gave rise to the Lost Ones.
Gemini's takeaway from the story was that she could travel further back in time to the time of the original chosen ones and stop the Lost Ones from ever coming to be, and hopefully the ripple effect from such a change would solve her friends' troubles, too. Silver heard of her plan from a drunken rant Punchy was having at the local tavern, and set out to keep her from making and drastic change to the timeline. Timothy and Carrie joined Gemini on her trip to the past, but Fred decided to consult with a higher authority before making a move.
Meanwhile, as Sonic moved into Tails' workshop while Uncle Chuck was rebuilding his house, Amy came by looking for Punchy and Rainbow, scheming to become their wedding planner...
Now, let's begin today's chapter...
Rex the hedgehog now had his team. Eleven heroes, ten equipped with Chaos Relics. There was Gunther and Radia to support them as well, but only in minor capacities. For now, the ten relic holders needed to train and uncover the secrets of their new treasures. Bard the fox simply sat nearby, strumming his lute while the others gathered around a clearing in the woods, hoping to learn what it is they can do. "If you've no interest in fighting, why not give me that key of yours?" Brutus the dragon asked. He was the one without a relic, and he wanted one badly. Bard leaned against a tree and calmly glanced at Brutus. "Rex told me not to do that. Otherwise, I probably would..." he sighed. Brutus growled in frustration. Meanwhile, Spiro the cat tapped the Chaos Crown on his head. "How do we figure out what these things do?" he asked. "Well... obviously I scratch with these claws..." Luna the wolf murmured. "Yeah, these gauntlets seem pretty self-explanatory too." Monty the echidna added. He put on the gauntlets and tried a good punch, but was shocked as a bolt fired forth from his fist, forcing Aya the chameleon to leap out of the way quickly! "Gah!! That... was impressive! Now I'm truly curious what these cards can do..." she said, panting in her winded surprise. Rex nodded. "We'll have to be careful as we discover the abilities of our relics. There's no telling exactly how potent these powers of Chaos are..." he warned. Astra the fennec and William the raccoon looked at their ringed bands curiously. "Still, we are unsure how to even hold or wear these..." Astra stated. William nodded. "Is it like the other gold rings? Is it a bracelet? Did Radia say anything about them?" he asked. "Nope. Radia didn't say nothin' about none of 'em." Paul the walrus shrugged, trying to force the tight Chaos Boots onto his somewhat big feet. Red the sparrow flourished his gold cape and sighed. "This thing is called a wing? But it's clearly a cape!" he grumbled. There was no time for real training though, as Gunther, their human companion, ran up hurriedly. "Doomlings!! Attacking a village!! It's showtime!" he yelled. Rex's eyes narrowed. "...Alright. Let's go, but everyone be extra cautious!" he called out. "Um... Sh-should I even...? Oh, whatever..." Brutus groaned, shuffling off at the rear of the group.
Gemini, Timothy and Carrie had arrived in the past. Even the area of Troblusk City they first arrived in was pretty much an untamed, forested wilderness. "Wow. Humans ruined this place." Carrie murmured. "Now, that's not fair, Mobians are pretty guilty of making messes, too." Timothy pointed out. Gemini walked ahead to shout out the area a bit. "Everything looks the same. How can I even tell if I'm in the right time period?" she murmured. As she walked a certain distance away from Carrie and Timothy, she heard a rustling in the bushes. She reached for her wand. Suddenly, a frenzied beast leapt out at her, startling her and causing her to fall backward! It had four pointy legs, one big eye, and a massive jaw. Its body appeared to be made of a strange negative energy. "Aaahh!! A-a Doomling!!" Gemini gasped, fumbling to grasp and point her wand. The creature opened its maw wide, planning to devour and snuff the life from Gemini! "Oh, no you don't! Psychic...control!!" The beast was suddenly lifted by psychic energy and hurled against a tree as Silver walked up beside Gemini! "That...is one freaky creature. I guess Sonic's time and my time aren't the only points in history where terrible monsters are limited to." he mused, lifting it with his psychokinesis again and hurtling it in an upward trajectory far into the distance. "I hope there aren't more nearby..." he sighed. "S-silver?? Are you here to drag me back...?" Gemini groaned, standing up. "What's all the hubbub?" Carrie said, walking over with Timothy. "You alright, Gem? Ah! It's Silver!!" he gasped. Silver scratched his head. "Uh... Hi there... Look, Gemini, meddling with time has bigger consequences the further back you go. It's probably not a good idea for us to be here." he stated. Carrie crossed her arms. "Well, I'm not gonna let you stop us. I don't pretend to understand all of this but it seems important to more than just Gemini." she stated. Silver shrugged. "Yeah... I know. So, I'll just tag along for now. I'll help you keep any damage to the timeline at a minimum." he stated. Gemini gave Silver a hug, startling him. "Thanks for understanding..." she said. Silver blushed slightly. "So, uh... We should head for the Mystic Ruins area, I think..." he babbled. "Right! Glad to have you with us, Silver!" Timothy smiled.
The village under attack was populated by raccoons and coatis, and they were rapidly getting cornered by the monstrous one-eyed Doomlings that had invaded. "These are the creatures we're fighting?!" Red gasped, looking at his cape with uncertainty. "Well...good thing I got these gauntlets working. Hiya!!" Monty grunted despite the startled warnings of several of his comrades who felt strategy might be something to try. A bolt from the gauntlets flew through the village, striking near a Doomling and catching not only its attention, but the attention of all of them! The mammalian villagers scrambled for safety as Brutus smacked Monty upside the head. "Thanks, pal! Now we're on the menu!" he grumbled. Rex stepped forward and clutched the Chaos Sword. "It was a noble move, and it saved the villagers. Now, let's save ourselves!" he declared as the creatures came at them! Paul gulped and tried running off to one side, unwittingly activating the Chaos Boots and zipping faster and farther than intended until he slammed into a wall! "Uuugh!! I... I'm okay..." he wheezed. "Gah ha ha!! Hilarious! Oh, no, I'm gonna die 'cuz I just have a dumb do-nothing crown..." Spiro gulped. Luna slipped on her claws and joined Monty and Rex on the front lines. "Well, someone has to save our butts..." she huffed. "Please, do! This is my village and all I can fight with is a dumb ring..." William sighed, slipping it on his wrist like a bracelet. Astra shrugged. "I'll try that, too." she said, slipping on her ring as well, "But I actually have another means of fighting, I'll admit..." she murmured, digging into her pocket to find a wand with a silver gem attached to its tip. Rex had begun slashing his sword at oncoming Doomlings, barely keeping them at bay. "If any of you have any ideas about fighting, get in here and help!" he shouted, "...Light Gaia's blessing can only take me so far..." he muttered under his breath.
The Doomlings came at the group, scattering them! Bard and Red tried taking cover behind Monty, who's gauntlets were frightening the creatures off, but his aim wasn't that great. "Do not let them bite you! It is fatal!" Aya warned as she ran to help Paul to his feet. "H-huh? How do you know...?" he mumbled. "...One hears things." she said. Spiro found himself caught in the midst of a group of them as Luna tried to slash them away from him. "Hold on, kitty cat! Oh, nooo!!" she gasped as Spiro was bitten! "Agh!! I-I'm a goner!! No... I... Hey, I feel fine!" the cat babbled as the Doomlings crawled away from him. His Chaos Crown was glowing. "Your relic protected you!" William shouted from his cover behind Astra. The fennec was casually blasting back Doomlings with weak shots from her wand, which they didn't seem to like. "Why do you even need a relic?" William asked. "I dunno. Membership thing?" Astra shrugged. Still, the Doomlings were proving a bit much for most of them. Brutus gasped as they cornered him, so Paul tried once again to use his boots to help. He sped in to pull Brutus out of the way, but couldn't stop and crashed into a group of Doomlings! They crawled over him and opened their jaws to bite when Rex saw them. "Enough!! Graaaaaahh!!" Rex slashed his sword in their direction, and bolts of Chaos energy, Chaos Spears, were flung at the creatures! They were knocked off Paul, and Rex hurried over to plunge his blade into the beasts one by one. The other heroes watched as Rex eliminated the Doomlings with a mix of Chaos Spears and sword slashes, and pretty soon the battle was over. The group gave a small cheer, and Bard sat in the center of town, strumming his lute. "This victory calls for a song... In honor of our heroic leader..." he murmured, thinking up some words.
"Mighty Rex the Hedgehog, he stormed into town!
Enemies were everywhere, but he struck them down!
A flash of his blade, a clang of steel!
His heart true, but his power unreal!
Mighty Rex the Hedgehog! Our leader, brave and true!
The great Rex the Hedgehog! This song is for you!"
Bard's voice carried through the village, and even to just outside, where Gemini's ears pricked at the sound. "I wonder what the singing is about..." she murmured. "One of the original Chosen Ones was a traveling singer." Silver stated, the others glancing at him oddly. "I looked into the history a bit after the Darkseeker tried to gather all the Chaos Relics." he stated. They started to head towards the village, when they heard wings beating overhead! Capricorn suddenly landed in front of them, accompanied by Aquarius and the Deathbringer...Libra. An even bigger brute than Aquarius also thudded behind them, a winged bull whose sharp horns had electricity sparking between them! "Stay where you are! Heh...hey, Silver!" the bull snorted. Silver backed up a step. "Taurus... Capricorn... I guess I don't have to ask what brings you guys here..." he mumbled. "You know them?" Carrie asked. Silver nodded. "The Zodiac Council watches over time. They've had their eyes on me alright... Especially after the Nocturnus incident..." he muttered. Timothy hid behind Gemini. "Right...the Divine Masters said you were in trouble, Gem..." he gulped. Capricorn crossed her arms. "You sure could be. But lucky for you, your sister is here to speak on your behalf." she said, glancing at Libra. Gemini scoffed. "She's not my sister. I don't know who she was, but you guys twisted her into a murderer!" she growled. "Don't make this hard, Gemini..." Libra sighed. "We're giving you a chance to return home on your own...ALL the way home!" Aquarius stated. Carrie nodded. "And to show how serious you are, you sent a whole batch of thugs. Well aren't you the neighborly organization." she said sarcastically. Capricorn flapped her wings. "Joke all you want. You've caused enough trouble, Gemini. If you don't go back to your own time very soon... The punishment may be quite severe! You've all been warned!" she said before the four of them flew off, Libra and Gemini keeping their eyes on one another for as long as they could. "Libra thinks she's helping me...What she doesn't get is that I'm here to help her. If I change the past enough...maybe she'll never need to become the Deathbringer..." she murmured. "Yeah! Go, flimsy logic!" Carrie cheered. Gemini glanced at her and sighed. Silver was looking at her sternly, and Timothy seemed nervous about defying the Zodiac Council. "...Alright...maybe we should go... You're right... this will never work..."
Although Rex's group was mostly in a celebratory mood, Paul was off to the side, pulling off the Chaos Boots with a resigned look on his face. "Guys..." he grunted, loud enough to get some attention, "...I'm done. Back to my snowbound village. This whole thing...running at super speed... I can't handle it." he sighed, "And you need a guy who can handle it, with the dangers you'll be facing." The group looked at him in shock. They mostly thought he handled himself pretty well for a first go. "Well, hey, I'll trade you if you don't like the boots!" William chuckled. "You were real heroic back there. Don't leave!" Monty urged him. Paul set aside the Chaos Boots and stood up, lightly smiling at the group. "I thank you all for the chance, but I'm not that kinda guy. I'm sure Rex will find some good use for these boots." he stated. Rex had a disappointed expression, but he stepped over to shake Paul's hand. "I still think you are that kinda guy. Each of you were picked for this team because we saw something special in you...and you proved yourself when you rescued Brutus earlier. I hope you'll change your mind and come back to us." he said. Paul sighed and started to head for the exit to the village, shuffling past his former teammates with an awkward expression. "I wouldn't expect we'll see each other again. Good luck, all of you." he told them, letting out a heavy sigh as he left. Brutus shrugged. "Team was crowded anyway. So, can I maybe get those boots...?" he murmured. "Dibs!" William said, snatching them up, "If it makes you feel any better, you can have this goofy ring!" he offered, to which Brutus grudgingly accepted. "Dude's not gone five minutes and you're already fighting over his stuff..." Red groaned. Aya shrugged. "Cold it may seem, but it is imperative that we move forward." she stated. Rex nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the path Paul had gone. "It's disheartening that our number has already dwindled." Bard said to him, standing close, "But at least we all live." he added cheerily.
After everyone had a moment to rest and process Paul's leaving, Rex stood before the group again. "There's no time to waste. We're down a hero, and the Doomlings could strike again at any moment. Until then, we must focus on training." he said urgently. "Here? Now?" Brutus grumbled. "Yeahhh, might we wreck the town?" Monty pointed out. Rex sighed. "We'll do our best to move out of the way. Come on. I can't do all the fighting for us." he stated. Luna huffed grouchily. "Yeah, I don't get any credit for trying..." Bard looked at her a bit awkwardly. "Sorry... I know you and Monty and Astra helped... The song would've been a bit bloated if I tried to work you all in though..." he said with a nervous chuckle. "No, Rex is right." Astra said, "What if any of us are caught alone? We have to be able to defend ourselves." she reasoned. Spiro chuckled. "Well, not me, haha! I'm immortal! Grovel before me, lowly um... mortals!" he laughed teasingly. "Oy, crown's goin' to his head..." Red groaned. Rex shook his head as he listened to the disorderly group. "I wish Radia had stuck around, she understands these relics better than I... Well, let's have you all one at a time. Each Chaos Relic is meant to posses a powerful ability. If we can figure out what those abilities are, we can train you to control them." he stated. Aya stepped forward with the Chaos Cards in hand. "Perhaps you have a suggestion for these things?" she asked. "I think Bard needs to take out that key of his and try something!" Monty smirked, smacking the fox's back. "Ooof!! I... I really don't wish to fight..." Bard stammered. "That's okay, I don't see how you'll fight with a key!" Monty chuckled. Rex rolled his eyes. "Okay, we'll split off into groups..." he suggested.
Gemini had headed into the village just to sit down and think for a bit. Timothy caught up to her. "...We're going home, aren't we?" he asked. Gemini nodded slowly. "I can't be selfish. You're okay. If I don't make any more waves, I think you'll stay okay..." she murmured. "You're still in trouble... Think maybe they'll let me take the blame?" Timothy asked. Gemini shrugged, looking around the raccoon village glumly. However, she caught sight of a familiar figure heading between two buildings. Armored, with a cape and a staff, and two very familiar tails poking out from under the cape. She stood up suddenly. "Copter... It's Copter!" she gasped. Timothy looked, but the figure was gone. Gemini rubbed her eyes. "He went behind those buildings..." she stammered. Timothy thought about it. "You mean Aries? You think he came with the other Divine Masters?" he asked. Gemini shook her head. "No... He fought against them with Cancer before. Why is he here?" she wondered. "What's the word, Gem?" Carrie said as she found them. Silver was behind her. "You look surprised by something. What's wrong?" he asked. Gemini glanced at Silver. "...My friend is here. Copter. He was tricked into joining Cancer of the Zodiac Council... And Cancer is against the rest of the council." she explained. Silver scratched his head. "I've met Copter, yeah... He's...here? Where?" he asked. Timothy pointed. "He's hiding, looks like." he said. Silver crossed his arms. "Capricorn will probably handle him... But he's your friend, and we don't know HOW he'd be handled..." he murmured. This made Gemini look even more worried, until Silver spoke again. "I guess we have to stay in the past a while longer. Whatever Cancer's up to, it can't be good if he's gone rogue from the council." he stated. Gemini and Carrie smiled at him, though Timothy looked worried. "What if Capricorn doesn't get that we're trying to help?" he asked. "Then I'll slap her till she does!" Carrie winked. "Not helpful..." Timothy sighed. Gemini chuckled softly. "Don't worry. If Copter's here... I finally feel like coming to the past might actually be the right thing. There were doubts before, but everything seems connected now. If we follow this path, I know we can save everyone!" she said with determination. So, their mission truly began...
Punchy and Rainbow sat back with a contented sigh. "Alright, it's settled. The wedding will be in about six weeks. Or six months? What's today's date?" Punchy babbled. Whew, that was almost a fourth wall break about how weird the flow of time is in this story series. "Don't worry about it, One. It's still months off, either way..." Rainbow smiled. Suddenly, there was a banging at the door. It flew open, and Amy stood in the doorway holding her hammer! "Aha! Found ya!" she proclaimed. "Hey, you can't just barge in like this!" Kosmo said, startled. "Can it, Kosmo!" Amy snapped, making the morph stare at her in surprise. Punchy stood up and scratched his head. "Uhhh... I didn't take the Master Emerald? Or Sonic?" he mumbled. Amy chuckled. "Oh, I'm not here to accuse you of anything! We're past all that! I want to plan your wedding for you!" Amy announced cheerfully. "Y-you...WHAAAA?!" Punchy gasped. Kosmo stomped over. "Look, lady, you think just 'cuz you hammer that cheap door free from its hinges you get to take over my sorta-but-not-really brother's wedding??" he growled. Amy gripped the tips of Kosmo's fingers and started to bend them back. "Owowow!! What is WRONG with you!?" the morph shouted. Punchy glanced at Rainbow. "S-say something!" he babbled. He REALLY didn't want Amy hanging around for six months. Or even weeks. Rainbow sighed. "Don't dislocate Three's fingers, Pinky. And One... Why don't we see how she does? After all, what do we know about planning a wedding?" she pointed out. Amy released Kosmo and jumped for joy. "Yeeeeahh!! You will NOT regret this Rebecca!" she giggled. "Uh... It's Rainbow..." Rainbow said awkwardly. "Huh? Wait, like...that's your real actual name? Huh... Good thing I didn't put Rebecca on the invitations, haha!" Amy laughed. Punchy glanced at Kosmo nervously. "That's it, I'm movin' out." Kosmo grumbled. "Not fair, I can't do that..." Punchy whimpered. This was going to be a long, interesting lead-up to the wedding...
Taurus had by now separated from Capricorn, left the past, and was meeting with Cancer outdoors in Troblusk City. He wasn't alone, either. Scorpio (formerly Eddie) had accompanied Cancer, while a shark-girl divine named Pisces also met with them. Fred Leo rounded out the group, Adam the bat and Evelyn the fox standing back nearby as his entourage. "Wow, I've never seen so many Zodiacs in one place... Does that shark have wings, even??" Adam babbled. "Shh! Don't show disrespect!" Evelyn shushed him. Cancer cleared his throat once they were gathered. "My friends. Sorry to meet in such a shabby place, but what I'm about to say must be kept strictly hush-hush... Ophiuchus is not fit to lead us." he stated. "I'd choose your next words with more care!" Taurus huffed. "Or you'll what? Eee hee... Breathe on us?" Scorpio taunted. Cancer crossed his arms. "Does no one else see where the timeline is heading? Allowing history to run its course as is will lead to extinction, any of us paying attention knows it. It's time the snake stepped down so someone else could correct our course." he stated. Fred glared at him. "You mean yourself? How transparent you are, Cancer. Your only desire is to rule the timeline yourself." he growled. "Doesn't someone have to?" Pisces stated, "I think the bird makes some good points. Maybe Ophi needs to be replaced." she murmured. Taurus rubbed his chin. "He has gotten sloppy... Letting that Gemini do as she pleases thus far..." he muttered. Fred looked around nervously, grabbing for his wand. "I'd hoped you wouldn't be a problem, Leo. Your own protege could face harsh punishment from him once Ophi views her meddling as a threat to the timeline. Wouldn't you like to change the rules for her?" he mused. Fred glanced back to Adam and Evelyn, who quickly grabbed their laser pistols, both looking rather nervous. "Rules are there for a reason. We all must do our best within the natural law!" he proclaimed. "Says the magician... Knock some sense into him." Cancer said to his new friends.
Pisces produced a trident and charged at Fred, only to be blasted backward with a powerful magic shot! "Huh, that was strangely easy..." he mumbled before Scorpio stepped forward and cackled, creating illusions of some of his old Despair subordinates and sending them after the trio. "Look at their cold dead eyes and fear them! Eee hee... Actually, these illusions might be of dead guys!" he snickered. Fred got busy casting spells at these illusions, including a slippery one that certainly resembled the departed Corky the Frog. Adam found himself flying to avoid Pisces trident as she returned to the battle, and Evelyn backed away as Taurus approached her. "You think that toy gun will bother me? I'll zap your lights out..." he grunted, the horns on his head charging more electricity between them as they prepared to fire a jolt her way. Evelyn gulped and tried to shoot, but her gun jammed. "Damn it! Noo!" she gasped. Suddenly, a lightning whip lashed around Taurus's horns, redirecting the electric charge as the holder of the whip swung over in front of Evelyn, Wispon in hand! It was Felicia! "Feli!!" Evelyn cried, relieved to see her friend from Fred's church gig of the previous year. Scorpio glared at her. "Eee hee... Don't I know her? Something about the eyes..." he murmured. Felicia pulled back the whip, causing Taurus to stumble over. "Don't you mess with my friends! I'll show you what happened to Infinite!" she warned. All this noise was carrying into a nearby building, where Amy Rose was trying to discuss wedding plans with Punchy and Rainbow. "Grrr... How can a girl concentrate with all that racket??" she grunted. Rainbow shrugged. "I lived with One and Two a while. Ya get used to it." she said. "Hey!" Punchy snapped. Amy clutched her hammer. "Well, I've got some words for those inconsiderate jerks!" she growled, stomping off.
Arriving outside, Amy was quick to bash Scorpio on his scorpion-shaped helmet with her hammer! He turned angrily. "Mind your business! Eeee hee... Or I'll mind it for you!" he warned. "Isn't that annoying frog dead?" Rainbow said of the Corky illusion as she ran outside too. "Get back in here, Rainbow! It could be dangerous!" Punchy shouted. Cancer turned to the newcomers with annoyance. "Listen to Scorpio. This doesn't concern you." he said. "Bull, it doesn't!" Kosmo said, stomping out, "Err, no offense, bull." he muttered at Taurus. "None...taken?" Taurus murmured. "You kidnapped and corrupted Copter! And probably as a side effect of that, I had to take in his friends!" Kosmo snapped. "Gee, way to make us feel welcome, Three." Rainbow sighed. "Yeah!" Amy added, "And if that's true, that means you're the reason I had to come to this dirty town! Uhh... No offense, town." Amy murmured in case any prideful Troblusk residents were listening. "Enough! This is beyond irrelevant!" Cancer scoffed. "I agree. You all should stand down." At the sound of this newest voice, Taurus, Fred, Adam and Evelyn bowed down. A literal angel stood among them...a winged human with blonde hair and green eyes, dressed in armor. "Ophi... You actually came here!" Cancer smirked. He then glanced at Scorpio, who nodded and started to flee into the streets before splitting into multiple illusions of himself. Gasping, Pisces followed in a panic while Cancer flew off. "This conflict is most distressing. Taurus, send word to Capricorn. Cancer and his allies are fugitives now. Aries, too." Ophi stated. Taurus stood up and saluted. "Yes, sir!" he said, suddenly turning into a bolt of lightning and vanishing! Ophi led Fred and his friends away, too, leaving Felicia behind. "What...is going on?" Felicia mumbled worriedly. Punchy stood among the other bewildered lookers on and rubbed his head. "Well, Copter's a fugitive again. Just great. Wanna come in, Felicia? My day's ruined anyway, so it won't make a difference either way..." he muttered. Felicia sighed. "Yeah, sure I guess... My friends sure didn't invite me with them..." she said sadly.
Copter sat on a tree stump in a field, still in the past. Soon, Cancer approached him. "The meeting could have gone better..." Cancer stated. Copter, or Aries, lifted off his helmet and sighed. "As usual, everyone views me as the bad guy, huh? I could whine about how unfair it is, but that would be the old, weak me." he grumbled. Cancer nodded. "You aren't having second thoughts about possibly fighting your old friends, are you?" he asked. Aries shrugged. "I... well... maybe Gemini. She doesn't deserve to be hurt. She always thinks she's doing the right thing." he stated. Cancer nodded and hummed to himself. "Her sister is directly opposed to us. It would be a tricky situation for you no matter what. If you don't want to harm your precious Gemini, then I would try to pursuade her to join with us, were I you." Cancer told him before heading off. Aries placed his helmet back on, hiding his face. "I wouldn't say precious... I wouldn't!" he shouted after him, "...I'll think it over though..." he muttered silently.
Mini Episode - Odd Couple
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Sonic & Tails living together under the same roof, what could make more sense? As much a match made in heaven as it sounds, the move was still certainly a rough adjustment for one of them... It started with Tails being awoken every night to the sound of Sonic's loud snoring...from DOWNSTAIRS. The snores would turn to strange moans as Tails tossed and turned, hiding his ears under his pillow to escape the noise. This was only the beginning. Sonic would often interrupt Tails as he worked on building and fixing things, asking where something or other was. "Hey, Tails! Where's your towels?" he asked, dripping wet. It'd take him two seconds to run through the house to find things, Tails thought with an eye roll. "Where's the remote?" "Where's your quill trimmers?" "Did you see where I left my shoes?" Tails collapsed into his seat after a while with a groan. "I can't get any work done! Ugh... I need a glass of water..." he grumbled, walking towards the kitchen only to randomly trip over something and land flat on his face! "Sonic! I found your shoes!" he growled.
It only got crazier from there. Tails would often return to his living room and kitchen from the garage after a day of tinkering to find the place a total mess. Chili spatters everywhere. "Soniiic... You can make a mess at the speed of sound, why can't you clean it up just as fast!?" he asked, his eye twitching in suppressed anger. "Huh? Oh, I can... I just... didn't yet." Sonic replied from his seat, burping loudly. Tails climbed upstairs, heading for a closet where he thought he might have stashed some spare light bulbs he needed. Opening up the closet, he was suddenly buried under an avalanche of gold rings, the only sound he can hear being the crashing sound they make when they go flying! "SONIC!!" he cried, "...Now I'm sorry I wondered where you keep all those rings..." he groaned. Sonic ran up, looked at the mess, and then sped back with a broom. "Sorry, bro! I was savin' them for a rainy day! Never know when we'll have seven emeralds but need 50 rings!" he chuckled softly.
This was just about the last straw for Tails, and Sonic's snoring that night was pushing him over the edge. It had been days. Maybe weeks. He couldn't take it much longer. He climbed out of bed and clutched a Piko Piko Hammer Amy had left at his workshop once. "Sonic must leave... Must leave..." he said drowsily. As he crept down to his living room couch where Sonic was sleeping, though, he heard Sonic begin to moan. Then he realized it wasn't moaning... Sonic was talking in his sleep. "No... no, Eggman... Not tofu..." he murmured. He was having a nightmare? "Wait... Tails??" Tails stopped in his tracks. A snore told him Sonic was still asleep. But then...was he in Sonic's dream? "No, Tails, stay back... Eggman... Infinite, don't! T-take me instead... D-don't hurt... Don't kill Tails!! N-nooo!!" he babbled, shaking frantically on the sofa. Tails lowered the hammer, dropping it at his side. "Sonic..." he sighed, rushing over to shake him awake. "Huh? Wha?? What's happening? You alright, bro?" Sonic babbled. Tails hugged him. "You thought Eggman killed me... I'm so sorry, Sonic... I know what that's like; I thought he killed you." he sniffled. Sonic gently hugged him back. "Talkin' in my sleep, was I? Sorry, Tails... That's how Eggman tortured me for six months... let me think you were dead. I had to pretend everything was fine. Couldn't let everyone think he'd broken me...'specially not him..." he sighed. Tails couldn't throw him out after hearing this. They'd just have to work things out. "We're okay now, Sonic." he said with a smile, looking around, "But seriously, you gotta clean up after yourself." he sighed, noting the mess. Sonic chuckled softly, "Okay, little buddy... I promise."
Episode 3 - Song of Friendship
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
"Hey, there! I understand you guys lost an ally recently?" Paul's very public exit from Rex's group led to Gemini's group hearing about it. While Silver didn't much like the idea, this seemed like a good opportunity to get close to the situation. So, Carrie volunteered to attempt to become the replacement hero. Rex looked at her oddly when she approached. "I don't recall seeing you around the village. Those raccoons are a gossipy bunch, huh?" he muttered. "Hey!" William shouted, lightly offended. "Scram!" Brutus grunted, "We've got no more, uh... weapons...for you." he told her. Gemini stepped up next to Carrie. "It's okay. Carrie can handle herself. She heard of your heroics and really wants to help!" she stated as Carrie nodded. Astra looked at Gemini curiously. "Hmm... You have gentle eyes... Why don't we give the girl a chance?" she said to Rex. Bard strummed his lute as he lounged at the back of the group. "I say take them both. I'll gladly give up my spot." he said. Monty grabbed his lute out of his hands. "You're not quittin' on us, fox! ...You're the team mascot!" he chuckled. "What's a mascot?" Spiro asked. Carrie chuckled, watching the group. "Looks like you need all the help you can get!" she pointed out. Rex nodded. "Fine... You can sit in on training for now. Maybe you can prove yourself to me." he said. Gemini started to walk away. "Good luck, Carrie!" she smiled, "...I gotta look for Copter..." she thought as she left. Carrie walked over to where some of the group was training, to find a bit of breeze kicked up as Aya and Red tapped into their Chaos Relic powers. The sparrow suddenly had great golden wings on his back in place of the cape, while Aya summoned a gale of wind out of one of the Chaos Cards! "Good, good... We seem to be making progress!" Rex smirked. "Wind? What good is wind?" Aya sighed. Carrie scratched her head. From what little she knew of the Chaos Cards...that wasn't what they did. "Maybe you have to try drawing the card a certain way?" she suggested. Aya stared at her. "Just who are you? Gah, whatever..." Aya flicked a card, and to her surprise, it became a golden shuriken, which Carrie had to stop in midair with her psychokinesis! The group stared at both of them for a moment. "Okaaaay, you're in, girlie!" Spiro announced.
Silver was close by as Gemini walked away. "I'm still against this. We really shouldn't interfere with the timeline too closely." he warned. Gemini scoffed at him. "We do it all the time in Sonic's era." she pointed out. Silver rubbed his face in frustration, as though they'd been over this a million times already. "Sonic's era isn't nearly as far off from our time as this! Even so, it's still risky to mess around even in Sonic's time!" he said worriedly. "Why do we keep calling it Sonic's time like he owns it?" Timothy asked with a cute smirk. They ignored him, and quieted down altogether as Gunther ran past them. "...I didn't know there were humans on this continent at this time..." Timothy murmured. "Oh, ugh, he reminds me of Gunner a bit..." Gemini groaned. Gunther ran up to the training heroes, out of breath. "Mister Rex! News on the Doomling front!" he shouted. Rex stepped over to hear what he had to say, Bard and Monty joining him. "I've heard tell of creatures matching your description of Doomlings in a certain region. Trouble is, area's a bit mysterious. It's inhabited by those mirages you may have heard of." he stated. Monty shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We have to help them." he said. "Somebody ask for a mirage?" Carrie asked, overhearing a little, "I'm a mirage, you know." she told them. "Really? I thought you were some kind of otter." Bard confessed. "Are you really a mirage? They're a pretty mysterious race." Rex stated. Carrie shrugged. "Well, I'm told I am..." she said, sounding cute but really she was dead serious, for all she knew she was just a mutant otter. Rex nodded. "Very well... Seems your chance to prove yourself has already come. You'll be our guide to mirage country." he told her. Carrie chuckled softly and nodded. "Greeeeat..." she said, worried about how she'd manage to lead them through a place she'd never been to. Silver crossed his arms watching the situation. "Yeah, this will go SO well." he muttered. "Stop being smug and let's follow them!" Gemini huffed.
It was a bit of a walk to their destination. They soon came to the entrance to what would be known in the modern day as Sand Hill, and there they found a wall of fire barring their entry. "A desert, hidden within the jungle... And a wall of fire barring entry... Such a tale seems worthy of a song..." Bard murmured. "Maybe after we figure a way in." Luna sighed. Carrie stepped to the wall of flame and looked around. "Hmm... I sense you there!" she called. A pair of creatures very similar to herself appeared from nowhere, dressed in armor and carrying spears. They looked stunned to see Carrie. "What are you doing with this band of... miscellenia?" one of the guards asked. While Carrie started talking things out with them, Gemini, Silver and Timothy tried to get a bit closer from their position of quietly following them. However, a beam from Aries's staff caught their attention! "Exactly where are you going, Gemini?" the armored fox asked her. Pisces the shark girl joined him, clutching her trident. "Hi, Silver... Freeze!" she smirked, blasting his feet with a beam of ice from her trident! Silver groaned and struggled. "Darn it, Pisces! Leave us alone!" he growled. "Exactly how many Zodiacs do you know?" Timothy asked him. "...They haven't always liked my time traveling much..." Silver sighed. Gemini pulled her wand on them. "Copter... I'm here for the good of everyone. Why are you fighting me?" she asked. Aries stepped forward, removing his helmet. "...I don't want to, Gemini. It'd be a waste of both out time...when we could be working together. You could join us!" he said, tucking his helmet under the arm holding his staff, and holding his freed hand out to Gemini. The fennec looked at him sympathetically. "Cancer's using you... Copter, you should be joining US." she pleaded. Copter winced, and put his helmet back on. "I'm gonna kill 'em!" Pisces grinned. Timothy was working on melting the ice holding Silver with a fire spell, but it was working too slow. Pisces aimed her trident...only to be knocked back by a blast of water! Aquarius flapped down, Capricorn beside him! "Pisces and Aries! You both are under arrest!" she declared. Gemini used the distraction to warp her friends away, while Carrie successfully convinced the guards to lower the flame wall protecting mirage village. As Rex's group headed into the desert, Spiro breathed deeply. "Ahh, I feel at home now! Reminds me of the warm sands of Shamar...where my people are revered by the dumb humans who live there!" he chuckled. Half the group rolled their eyes at him. "Yeah, dumb is right..." William muttered. Rex patted Carrie on the back. "Thanks for talking us in. I'm not sure we'd even see the guards without you." he told her. Carrie smiled and shrugged. "I dunno...." she murmured, "...Not like I'm big on history..." she thought.
Arriving at the village, Rex's group were quick to find the danger Gunther told them about. Big Doomling snakes with single bulging eyes on their heads were slithering about, their venomous fangs seeking to end the lives of anything touched by them! "We'd best be incredibly careful..." Rex warned. "Easy for you to say. You don't have to fight with a useless ring!" Brutus grunted. William sped past him with the Chaos Boots, chuckling. "Shouldn't have let me snatch these up, haha!" he teased. Monty put on the Chaos Gauntlets and Aya clutched the Chaos Cards as the snakes slithered at them. Carrie watched briefly, and quickly realized she had to prove herself in order to stay in the group. "Well, this shouldn't be too hard..." she murmured, using her psychokinesis to grab two snakes and smash them into one another! Red flapped by with the Chaos Wing and stared. "No fair, your natural ability is better than half the relics!" he babbled. Carrie snickered. "It is, isn't it?" she smirked, lifting up another snake and tossing it into the distance! Luna hacked at one with her claws, yelping as it tried to bite her and moving her claws to block its fangs! "Grrr, can't these claws do anything cool??" she groaned. Bard ran over in a bit of panic and, not thinking it through much, took the Chaos Key and plunged it into the back of the snake's head! It froze at the key's touch and opened its maw wide. "Uhhh... I think I... unlocked its mouth?" he stammered. Rex ran by and sliced it in two with his blade to free them from their predicament. "And we were wondering if Carrie was worthy to join the team... The team can scarcely keep up with her!" Rex sighed. This was true, but Carrie was getting carried away, and as she randomly hurled the snakes away at a violent speed, she wasn't paying much attention to where they were going. "Hey, dummy, SAVE the village!!" Spiro shouted. Stopping short, Carrie gasped to see two giant snakes she threw crashing into the tops of buildings, causing them to crumble due to the force of impact! "No!! People are in there!" she gasped. Fortunately, Silver was nearby out of sight. "Aaaagh!! Gemini, Tim! Fix this while I hold it!!" he gasped, "Lest the timeline be damaged by some deaths that weren't supposed to happen!" Gemini and Timothy both pointed their wands at the damaged areas. "Abra-ka-quick-fix!!" they shouted hurriedly. It was the magical equivalent of duct tape, but it'd hold the buildings for the moment...long enough for the people to get out before the structures collapsed. As Carrie watched all this, she stepped back and let Rex's group handle the snakes. "Interfering like this...is a mistake..." she murmured.
The remaining snakes retreated after it appeared they were losing. As Rex watched them go, he had a serious look on his face. "Did you see that? Look...they're escaping in formation..." he murmured. "Curious... Yes, it does look that way." Astra stated. "You're nuts. Those monsters are just brainless...monsters!" Spiro remarked. Monty crossed his arms. "Maybe...but then why are they retreating at all? Why not fight us to the last?" he wondered. Red flapped over them with the Chaos Wing and stared out at the escaping Doomlings. "Guh...you think they're...organized?" he babbled. While they were pondering this, Gemini took Carrie and slipped out of "Sand Hill." There was no sign of Aries, Capricorn or the others now. "Well, that was something..." Timothy sighed. "I warned you about interfering with the timeline..." Silver frowned. Carrie nodded. "Yeah, yeah, but how do we change anything if we don't interfere?" she wondered. Just then, Fred warped into the area, startling them! "Waaah! Teacher, I thought you were a Zodiac guy!" Timothy gasped. Fred looked at Gemini. "Thank goodness I'm in the right place. I wanted to warn you. You're not safe now..." he said, glancing around nervously. Gemini had a concerned look. "Teacher? Are you alright? Did something happen back home?" she asked. Fred sighed. "I can't get into details right now. I would suggest you lay low for the time being. I have to get going." he said, taking out his wand. "Wait! Please, tell me something! Is this about Cancer? Or is it something else?" she asked. "Want me to hold him here before he gets away?" Carrie wondered. Fred scoffed. "You can't hold me... Chronokadabra!" he said, creating a time portal to exit through. "...By the way...you must remember to close these behind you, Gemini." he said before stepping through. A moment later, the portal closed, and Gemini stood in bewilderment. "...It almost sounds like...he wants me to stay in this time now." she murmured. Silver scratched his head. "Very strange... But I guess there's no sense dwelling on it right now." he murmured. Gemini nodded. "...I hope Copter's alright. We left him fighting Capricorn..." she sighed. Carrie smirked. "Worried, hmm? You know, I thought there was something between you two when me and Talon visited a couple years back..." she teased. Gemini blushed heavily and Timothy glared at Carrie. "Don't tease Gemini! She's really worried here!" he said. Silver and Carrie couldn't help but chuckle a little. Little did they realize the impact taking Carrie away from the team was having. The group had noticed, and were looking a bit glum. So, as they sat about the village to rest after the battle, Bard decided to sing a song to lift their spirits...
"Is friendship a mirage? An illusion of the heart?
When things start getting rough, will it all just fall apart?
No, your true friends don't leave you when your eyes fill with tears.
They gather beside you, and together face your fears...
And around me I see not the mirages that faded away!
You're all gathered beside me, my friends here to stay!
If you stay true to me, I'll stay true to you,
That's what friendship means, it's what true friends do..."
Bard's friends cracked some smiles as he sang his song, and the village chief, an elder mirage, approached Rex. "We thank you for coming to our aid, despite being a band of outsiders. However, the sanctity of our village has been shattered, and those creatures have escaped. We feel it best to leave this place and seek a new home in a new place of seclusion..." she told him. Rex nodded. "We are sorry for your hardships... Safe journey to you." he said. "I'd recommend Shamar, but that's just me." Spiro smirked. While most of the group was saying their goodbyes to the mirages, Brutus snuck off to the outskirts of the village. Exiting the desert, he found a female dragon waiting for him in the jungle. He hugged her and rubbed snouts with her. "Hey Cleo, how's my precious?" he grinned. Cleo returned his embrace, but had a serious look on her face. "Brutus, what's taking so long? The other dragons are impatient. You were supposed to get the Chaos Relics from them by now!" she grunted. Brutus stepped back from her. "That won't be so easy. All I have to work with is a useless ring. They guard theirs pretty well. Tell the other dragons that it's gonna take more finesse to get the Chaos Relics." he told her. Cleo pouted, and then shrugged. "Fine... Just don't forget me while you're off playing the hero." she scoffed. Brutus smirked. "I am the hero, babe...your hero. When I'm done, this ring will be all yours..." he whispered. Cleo huffed. "I'd rather something not useless, thanks!" she retorted, to which Brutus chuckled as he turned to rejoin Rex's group. "Smart girl, that's why you're my mate!" he snickered.
Somewhere else in time, Fred was now standing before Ophiuchus, who shed his human skin in a flash of light and returned to his serpent form as he sat upon a throne-like seat. "So, you think because I showed up to Cancer's meeting, that I'm conspiring with him? I wonder if Taurus rates this mistrust." Fred complained. Ophi flicked his forked tongue and stared back at Fred. "With the timeline at stake, I can't afford to take chances. Cancer is devious. He may have promised you something... leniency for your protege, perhaps?" he suggested. Fred frowned. "You think I'd place the world at risk for one fennec?" he asked. Ophi leaned his head against his fist, looking bored. "You tell me. You have allowed her to come and go as she pleases in the past thus far...granted, it has been part of my plans up to this point. I never expected her to travel back that far, though. You should have stopped her." he stated. Fred knew full well. Somehow, Ophi had planned for Gemini's interference with the timeline. For the future to run its proper course, Gemini was even required to a degree. "You think from your godlike seat up here, you can control the hearts and minds of everyone. Well, you can't." Fred snapped. Ophi sat up with a stern look. "Where is your allegiance, wizard?!" he growled. Fred flicked out his wand and turned it on himself, a serious look in his eyes. "Morphicadabra!" he cast, shifting his form away from the disguise of a fennec, and revealing a white lion with a light blue mane! "I am still your faithful Leo... That has not changed!" he declared. Ophi smirked and stood from his seat. "Don't forget that... Because Leo is a title you know. It can be passed to another..." he warned. As Ophiuchus walked away, Fred recast the spell to place his fennec disguise. "If only we'd thought of passing the title for other Zodiacs..." he grumbled.
Sonic and Tails looked rather bored as they sat across from Amy and Rainbow in the not-so-abandoned building Punchy and Rainbow were squatting in now. Amy had drafted them to help make out wedding invitations. "...So, do we invite Knuckles or no? I can't tell if he and Punchy are friends or not." Tails murmured. Sonic elbowed him. "Invite Knux anyway... If they don't want him there, it'll be a good show!" he snickered. "Take this seriously, Sonic. You wouldn't want someone to invite someone stupid to our wedding, would you?" Amy growled. Rainbow chuckled softly. "Invite him, Tails." she said. A knock at the door was followed by the door just falling over. "Thanks a lot, Amy! You busted that door!" Punchy shouted. In walked Ridley the coati in his police uniform. "Afternoon, uh...Sonic... and others. I heard a bunch of winged fellas were spotted around here and got in a bit of an altercation with Ms. Rose there. Hehe, altercation. Don't I sound professional?" he smirked. Amy glanced at him. "I still don't buy you as a cop." she groaned. "Razor wasn't with 'em, Ridley." Punchy said, getting to the point. He'd heard about Razor's transformation into Sagittarius from Heather before the Freedom Fighters all parted ways. Ridley shrugged. "Maybe they can lead me to him. I owe it to Tommy to try and find him...plus he's kind of my partner." he said, clearing his throat, "Can you tell me anything helpful?" he asked. Rainbow perked up. "You know, Freddie was there. Wanda's teacher. Maybe he can help ya!" she suggested. Ridley nodded. "I guess that's a lead... Isn't he the pastor at the Church of Central City?" he mumbled. Sonic got up and ran to Ridley's side. "He hasn't been to church in weeks! But I'll help ya look! Anything for our boys in blue!" he winked. "After they gave you such a hard time the last couple years, Sonic?" Tails asked. Amy pouted. "You don't fool me, you're just trying to get out of helping with the wedding!" she grumbled. This seemed to make Tails get on board with the idea. "Hey, you know what? Maybe I can find some...technological way to help...track him down!" he babbled, him and Sonic each taking Ridley by an arm and leading him outside. "You lazy bums!!" Amy shouted. "Yeah, at least pick up the door on your way out!" Punchy yelled.
After walking with Ridley a ways, Sonic and Tails sighed. "Sorry about that, Ridley... We just really wanna get home and work on fixing the portal to our friend Blaze's world..." Tails explained. Sonic nodded. "Hate to say, but tracking those winged guys is probably impossible. I remember finding Capricorn in the past, sooo...they can time travel." he stated. "You what?" Tails babbled. Ridley looked a bit crestfallen at this. "I thought I had a lead... Wait, home? Same home? You two are...living together?" he concluded. "Wow, you'll make detective in no time." Sonic teased. Tails chuckled as the three of them walked. "Yeah, Sonic's good company now that I'm... single..." he sighed. Sonic chuckled. "I've been tryin' to get him back out there...just so I get the house all to myself!" he teased. "I can't leave you alone with my workshop! You'll burn it down, and I just finished fixing it up after the last time it burned down!" Tails half-joked. Sonic shrugged. "You break one microwave during a bit of vivid daydreaming..." he murmured. "You play too many video games Sonic. Why else would you think there's a 'thunder shield' in the microwave?" Tails groaned. Ridley chuckled softly, but then the trio stopped short to find some people in their path. One was Rouge. "So, did my bat ears hear right? You're single, fox boy?" she smirked, standing with her hands on her hips and staring at him. Cosmo the seedrian stepped up next to her. "Yes, he is... I already knew that, and was hoping to find him... So, could you all...give us a moment?" she asked, only for Rouge to scowl at her. Violet the echidna was next to approach. "Tails is single? Hmmm, and me with my thing for foxes?" she mused. Tails backed up a bit, right into a female fox in a red dress. "Ooof! Hey, there, what's your hurry? ...I'm Zooey!" she smiled. Tails jumped away from her. "Yaaah!! I... I'm really not ready to... to date again..." he babbled as Sonic and Ridley looked on awkwardly. "Well, we'll get ya ready, hehehe..." Rouge smirked. Ridley flashed his badge. "Ladies, please, give us some space." he ordered, only to find them closing in. Growling, Ridley did the next thing he could think of. "Chaos Splatter!!" The girls squealed as they were splashed with water, and Sonic grabbed both Tails and Ridley by the arms, racing for a nearby alley. There...they bumped into Scorpio (AKA Eddie)! "Eeee hee hee! Hello there, boys! ...Ridley." he grunted, "I heard you've been asking about us, so I picked up an insurance policy against that!" he said, revealing a frightened Tommy the porcupine behind him!
Cosmo had caught up to them. "You know, Tails, an alley isn't the best hiding place...oh gosh, what's this??" she gasped, seeing Scorpio summon a few giant illusory scorpions! "Eee hee... Cancer taught me to go bigger. Bigger is better! Now, what can we trade for the boy and your cooperation?" the hyena smirked. A bolt from the sky destroyed one of the illusions, and Sagittarius swooped down with his bow at the ready! "Let the kid go, Scorpio!" he warned. "R-razor!! You came!" Tommy sniffled. Sonic looked ready to go. "Right, let's trounce Eddie like that time at Despair Castle!" he said. Before he could move, though, another Zodiac dropped in front of him. "Stay out of our affairs, for your own safety..." Upon seeing who it was, Sonic gasped. It was Sally Acorn. The Freedom Fighter whose funeral Sonic had attended not so long ago! "S-sally?" he babbled. She looked at him without emotion. "My name is Virgo. You are Sonic the Hedgehog. You've crossed the Zodiac Council before." she said grimly. Tails passed them by with Cosmo following, hoping to take out some scorpions and help Razor/Sagittarius out. Scorpio saw them coming and smirked, casting an illusion of vines to erupt from the alley walls and grab Cosmo! "Aaagh!! T-tails, help me!" she cried. "Eee hee, what's wrong, plant girl? They're plants just like you!" he smirked. Tails turned and looked in fear as the vines pulled at Cosmo's limbs. "S-stop it!! Let her go!!" he cried, rushing back to aid her. Meanwhile, Sonic was distracted by Sally. "You...you were dead! I was at your funeral!" he stammered. Virgo shrugged. "You are mistaken. Quit distracting me." she said, trying to turn and join Sagittarius in fighting Scorpio. However, Sonic tugged her arm. "They've got you brainwashed, don't they? Just like Razor! Listen to me...You are Sally Acorn! Your father is Max Acorn. You spent six months fighting Eggman's army to save him, and you succeeded at the cost of your own life! Try to remember!" he said seriously. Sally slapped his hand away from her and extended her wings. "I am VIRGO!! And you are a mere mortal male... I command you to STAND DOWN!!" she bellowed, her eyes glowing lightly. Sonic gasped and held his head, backing away a bit. "Y-yes...ma'am..." he murmured, her tone CONTROLLING him. Meanwhile, Tails pulled apart the vines with all his might and caught Cosmo as she fell to the ground. "A-are you alright?" he panted, exhausted. Cosmo looked into his eyes with a blush. "...my hero..." she murmured.
Ridley didn't stand idle during all this. He snuck around and tackled Eddie from behind, pulling Tommy free from his clutches! "Ha! And you always thought you were smarter than me, hyena breath!" Ridley smirked as he led Tommy to safety, "Way to distract him, partner!" he said to Razor, who ignored him, "...Right, Sagittarius." Scorpio grunted in frustration. "Well, it's kinda hard keeping track of the seven of you all against little old me. But I've decided what to take with me!" he grinned, hurling an illusion bolt at Sagittarius' head, knocking him out! Before anyone could act, Eddie picked him up and vanished before their eyes! "Eat your heart out, Illusi!! Eeee hee hee hee hee!!" he cackled. Virgo growled in aggravation. "He can't teleport, he's just disguising his escape! Scorpio!! Show yourself!!" she cried. Tommy frowned. "This is all my fault...now Razor's in even more trouble..." he sighed. "Hey, you can't do anything about an illusionist coming after you." Ridley told him. Virgo sighed and extended her wings. "Keep an eye out for them... It's apparent that Cancer has made you all targets." she said before flying away. Sonic looked up at her and rubbed his head. "Are they sure she was dead?" he asked Tails. The fox nodded. "I saw her die... Infinite, he..." he murmured, a bit of a traumatized look on his face as he remembered. Ridley took Tommy's hand. "I'd better see the runt home. Thanks for...somethin', Sonic." he murmured. He wasn't really sure if Sonic's presence had been helpful at all today, really. As Ridley and Tommy left, Tails turned to Cosmo awkwardly and Sonic tapped his foot, lost in thought. "We can't take this lying down, can we? Is there any way we can find them and rescue Razor?" he wondered. Tails shrugged. "I don't know, Sonic... The Zodiac Council is tricky, like you said. They may not even be in this time." he muttered. Cosmo smiled at him. "I'm sure you can do it..." she said. As they stepped out of the alley, voices called out to them. "There he is!!" Zooey cried. Tails looked to see his suitors bearing down on them again, and started to sweat nervously. "S-soniiic..." he gulped. Sonic grabbed his arm and tore off into the distance, leaving all the girls behind! "Heh... now ya know how Amy makes me feel!" he chuckled as he pulled Tails along with him.
Later on, Tails was busy tinkering with the portal to Blaze's world with Sonic sitting nearby, handing him tools he'd ask for. The fox's mind was on anything but, though. He let out a heavy sigh, a blush coming to his face. "S-sonic... I feel weird..." he murmured. Sonic chuckled softly. "I didn't go too fast with you earlier, did I?" he asked. "No, it's not motion sickness..." he mumbled, twiddling his thumbs, "It's Cosmo...and Violet...and that Zooey...and Rouge...well, not so much Rouge." he babbled, "Do you think they all really like me?" he asked. Sonic sat back and crossed his arms. "Hmm... Rouge is probably after somethin'... But yeah, buddy, I do. What's not to like? You're cute, smart, a hero... and technically famous. You ARE my sidekick." he smirked. Tails blushed a bit more. "I-it's kind of embarrassing... I don't wanna be chased like that when I go out..." he shivered. Sonic patted him on the back. "Maybe you need to pick one so that the others know you're taken." he chuckled. "I'm serious, Sonic." Tails frowned, "...What if it's too soon after Cream? What if... I'm not ready for another girlfriend?" he asked. Sonic rubbed his chin. "Hmm, so that's what this is about? Don't worry about it, bro! All you gotta do is listen to your heart. You'll know when you're ready. And if you think you're ready now, go for it! Hehe, I don't think there's such a thing as too fast in love!" he smirked. Tails stared at him. "This from the guy who still runs away from Amy?" he muttered. Sonic laughed. "There IS such a thing as too grabby!" he chuckled, "Aaaand, if you're not ready, I'll be here to race you away from the mob that shall henceforth be known as the Tails fan club!" he winked. Tails turned bright red at that. "Let's not call it that, Sonic..." he babbled. Sonic grabbed his buddy and playfully noogied him. "Tails has some girl-friends! Tails has some girl-friends!!" he chanted in a sing-song voice and the fox struggled out of his grip. "Stop it!! You're making me rethink fixing this portal!" he laughed, "Cream always thought Marine had a thing for me, too!" he giggled. Sonic laughed at him more. "My best friend, the ladies fox! I think I know a few guys who'll want some pointers from you now!" he teased, "...Knux, for one!" Tails punched Sonic gently in the arm. "Quit it, Sonic, or you'll be moving in with Knuckles next!" he teased back. The pair continued laughing and teasing and didn't really get much work done. At any rate...this sure beat wedding planning!
Mini Episode - The Mask of Enerjak
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Rebuilding the world after Eggman's conquest wasn't limited to just fixing buildings. The natural order had to be restored, too. Eggman had viciously bombed Mystic Jungle, and now a group of the remaining resistance were busy replanting trees there to help restore things to normal. Shade the Echidna sighed as she dug a patch of dirt to plant a tree in. "There was such beauty in this world...so unlike the Twilight Cage... It's hard for me to imagine why someone would want to destroy it." she stated. Omega stomped by, hauling off a dead tree trunk. "Robots see no beauty... Only targets in need of annihilation!" he remarked. Shadow was there, too, walking off towards the abandoned lab in the distance. "You all have fun gardening. I'm here to make sure Eggman didn't leave anything dangerous in that lab..." he huffed. Shade handed off her shovel to Rouge and headed after him. "Wait! Don't go alone!" she warned. "Great. Why didn't I run after him first?" Rouge muttered as she grudgingly started to take over Shade's work.
Shadow and Shade explored through the lab for a bit, not saying much to one another. They still had a bit of tension for the battle that had been building between this world and the Nocturnus...until time travelers killed off Shade's tribe. Shade held her head as she sensed something, though. "Something's here... This way..." Heading down the halls, they found a small room with several objects contained in glass cases. Shadow examined them. They were labeled. "...'Scepter of Darkness'... 'Cacophonic Conch'..." he murmured, looking at the odd objects in the cases, "This appears to be some sort of trophy room. Objects Eggman plundered during his conquest of the world?" he wondered. Shade recoiled from one of the cases. Inside it... was the mask of Enerjak. "I know this... Why do I know this?" Shade murmured. "Maybe because it was used to wipe out your tribe?" came a voice from...right in front of them? Water seemed to fill the case holding Enerjak's mask, until it became too full and cracked, shattering and giving room for the water to take the form of Nova the Morph! "I've been looking all over for this!" he smirked. Shadow raised his fists, glaring at him. "Put it down!" he warned. Nova hopped down from the display and placed the mask back onto it. "Well, I can't wear it until I figure out how to control the god inside... So, let's do this the old fashioned way!" he grinned.
Nova hurled a burst of water at Shadow, who ducked under it and kicked him, only to find his foot stuck in Nova's watery chest! "What...are you made of??" he grunted. "I'm just a morph with better control of his molecules than that loser Kosmo!" Nova chuckled. Shade put on her Chaos Gauntlets and fired some blasts from them at Nova's head, stunning him. "How...rude! Very well..." Nova growled, making his hands grow to a giant size and moving to clap Shadow and Shade between them as they turned into crashing waves! Surprised, the pair were stirred up by the water until it reformed by the mask as Nova himself. "I'll just take this and go..." he stated. "Chaos Control!" Shadow grunted, suddenly holding the mask himself before Nova could blink. "Fine. See if you can resist wearing it!" Nova chuckled. Shadow stared at it. He swore he heard a voice calling to him from it. "Wh...what's going on? It's like...the mask is...trying to control me!" he grunted. Shade watched nervously, and then nodded. She stepped towards Shadow. "What are you gonna do?" Nova muttered, gasping as he saw her wind up a punch with the Chaos Gauntlets. She pounded the mask a couple times until it shattered back into a collection of Twilight Shards! She and Shadow each grabbed a couple, and Nova looked ready to fight over them until Rouge and Omega stepped into the room. "Heeey... Jewel fragments!" Rouge gasped. Nova rolled his eyes and melted into a puddle, escaping through cracks in the wall. "Maybe that dumb mask is too fragile after all..." he could be heard complaining. Shade was busy picking up the stray shards as Shadow glanced around with a thoughtful expression. "What happened?" Omega asked. "We seem to have stumbled onto something here. We better keep this stuff out of the wrong hands..." Shadow explained. Rouge glanced at Shade. "She seems responsible. How about her?" she suggested. "What?? Me? I, err..." Shade babbled. Shadow nodded. "Gunner has too much power now. We can't keep this stuff at GUN. Will you hold on to it?" he asked. Shade gulped. It didn't sound like she had much choice. "I'm gonna need a safe..." she murmured.
Episode 4 - Betrayals
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Ophiuchus would take on human form any time he needed to appear in public. His serpent form was off-putting to many, and more difficult to trust for most people. None would have a harder time trusting his serpent form than Richard Gunner. The GUN General still looked at Ophi with distrust as he stepped into his office without an appointment. "Who are you supposed to be?" he asked. Spy stood nearby with his hand on a holstered gun. He was Gunner's bodyguard now, essentially. "Now now, no need for that, Riley Spizzweld." Ophi said in a calm voice. "Gah! He knows my name!" Spy stammered. Gunner tented his fingers as he sat at his desk. "Okay, and what the hell is your name?" he asked. "Ophiuchus." he said. Gunner got out a pen and glanced at him. "Wait, wait...how do you spell that?" he said in a tone that made it clear he wasn't taking him seriously. "You're always on watch for dangerous animals, Richard Gunner. Well, I know of a vulture who is literally named Cancer, and his schemes are synonymous with his name. Further...he's working with an old foe of yours...Experiment 2." Ophi stated before turning for the door. Gunner stood up frantically. "Wait!! How do you know this!?" he shouted. Ophi smirked. "You'll trust my words. If anyone questions you on it, just say...a concerned citizen brought it to your attention..." he said before walking out the door. Gunner raced to the door to chase after him, but saw no sign of Ophiuchus once he looked beyond the door. He turned and sat back in his chair. "Get me Guard, Spy." he grunted. After explaining the situation to the gargoyle and giving the inevitable order to find answers to the riddle of Cancer and what Copter would be doing with him, Gunner watched Guard leave his office with an uncharacteristic smile. "...He's too happy for someone that was denied time off... I'd better keep an eye on him..." Gunner mumbled. Outside the office, Guard took out a phone and called Heather. "Grrr... I finally have a mission... Perfect chance for us to meet and compare notes. We'll find Mia yet." he grinned.
Gemini's group was trying to follow Rex's group to their next destination in a more stealthy manner. After nearly killing half of the mirage tribe, it seemed best not to get too close to events as they were meant to unfold, but they needed to figure a plan if they were to change the one thing they'd come to change. As they walked, though, Fred suddenly reappeared before them, pushing any thoughts about what their plan should be to the side for now. "Teacher! You're back! I-is this about what we talked about last time?" Gemini asked. Fred shook his head. "Cancer's gotten a hostage. Sagittarius. You know him as Razor... We need to rescue him, and I could... I could use your help." he said quickly. Timothy blinked a bit. "Wow... So wait, what happened to Gemini being in danger?" he asked. Fred smirked. "If she helps the Divine Masters out, maybe they'll owe her one. There's no way that doesn't help her situation." he said. Gemini let out a sigh. "I'll go. I'll do it. Can you stay here though, Tim? Keep an eye on things?" she asked. Timothy nodded. "You can count on us, too." Carrie said. Silver shrugged. "Yeah... Be careful, though." he said warily. Gemini smiled. "Thanks, everyone. I have to go... Copter has a history with Razor... I have to make sure...that he doesn't end up doing something on Cancer's orders that he can't take back. Especially if this whole time travel thing should fail to work out like I'm hoping..." she stated. Fred nodded and led her to the time portal he'd used to get there. "This will give us time to chat more frankly, too... Because Gemini... This, what we're about to do now... This is how you help everyone. Not changing the past." he said to her. Gemini frowned. "I know you believe that, but some of the problems are so big... Wouldn't it just be better to erase those problems altogether?" she asked. Fred sighed. He felt he had to try to talk her down during this mission. He'd certainly do his best. "We'll have time to discuss it while we're tracking Cancer down. Who knows...maybe this mission will solve more than you think, and you'll realize you don't need to change the past..." he said, leading her through the time portal...
Guard and Heather met near Mia's house in Station Square, where her cab was parked for the time being. Katie had to occasionally move it so that it didn't end up getting towed in Mia's absence, she'd been gone so long now. She was there, standing outside the cab and heaving a heavy sigh. "Where are you, buddy?" she murmured. Guard greeted Heather at Mia's door. "I haven't been able to search much with my boss breathing down my neck. Rrrr..." Guard grumbled. Heather nodded. "You need to look for a better job. Anyway, I've been keeping an eye out, but there isn't much news on the Robian front. Eggman seems to have taken them and hid them away for a rainy day or something." she sighed, glancing at Katie. "She wants to help too, since Mia's her friend." she muttered. Katie glanced in their direction. "Guard! Is there any news? Have you found and Robians at all?" she called out, running over. He shook his head, and Katie frowned. "Oh well... GUN can't find them... My media connections are no help... I feel so helpless, but I guess there's nothing to do until Eggman shows his face again." she sighed. Guard shrugged. "I'll keep trying... Grrrr... I'm supposed to investigate this Cancer character now. Supposedly Copter-boy is working with him." he grumbled. Katie nodded. "Yeaaahh... Maybe you should try Sonic. I seem to recall hearing through the grapevine that Sonic got mixed up in something with some weird guys recently. Tommy was a bit distraught, apparently he was there." she muttered. "Oh, I hope he's alright." Heather said, looking a little worried, "Do you think I should go with you, Garen?" she asked. Guard chuckled softly. "No need. Rrrr... I can handle this. You and Katie do your best to locate Mia or the Robians. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll stumble across 'em myself..." he said, flapping his wings and starting to leave. Katie stood next to Heather as they watched him go. "So... Does Guard want to be Mia's boyfriend or yours?" Katie asked. Heather shrugged. "Mind your business, news-hound." she grumbled.
"Ladies and...ladies! I know everyone's been missing us, so good news, your fav rock band is back!" Sonic said into a microphone in...Tails' garage. "That's right, ladies!" Knuckles added, ready at his drums, "Dudeitude is back!" Tails was ready at the bass, and Sonic had his own guitar, too. The trio started riffing, trying out their hands at making up a song:
"Oh, yeah! It's your big, big day!
Gonna say 'I do!' Hey, hey hey!!
Punch & Rainbow, gonna get married tod-ay!!"
Amy and Rainbow held their ears listening to Sonic's singing. "Agh!! Enough! Cut it out, Sonic!!" Amy shouted, "We'll find a different band! Your style...really isn't romantic." she groaned. Tails sighed as he set down his bass. "Told ya..." he grumbled. The garage was open, so Guard walked right in. "Grrr... Anyone here know about Cancer and Copter?" he asked. "Copter has cancer? I knew living in Darkegg Fortress would be bad in the long run." Knuckles said. "No, Cancer's a vulture. He interrupted the wedding planning when I was just starting on it." Amy said. Rainbow frowned. "Don't hurt Two, Six. He's just mixed up." she said. Sonic scratched his head. "You might want to try Troblusk City. Razor was kidnapped outta there by Eddie, and Sally of all people turned up, callin' herself Virgo!" he said. Guard looked perplexed by all this. "I think they're all Zodiac signs. Eddie was wearing a scorpion helmet, as in Scorpio." Tails said. Guard grunted. "Why not? Birds, robotisization, time travel, what the heck..." he grumbled. Knuckles set down his drumsticks and joined Guard as he was leaving. "Mind if I tag along?" he said, clearing his throat, "The resistance owes you a great debt!" he said seriously, "...I mean, you almost died. I owe you one." he shrugged. Guard nodded. "Gr... Fine." he said.
Adam and Evelyn were pleased to have Gemini with them as they ventured into Cancer's lair in the present day: a cavernous fortress dug into the side of Troblusk Plateau. "Boy, we've missed you, Gemini. Lately Fred's been a real grump..." Adam mumbled, earning him a dirty look from Fred. "Watch it, Adam. We're not his precious students, he can zap us into being his pet Chao if he wants." Evelyn chuckled. Gemini smiled. It was nice to be among her friends again, too, despite the danger they were heading into. A few crabmeats soon scuttled in to greet them, Cancer's voice coming out of them. "Why are you here, children? ...Leo, have you reconsidered joining the winning team?" they spoke in eerie stereo. "You have Sagittarius. Release him." Fred stated. Scorpio's creepy cackling could be heard within the cavern. "Tell me, are you here on the council's orders, or are you here to convince your pupil of something?" Cancer mused. Gemini whipped out her wand. "Blastrotall!" she shouted, zapping one of the crabmeats to pieces! "You're gonna let Razor go...and you're gonna let Copter go!" Gemini huffed. "Who says your friend WANTS to go?" Cancer replied. Suddenly, a bolt was shot into the cavern and destroyed the second crabmeat! Turning around, Gemini and company saw the Deathbringer behind them. "Your time is up... I have orders to eliminate you all... Anyone in this cave!" she declared. Gemini stared, backing away slightly. "You...you'd hurt me, Libra??" she stammered. The Deathbringer sighed. "I...have no choice..." she said, hurling a bolt of death straight at...Adam! "Aaaaahh!! Not agaiiin!!" Adam wailed, only for Fred to block it with a spell. "Proplasmar!!" His shield was instantly shattered, and the Deathbringer was about to fire again when Aries stormed into the room and fired a beam from his staff, knocking her off-balance! "You won't kill anyone if I kill you first!" he growled, "By the way...do you plan to kill our hostage!?" he said, pulling Sagittarius out of the shadows behind him, his hands and feet bound. "Exterminate this punk, Deathbringer! It's about time Copter got what's coming to him!" he growled. "How can you say that!?" Gemini shouted, held back by Adam and Evelyn from doing something she might regret. "Calm down, Gem... More pressing issues!" Eve stated. Fred gulped. This was a difficult situation. "You can track my teleport... So that's not the safest option at the moment... Unless I give you something to contend with... But I can't use my full power if I'm using some on a spell..." he realized. "What are you talking about?" Gemini asked. Fred sighed. "Morphicadabra!!" he cried, shifting into his true form...that of a lion! He then pocketed his wand and let loose a strong beam from his hands as the Deathbringer fired a deadly bolt at him! The bolt tried to cut through his beam, but soon it overcame the bolt, and knocked the Deathbringer over! "To me, quick!" he shouted, taking hold of Gemini, Adam and Evelyn in order to warp them all out of the cavern while the Deathbringer was too busy recovering to track them!
Fred's beam shot right out of the cavern entrance. It was quite a sight, and Guard and Knuckles didn't miss it once they'd arrived at Troblusk City. Upon their arrival to the cavern, they found Aries and the Deathbringer busily firing blasts at one another, all while robots guarded Sagittarius. "Grrr... I can handle robots easy, but the Deathbringer's on a level similar to Infinite...and we saw how I handled Infinite." Knuckles nodded. "No comment on Copter? Maybe if we 'help' him he'll let us leave with Razor." he muttered, "But to fight the Deathbringer... I'll need more power, too." he realized, nervously taking out the Chaos Claws that he'd even refused to use for the good of the resistance. They could take over his mind...make him the enemy. Fortunately, if that happens here, the Deathbringer would likely take him out before he could hurt anybody, he reasoned. Aries suddenly zapped Guard with his staff, leaving the gargoyle vulnerable as the Deathbringer turned to the intruders. "How unfortunate for you... I'm on orders to kill everyone in this cave..." she told them. That did it. Knuckles slipped on the Chaos Claws, and as a deadly bolt came his way, he deflected it with the golden claws! "Ha!! Now who's so tough!? Come here and try me!" Knuckles warned. Guard stood up and swung his scythe as a warning, too. With a cackle, Scorpio emerged from the shadows, sending illusory scorpions into the room to attack everyone that wasn't Aries. "You're taking too long, Aries Prower! Eee hee! Figured I'd chase them off!" he sneered. As Knuckles started to slash at the suddenly giant scorpions and Guard used his scythe to support him, the Deathbringer shot some bolts to force Aries and Scorpio out of her way, heading straight for Sagittarius. "There is one other part of my mission... I am supposed to rescue you. Since it's getting hard to get you out safe while killing them, let's go!" she said, carrying him as she flew for the cave exit! Seeing that Razor was safe, Knuckles nodded to Guard and they both retreated as well, leaving Aries and Scorpio alone with the remaining robots controlled by Cancer. "...A change of scenery is in order, I think..." Cancer mused. Outside, as Guard and Knuckles stopped to rest, the echidna struggled to remove the Chaos Claws. "Just like I feared...stuck." he groaned. Guard nodded. "Grrr... Mia only got them un-stuck...when she was put in a coma." he told him. Knuckles started to sweat at that. "I...don't wanna go into a coma..." he whimpered.
Fred emerged in Troblusk City with Gemini, Adam and Evelyn. Gemini stomped away from Fred once they were safely away from danger. "Why exactly were you disguised as a fennec all this time?? I assume that's your true form. You're the Zodiac Council's Leo! Why didn't I see it; I feel so stupid!" she growled, pouting. Fred looked notably distressed, especially when Adam and Evelyn walked over to support Gemini. "We didn't know either, Gem..." Eve said. "Yeesh, I mean... This is over my head, I think..." Adam muttered. Fred sighed. "There isn't time for me to explain... It... it's a long story. No, I'm not exactly with the council... but I guess I'm not NOT either..." he babbled. Gemini turned to him. "You were like a father to me...but our entire relationship was a lie, wasn't it? Were you... ORDERED to train me? Is..." she started to choke back tears, "Is Gemini even my real name??" she snapped. "Whoa... Now that's... whoa." Adam gulped. Gemini started to stomp away from all of them. "It's just a form, Gemini. It doesn't change how I care for you." Fred called to her. She stopped short. "A lie is a lie, no matter what. How can I trust you if I know you've been keeping things from me...big things..." she sighed before taking out her wand. "Chronokadabra!" She opened a new time portal, ready to return to Timothy and the others. Fred stepped in her direction. "Gemini! I gave you that spell book! I trusted you with those spells! ...Don't use them selfishly and endanger the world in the process!" he warned. Gemini scoffed. "You should talk... All of you... You Zodiacs are selfish children in your own right, and my friends are suffering because of it!" she shouted, jumping into the portal. Adam rubbed his head. "She's right... 'cuz now I got a headache." he muttered. Evelyn groaned. "C'mon, Adam... let's leave Leo alone with his thoughts for a bit..." she grumbled, leading him away. Fred stood on his own, and turned his wand to himself. "Morphicadabra..." he sighed, returning to fennec form. "...If only the problem were that easy to fix..." he muttered.
While traveling, Rex's group had been ambushed by Doomlings. They were some goofy one-eyed, razor beaked... chickens? They were weird, and not too much trouble to dispatch. William was now running circles around foes with the Chaos Boots, and Aya had learned to conjure more than just shurikens with the Chaos Cards; Things like small explosives and smoke bombs. And of course, Monty and Rex remained powerhouses of the team. However, once the Doom-Chickens were dispatched, the group had to worry about the fact that they'd come directly for THEM, not a random village. "Wooo, the mindless monsters are organized!" Spiro teased as this was brought up. "What if they are?" Astra proffered. Bard nodded. "Truly, we've no way of knowing just how mindless the beasts really are." he stated. Brutus scoffed. "I've a better suggestion to put to the group!" he grunted. Red flapped above them with the Chaos Wing, scouting for any sign of danger. "Oh, pray, tell us, Brutus! This oughta be good!" he chortled. Brutus leaned against a tree with a smirk. "Quite simple. The monsters could be following orders from someone...maybe one from this very group!" he stated. The group looked around uncomfortably, and Rex frowned. "Nonsense. Who among us would try to kill the others? Why?" he snapped. Brutus laughed and mimicked him. "Why?!" he cackled, "Duh, one of us may want ALL the Chaos Relics for hisself. And what species in our group are notoriously untrustworthy?" he stated, casting a shifty glance right at Bard. "You jest! I don't even desire the relic I have!" he pointed out. Monty nodded. "You're way off base, Brutus!" he growled. The dragon shrugged. "Well, what about the other? We did accept an actual wolf among us..." he said, prompting everyone to look at Luna, who was cleaning the Chaos Claws at that moment. "What? ...Oh, come on. I thought you guys were different!" she snapped. "Everyone says never trust a lone wolf..." William noted. Bard stood beside her. "Friends, this is madness! We mustn't turn on one another now!" he insisted. "Maybe they're in cahoots..." Brutus mused, casting suspicion on both of them. "Don't rescue me, fox. I can handle myself." Luna huffed, "Are you all asking me to leave?" she questioned. Rex stood at the center of the group. "Enough of this! I suspect no one of such treachery... and hope no one leaves. We've suffered enough goodbyes already." he said insistently, "Let us press on!" he suggested...though no words could undo the veil of mistrust Brutus had cast upon the group...
Timothy had taken charge in Gemini's absence. "See, the thing to do is actually to find the source of those Doomling creatures! Following the old heroes is just a waste of time!" he'd said before casting a search spell. "If it was that simple why didn't Gemini do it?" Carrie asked. "I dunno, maybe spending time in the past has made her simple?" Timothy chuckled. "Hey!" Silver snapped. The trio followed the trail of the search spell, but as they traveled, quite a far distance at that, they soon stumbled over a hole in the floor. "Ooof!!" Tim grunted as he tripped, and caused Carrie and Silver to fall on top of him! As they groaned on the ground, an echidna poked her head out of the hole. "...Strange visitors... What are you doing way out here?" she asked. Silver and Carrie climbed off Timothy, groaning. "Don't mind us... We're, uhh... Looking for something." Silver said. "Yeah... Something very dangerous and very hidden." Carrie mumbled. Timothy sat up. "Gah, my search spell wore off! I better cast it again..." he babbled. The echidna crossed her arms. "Hmm... Maybe you three should come with me. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Radia the Echidna..." she said in greeting. The trio finally looked at her and Silver and Carrie gasped. "R-rainbow...?" Carrie babbled. "Rainbow's grandma?" Silver mumbled. Radia tilted her head. "Are you okay? I think you had a nastier fall than I thought. Please, come with me. Our doctors will check you out." she said, climbing back down through the hole. Timothy scratched his head. "Doctors? Where...is she taking us?" Heading down the hole, the trio found themselves at the Hidden Ruins where Rainbow grew up...only they weren't ruins in this distant past. They were a thriving underground city filled with echidnas, some of which were busy running a mine at the far end of the cavern, from what Silver could see. "Incredible... their whole society seems to be down here!" he murmured. Radia greeted them at the bottom of the ladder. "Welcome to the Hidden City of the Raisol Clan! ...You will tell no one you were here." she said seriously. Carrie chuckled softly. "Now you're reminding me of the Mirage people." she babbled. "People weren't very trusting of others back in these days, were they?" Timothy remarked.
How right he was. They didn't get very far before the Raisol elders caught up to them, and before they knew it, Timothy, Silver and Carrie were locked up in a cell. "Man, they're serious about keeping this place hidden..." Carrie groaned. Timothy touched the bars of the cell and got a jolt. "Ow! What in the...?" he babbled. A cell-mate of theirs, an unpleasant-looking echidna, spoke up. "Bars are charged with Chaos Crystal energy. We mine them crystals and use 'em to power our whole city." he told them. Silver glanced at him. "Uh, cool... And what're you in for?" he asked. The echidna got a crazed look in his eye. "Had a disagreement with the wife...so I killed her! Hehehehehe!!" he cackled. Tim, Carrie and Silver backed away from him nervously. "A-and they lock you in here with dangerous outsiders like us? What's this society coming to?" Carrie babbled. Timothy gulped. "Th-they took my wand...now what?" he asked. Silver looked at the bars and raised his hand, using his powers to bend them out and give them an opening to escape! "Sweet!" the echidna smirked, only for Silver to push him back to the wall of the cell. "Echidnas, stay put!" he said as Tim and Carrie made their exit, with him following quickly. Carrie then took the liberty of pulling the bars shut again with her own psychokinetic powers. "Jerks!" the echidna growled. As the trio started rushing to look for Timothy's wand before escaping, they found a major obstacle soon getting in their way. Aquarius stepped into their path, joined by Virgo and the newly freed Sagittarius. "Uhh... Hey, guys! Here to rescue us, by chance?" Silver asked. Aquarius scoffed. "Here's your wand." he said, tossing it to Timothy, "But in return, you must come with us. You will stand trial for your crime." he said. Carrie laughed. "That's rich. First jail, THEN a trial. Maybe we'll get around to the actual crime eventually, too!" she joked. Virgo glared at them. "It's a very serious crime! You three are charged with altering the natural course of time!" she told them. Silver squinted at her. "...Sally? You're alive!?" he stammered. "She is Virgo now, as I am Sagittarius." the porcupine formerly known as Razor stated, "But I'm still very much an enforcer of the law. The natural law. You three are coming with us." he said. Silver sighed. "We'd probably better go... If we resist here, we risk wrecking Rainbow's home and changing her history..." he warned them.
To avoid showing anyone magic they weren't supposed to see, Aquarius led Timothy and the others to the exit to the Hidden City. They weren't exactly inconspicuous though, and Radia soon caught sight of them. "Did those winged fellows bust them out? Hm... I really should apologize about them getting thrown in jail anyway. I just hope there isn't trouble..." she said to herself as she followed them. Reaching the outside, Aquarius looked around. "Open the way, Virgo." he said to Sally. However, a light stunned them as Gemini appeared on the scene! "Stop!! Leave my friends alone, you... you Zodiac... freaks!!" she shouted, hurtling a bolt from her wand right at Aquarius while a stunned Silver, Timothy and Radia watched. "You go, girl!" Carrie smirked, using her power to lift and toss Sagittarius aside! "Ooof!! You fools! Don't you realize what you're doing!?" he shouted. "I don't care...nobody's telling me what to do anymore!" Gemini declared, creating a shield around herself as Aquarius started to pummel her with blasts of water! "You've no idea of the wrath you're bringing upon yourself!" he warned, spreading his wings. Silver took this opportunity to appeal to Sally. "Wait! Sally... I get that you might not remember, but some of us were allies to you very recently... I had the Resistance, you had the Freedom Fighters, but we collaborated to fight Dr. Eggman! I have to believe that that Sally is in there... She'd want to help Gemini do the right thing, not punish her!" he told her. Sally blinked at him. "I don't think you know me as well as you believe. Now... STAND DOWN!" she commanded, a distortion in her voice as she spoke. Silver gasped, feeling compelled to obey. However, Radia was under no such spell. "Take your violence away from my city!" she cried, tackling Sally and knocking her over! Timothy and Carrie kept Sagittarius at a distance, the only thing he could do being to fire arrows at them which were fairly easily repelled. However, Aquarius was proving too much for Gemini. His watery attacks broke her shield and washed her back and forth until she warped to safety. "Ugh... G-guys?" she murmured. Silver nodded and hastened to her side, soon joined by Timothy and Carrie. "We can track your warping!" Aquarius warned. "Good luck... Galaporta!" Gemini cried, taking her friends away with her. Immediately upon emerging, she turned to Timothy. "You warp somewhere next. Maybe it'll throw them off..." she suggested. "R-right!" he said. "You don't think they'll hurt Rainbow's grammy, do you?" Carrie asked. Silver shook his head. "No... That'd affect the timeline too much." With that, Timothy warped them further away. They'd have to stay one step ahead of Zodiac, but Gemini was through letting her fate be controlled by the likes of them...
Rex's group was actually currently on their way back to the Hidden City themselves. They hoped to ask Radia for advice in helping some of their number to awaken the powers of their Chaos Relics. As they passed the raccoon village they'd rescued early in their journeys, though, they soon came across a most disturbing sight. They found a body in the road. To their grief, it was Paul the walrus, killed by the bite of a Doomling by the looks of it. "If he'd have just stayed with us... He'd still be alive..." Luna said sadly. "Would he, now?" Brutus asked her with a suspicious glance. "Stop it! None of us had any reason to do him in!" Monty snapped. Rex stood over Paul's body with a grim expression. "I know who did, though. The Doomlings... I can't ignore it anymore. Despite how monstrous and wild they seem, the beasts are clearly organized in some way." he stated. "Yeah, or we just missed one when we were here..." Spiro murmured. Rex crossed his arms, and Brutus scoffed. "I'd keep one eye on everyone. 'Specially those two!" he grunted, glancing at Bard and Luna. Rex shook his head. "I still don't buy the idea of a traitor. Paul was leaving. He'd be no threat to the traitor." he stated. Astra leaned beside the body. "...We should bury him..." she murmured. This was one point the team decided to agree upon. Once Paul's body was covered up by the side of the road, Bard began to play a mournful melody on his lute.
"As we say the great goodbye...
As we sob and wonder why...
We remember those passed, and know time drifts fast...
Soon enough, t'will be our great goodbye..."
With those sad words fresh in their minds, the group headed on their way, a solitary stone marking the spot where the first of their group fell. Tragically...he wouldn't be the last...
Mini Episode - Power of the Griffin
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Talon the griffin had returned to Shadow Arcangel to complain a little to his creator, Bucky. "It's not fair, master. Now even Lucky has a power, I've heard. How come all I got is... icky talons?" he asked. Bucky rolled his eyes as he sat and listened to him. "You know, it's not every rodent that can give life to inanimate tissue. How about a thank you instead of complaining?" he griped, "You can fly. That's your power." he said, getting up and walking away. Zipp was flitting nearby. "I know how you feel! I always wanted to shoot lasers out of my eyes! Hey, why don't we get Vortex to give us powers? He's Bucky's apprentice!" he suggested. "Sssstuff it, Zipp!" Vortex shouted from the nearby hallway. Talon frowned. "I mean, flying's cool and all, but... TAILS overpowered me and locked me in a bunker for wimps during Eggman's invasion. And I THANKED him. I'm way too weak..." he muttered. Zipp rubbed his chin. "Yeeees... Tell ya what. I'll teach you to shoot. As my brother, I'll do ya this solid... We can use 'Tex's pictures of Whisk for target practice. He needs to move on." he sniggered. "I'll sssshoot you if you touch them!" Vortex hissed.
So, they moved to the lower levels of the Arcangel, where Zipp set up a shooting range using Sonic, Tails and Knuckles dolls. "I wonder if Sonic sees any moolah from all his merch? Oh well..." Zipp mumbled, expertly shooting a distant Sonic doll between the eyes with a pistol. "Much easier when he doesn't move! You try, with this!" he said, tossing Talon a basic Wispon, which only shot a weak laser. Talon carefully aimed at a Knuckles doll; he could recall having some troubles with Knuckles before. Or was it Punchy? At any rate, his shot cleanly missed, and Zipp shook his head. "Compensate for the knockback... Angle for distance... C'mon, like this!" he said, lifting a shotgun and blowing the head off a Tails doll. Talon gulped. "I'm not sure I wanna do that kinda damage..." he murmured. "Can I try?" came the voice of Lospecter behind them! They jumped, turning to face him. "What's this mess you boys put in my old rumpus room?? Can't a ghost fetch something from his old apartment in peace?!"
Lospecter held up the Chaos Key and turned it, opening a sort of rift in front of them. "I'm unlocking the memory of the Arcangel to pick up an old toy... Check her out!" he cackled as the draconic form of Gemini as a Lost One emerged! "Ohhh, this thing?! Can't we leave her dragon form in the past! Well, time for practical application of skills!" Zipp said, shooting the dragon a couple times, only for its wounds to rapidly heal with fresh slime. "Isn't she a doll? Sic em, Los Gemini!" Lospecter ordered. Zipp turned and flew away quickly. "Have fun! I'm gonna alert the boss!" he shouted. Talon yelped and tried to follow, but the dragon pounced on him, holding him down! "Aaaah!! No! Don't eat me! I-I'm nobody! Just leave me be!" he stammered. "Nobody, huh? Prime Lost One material!" Lospecter smirked. Talon gasped and started hitting at the dragon as it held him down. "No!! Nooo!!" he cried, his talons slashing through his gloves as he fought to escape. Lospecter watched with a smirk, but his eyes widened as he noticed something. In Talon's desperation, his talons began to glow. "G-get... OFF!!" he yelled, his talons becoming shimmering claws that tore through the dragon's arm, allowing him to crawl away! "H-huh? How'd I...?" Before anything else could happen, Vortex blasted the dragon with Chaos Inferno, reducing the wounded beast into a puddle of slime. "Ssstop coming onto thisss ssship!" he hissed. Lospecter shrugged. "Whatevs... I mean, I wanted a Gemini who'd work for me, but I guess we can't all get what we want..." he said, flying off through the wall. Talon glanced back at Vortex and Zipp with surprise in his eyes. "Sssso, ssseemsss you've got power like the Chaosss Clawsss, kiddo." Vortex stated. Talon nodded slowly. "Be nice if someone told me sooner... But maybe I can still use these targets to practice after all..." he smiled.
Episode 5 - Returns
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Ophiuchus was once again in human form. It was occasionally the Zodiac Council's decision to disguise themselves when interacting with people from the past. It kept their true forms out of the historical record, which sometimes made things simpler. Today, Ophiuchus went to Tails' Workshop, where Tails and Sonic were puzzling over how to finish repairs on the portal device that would allow Blaze to visit them. "Uhh... Tails! Stranger!" Sonic called as he answered the door. Ophiuchus stepped in and accompanied Sonic to where Tails was working. "I am Ophiuchus of the Zodiac Council of Divine Masters." he announced to them. Sonic frowned. "Okay, OUT!" he grunted, cracking his knuckles. Ophi crossed his arms and stood firm. "I can see where you'd feel that way. I bring you a peace offering...hoping for your cooperation in the future." he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out...a Chaos Emerald? Tails stared at it. "We need an energy source like that, but better it were a fake one..." he murmured. Ophi smirked. "It IS a fake. They are quite easy for our council to produce. Use it, and reunite with your friend from another dimension." he told them. Sonic tilted his head. "In exchange for what...?" he asked. Ophi placed the emerald in Tails' hands and chuckled. "Your understanding. It may seem to you I'm a cold hearted snake, but I always have the long game in mind, Sonic... Tails..." he said, turning to exit. "Someday...you may thank me for the things I do..." he mused. Sonic watched him leave and shivered. "Make sure that won't blow up before ya use it, Tails!" he suggested. "Duh..." Tails murmured.
The emerald worked, and soon the portal had opened! Tails would need to build a stabilizing device on the other side since he'd kinda blown up the portal in Blaze's world. In a few moments, Blaze the cat and Marine the raccoon leapt through the portal carrying baseball bats, which Marine swung wildly. "Awright, Egg-guy!! Now we got ya! Didn't think you'd block Captain Marine from savin' her shipmates forever, did ya!?" she shouted. Sonic and Tails stepped back to avoid getting whacked, and Blaze stopped to stare at them. "Sonic... y-you're okay!!" she gasped, blushing as she tried to compose herself. "We, uh... Tails told me some pretty dark things before he blew up the portal..." she babbled. Sonic nodded. "Well, it's all okay. Eggman's army is toast." he smirked. Marine glibly tossed aside her bat. "Well, that was anticlimactic after six months..." she murmured. Just then, Amy crept into the room. "Aha! There you boys are! ...Oh, hey Blaze!!" she waved, "Sorry we can't visit, I need these two to help me. I'm working on planning Punchy and Rainbow's wedding!" she said with a giddy grin. Blaze and Marine looked shocked. "Really... Gosh, we missed quite a bit, didn't we." Blaze sighed. Tails had a guilty frown. "Sorry about that, Blaze..." he said. Marine smirked at him. "Oy, if Sonic and Amy are collaboratin' on this wedding, does that mean you an' Cream..." she teased, only for Tails to look sadder. "Ix-nay!" Sonic whispered, "...they broke up." Blaze looked at Tails sympathetically, and gave him a small hug. "Oh, you poor dear... And with all you went through with Eggman..." she said. Marine scratched her head, then got a playful grin. "Hey! Why don't you two cobbers go out together?! You have no idea how worried Blaze was over you after the last she spotted ya, foxy!" she said with a playful smirk. Tails blushed as Blaze backed away from him. "I-it was a natural response to seeing him in that context! He was a wreck!" she babbled. Tails chuckled softly. "Th-thanks, Blaze... I did what I did to protect your world. Sorry to worry you." he said shyly. He then picked up his tools. "Can't help you now Amy, we got an unstable vortex here! I gotta get the other half of this device up and running in Blaze's world!" he said, heading for the portal. "Right! I'll help ya out, Tails! And you can hear all about how Blaze was pining over ya for six whole months!" Marine snickered. Blaze grunted in annoyance. "I...was not..." she groaned.
Blaze accompanied Sonic and Amy outside. She held the Chaos Crown in her hands. "Since I'm here, I'd like to see that shrew I got this crown from. I'm curious to know more about its powers." she said. "Aw, so you're not coming with us... Well, you HAVE to come to the wedding! It's getting pretty close, actually!" Amy announced. Blaze smiled. "I wouldn't miss it!" she said. Sonic nodded. "Cool... Unfortunately, I have no idea where that shrew your talkin' about lives." he told her. "Not far." came the voice of Illusi, standing behind them near Tails' Workshop! "Yaah! Don't do that! You scared me!" Amy gasped. Illusi chuckled. "I have my ways. I wondered when one of the winners of the Chaos Relics would come looking for me. Unfortunately... the full extent of the Chaos Relics' powers is something that eludes me." he told her. Sonic shrugged. "Oh well. Bye, creepy shrew!" he said, heading on his way. "You know he's gonna be at the wedding, don't you Sonic?" Amy told him as she followed. Blaze held the crown up and looked Illusi in the eye. "You must know something. It would be irresponsible to give these away knowing nothing about them." she stated. Illusi crossed his arms. "The Chaos Crown kept Howler the wolf alive for centuries. It appears to have some power over life itself. Some oversimplify it to immortality, but I'm not sure that's the case." he said. Looking at her, he could tell Blaze was serious in wanting to understand the Chaos Relic. "I don't know how to unlock the crown's true power, but perhaps I could help train you in its use all the same. If you come with me, we can get started..." he said. Blaze shrugged. "It's not likely safe to return home until I get the go-ahead from Tails anyway. Lead the way, mister shrew." she said. He chuckled as he started heading for the jungle. "It's Illusi..." he told her. "...Seriously?" Blaze babbled.
Taking her to the Forest of Dreams where he resides, Illusi had Blaze sit cross-legged by a stream, the crown upon her head as she attempted to meditate. "Clear your mind... Lose your stress. Your fears and insecurities... Let the sound of the stream carry that away..." Illusi said calmly. Blaze felt a little silly, but she did her best. As her thoughts became muddled with the sounds of running water and rustling leaves, the Chaos Crown began to glow softly. "That's it..." Illusi whispered. Beside her, vines started to rise up in reaction to the crown. The nearby grass grew, nearby flowers bloomed. "Extraordinary..." Illusi murmured. However, just as quickly as this discovery excited him, it was torn away. Blaze's fingers sparked with flame as vines brushed across them, and before either of them knew it, the life she was breathing into these plants with her crown was snuffed out by her flames, fire spreading quickly before Blaze gasped and brought the fire under control in her panic. "I-I'm so sorry!" she cried, stamping out the last embers with her feet. Illusi stared with a sober expression. "No, this isn't good... Y-your flames. Your flame power clashes with the power of the Chaos Crown! You cannot use it properly!" he stammered, rubbing his face with an almost pained expression. Blaze looked at him with a frown. "Not exactly a teacher, are you?" she mumbled. Illusi let out a sigh. "Sorry... This isn't about you. Don't you see? First Lospecter gets away with the Chaos Key, now I find a massive complication with your use of the crown. The Tournament of Chaos was a failure! It was meant to find worthy people to watch over the Chaos Relics...a modern team of Chosen Ones, for the world will soon need them..." he said. Blaze clutched the crown in her hands tightly. "...well, then, we can't give up. I'll get both powers under control. Just you watch!" she told him. Illusi glanced at her. "...I hope you do, Blaze. I hope you do..." he said.
Meanwhile in the past, Rex's team had finished checking in with Radia and returned to their mission, arriving at a small peaceful village populated by hedgehogs. They seemed to be preparing for some sort of festival. "Ah... This is the time of year for the hedgehog tribe's Lover's Festival!" William realized. His own village not being too far off, of course he knew this. "Aww, so tell us the truth Rex, you brought us here 'cuz you've got a sweetie you wanna visit!" Monty teased, elbowing him gently. Rex glared at him a little. "Monty...this village isn't my home. I don't know anyone here." he grumbled. Monty looked surprised. "Oh... I just assumed is all..." he babbled. "Still, this might be just what we need after everything we've been through!" Astra suggested. Spiro nodded. "Indeed! After you, milady!" he bowed, taking the fennec's hand as she blushed. Brutus scoffed. "Don't forget though, we may have traitors..." he stated, glancing at Bard and Luna. "Lighten up!" Red squawked, "This is a party!" he grinned. Luna growled at Brutus, and Bard shrugged. "Don't let him bother you." he told her. "Mind your own business!" Luna snapped. "...Very well, but as my teammate, I think your welfare is my business..." Bard muttered, walking away. Gemini's group was arriving in town as well, and were greeted by some friendly hedgehogs that kind of reminded Silver of Bill and Bob. "Welcome, travelers! You've come at a wonderful time! So nice to see another hedgehog, too!" they said. Silver scratched his head. "Yeah, sure, uhh... What wonderful time?" he asked. The hedgehogs grinned. "Why, the Lover's Festival of course! And is one of these ladies your...?" they asked, making Silver blush profusely. "W-we're just friends!" he babbled. Timothy chuckled softly at his reaction. The other hedgehogs smiled. "Well, enjoy your visit anyway! Who knows...you could meet your true love!" they giggled. Gemini had a wry expression. "I very much doubt that..." she murmured. Carrie smirked. "Well, no law against having a bit of fun, is there?" she asked. "Just remember the real reason we're here... We have to figure out the source of the Doomlings. Maybe they have something to do with the Lost Ones..." Gemini stated.
The two groups' time to relax at the festival was short-lived, as soon there was a buzzing heard, and a swarm of Doomlings crashed the party! Some were the Doom-Creepers that Gemini had encountered upon first arriving in this time period, others were giant bees with large stingers, clawed front arms and the Doomling's trademark single bulging eye. The heroes quickly set to work fighting them off, with Monty and Rex taking the lead. Astra and Brutus had spoken to Radia about the "Chaos Rings", and it was suggested they try wearing them in places other than their wrists. Astra used her ankle, Brutus used his tail. Feeling no power from the ring, Astra was ready to rely on her magic, but a Doom-Wasp knocked her wand from her hand! "Aaah! Noo!!" she gasped, only for Spiro to stand in the way. "Claws off my date!" he hissed, the Chaos Crown glowing as he focused on protecting Astra! Vines erupted from the ground and tangled the wasp, much to both of their surprise! "...I can do stuff!?" Spiro stammered. Brutus, meanwhile, felt power in his tail, and used it to whip a creeper, destroying it! "Hey... these are... Tailbands!" he babbled. Bard found himself surrounded by Doom-Wasps, looking very nervous as he pointed his key around. "Now, if I were controlling them, would THIS happen!?" he shouted. "Maybe you're putting on a show! We'll believe ya when they kill ya!" Red shouted from the distance. Bard gulped, expecting that would happen. However, Luna leapt in and tore at the wasps with the Chaos Claws, fighting fiercely to protect him! Bard watched her in shock, and once she had fought them off, could see she was exhausted. She was about to pass out, in fact, but Bard caught her. "I-it's alright... Let the others take over..." he sighed, blushing with her in his arms, "...You...angel..." he said softly. Gemini and her friends helped casually from the sidelines, not wanting to put themselves in the spotlight. At any rate, the monsters were soon repelled, and the hedgehogs gave a cheer. "These visitors have saved our festival!" the village chief proclaimed, "They shall be our guests of honor! Make them as welcome as can be, let them know our gratitude!" he announced. "Ha! Gee, thanks!" Monty grinned. "Your people are most honorable." Aya said to Rex. The hedgehog had a very serious look. "Not...my people..." he muttered.
The festival could now get properly underway, and one of the first things to take place was a bit of a dance while some hedgehogs played on harps and ocarinas for a relaxing, romantic melody. Gemini found herself wishing she did have someone to share this with, when who should appear but Aries. He was without his helmet and staff, and offered his hand to Gemini as he approached. "You look like you're in need of a dance partner." he said. Gemini reluctantly accepted his hand, and they began to dance gracefully, hands clasped on one side, holding one another with their other hands. "Where'd you learn to dance, Copter?" Gemini asked with a cute smile. He chuckled. "Maybe it's an innate skill I actually got from Tails...what about you?" he whispered. Gemini was saddened thinking on it. "...Fred taught me... He was like a father to me, but I just don't know anymore..." she sighed, resting her head on Copter's shoulder. She just wanted to forget that he was working against them for the moment. "Cancer's sort of on your side, Gemini. He just can't have you messing things up. But maybe we can help each other anyway..." he said, lightly flaring his cape as he dipped her. Gemini stared up at him with a nervous blush. "I want to trust you, Copter, but...well, you did shoot at Punchy..." she reminded him. "Not too hard. Just trying to get Ophi-I-can't-pronounce-his-name's attention." he chuckled, "But his group's got an advantage on you... A book they took from the future. It tells of everything that happens here... Written by one of the heroes after the struggle with the Doomlings." he said, lifting her back up. Timothy was watching, and crossed his arms grouchily as he saw Copter lift Gemini from that dip. "How can she dance with him? After all he put us through..." he huffed. "Somebody's jealoussss!" a random hedgehog teased, making Tim's face turn red. "Buzz off!" he spat. Gemini wondered about this book. "What good can a book in Ophi's possession do me?" she asked. Copter shrugged. "It's not in his hands... Capricorn has it. She's using it to put little fixes on anything you disrupt in the timeline. Just think...you could use it to pinpoint where the timeline went wrong..." he told her, stepping away and giving a bow as the song ended. "I hope the next time I see you is on such peaceful terms..." Copter said, walking away. Gemini nodded. "Me too..." she whispered. "Finally, he's done wasting our time! What's wrong with you, Gem!" Timothy spat. Gemini glanced at him in embarrassment. "I, err... Hey, where's Silver and Carrie?" she asked.
Silver and Carrie had found a stand set up where some tasty-looking pastries were being offered. They happily enjoyed a couple while the old hedgehog manning the stand smiled at them. "My, don't you two look cute together." she mused. Silver almost gagged while Carrie coughed, both of them blushing profusely. "N-no, we're not... W-we're just friends!!" they both babbled at once, to the old hedgehog's amusement. Not too far away, Rex was chatting with Gunther, who had tracked the team down at the village and expressed relief that they'd fought off the Doomlings there. However, Rex soon took notice of the familiar face at the pastry stand. "...excuse me, Gunther..." he muttered. "Err, yes, nothing to report anyway...just worried." Gunther murmured. Rex stomped over to Carrie and grunted loudly. "So, here you are. You can stuff your face with treats but you couldn't be bothered to say anything before walking out on our team, which you were so eager to join before you saw that things could get tough!" he snapped. Carrie looked at him and stammered. She had no words. She had her reasons for leaving like that, but she couldn't very well talk about the trials and errors of time travel with Rex. Silver took her by the arm. "Come on, Carrie. Let's...go." he murmured. Rex scoffed. "Whatever. Leave, sure. That's what you're good at, isn't it?" Rex scoffed as they walked away, Carrie looking a bit disturbed. As they left, Capricorn was walking up to Rex, paging through a certain book. After reading a passage, she closed it and cleared her throat. "Mr. hedgehog... Well, the hedgehog who fought off those creatures, yes?" she addressed him. Rex glanced at her. "It's a team effort, honestly. Errm...can I help you?" he asked her. Capricorn nodded. "Let's say I know recent events have thrown your group for a bit of a loop. But I have an idea of where you should head next..." she told him...
Gemini noticed Capricorn walking away with the book after a few moments. She clenched her fists. "Copter was right... How can we possibly change the past if Capricorn essentially has a how-to guide on how to put it back again?" she realized. Timothy crossed his arms. "Hold up. How do you know that's what it is, just because Aries says so? It...could be a book of recipes. Those pastries are pretty good...yeah...she just uhh...wants the recipe?" he murmured. Gemini looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I don't know!" he grunted, "But I do know that I don't trust that fox! Remember how we're mad at the Zodiacs? Well he IS a Zodiac!" he pointed out as Carrie and Silver were joining them. Gemini sighed. "It's not like he's a card-carrying member of the Divine Masters! He doesn't even have those wings most of them have! Tim... I know Copter... He's good on the inside. He wouldn't just mess with me like that. We can trust him." she said. "What's all this about Copter?" Carrie asked. Timothy pouted. "He danced with Gemini and now she buys everything he says!" he told them. Silver chuckled softly. "Well, uh... They are pretty close, Tim. But, uh, Gemini, maybe a little bit of caution...Cancer IS messing with his head." he babbled. Gemini scoffed. "I can't believe you boys. Why don't we just get that book from Capricorn and find out for ourselves!" she huffed. Carrie shrugged. "Okaaay... What book? And, uh...how?" she asked. Gemini rubbed her head and groaned. "Hmm... Well, if Copter's right, we gotta think of something. I guess we start by trying to catch her..." she murmured. "This is gonna get US caught..." Timothy sighed.
Soon, dusk had fallen, and the twilight hour's atmosphere brought its own sense of romance to the festival. Spiro had spent the whole day with Astra and the pair of them had grown closer, while some other members of the group tried to get chummy with some single hedgehogs from the village. Then there was Bard. He had his own way of charming a lady, and since Luna had captured his heart after saving his life earlier, he now serenaded her as only he could...
"I see a radiant beauty... brighter than a star...
Not the moon, nor the sun, nor a diamond... nor anything too far.
My heart is frightened and feeling, for before me what do I see?
Such a sweet and wondrous beauty... and perhaps true love...for me..."
He took her hand, gazing into her eyes as he sang the final words. Luna was normally gruff and cold towards him, but her heart seemed to be softening. "You sweet sap... Let the others think what they want about us... I know you're a good guy." she smiled, pulling him over to kiss his cheek. One more member of Rex's group was also in a romantic mood, too. Brutus had snuck to just outside the town and was rubbing snouts with his mate, Cleo. "Won't be much longer, my precious... I've figured out my relic's power, and I've sowed seeds of mistrust for my fellow teammates so as to misdirect them away from my activities..." he snickered. Cleo sighed. "Just don't get too attached to those bozos. I'm your family, right?" she smirked. Brutus snickered. "I won't even remember any of their names once this is over!" he smirked. There were just a couple members of the group that were completely alone on this romantic night. One was Rex, who was walking to the edge of the village opposite where Brutus was, holding his head. "Come to us... We await you..." He shook his head as he heard these whispers in his mind. "Rex? Are you alright?" asked Aya, who'd followed him. "I... yes. Don't worry...get back!!" he cried, pushing her aside as Doom-Creepers jumped out of the shadows and attacked, forcing him to fend them off with his blade! During the distraction, Aya was clubbed in the head with a staff, falling into Aries' arms. "Have to borrow this one. Thanks, bye!" he muttered as Rex slashed and stabbed the Doomlings. Finding Aya gone once the monsters were defeated, Rex began to panic. "Kidnapped?? This can't be...!" he gasped.
As Gemini followed Capricorn to an area outside of the village, she stopped short upon seeing Aries, Cancer and Pisces approach. Aries had Aya in his arms, and set her down behind them. "Hey, there, Capricorn. Lose something? Tell you what, hand over that book there and we'll call it a trade." Cancer smirked. Capricorn growled, and some time portals opened beside her, Virgo and Taurus coming to her aid! Pisces clutched her trident and sneered at Taurus. "Would you pick a side already!" she spat. Taurus looked conflicted. "W-well... Both sides have a good case!" he grunted. Capricorn rolled her eyes and handed him the book. "Just hold on to this, then. Virgo and I will deal with this!" she groaned, rushing off with Virgo intending to fight. Pisces shot some ice at the ground with her trident, making the floor slippery. "Such a perfectionist, Capricorn...won't compromise over anything!" she sneered. Gemini decided to take the opportunity to sneak towards Taurus and try to snatch the book. "G-gemini... I wouldn't...!" Silver murmured, sweating nervously. As Gemini approached, though, Aries flew over the ice and blocked her! "Sorry, Gem, now that Taurus has it, I can't let you take it!" he said, turning his staff on her. Taurus turned to them with a start. "What the-- Sneakin' up on me!?" he growled, his horns sparking with electricity! Gemini backed up, shakily clutching her wand. "Y-you just talked to me in case you needed help swiping the book...but you were never going to share it!?" she stammered. Aries growled softly. "What do YOU know about changing the past!? You've been in my time for years and accomplished NOTHING!!" he snapped. "Hiccatastrophe!!" shouted Timothy, casting his spell straight at Aries and making him start to hiccup wildly! "Aaagh -hic!- You little -hic- twerp!" he gasped, falling over. Taurus leaned over Aries in concern. "You okay, dude?" he asked. Gemini took the opportunity to yank the book from his hands and run off with Timothy! "Hey!! Rrrrr!! Take this!!" Taurus yelled, charging after them and shooting thunderbolts their way with his horns! As Gemini and Timothy ran for dear life, Silver and Carrie stepped forward and blocked him with psychokinesis, knocking the bull back! The quartet fled into the village, and Capricorn hesitated nervously. "Cancer! Stop fighting me! We have to stop them!" she shouted. Cancer glanced at Aya. "Guess we have no use for the hostage anymore..." he murmured. "You would be wise to release her!" came another voice. Ophiuchus emerged from the time portal Virgo had come from, his snake eyes glaring at Cancer. The vulture whistled to call back Aries and Pisces. "Keep your weapons trained on the chameleon until we're out of here, my friends..." he told them, the trio backing away slowly. Ophi glared at Taurus, and he shivered before running off to join them. "Gaaaahhh! They're onto meee!!" he wailed. Capricorn walked to Ophiuchus nervously along with Virgo. "Gemini made off with the book, sir." she reported. "Maybe we should get the Deathbringer after her?" Virgo suggested. Ophi shook his head. "No...let's just observe for now. Watch how this plays out. She can't do too much damage, after all..." he smirked.
Rex found Aya alone a bit later, and brought her back to the village. Everything seemed well on the end of the heroes of the past, but Gemini found a quiet, private place to page through the book. "The Tragedy of the Bard..." Gemini read the title before paging through it. "It's not all written in song is it? Because I HATE when writers get pretentious and write songs into text! Songs aren't text!" Carrie grumbled. Gemini frowned as she turned towards the end. "There's a page missing at the back, right at the end... all there is on the following page is 'And thus was the tragedy of the heroes, as told by the Bard.'" she grumbled. Silver sighed. "That's what we get for trying to skip to the ending. Well, try to find where we are in time right now." he suggested. Turning through the book, Gemini found some familiar events. The raccoon village, the mirage city, the group coming to mistrust Bard and Luna... "Uh oh..." Gemini gulped. "What is it?" Timothy asked. Gemini read through quickly. "It totally is written in song, but I'll paraphrase it. Pretty soon...that dragon in their group is gonna betray them. This leads to members of their group getting killed, leaving them with just seven heroes. Thus the popular theory that there are actually seven Chosen Ones... No idea why Illusi split the Chaos Relics nine ways." she shrugged. Carrie nodded. "So, if we stop that dragon, it...well, it will be nine, heh. And the hero group will be stronger, and maybe that'll help the future in some way!" she stated. Gemini nodded. "It's worth a shot!" she said. Silver looked a bit conflicted by this plan. "What are you gonna do with this dragon anyway?" he asked. Gemini frowned. "Hmm... Well, he is supposed to die here. Does that mean we kill him?" she said awkwardly. Carrie chuckled. "Duh. Don't worry, I'll do the dirty work." she said. Timothy backed away from her. "Y-you've killed before?" he asked. Carrie shrugged. "No, but how hard can it be?" she stated. Gemini frowned. "Maybe there's a better way. Like if we erase his memory..." she murmured. Silver stepped away from the group and heaved a sigh. "They're about to cross a line, one way or another... I'm not sure what to do... Do I stop them? Or do we risk drastically changing the whole future?" he murmured. He had to decide soon. Time waits for no hedgehog...
Mini Episode - Cream's Playtime
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Cream was bored. In recent years when she was bored, she'd go visit Tails, but that seemed awkward now. In previous years she'd visit Amy, but she was wrapped up in planning a wedding... Rainbow's or her own, sometimes that wasn't quite clear. Cheese seemed bored too, and ultimately, Cream decided to look for people closer to her own age to hang out with. Closest to her house, though she didn't really know him, was Tommy the porcupine. He was outside shooting hoops when she arrived. "Hi... Can I play?" Cream asked shyly. Tommy looked over with a smile. "Um... Okay! Catch!" he said, tossing the ball. Cream flapped her ears, flying closer to catch it. "Hey... That's cheating!" Tommy chuckled. "But it's so much easier to get it in the hoop like this!" Cream teased, flying over and dropping the ball in easily. "That's... kinda the point of calling it cheating..." Tommy said wryly. Cheese flew to the ball and tried to lift it, but it was a little too heavy for him. "Hmm, maybe you two should play defense. Try to stop me from getting the ball in the hoop!" Tommy suggested.
The pair were having fun for a while, when suddenly, someone flew by and snatched the ball! It was Charmy Bee, giggling playfully as he held it out of reach. "Keep-away! Keep-away! Ha ha!" he shouted playfully. Tommy and Cream looked up at him in bewilderment. Then, Cheese plopped onto the bee's head, trying to cover his eyes. "Hey! Who turned out the lights!" he stammered. Cream flew up, giggling as she pulled the ball away from him. "No fair!" Charmy whined. "Keep away from Charmy!" Cream teased, throwing the ball to Tommy. He chuckled as Charmy flew after him. "Oh yeah? I'm too fast for ya! Ha ha!" Charmy giggled, trying to block Tommy from throwing the ball away. Cheese flew up and started to tickle him, making him laugh uncontrollably. "No fair! No fair!!" he cried as he giggled. Cream caught the ball next, and flew up high as Charmy came after her. "Nu-uh!" Charmy teased, blocking her path to Tommy at every turn. She decided to take a chance going around, and the two suddenly collided, both starting to fall! "Oh, no! Look out!" Tommy gasped. He ran to catch one of them, but Vector suddenly stomped in front of him. "I got her..." he grunted before Cream landed on his head. "Ooof!!" Charmy stopped falling in midair, only for Espio to suddenly appear holding him up. "What did we tell you about wandering off?" he grunted. "Don't do it unless you know where I am?" he said sheepishly.
Espio and Vector took Charmy with them, leaving Cream and Tommy to chuckle awkwardly about the whole thing. "Thanks for playing with me...uhhh..." she said, realizing she didn't really even know his name. "Tommy. I'm glad you showed up, too... My bro's been on my mind... He's out there, under the control of some... not very nice guys." he murmured. "Oh... I'm sorry..." Cream replied. Her own problems seemed small compared to that. "...My name's Cream, and this is my Chao friend, Cheese." she smiled, "I've been a little lonely... I can't really hang out with my friends lately..." she explained. Tommy shook her hand. "It's okay. You can hang out with me. And I guess Charmy; When his 'Dads' let him out to play!" he said, both of them giggling. "Yeah! I guess you're right!" she smiled. However, as she turned to head home, she hugged Cheese and frowned a bit. A thought popped into her head. "...He so reminds me of Tails... They even look kinda similar, only different species..." she thought. She let out a heavy sigh as she was heading for home. "...Am I too hard on Tails, Cheese? Should I visit him soon?" she murmured. "Are you talkin' to yourself?" asked Charmy, who was hanging upside down from a nearby tree. "Huh?? I thought you went home!" she gasped. Charmy giggled. "I gave Vector the slip! Can I hide out at your place for a while?" he giggled. Cream looked up at him and began to smile. "Well, okay. I'm sure my mom won't mind, hehe!" As she headed for home with Charmy by her side, Cream began to feel better. She'd talk to Amy and Tails again when the time was right. That didn't mean she couldn't have fun with other friends in the meantime!
Episode 6 - Shadows Follow Us
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Gemini led Timothy, Carrie and Silver to the dragon temple where Brutus would team up with his fellow dragons and try to take the Chaos Relics from the team. Based on the information within the book, Gemini thought she had things all figured out. However, Silver had been thinking things over as they walked, and once they were nearing the temple, he suddenly stood in their way! "Uhhh...Silver?" Gemini murmured. "I'm sorry, Gemini...this is where I must stop you! To be honest, I was hoping you'd give up before getting close to making any real change to the past. Gemini, Fred and Capricorn are right. You shouldn't meddle with time like this. You've dived too far into the past! This isn't like you're trying to stop an apocalypse or something! You just want to get back at Lospecter for your own personal problems!" he told her. Gemini was taken aback by his words. "So...you're just like them! Like Fred! You only pretended to be on my side!" she snapped. Timothy looked a bit concerned, but Carrie stepped forward. "I'll show ya what friends are for, Gem! Keep going!" she smirked, her hands glowing with psychic energy! Silver gasped and set his own hands aglow defensively. "Weren't you listening?! What Gemini's trying to do is dangerous!" he warned. Carrie nodded. "But who's to say it's not the right thing? You saw the book. Members of Rex's group will die if we don't intervene! Why do you act like the future we'll create will end up being worse somehow?" she asked. Silver opened his mouth to argue, but a boulder was hurled his way with Carrie's psychokinesis, and he was forced to focus on stopping it with his own powers! Gemini and Timothy took the opportunity to slip past them, but Timothy had a nervous look about him. "Gemini... Aries told you about the book... What if what we're doing is what Cancer wants?" he asked. Gemini tilted her head. "Like we're walking into a trap? That'd only work if he's seen the book. And Aries tried to stop me from taking it, remember?" she pointed out. Timothy nodded, but still looked nervous. Silver seemed to have a point about all this, but Gemini wasn't hearing reason. The fawn just had to remember what friends were for, like Carrie, and stay by Gemini's side...
Rex's group was a moderate distance away, far enough that they had no inkling of the drama unfolding among Gemini's friends, but close enough that the book's events were running on schedule. Flinging herself into their path was a distraught-looking Cleo the dragon. "...Friend of yours, Brutus?" Red murmured as Cleo started bawling. Brutus shrugged. "I'm into tougher gals." he remarked. Rex knelt beside the crying Cleo. "Miss...are you alright?" he asked. "Creatures! Hideous, abominable creatures! They're murdering my people at the dragon temple! A relief that I got out, but woe! My family...my f-f-...neighbors!!" she babbled. Aya crossed her arms. "Sounds like a Doomling attack." she stated. "Oh, ya think? What gave you that notion?" Spiro said wryly. Rex nodded. "We'd best head for the dragon temple then. Stay here, miss. We'll come back for you when it's safe." he told her. Cleo randomly threw her arms around William. "No, no! Don't leave me, brave heroes! T-take me with you... I won't be trouble, I promise..." she pleaded. "G-get off me..." William stammered. "Willie's got a girl-friend!" Monty teased. Brutus cleared his throat. "She can get us into the temple. I've been gone so long I may not be seen as trustworthy anymore..." he muttered. "Really? And the dragons seemed like such a niiiice people..." Luna remarked sarcastically. "C'mon, sweetie, let's keep the team harmony..." Bard chuckled awkwardly. Astra looked at Cleo a tad suspiciously, but shrugged. "Well, let's not stand around babbling all day. The dragons are in trouble." she stated. The group was in agreement, so Brutus and Cleo started leading the way to the dragon temple, hiding their devilish smirks from the rest of the party. If the future remained unaltered, Brutus's scheme would cut this group's number down to size in lethal fashion...
Ultimately, Gemini and Timothy reached the temple, and found guards at the front gate. "Uuuhhh... You ain't Cleo or Brutus... You guys...with those Chaos Relic heroes?" the guard asked. Gemini thought about the best move here for a moment, and then rolled her eyes. "Screw it..." she grumbled, "Solare!!" She cast a powerful beam that knocked out the first guard, while Timothy let out a sigh. "Snorozika..." he cast, putting the other guard to sleep. Gemini chuckled bashfully. "I need to look that one up..." she murmured. As they set about moving the guards aside, someone crept over to them. "That light! That power! You knocked out two dragon guards somehow...? I must know your secret!" Gemini barely glanced at the visitor at first, then did a double take. It was a species of gray wolf, with red eyes and red stripes, a light gray muzzle, brown gloves, sandals and gold ankle braces, as well as a gold collar. Also, a pair of twin, gray tails ending in tufts of red fur! Gemini stared in shock at him, realizing who it was. "H-howler!?" she stammered. The wolf tilted his head at her. "Hm? Have we met? Or...perhaps my reputation precedes me? ...Tell me, less slack-jawed fawn... was that magic I witnessed? It was magic, wasn't it..." he grinned deviously. Timothy saw Gemini's bewilderment, but he had no idea what she was upset about. "Umm... M-magic? That would be crazy, ha ha..." he stammered. Howler rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You didn't think you'd be seen. Planning to rob the dragon's gold, I imagine. Such boldness from children... Youths after my own heart, hehe..." he smirked. Gemini realized that this was before Shadow Chaos...before Howler met Tikal and Radia...before all of it. She turned to Timothy and whispered to him. "No time to explain, but Howler is NOT supposed to be here! We gotta get rid of him and keep his timeline separate from Rex's! If he saw the Relics... Ohhh, no..." she babbled quietly. Howler crossed his arms, watching them. "What are you kids whispering about? Come now, I just want to see a bit of magic. Confirm it for me... You know you want to..." he smirked. Gemini growled and decided to oblige him. "Snoozika!" she cried, resulting in an unintended backfiring of her wand knocking her sideways into Timothy! "That's not how the sleep spell goes!!" Timothy groaned. Howler walked over and picked up the fawn, wrapping his arms around Timothy's neck. "Okay, I was prepared for you to attack me, but this makes it easier..." he grinned as Gemini gulped.
Seeing Timothy trying to swing his wand, Howler pried it from his hand. "Now, I've worked out that these sticks must be the source of your magic powers. You are going to tell me how it works, girl, and no more tricks...or I'm going to snap your little friend's neck." he warned her. Timothy whimpered, but took on a brave expression. "It's okay, Gemini... I'm not supposed to be alive anyway..." he sighed. Gemini teared up a little hearing that. "No, Tim, don't say that!" she stammered. Howler rolled his eyes. "We don't have all day for whatever drama there is between the pair of you. Those dragons won't sleep forever. Now, talk, girl..." he growled, squeezing Timothy's neck slightly. Gemini winced. "W-why do you do this, Howler??" she stammered. Howler let out a sigh. "I want power... Have you ever felt powerless? It's horrible. In my youth, my pack cast me away out of disgust for my uniqueness...my second tail. Imagine, a child like yourself...lost in the wild. With no magic. No power. I howled...I howled in desperate, powerless loneliness. Until one day, those howls turned to howls of anger. Fed up with the feeling of powerlessness, I decided never to feel that way again. I've been seeking greater power ever since...true power. And the perfect revenge upon those who shunned me...to remake the world in my own image!" he said darkly, Timothy choking as he clutched his throat! Gemini shuddered. Even at this early point in his history, she could feel the madness within Howler. But she had to get Timothy away from him somehow. "L-listen, Howler... I kinda sympathize... I've been cast away, in a sense... quite recently. I don't know who to trust or where to turn, it's like the rug has been pulled from under me. But...we're not powerless...we can change our fate. And we don't need magic to do it... We just need to realize when...when we're making a mistake...and correct our path. You don't want to hurt my friend, Howler..." she pleaded. Howler looked for a moment like he was mulling over her words. "Hmmm... You're right, I don't particularly..." he said, "But I will! Because honestly...magic would just make things so much easier!" he growled with a sneering smirk.
Howler drug Timothy away from the temple as Gemini followed him, preferring not to be interrupted by the possibility of the dragons waking up. However, this didn't mean the timeline was back on track. As Brutus neared the temple, he could see the downed guards and realized his plan was awry. "They're hurt! Is this the Doomlings' work?" Red wondered. Brutus stammered a bit while Cleo faked a little crying. However, the dragoness suddenly changed her tune to awkward laughter. "What the hell!" she grunted, producing a knife and promptly stabbing Red in the chest! "NOO!! What the hell!?" Monty yelled as the team watched Red stagger backward, then falling forward limply in a pool of his own blood! Brutus's tail glowed as he turned around to face them. "Grab the cape off his corpse, my love... It's time to end this charade and take this power for myself!" he sneered. Rex had noticed Howler threatening Timothy and Gemini not too far away, but now they had their own troubles. "Those fallen guards had nothing to do with the Doomlings... Your own scheme has gone a bit awry, I'll wager due to those people over there!" he noted, scowling at Brutus, "We trusted you, and how did you repay us? You cast doubt on our friends, and then betrayed us yourself!" he shouted, drawing the Chaos Sword. Brutus flapped above the group with a smirk. "Pretty much sums it up. As if that singing doofus or the stupid wolf could ever plot anything!" he snickered. Luna slipped on the Chaos Claws and snarled. "I can tear your twisted wings off!" she snapped. Cleo slipped on the Chaos Wing and joined Brutus in the air. "Let's burn these fools to ashes, shall we darling?" she smirked. They then blew fire at the group, forcing them to scatter! "Get down from there! Lemme at 'em! You won't touch my sweet fennec!" Spiro shouted, throwing his fists at nothing. Astra sighed. "Good thing that crown makes you immortal, sweetie..." she said. "Not once I knock it off!" Brutus smirked. Aya tossed some Chaos Cards up that turned into shurikens, headed straight for Brutus! "No, watch out!!" Cleo gasped, diving in the path of the bladed weapons, only to yowl in pain and fall to the ground, bleeding from several cuts. "CLEO!!" Brutus yelled, glaring at the chameleon. "Rrrrrraaaaaaaaaawwwwrrr!!!!" he roared!
As Howler was threatening Timothy and Gemini was reluctantly holding out her spell book to him, time portals suddenly opened up around them, startling Howler! "I said no tricks!! I will KILL this whelp!" he snarled. "N-nooo!!" Timothy winced. "Snorozika!" came the voice of Fred, who put Howler to sleep with the spell, causing him to release Timothy and fall backward! Virgo and Capricorn were there as well... and also Silver and Carrie. Gemini could see sadness in Carrie's eyes as Capricorn held her by the arm, her hands cuffed behind her back. "Virgo, take Howler to where he belongs at this point in time." Fred stated. Virgo nodded. "It shall be done...some of us care to follow the rules..." she said, glancing at Gemini disapprovingly. "S-sally..." Gemini babbled. "Silence, prisoner!" Capricorn said sternly, placing handcuffs on Timothy next! Gemini looked at Fred pleadingly. "T-teacher... We were only trying to..." she stammered. Fred heaved a heavy sigh and grabbed her wrist, slipping handcuffs onto her as well. "I'm sorry, Gemini... I can't protect you anymore. For willfully threatening the timeline on multiple occasions, we hereby place you and your friends under arrest. Silver is lucky to be granted a pardon due to his overall services to the timeline thus far." he stated. Gemini scarcely paid attention to him, opting to instead watch the battle with Brutus. To her horror, the dragon's rage led him to fight past the group, knock the Chaos Cards from Aya's hands, and set her afire. In his desire for vengeance upon Cleo's attacker, he focused so hard on burning Aya to ashes that he didn't protect himself from Rex's retaliation, and was stabbed in the back by the Chaos Sword. Though things didn't play out precisely as in the book, the result was the same. Red, Aya and Brutus were dead, leaving only seven left in the group; Rex, Bard, Monty, Spiro, William, Luna and Astra. "I'm sorry, Gemini..." Silver sighed, "None of us knew Howler would be here. But that's why this whole thing was a mistake. You never know how changing the past will truly impact the future... and it should only really be done as a last resort." he stated. "Good man. Glad to see you've learned a lesson here. Too bad it's too late for this lot..." Capricorn sighed, leading Timothy and Carrie to the time portals. "Isn't it customary to have a trial?" Carrie stammered. Fred led Gemini to the time portal as well. "...I didn't want this for you..." he sighed, "...but you brought it upon yourself..." he murmured.
"...How did we let this happen?" Monty gasped as the group set to work giving the dead a proper burial. Cleo had actually survived her wounds, and seeing that Brutus had died, gave up the Chaos Wing in exchange for her own life and a proper burial for him. "...We were greedy bastards...but I did love him..." she sniffled over his grave, the tears now more genuine. The group still kept their distance from her. They felt there'd been enough death that day, but if Cleo decided to pick a fight there might be more. "...So...got a song for this, Bard?" Spiro asked, a little sarcastic but partly hoping for anything to alter the mood. Bard started to strum his lute. "I'm not sure there are words.... I suppose I owe our companions an attempt..."
"...Shadows follow us...all through our lives.
There from our birth 'till each one of us dies.
A darkness cast over each of our days...
Until each of our shadows are forced to part ways.
In a world where nothing is certain... where fates are dire and cruel...
One truth is always unchanging... One fact remains ever the rule...
Shadows follow us all through our lives.
There from our birth... 'till each one of us dies."
It was a tearful goodbye as the group listened to Bard's sorrowful song. There was little else to do or say. They set out to leave the dragon temple, unsettled by the realization that it wasn't Doomlings that most violently tore their team apart...it was indeed one of their own... And as they left, Rex was further bothered by voices in his head. He'd heard them at the lover's festival, and they seemed to be following him. "Your fighting is futile... There is a better way... You know there is a better way..." the voices whispered. Rex shook it off, but it worried him. Was he the only one hearing these voices?
Amy was busy following the decorator around the church as she oversaw some late preparations for the wedding. Punchy sat nearby, watching her with an air of mild relief. "I'm actually glad she's handling all this... It looks tough, and I'd hate for Rainbow to wear herself out...or for me to disappoint her..." he sighed. "You know I'm right here, One?" Rainbow said from her seat beside him. He chuckled softly and patted her hand on the seat. "You're always with me." he grinned. Sonic rushed down the aisle, shouting something about Amy NOT hitting the decorator with her hammer, and Tails stepped awkwardly behind him, spotting Punchy and Rainbow as he went. He walked over to Punchy and cleared his throat. "Um... Can I have a word with the groom? It, uh... it's kinda personal..." he said bashfully. Rainbow nodded, getting up and walking away. Punchy glanced up at the fox curiously. "What's on your mind, short Copter?" he asked. Tails pouted a little. "W-we're the same height! A-anyway... I thought you could give me advice, seeing as you're the first of our, er... 'friends,' to get married." he stated. Punchy crossed his legs and looked at Tails intently, like some kinda therapist. "You want dating advice?" he asked. Tails blushed. "W-well, it's like this... Since I've been single, a lot of girls have been interested in me... Since last month I've taken Cosmo and Marine out on little dates, I guess, but... I..." his voice trailed off, and Punchy guessed at his thought. "You're still missing your ex." he said. Tails stammered a little. "I never meant to hurt Cream..." he said. Rainbow poked her head up from the chair behind Punchy. "Aw, Tails! You should talk to her! Tell Hoppy how you feel! Maybe you can patch things up!" she suggested. Tails jumped, surprised by her. "Raaaainbooow..." he whined, upset to have been eavesdropped on. Punchy cleared his throat. "Well, I ain't going against the fiance. If you want a second opinion, why don't you ask Chet? He's been dating Katie forever...even beyond the grave! Meanwhile I don't think Rainbow and I ever did anything that qualified as a date... We just lived together for a long time, heh." he chuckled. Tails looked unsure, but Rainbow handed him a piece of paper. "Give Chester this wedding invite when you see him! I've never actually met him, I don't think, but he's a friend of a friend of a friend!" she said. "Is there anyone we're not inviting?" Punchy asked. "Whoever it was that had Binky kidnapped for those Despair dudes." Rainbow replied. Tails sighed and nodded. "Well, I'll find him and deliver this... Invites should've all been sent by now..." he murmured, scratching his head.
Chet was a difficult one to track down, and Tails quickly realized why his wedding invite hadn't reached him yet. Katie for one, had no idea where he was staying. She was able to inform Tails that he apparently qualified as one of Bucky's experiments now. So Tails used SPOT to track large pulses of ring energy and find Shadow Arcangel. But Chet wasn't there, and the members of Team GeneX had conflicting ideas about where he would be. After checking each possible location, Tails eventually found him at a hotel in Troblusk City on a tip from Bill and Bob from the Neon Tavern. The fox looked exhausted once he found the cheetah. "Who's Chester? Ah, well. Guess I'll crash the wedding. Hey, cool to see ya again, Tails. Remember that icy maze with the Chaos Gauntlets? Good times...for who, I'm not sure, but I try to look on the bright side!" he chuckled, sitting down on the hotel bed. Tails had a seat beside him, partly to rest from the search. "I had a question for you, Chet... Punchy thought you might be able to help me..." he said. Chet glanced at him curiously. "What's on your mind, little man?" he asked. Tails recounted his situation to Chet, who was soon in that same cross-legged therapist position as he mulled the situation over. "Hmm... Boy, you're frisky like a fox, eh? Juggling three girlfriends, eeeeh?" he snickered, elbowing Tails as he blushed deeply. "I-I am not! N-nothing's official yet!" he babbled, his face bright red. Chet laughed. "I know a few guys who'd love to be in your position, though. Relax, bro, I'll help ya. It's simple. Cream is over. That's the first thing you gotta admit to yourself. Once a girl decides you've done wrong and breaks it off, it's done. Even if you got her back, you'd be making it up to her for the rest of your life." he told him. Tails looked horrified by those words, but Chet patted his back and kept going. "Don't focus on that. Focus on what you got. Choices... How to choose? Well, that's easy. Ask each girl their idea of their dream date. The one that gives you the answer you like best is the one you go with. Easy-breezy, and you'll have a date in time for the wedding!" he told him, getting up and walking Tails to the door. "...What if I don't really like either answer?" he babbled. "That's defeatist talk! Go on, Tails. You're a winner! Go seize your mate, foxy-fox!" Chet smirked before gently pushing him out the door and shutting it behind him! Tails gulped. "Well, step one... I need contact with them... Uhhh..." he pulled out his cell phone. He couldn't just do this over the phone, though...
Tails invited Cosmo and Marine both to visit the church to "hang out." Arriving before them, Tails found himself getting increasingly nervous. He needed a bit more help. Seeing Punchy and Rainbow busy discussing something with Amy, he found Sonic relaxing in a seat on break. "Sonic... save me!" he babbled. Sonic looked at him and entered that cross-legged therapist pose as he examined the fox's flustered look. "What's the problemo, buddy?" he asked. "It's a long story, but in order to figure out who I should...date... I need to ask Marine and Cosmo about their dream dates." he babbled. Sonic scratched his head. "Must be a long story. No need to explain. I'll ask 'em for ya!" he offered, standing up. Tails had a look of immense relief. "Y-you will?" he gasped. Sonic patted his head. "Sure, little bro. Just stay outta sight." he said. Tails ducked into the aisles, using the seats of the church to hide as Marine walked inside. "Ooooh... What a schmancy place this is! It'll be a ripper place for a party!" she grinned, looking around. Sonic sped over to her while Tails crept closer carefully, keeping out of sight. "Hey, Marine!" he grinned. "Hey, mate! Ya seen Tails about? He sounded bored with the whole weddin' plannin' thing, so cappn' Marine is here ta lift his spirits!" she said. Sonic chuckled softly. "I'm sure he'll turn up. Hey, um... I'm taking a little...survey. For the...wedding...yeah. So, I wanna hear all about what your dream date would be like, real quick!" he asked. Tails nodded from his hiding place. "Good cover, Sonic..." he murmured. Marine had a playful grin. "Oh, it'd be a real ripsnorter! My guy would be like my first mate, an' we'd set out for an awesome, amazing adventure! Maybe we'd run across a kraken out at sea! Or we'd get captured by carnivorous bandicoots and have to mount a ripper escape! We'd be like action heroes!" she giggled. Tails gulped. That was like the total opposite of what he'd wanna do. On the other hand, maybe Marine wasn't taking this seriously. She didn't seem to take anything seriously. Cosmo came in soon after, and once Sonic sent Marine on her way, he asked the same question of the seedrian. "Oh, um... Well, I suppose he'd be a real gentleman. We'd get all dressed up and go to a nice restaurant... Maybe spend the night slow dancing... It'd be so lovely..." she told Sonic. Her answer was the exact opposite of Marine's, and yet it didn't sit well with Tails either. She sounded...a bit stuffy. Maybe TOO mature? Before Sonic was done talking to Cosmo, Amy came up to them. "Sonic...Marine said something about a romance survey you're taking... Why wasn't I informed?!?!" she growled, eyes seemingly on fire. Sonic backed up a bit, and Cosmo looked nervous. "You're not interviewing for yourself, are you Sonic?" Cosmo babbled. That did it. Amy lifted her hammer with a frenzied yell, forcing Sonic to flee! Tails let out a sigh. "Sonic needs the biggest apology ever later..." he murmured.
Cosmo and Marine decided to hang out for a bit, and Tails continued to hide for a while, feeling miserable. Soon, he heard a very welcome voice. "Tails? What are you doing on the floor?" It was Cream, who sat down near him. Tails got up with a shy blush. "I, uh... N-nothing. What's up, Cream?" he asked. She shrugged. "I just came to hang out with Amy, but she's busy trying to kill Sonic again." she giggled. Tails chuckled along with her, sitting beside her. He had a shy look, and he decided to say something. "Cream... I was overhearing this...survey... and wondering how you might answer." he babbled. Cream glanced at him. "Yes?" she asked. He sighed nervously. "What would...your dream date be like?" he asked her. Cream had a cute smile. "Oh... Well, it needn't be anything special. If I know he likes me, we could just play together... We could watch a movie at home... We could eat at that burger shop and just talk and laugh together!" she smiled, "And when we're all done...we can watch the sunset... cuddled up together...just the two of us..." she sighed with a wistful, nostalgic look. Tails had a similar look on his face as he listened to her. "...I like that... Very much..." he murmured. Cream nodded. "Yeah... I hope my date for the wedding thinks like that, too!" she smiled. Tails' heart sank upon hearing those words. "Y-you...have a date?" he stammered. Cream nodded. "Yeah...don't you?" she asked. Tails was torn up inside, but he didn't want to make Cream upset. "I, uh... Almost..." he babbled, and then forced a smile to show Cream. "I... I'm happy you're...doing so well, Cream..." he told her. Cream hugged him, and his ears drooped a bit knowing it was a mere friend-hug. "I'm glad you're doing well, too. Need me to put in a good word with that date you're trying to get?" she asked. He cleared his throat. "Uh...no... I'm good..." he stammered. Cream smiled, but looked away as Amy's shouting could be heard getting closer. "I'd better see if I can calm Amy down. Let's catch up at the wedding, Tails! Bye!" she said, rushing off. Tails waved to her, a sadness cast over him. "Good bye..." he murmured, "...Great, now I HAVE to pick someone to be my date." he murmured. "Might be good for you, Tails. That was hard just to watch!" said Rainbow as her head poked up from behind a seat again. Tails was starting to tear up, and Rainbow went around to give the fox a hug. "It's okay, sweetie... You'll be okay..." she consoled him.
Gemini and Timothy were imprisoned deep within the Zodiac Council of Divine Masters' base of operations. Their wands were confiscated, and Carrie was being held in a separate cell not too far away, one that her psychokinesis could not allow her to escape. Sitting hopelessly in their cell, Gemini and Timothy were soon met by Ophiuchus in his serpentine form. "I just have one question about bathroom visits, since Gem and I are sharing a cell..." Timothy stammered. "Silence!" Ophi sneered, "Do you know why you are here, Gemini?" he asked. Gemini nodded slowly, and Ophiuchus grinned widely. "No, you don't. You see, I let you leave with that book. I was testing you." he informed her. Gemini stared at him. "Testing me? How...?" she asked. Ophi held onto the bars as he stared into the cell at her. "I wanted to see what you would do with the information. Sadly...your ultimate decision failed to take the larger picture into account. You see, here in the Zodiac Council...we always plan for the long game. Unfortunately, you represent the failure of one of our plans, now. You're not worthy of the name 'Gemini!'" he snarled. As the snake was backing away, Gemini ran to the bars, grabbing them. She could tell...he knew the answers to the questions nagging at the back of her mind. "Who am I!? Why did my teacher disguise himself from me!? Is... is Libra really my sister?? WHO AM I!?" she cried, only for Ophiuchus to casually walk towards the exit. "Maybe if I'm feeling charitable later, I'll allow some of your questions to be answered... That's if I don't decide to have you wiped from the timeline entirely! You've been more trouble than you're worth!" he shouted back as he left the prisoners alone. Timothy shivered. "H-he wouldn't really disappear us from the whole timeline... would he?" he stammered. "Well, he totally can!" Carrie shouted from her cell, "Who's bright idea was all this time travel, again?" she asked. "Not mine! You lot made me see too much... I hope I get to eat ya!" Gemini and Timothy backed away from the left wall of the cell as they heard the voice of the crazy echidna from the last cell Timothy and Carrie had been thrown into. "...We need to escape..." Gemini whispered. With that statement of the obvious, the question remained...was escape even possible? And...was Gemini about to miss Punchy and Rainbow's wedding by being prisoners of Zodiac?
Mini Episode - Conan Vs. Knuckles
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Conan the raccoon was sleeping in a dirty sleeping bag in the woods. His rest was anything but restful. His dreams were haunted by images he just couldn't shake. People he'd killed, either intentionally or unintentionally, littering a field before him. The Chaos Sword in his hand, an instrument of death rather than the bringer of life he needed. "What have I done... This wasn't what I was supposed to be doing..." he murmured as he stared out at the bodies before him. "Conan!" a voice called out. Ahead in the distance, the spirit of his lost love, Emily the squirrel, called to him. He could barely hear her voice. He tried to move closer, but as he walked, she seemed to slip further away. "......save me!" he heard her say. Something he couldn't hear preceeded it, but he assumed it was simply her calling his name again. "Emily! I'm coming! I will save you! Just tell me how! Can you tell me how?!" he called, chasing after her in vain. "......save me!" she repeated. Conan reached his hand out towards her. And then he woke up. He sat up from his sleeping bag, panting and sweating. "...Damn me... Why am I taking so long to save her? I know where the relics are now... It's just a matter of taking them. So, let's begin with the easiest to track down..." he murmured, looking up into the sky to see Angel Island floating a distance away.
Knuckles sighed, trying carefully to turn the page of a magazine in spite of the Chaos Claws being stuck on his hands. When he inevitably shredded the whole book, he tossed it aside with a grunt. "Why didn't anyone talk me outta using these? Do I gotta live like this forever?" he complained. He stood up as he heard footsteps, glaring as he saw Conan approach. "Get off my island!" he warned. Conan chuckled. "If it's the Master Emerald you're worried about, don't. I only want the Chaos Claws you won in the tournament!" he declared, holding his sword readily. Knuckles held up his hands to show off the claws. "They're kinda stuck. And if you tried to use 'em, they'd get stuck on you, too! Not real great." he warned. Conan scoffed. "If you don't want them, let me help you remove them... Of course, I know you won't, so I'll remove them the easy way. Now, die!" he smirked, his golden Chaos Wing cape turning into actual wings to carry him quickly towards Knuckles as he fired Chaos Spears from the sword! Knuckles slashed away the spears with the claws before blocking his sword with them, parrying each strike Conan made with the sword using his claws! "These things can make ya crazy, too! In your hands that'd be WAY too dangerous!" Knuckles shouted, "When I go nuts, I'm just here..." he added quietly. Conan flew above him and fired a few Chaos Spears down, which Knuckles avoided by gliding down the steps of the altar. "Maybe a true master of chaos would control the claws instead of the claws controlling him!" Conan argued, "Wait, why am I justifying myself to a dead man?" he said, soaring towards Knuckles with his blade raised, looking to slice him in half! Knuckles clashed the claws together in front of him to stop Conan's blade, but Conan kept pushing. The clashing Chaos Relics glowed, and a small explosion threw them both in different directions! Knuckles fell over the ledge, and began to glide to a safe place where Conan wouldn't find him for a while. Conan turned to the Master Emerald shrine. "He'll have to come back for... that?" Someone had moved the Master Emerald while they were fighting! "...Aaaargh!!" Conan wailed, starting to fly away.
There was a hole under where the Master Emerald had sat. A distance down the cliff, still technically on the island, Knuckles had pulled a switch. "Bet he doesn't know where the Hidden Palace is..." he smirked. As Conan was flying around the island, debating whether to look for Knuckles or look elsewhere, a small yellowish spirit orb hovered over the highest peak, seemingly watching him. "Conan..." Emily's voice quietly came from it, "...Don't save me. For your own good... You have to let me go, my love..." the spirit said before flying off into the distance. Conan landed in the jungle below Angel Island after a while. "...Perhaps the claws aren't what I'm looking for... They seem a trecherous treasure anyway." he sighed, pulling his picture of Emily out from inside his hat. "...I promise, my darling... I will find the way to bring you back to me... And I don't care how many I have to kill to do it..." he said, gritting his teeth.
Episode 7 - Musical Matrimony Part 1
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Kingdom Hearts and related concepts are (c) Disney & Square-Enix.
Author's Note: Please give it a chance in spite of the awkwardness of the opening group song. It may seem better as it moves past that... at least I hope so.
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Punchy (Experiment 1) and Rainbow (of the Raisol echidnas)! Be there - August 22 2018
Time passed for Rex and his group. They came to be accustomed to having a team of seven. The second tailband went to Astra along with the first, while the Chaos Wing and Chaos Cards rotated amongst the team as they sought a good fit for those relics. They traveled far and wide, battling Doomlings wherever Gunther sent them and keeping their minds open for any clues as to the source of those terrible creatures. Until one day, out of the blue, Rex declared that he knew the source of the Doomlings. "Wha...you just KNOW? Just like that?" Spiro babbled. "Well, about time! Let's finish this once and for all!" Luna said eagerly. Bard and Monty glanced at each other before looking back at Rex. "How did you come by this information?" Bard asked. Rex stared out into space, a blank expression in his eyes. "...I just...know." he told them. Monty rubbed his head awkwardly. "Not that we don't trust you...but maybe a little more detail than that would be nice." he stated. William shrugged. "Let's not waste time! If we have a chance to end this, we should take it!" he stated. The team ultimately agreed, and Rex began to lead them... following the voices in his head. "That's it...that's it... you know the way..." Rex tried to shake his head to silence the voices. Little did he know, William was doing the same thing. Who else might be hearing those voices...?
They headed for a dark place. If Gemini were there, she might recognize the landscape as Demon Island, but at this point in time it was not an island at all, nor floating. At any rate, as Rex led the group, they soon came across a truly horrific sight. The most frightening Doomlings they'd seen thus far were guarding the area. They resembled the dinosaurs themselves, but with the shadowy complexion and single bulging eyes of the Doomlings! Monty clenched his fists tightly in the Chaos Gauntlets while William nervously shuffled the Chaos Cards. "Demons beyond imagining...! Do we even stand a chance?" he babbled. Rex drew his sword. "Ghosts of the past...we should bury them!" he growled. Astra had an uncharacteristically nervous expression herself. "R-rex... I think we should seek aid. Anyone who can harness the extra Chaos Relics would be a tremendous boon here..." she stated. Rex scoffed. "No one would come to our aid... Honestly, haven't you been though enough betrayal and abandonment already?" he snapped. Spiro gulped. "Well, that was harsh..." he murmured. Astra had a defiant expression as she started to run off. "Be careful, everyone! I will be back with help!" she cried. Bard and Monty looked particularly nervous as Rex began to charge into battle. "Has our leader taken leave of his senses?" Bard murmured. "No time to ask that! Lots of teeth comin' our way!" Monty yelped.
It's Punchy and Rainbow's wedding day!
Bride and groom are anxious, can't see each other yet today!
Rainbow; "What'll One think of me in this dress? I feel so very scared..."
Punchy; "This monkey suit's chokin' me! I hope she's doin' alright in there..."
They look in the mirror, gulp down their fears, getting ready to give their vows...
In the meantime guests will arrive. Our planner, Miss Rose is there now to take her bows!
Amy; "Come on in, it's finally time!
All my hard work's gonna sparkle and shine!
Come in Sonic, hey there's the bridesmaid!"
Violet; "This dress is awful! Is it one that YOU made?!"
Amy's too excited to be brought down,
No criticism can make Miss Rose frown,
'Till she sees Rainbow walk the aisle in her wedding gown!
Punchy; "Am I really gonna do this? It still feels so weird...
Rainbow's like my sister, and yet my feelings grew over this year...
But am I ready to take this plunge? Or will I freak out in nervous fear..."
Rainbow; "I really, really hope that One's not getting cold feet...
I hope I'm good enough, to make him feel complete...
And when we say 'I do'... Can I say his real name, too? That might be the biggest feat..."
But elsewhere not all are festive. At GUN HQ, a plot...
General Gunner schemes before bride and groom can tie the knot!
"A wedding? A wedding? Those freaks at a wedding!?
And they had the gall to invite my own Guard?
That fugitive, Experiment 2, he must be at this wedding...
Try to hide from me? I think you'll find that hard!"
..."Real classy, rhyming wedding with wedding, boss." Spy mumbled. "I don't even know why I feel the urge for singing." Gunner grumbled. But indeed, everyone at the church could feel that urge to sing!
"It's been a wait of just around a year!
Filled with war and pain and fear!
But now that's all behind us and all that's left to saaaay!!
It's time now, for a wedd-ing daaaaay!!"
"Good choreography! I wish more people could see us dance!" Charmy clapped. "I don't..." Tails blushed. "Good, you can greet the rest of the guests. I'm busy!" Amy said to the fox. As Tails approached the door, he came face-to-face with...himself! "Baaah!!" they both yelled. Lucky came up behind the second Tails. "Ah, hi! I guess we made it! Tails, meet...Tails!" he chuckled softly. Whisk giggled from behind him. "Wait... Aww, you guys had a musical number in here, didn't you! And we missed it!" she sighed. Gator came up behind them next. "Stop talking about the music, guys! It's weird enough for everybody! Now... where's the band? I'm here to play my sax-om-o-phone!" he grinned.
As Violet found a seat at the front of the bride's side, Knuckles was across the aisle on the groom's side, munching on a hot dog attached to the end on one of the Chaos Claws. "...Knuckles, I don't think you should wear claws to a wedding." Violet muttered. "I can't take the darn things off. I'd have skipped out, but I think in Copter's absence, I'm the best man." he said. A hush fell over the church, though, as Copter actually walked in. He was dressed in formal attire, but still carried the staff of Aries. "What, guys? In spite of everything, you didn't think I'd actually miss Punchy's wedding, did you? I'm sure my invite was lost in time somewhere..." he murmured. Punchy stepped out, seeing Copter. "You've got a lotta nerve, you son of a gun..." he said, walking over slowly. He punched Copter in the arm, and smiled wide. "I knew you'd make it, Copt! Come on and take a seat, brother!" he chuckled. Tails looked nervous as Felicia came to the door. "Uhhh... Bride's side or groom's side?" he babbled. Felicia shrugged. "I'm with the church choir. Your Amy really wants to go all-out with this thing." she chuckled, giving Tails a quick hug. "But I'm glad to be here! Hey, is that Sonic?!" she smiled, rushing in to catch up. Silver walked in next with an awkward expression. Punchy was talking to Lucky, Talon and Vortex as Silver walked up. "Hey, Silver! Brought Gemini, right?" he asked. Silver frowned. "Carrie too, yeah?" Talon asked. Silver looked more awkward at that. "They, umm... They're all in jail. I'm sorry, Punchy, but they're going to miss your wedding." he informed them. Talon's eyes went wide. "WHAT!? You got Carrie thrown in jail!? In the past!? And left her there!? What is WRONG with you, man!!??" he shouted, shaking the hedgehog. Silver looked a bit dizzy and cleared his throat. "I--uhh... M-maybe we better sit down, mister griffin..." he stammered. Illusi walked up to Punchy next. "Dark One..." he smiled. Bucky pushed past him, however. "Son, I couldn't be prouder of you, today!" he said, shaking Punchy's hand. Illusi pushed him back. "You and Rainbow will take good care of one another! Remember...she is your light!" Illusi told him. Bucky tried to push him back, and the two started to grapple. "Grrr!! I created him!!" Bucky snapped. "Well, I nurtured him!!" Illusi retorted. "Dads, dads... don't...fight..." Punchy said awkwardly, "Yeesh, I wonder how Rainbow's doing with most of the girls?"
Rainbow hugged Violet once she found her way to her. "Viola!! Good Chaos, that bridesmaid dress is awful!" Rainbow said. It was a pale orange, and did nothing for Violet's complexion. Violet rolled her eyes, but then took in Rainbow's bridal gown. "You're... You look like a princess, Rainbow. I couldn't be more jealous!" she smiled. Cream walked by with a basket of flowers in her hands, a flower crown on Cheese's head. "Thanks for inviting me, Rainbow! I'll be the best flower girl ever!" she giggled. Blaze and Marine were nearby chatting it up, too, and Felicia walked in as well, observing as the girls doted on the bride to be. "It seems strange that such a joyous occasion should come so soon after Eggman's defeat... I'm still reeling from some of those battles!" the wolf murmured. Blaze sighed softly. "Maybe that's exactly why everyone needs to come to this wedding. They need to see something very good and pure, to help them really get past the darkness." she stated. "Yeesh, Blaze, yer talkin' like you fought in the war!" Marine remarked. Rainbow chuckled softly at that. "We sure could've used you, your Highness!" she courtsied. Blaze had an awkward expression. "Can you...just call me Blaze?" she asked. "She really can't." Violet chuckled. Rainbow giggled again. "...Hey, where's Pinky? I thought she'd be here to check out my dress and all..." she wondered. Amy, however, had wandered away from her wedding planner duties. She'd found Sonic in the hall between the chapel and the room where the bride was getting ready. She seemed intent on having a talk with him...
"Isn't this place lovely...isn't it all grand?
Sonic, don't you think it's time, we walked hand in hand?"
As Amy starts to get that look, Sonic backs a step.
He gets that nervous feeling, she wants another wedding prep...
"Hold up, Ame, I think I hear Punch calling!
There's time for this talk later, totally not stalling!"
"I'm thinking of our perfect day, oh Sonic I can see!
All our friends gathered here to hear your vows to me!"
Dash aside Sonic, don't let her grab you tight, Sonic!
Her dreaming grows more vivid, her loving like a tonic!
"Hold on, Amy! Rainbow's gotta be calling!
We'll figure it all out later! I'm really, really not stalling!"
"Flowers all around! Doves sing their joyful sound!
Oh, how I'll burst inside...when it's time for him to kiss the bride!"
Dash away, Sonic! No time for kisses, Sonic!
Her burning raging passion is getting rather chronic!
"A-Amy... There's no need to rush, although I'm fast!
We should take our time... Let's let the chase...laaaast!"
Away, away, Sonic runs, escaping Amy's grasp!
"...I'll chase you 'till our wedding day... And you'll see my love for you...is vast..."
It was time now for the wedding to get underway. "Places, everyone!" Tails called down the hall, startling Amy out of her daydream. "Oh, gosh! I gotta hurry up, then!" she stammered.
Everyone was pretty much gathered in the chapel as Punchy waited anxiously. Copter and Knuckles were both by his side. Violet and Amy were across the way, awaiting Rainbow's arrival. There were a few notable absences from the room, some having excuses such as Gemini, being in prison, and Mia being robotisized. Team Dark was also missing, however, which seemed odd considering Rouge had been there when Punchy proposed. Knuckles nudged Punchy as they waited for Rainbow to arrive. "Nervous?" he asked. Punchy shrugged. "Yeah... not as much as you might think, though. It's Rainbow. I know she's right for me. It's just whether I'm right for her..." he murmured. Knuckles nodded. "Oh, you are..." he smiled. Punchy nudged him back. "So...jealous?" he smirked. "Yes!" Copter groaned. A hush fell over the crowd as Rainbow entered the hall. The human priest smiled, and signaled for the traditional wedding march to play. Sadly, Rainbow's father was not alive to walk her down the aisle. However, the two echidna lovers smiled and blushed as their eyes met. "She...she's beautiful... She's been beautiful all along..." Punchy babbled. Knuckles and Copter rolled their eyes at him. "Any other girl would slap him for that..." Knuckles sighed. The priest cleared his throat as Rainbow approached. "Before we begin... is there anyone who would like to voice an objection to this union? Speak now, or forever hold your peace..." he said. Zipp chortled. "Hold your peace, Dark Punchy, please!" he shouted, prompting laughs from the crowd. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the entrance to the chapel! "Furry freaks!! I have a bone to pick with all of you!!" came the voice of General Gunner over a speaker! Punchy stomped his foot in aggravation. "I knew it, I KNEW it!! THIS is what I was actually nervous about!! GUNNER!!" he yelled. "Seriously, don't go dark, Punchy...." Violet said nervously.
As GUN Hunters started rushing through the door, Sonic leapt into action and took them out with some quick homing attacks. "They're not getting in here! Come on! Who wants to help me push 'em back!?" he called. As a number of the guests ran to help Sonic, they found a dangerous force outside waiting for them. In addition to Guard, there was also Shadow, Rouge and Omega standing with Gunner. "Sorry, guys... A gal's gotta work..." Rouge sighed. Gunner raised his hand for the troops to stand down. "You all are harboring a fugitive! I'm giving you just ten seconds to turn over that black fox...the one you pathetically refer to as 'Copter!'" he shouted using a megaphone. Knuckles stepped next to Sonic. "Not gonna happen, bub! You all have some nerve helping Gunner do this!!" he shouted, pointing his clawed fingers at Shadow. The black hedgehog seemed unimpressed with Knuckles' anger. "Maybe a cold, tough stance is needed after what we allowed Eggman to accomplish last year." he huffed. "Time's up!" Gunner sneered, "Take them!!" he commanded, sending robots as well as Team Dark to attack the chapel! While Team Sonic charged into battle against Team Dark, a number of others fought the robots, and Lucky parried Guard's scythe with his keyblade! "Grr?? You can...fight??" Guard stammered. "Yeah, it's been a crazy year!" Lucky murmured. Felicia had her Wispon ready, and was cracking a thunder whip at and robots in her path. She neared General Gunner, who stepped back and gasped as he got a look at her. "You!? No... it can't be!" he seemed to recognize her now that he got a look at her fixed up, two-eyed face. "You traitorous, deserting vermin!! You faked your death so Murten and I would abandon you all those years ago!" he roared, startling Felicia. "H-huh? What are you saying... Y-you know me?" she babbled. Gunner clenched his fists as he approached her. "Oh, you have amnesia now, do you?? Perhaps THIS will jog your memory!!" he snarled, taking the wolf off guard as he suddenly smashed his fist into her face, and proceeded to hit her repeatedly, until he managed to crack her glass eye! "F-fera!!" Sonic stammered, running to her with a look of rage! Seeing this, Gunner backed up and hid behind a pair of Shield Hunters! Before the violence could escalate further, the police started to arrive. Ridley ran to the front of the chapel with a megaphone of his own. "Everyone, stand down!! General Gunner, you have no right to attack these holy grounds! Church is sanctuary, and criminal or no, all within this building are protected as long as they remain within! It is the law!" he declared. During Ridley's distraction, Team Sonic helped the injured Felicia back to the chapel, and the other wedding guests fled back inside too, much to Gunner's frustration. "FINE! We'll wait... They can't stay in there forever!" he growled. "Isn't that kinda cliche to do, boss?" Spy asked. "What other plan have I got? Blow up the church so it's not in the way anymore? I'm still bound by the law, dimwit!" Gunner grumbled.
Punchy and Rainbow were reeling from the sheer audacity of these events. Some of the guests were injured. Felicia went off to tend to her eye on her own, much to Sonic's protest. Team Chaotix and Team GeneX went to guard the door against Gunner's potential return, though Ridley was still there with the police. Amidst all of it was Copter, who headed for the back hallway, planning a quiet exit. However, Tails caught up with him. "...This is my fault. I have to go." Copter said, his back turned to the fox he was cloned from...
"These things aren't your fault, there's no need to turn your back.
Copter, you have lots of friends, to protect you from attack.
You seemed to have been hurting quite a bit in this past year...
But you don't have to run away. Copter, there's no need for fear..."
Words so kind and true, but like daggers to his heart.
Copter turned in coldness, determined to depart.
"I never asked for pity! I never cried out for your aid!
In my mind you've taken everything...it's time for our friendship to fade!"
Tails cold not let this go.
He stepped closer, Copter had to know...
"Hate me if you want, that's okay...
It would mean so much to everyone if you'd stay!"
Copter; "They'll hate me further if I destroy this moment!"
Tails; "They're your friends, they'd never hate you, they simply wouldn't!"
Both; "You don't understand, you won't listen to what I say!!"
Copter; "Why won't you just go awaaaay!?"
A whip of the tail. A hurl of the fist.
Tails barely jumped back so the attacks were missed.
So full of anger, so full of grief...
And then at that moment, Cancer arrives to feed his dark belief...
"No more arguing, no more fights.
Aries comes with me now... My way is right!"
Tails was powerless to stop Copter from going with Cancer. He stepped to chase them, but they were gone through a time portal before he knew what was happening. The two-tailed fox frowned, and felt even worse when he realized this wouldn't deter Gunner. "Without seeing Copter leave, he'll attack us anyway. Heck, he'd do it just for kicks. How are we gonna get out of here?" he wondered.
The minister looked particularly flustered by the whole situation. "I do hope everything's alright, but perhaps we should postpone the ceremony under the circumstances?" he asked the couple. Rainbow looked devastated by the prospect. "But...we've waited so long! Tubby delayed us already with his big war!" she babbled. Punchy placed a consoling arm around her. "Everyone might be too shaken up now. Our energy might be better spent figuring out how to get past Gunner." he said. Rainbow growled. "I hate old Gramps..." she sighed. Shadow warped into the room with Guard, startling a few people. "We've been sent to point out that you can't stay in here forever. Gunner's impatient." Shadow grunted. Heather stomped over to Guard and shoved him. "Grahh! What's the idea??" he yelped. "How can you do this to Punchy and Rainbow!? It's their WEDDING, Garen!!" she cried. Guard looked away from her sadly. "Boss found the invite... Grrr... Stop calling me Garen. I'm just a machine. GUN's Guard..." he sighed. Sonic stepped over to have words with Shadow, too. "Working for Gunner? You really think that's how we prevent Eggman from taking over again?" he snapped. Shadow shrugged. "From what I understand, Gunner was integral to the Freedom Fighter's tactical operations. He may be a bigot and a fiend, but he's not always wrong...and something is off about Copter recently." Sonic stared like he didn't recognize Shadow. "This isn't the way we handle problems like that! You ever think of TALKING to anybody instead of blowing up a wedding!?" he shouted. Shadow scoffed. "How can you kids waste time with something as pointless as a wedding. Eggman is still out there. Who knows if the Phantom Ruby was even destroyed? This attitude is why you spent six months in an Eggman prison!" he snarled. Bucky shot a lightning bolt between them before things could escalate further. "This is a house of god, you two! ...Maybe not my god exactly, but you show some respect before you think about starting a fight in here!" he said angrily. Shadow scoffed and headed for the door with Guard in tow. Amy looked around at the miserable faces of the guests and sat herself down, burying her face in her hands. "All that work I did...and it's a disaster! I should have known I'd let everyone down somehow..." she sobbed. Blaze put a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't know this would happen." she told her. "Why not?" asked Vector as he walked by, "You don't gotta be a detective to know stuff always blows up when we all get together!" he pointed out. Amy glared at him. "You're not helping!" she snapped.
After informing everyone that Copter had left, Tails sat down and heaved a heavy sigh. "Hey, don't be so glum, mate!" said Marine, sitting next to him, "Weddin' or not, we can still hang out!" she said playfully. Cream walked over holding Cheese, looking like she wanted to comfort him, but seeing Marine there, got an awkward expression. "Uhh... Hi, you two. Crazy wedding, huh?" she murmured. "Huh? Oh, yeah... You and Cheese didn't get hurt at all, did you?" Tails asked her. Cream shook her head. Charmy flew up beside her and suddenly yelled "Surprise!! Hehe!" making Cream jump. "Charmy, that's not funny..." she scolded him. "Sorry, guess I needed to cut through the tension... First date jitters, or Espio says..." he babbled, blushing shyly. Tails looked in surprise. "Oh...oh! Ch-charmy's your date!" he gasped. Cream nodded. "I guess...is Marine your date?" Cream asked. Marine gave Tails a playful hug. "Yup! He got all cute and asked me out! It was last minute, but how could I say no to my best mate, eh?" she giggled. Charmy giggled too. "You two are so adorable, it's kinda gross!" he teased. Cream briefly got a jealous look, but then grabbed Charmy and hugged him tight. "Oh, you know you love me like that too, cuddle bee!" she giggled. Charmy gagged a bit, and Tails had an awkward look as Cream dragged him away. "W-well... Glad you're...happy..." he sighed. Once she was out of his sight, Cream eased her grip on Charmy and sighed. "Glad he's...happy..." she murmured.
"Alright! Even if Punchy and Rainbow tie the knot now, Gunner will make sure they spend their honeymoon in jail! So, what do we do?" Sonic asked, gathering a bunch of people around. "Without Copter here to arrest, he'll charge us all with obstruction and disappear us into a GUN prison." Violet groaned. Kosmo stepped forward. "Obviously, I should morph into Copter and turn myself in, allowing you all to get off scot-free! After the wedding's over, I can easily escape wherever Gunner stashes me, heh..." the morph smirked. "Oooh, even better, I could teleport Kosmo out!" Whisk volunteered. Sonic crossed his arms. "No one should have to pay for Gunner's hatred... Even if the payment is just missing the wedding." he stated. Tails nodded. "Plus, you don't know how much Gunner has upped security... Not to mention, could Kosmo even pull off the disguise with that glowing eyes thing?" he stated. "Why don't I jussst Chaosss Hole GUN into oblivion?" Vortex hissed. "No murder!" Bucky scolded him. "Speaking of murder..." Zipp muttered, "Anybody seen 'ol Fera?" Punchy bonked Zipp on the head. "What are you tryin' to do, give her her memory back!? ...Hey, where is she?" he wondered. Everyone looked around, but there was no sign of the wounded wolf. "Felicia?! Where are you?" Illusi called out, "How could this entire group let her wander off alone with an injury!?" he shouted. "Hey, she's your daughter." Silver shrugged. "What?? ...I never saw the resemblance!" Vector muttered. "Let's not get distracted by this..." Amy groaned, "Take someone to find her, shrew guy who's apparently her...dad. We gotta work out the GUN problem!" she pointed out. Little did anyone know, it was rapidly getting to be too late for Felicia...as she gazed into the mirror Rainbow used while getting dressed and ready for the wedding, and darkness seemed to close in around her...
"Something's wrong... What's this I see?
Who is staring back at me?
This wretched weakling in a choir gown! Pretending to be me!!"
Fighting with her past, looking at the glass,
The wolf turns to her good eye, for the madness to pass!
"I feel something inside me, dark but also true.
I fear it, I must fight it, there's no telling what she'll do!
Darkness all around me, it confounds me... I fear I'm being split in two!!"
Scream, bash the false eye, the bright lie!
Pull your hair free. Set the truth free!
Fera is reborn... Felicia must die!!
"Get out of my head! Give back my life!!
It's my mission to spread pain and strife!"
"Don't tell me who I am, I became a hero!
You're the one who died, stay dead, just go!"
Grasping, clutching, screaming, voices in her head,
Room around her spinning, a wolf filled with dread!
The mirror shows two faces, good and evil side by side!
But which shatters the mirror? For the other face to hide?
"You're weak, and I'm strong, let me take the lead...
You just watch, I'll make our enemies bleed!"
"Fera, please, don't do this... They're my friends, don't you know!?"
..."Your friend tried to kill me! Revenge is mine! I'm running this show!!"
With a maniacal laugh, Fera's memory returned to her. There was one particular memory at the forefront. The last thing she saw before her supposed "death"... Punchy the Echidna! As the wedding guests were busy trying to figure out how to get past Gunner's blockade on the church without too much violence, things were suddenly much worse as Fera stepped into the room, looking quite familiar. She was rocking the Despair Uniform Felicia had taken from the Resistance's clothing stores, and had ditched the Wispon, now flicking the Chaos Cards from one hand to the other without it. Also, her glass eye was gone, hair partially covering the hole in her eye socket, but she didn't have time to fully grow that hair back yet, obviously. Punchy, Rainbow and Sonic all gulped as they saw her. "What a lovely day for a wedding..." Fera said, holding up a gold-backed card, "Just as good a day for a funeral, I'll say...wouldn't you agree, Punchy!?" she snarled in a rage, dark energy surrounding her body!
Episode 8 - Musical Matrimony Part 2
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Kingdom Hearts and related concepts are (c) Disney & Square-Enix.
Gemini and Timothy paced their shared cell while Carrie sat with her head against the bars of her separate, psychic-proof cell. They were trying to think of a way out of there. "Maybe they'll open the cell to clean up if one of you kills the other..." Carrie grumbled. "This isn't a joke, Carrie! I'm missing Rainbow's wedding!" Gemini sighed. "Oh, boo...hoo...hoooo ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" Gemini and Timothy turned as they heard the mocking laughter of Lospecter, who was carrying a smartphone and starting up a music player on it. "What a tangled web I weave..." the spirit smirked. Gemini stared at him. "How are you here?? What are you talking about!?" she stammered. Lospecter twirled the Chaos Key in his fingers. "This little baby got me here...and set my plan in motion. Ah, but why talk about it...when I can sing of my genius and your downfall!?" he cried, producing a long staff with a microphone on the end, along with a gaudy top hat that he popped onto his head!
"Oooohhh!! You can't beat time, can't stop your fate!
I'm an immortal slime, and you're a snack on my plate!
You thought you could ditch me, but I'm up in yo' head!
Now you'll waste in this cell, and I'll make your world un-dead!!"
Ya ta ta do da, spin 'round dat mic!
Ya ba ba bo ra, tip yo' hat, as ya like!
As this ghost sings and dances,
our heroes fear their chances,
are slippin' away like sand in hourglasses!
"Boy! And, girls! Listen to my gloat!
This is how I scammed ya, got yer goat!
Bouncin' 'cross other worlds, I found another you!
That subservient Gemini told me just what to do!"
Ya ta ta do da, pop through those bars!
Ya ba ba bo ra, they so close yet so fars!
"I learned yo' weakness, loyal to the very end!
You'd defy your own masters, all to save a friend!
So I proffered a hostage, that hapless young fawn...
Then I sat back and waited...for the fates to carry on, ooooooohhh!!"
Ya ta ta do da, spin 'round dat mic!
Ya ba ba bo ra, tip yo' hat, as ya like!
"You can't beat time, can't stop your fate!
I'm an immortal slime, and you're a snack on my plaaaaaate!"
Gemini glares, she don't know what to say,
but her heart feels too desperate, can't let 'em get away!
"My friends are no weakness!! My friends are my power!!
Lospecter, I'll stop you... For all time... Every hour!!!"
As Gemini cried out in protest to oppose Lospecter, desperate to fight back against the fate that he set in motion, knowing that her desire to save her friends would lead her here... As she cried out in determination to end Lospecter's schemes, something incredible happened. To everyone's shock, a pair of shimmering wings erupted from her back, a shockwave blasting from them that shattered the bars holding her and Timothy! Lospecter dropped his mic and picked up his smartphone. "Ah...hehe... And that's the shoooow!" he babbled, floating off through the wall to escape! Timothy stared in awe. "G-gemini... Y-you...you can use magic without your wand!!" he stammered. Gemini looked around in utter shock. "Uh, hey! Care to break me out, too!?" Carrie asked. Gemini ran over. "Morphicadabra!" she cried, turning the bars into a bunch of limp noodles! Carrie shrugged. "Or, you know, an unlocking spell?" she chuckled. Timothy chuckled softly. "Let's find our wands anyway... I can't do magic without mine!" he said. "Right! Then, off to the wedding!" Gemini said, "Then... We finish what we started... Right?" she asked. Timothy and Carrie shrugged. "We'll figure that out later. Lospecter planned for us to get caught." Timothy said. Gemini frowned. "You're right... Maybe we should think it over..." she sighed, wondering how Rex's group was faring in the past...
Fighting their way past incredible odds, Rex's group soon reached the center of this land of demons. There, they came upon a horrifying sight. A massive creature covered in bulging eyeballs, even its writhing tentacles that were extending to choke the life out of them! "This must be it! The leader...the source of the Doomlings!" Monty gasped. As the eye-covered tentacles flailed at them, so began a desperate battle. The creature seemed generally impervious, and evading its many tentacles was proving very difficult. Fortunately, Astra soon arrived with Radia following. "Great Light Gaia! This is...a true monster!" Astra stammered. Radia saw each member of Rex's group separately fending off the tentacles with their Chaos Relics. "Friends! Listen! You must focus! Combine your powers! It's the only way you can stop this monstrosity!" she shouted. Rex slashed through a tentacle, finding two more immediately growing to take its place. "V-very well! Back up, team! We must focus together!" he proclaimed. William began to run circles around the creature with the Chaos Boots to distract it while the others backed up. They focused on the energy within their Chaos Relics and on their common goal...each relic began to glow! Monty fired powerful shots from his fist using the Gauntlets! Luna made a mighty slash with the Claws, creating a shockwave of energy! Bard pointed his key and fired a beam of light! Spiro focused, causing vines to erupt and tangle the creature using his Chaos Crown! Astra took up the Chaos Cards and hurled several at the beast, the cards becoming balls of sacred flame to strike at the creature! Finally, Rex pointed the Chaos Sword and unleashed a wave of Chaos Spears! Their attacks combined and rained upon the Doomling beast, until it roared out and vanished in a giant flash of light! Ceasing their attacks, the team caught their breath before giving a cheer. It was a bit soon to be sure that they'd won, but it seemed like a moment worth celebrating. Gunther crept up behind Radia, shivering. "Is it safe yet?" he babbled. Radia smiled. "I think we'll be safe from now on. The team seems to have this hero thing down, finally!" she said. Bard took out his lute and found a tree stump on the edge of the clearing where they'd fought. "After all this fighting, I think a song is in order! Don't you?" he smiled. "Sure, I'm startin' to love your dumb songs!" Spiro smirked. "Don't call my mate dumb!" Luna growled at him. As they all started to relax, Bard began to play his lute...
"We've been through everything, together we've done it all.
We've faced many enemies, and we've watched each of them fall!
Times have been tough, but after all we've been through,
I know now, in my heart, I can always count on you!"
"We've faced tragedy, we've lost our way, but we kept the faith...
You've walked with me, laughed and cried with me, as we passed through the days...
Our bonds have grown stronger, an unbreakable team!
We walk our path as one, a single shared dream!"
"Now the end is in sight, our triumph is at hand!
Our journey's all but over, no more travels 'cross the land!
It's all been so much, but after all we've been through,
I know forever, in my heart, I can always count on you!"
The team clapped for Bard's song. "That might have been your best song yet!" William smiled. "Err... It was...long." Radia murmured. A few members of the group got a chuckle from that. Rex had a grim look on his face, however. "It is time... You can be everlasting... Join us... Join us!!" He could no longer ignore the voices in his head. Rex calmly walked to Luna, and suddenly struck her head with the hilt of his sword from behind! "R-rex!! What are you doing!?" Bard stammered. Rex took Luna in his arms and began to run from the team. "Try to stop me, and she dies! If you wish for eternal life, however... Meet me at the dragon temple!" he shouted, rushing out of sight. The team was in utter shock. William began to run after Rex straight away. "What are you-?!" Monty shouted. "He's got a point. We've fought death long enough. Eternal life, guys! Eternal LIFE!!" William shouted, clearly taking Rex's side. The others looked at one another nervously. "What's happened to our leader??" Astra stammered. "I dunno. Finally lost it?" Spiro shrugged. Monty stepped forward. "You heard him. We have to get to the dragon temple...if we wanna stop this!" he proclaimed.
Fera ignored any attempt by Sonic, Knuckles or anyone to talk her down, and quickly started tossing Chaos Cards to unleash attacks upon the guests! Some exploded on impact, tossing away Talon, Zipp and anyone else that had gotten too close. More unsettling was that some of the cards landed on the ground and began to form pools of darkness around them. The Tails that Lucky brought with him jumped in alarm as his darkness detector went off. "Oh, dear... Just what we need... Lucky! That wolf is starting to summon Heartless!" he warned. "What the heck's a Heartless??" Punchy asked. "I think I know...and it's not good." Bucky grunted. Shadows, Yellow Operas, Powerwilds and other heartless varieties were emerging from the cards, and Fera seemed pleased by the results as the guests were chased back by them! Lucky leapt into action, his keyblade appearing in his hands as he slashed first at a monkey-like Powerwild as it went for a trembling Tommy! "Whew! Th-thanks...!" he gasped. "Anything for an old pal!" Lucky winked. Whisk flew up and began to shoot fire down at the heartless from her wand as well. "Hey, at least she hasn't called anything big! Gak!!" she gasped as she crashed into something invisible. It was a Stealth Sneak, a heartless chameleon. "Hey! Don't mock usss, beassst!" Vortex hissed, joined by Espio in racing to combat the fiend. Espio tossed some shurikens at the creature, but they seemed to do little damage. "The church will be damaged if we fight in here..." he murmured. Sonic was busy bonking one heartless after another with homing attacks, but he realized this problem as well. "Let's take this outside!" he shouted, racing for the door. "But what about Gunner?" Tails stammered. "Go THROUGH him if ya have to!" Kosmo yelled. Rainbow grabbed Punchy by the hand as they joined the others in rushing for the outside. "Stay close to me, One... I'll keep you calm. Dark One won't get control of you today!" she said. Punchy saw a shadow in their path and kicked it aside. "These things feel like they're trying to goad me into it...but you're right, Rainbow. You'll keep my head on straight!" he smirked. Fera saw her foes escaping and growled. "Oh, running away, Punchy? So unlike you. What happened to that rage! That raw power!! Come on, show me the monster! Finish the job, or I'll finish you!!" she roared, starting to warp short distances as she chased after them! Maybe her powers had gone unused so long that she needed a warm up...the heartless would likely aid her in restoring her dark power to normal quickly, however!
GUN was busy detaining late arrivals to the wedding prior to Fera's attack. Uncle Chuck and Mighty had arrived late, and Gunner was thinking of using them to trade for Copter or something. Shadow seemed displeased with this course of action. "We can't just hold random citizens who have no idea why we're even holding them." he said gruffly. Gunner had his eyes fixed on the church doors. "Why not? Their friends are in our way." he stated. Uncle Chuck had his hands on his hips and a sour look on his face. "Whatever this is, don't try to justify it! You saw us fight alongside you to stop Eggman mere months ago! What'll it take for you to ever trust us?" he snapped. Suddenly, shouts were heard as the church doors opened and the guests fled out, chased by the heartless! "Maybe if you freaks don't bring trouble every time you gather! Robots, round 'em up!!" Gunner ordered. Shadow glared at him before warping away. Lucky, Whisk and their shield-toting Tails companion hung back to fend off the heartless as the others dashed past them. However, Fera warped right past them as well! "Hey! Hold it! You need to stop summoning these things!" Lucky shouted, only for Fera to ignore him and head into the streets while Whisk zapped a powerwild that was about to pummel him! "Focus, Lucky!" she shouted. GUN's robots were heading out to round up the wedding guests, surrounding weaker folks like Tommy, Katie and Bill. Sonic leapt in to knock out some of the beetle robots, but hunters dropped in ready to fire as well! It was then that Shadow appeared between them and grunted. "Chaos Spear!!" He took out the hunters swiftly with several spears to their heads as Sonic landed beside him. "Oooh, Sonic and Shadow working together! What a story! Can I get a statement!?" Katie asked, getting a pad and pen ready. Tommy grabbed her by the arm. "Let's get safe, Kate!!" he groaned. Sonic chuckled softly at Shadow. "Don't say I told you so, Sonic. Let's just deal with this..." Shadow sighed. Meanwhile, Punchy and Rainbow's escape was halted by Fera, who clutched the Chaos Cards tightly and glared at the echidna with her good eye. "Where did you even get that Despair uniform so fast? Eheh..." Punchy babbled. Fera ignored that. "Where are you going, coward? We need to talk about this apparent brainwashing you had me under...and by talk, I mostly mean I talk while removing your head from your body!" she snarled. Rainbow clutched Punchy's hand. "One did nothing to you! Except defend himself from you! Sure, we could have helped you get your memory back, but can you really tell us you wouldn't act this way anyhow!?" she shouted. Fera tossed an exploding card at the pair of them, forcing them back! "Enough! You took everything from me, echidnas!! Now I'll do the same to you!!" she growled.
Chaos was erupting in the streets. Gunner seemed to have an endless supply of robots, and there were heartless swarming about to boot. Fortunately, there were heroes everywhere. Rouge and Omega joined Shadow in turning on GUN, and the bat found herself kicking at Guard in midair. "Rrrr... Sorry, sorry... I can't help but obey the boss..." Guard whimpered. "What have you got to be sorry for? I'm the one that's gonna knock you out!" Rouge smirked. As Illusi summoned Wrongos to beat up some heartless, Bucky stood behind him and zapped some GUN hunters. "I still don't like you..." Bucky murmured. "That's fair... That's my daughter fighting our son." Illusi muttered, making Bucky raise an eyebrow. "Don't call him OUR son!!" he snapped. Knuckles was slashing some shadows with the Chaos Claws, growling a bit. "About time these claws pulled their weight!" he huffed. Chet ran by and slashed some more enemies quickly with his natural claws, stopping beside Knuckles before retracting said claws. "...You just did that to piss me off." Knuckles frowned. During all this, Gemini was arriving with Timothy and Carrie. "What on earth...?" she murmured. "Did we cause some time travel oopsie?" Timothy whimpered. "Silver!!" Carrie called, seeing him carrying some GUN beetles with his psychokinesis. "How did you even?? Never mind, lend a hand!" Silver called. Gemini took a deep breath. "Let's see if I can continue to use magic without my wand..." she murmured. However, the Deathbringer suddenly landed in front of her! "Oh, snap!" Carrie yelped. The Deathbringer removed her hood, appealing to Gemini as Libra. "I've been sent to bring you in. You didn't think they wouldn't notice your escape, did you?" she asked. Gemini pouted. "You're not my sister. My sister wouldn't throw me in jail for trying to help people...help everyone!" she protested. Libra looked saddened for a moment. "You think I want this? I don't...have a choice..." she whimpered. "Then why don't I take your choice away?" Turning around, the group saw Aries approaching in his full armor...Copter had returned! "What do you want now?" Timothy stammered. Aries spun his staff and pointed it at Libra. "I'm here to secure Gemini's escape... In exchange for information she saw in the book. Obviously snake-boy's got the book now." he said. Libra charged a deadly bolt in her hand. "Is this worth dying over, Copter? Stay out of this!" she growled. Gemini panted with anxiety, and then shouted at both of them. "No more fighting!! Listen to me!!" she cried, her glowing wings returning! Aries and Libra backed up a step in surprise. "...You've achieved your Divine power..." Libra gasped. Aries clutched his staff. "Good. You can help knock out the Deathbringer..." he grunted. Neither side wanted to listen. A fight seemed inevitable...
A battle in the street, friends turned foes now meet!
Fighting one another until one or all fall in defeat!
Our magic-slinging heroine tries to hold back the fray,
But spells and blasts and bolts fly by, hitting where they may!
Gemini; "Please stop this, my friends, can't you see this isn't right!
I care so much for both of you, don't make me watch you fight!"
Libra; "I can't stop, my master says you both need to pay!
I have no choice, I'll hurt your friend if he stays in my way!"
Aries; "If it's war they want, it's war they will get!
I won't let them hurt you, Gem; I'll crush them all yet!"
A clash! Staff on power! Two fliers fight with their heart!
A flash! A beam of light! Gemini forces them apart!
Not far, wolf and echidna face a meeting of fate!
Darkness charged cards explode around them in a blaze of hate!
Rainbow; "I don't know if she hears me, the good wolf inside!
We became your friends, don't do this! We let your past slide!"
Fera; "Silence, don't try to confuse me! I know who I am!
You can no longer abuse me! Let all of you be damned!!"
Punchy; "Felicia, are you in there? We want our friend back, please!
Your darkness is not welcome! Fera, you just leave!!"
Chaos Avalanche! Punchy fights back, chunks of earth flying at his foe!
Fera crumbles it with dark blasts, the dark power of her hateful woe!
Each side of this battle stays fierce, as allies watch nervous from the side.
From the emotional weight of this showdown, there isn't any place to hide!
Timothy & Carrie; "Gemini, hang in there, don't give in!"
Aries; "I cannot fail anymore, I must always win!"
Silver; "I wish I could help, so much danger in my path..."
Libra; "No force on this earth escapes my deadly wrath!"
Gemini; "I did everything to help you both, can't you seeeeee!?
Sister, Copter... I love you, you're everything to me!"
Illusi; "Fera, calm yourself, there's no reason for your rage!"
Sonic; "Felicia, come back to us, I thought we'd turned this page!"
Fera/Felicia; "You're getting in my head... What's this person inside me!?"
Punchy & Rainbow; "You're not a bad wolf, you and I can plainly see!"
Fera/Felicia; "You can't confuse me...can't lose me... I won't be dumped!!
.....But we're friends, aren't we...? We...still...can...fist bump..."
Holding her head, Fera noticed Sonic approaching her as Punchy, Rainbow and Illusi stood back. She had a clearly confused look on her face. "I... what am I...?" she saw a desperate Sonic extend his fist to her, hoping for the old rookie to come through and return to them. Fera began to lightly smile, and gave him a fist bump. "So...nic... Fancy seeing you here..." she sighed. "Felicia?" Punchy gasped softly. Suddenly, lasers scattered Punchy, Rainbow and Illusi, while Sonic turned only to get tackled aside by Guard! Gunner was heading straight for Fera with hate in his eyes. "Never mind Experiment 2...I've got a score to settle with you!" he snarled. Suddenly, the hate returned to Fera's eye. "So do I!!" she growled, swinging up a Chaos Card at the arm that Gunner was using to pull a gun on her! With a howl of pain and a flash of light, it was seen that the card had become a blade, slicing off Gunner's arm and sending him backing up into the panicked arms of Spy! "G-get me the HELL out of here!!" Gunner wailed. When Punchy, Rainbow and Illusi looked back at Fera, she warped away, this time escaping entirely. A tear dropped from Illusi's eye. "Fera... Not again..." he sniffled. Sonic stood up with a frown as Guard rushed to aid his master. "Felicia... Have we lost you?" he sighed.
The heartless vanished with Fera, and GUN's forces were retreating with Gunner needing medical attention. Aries and Libra were still grappling, though. "I have to protect Gemini...from you!!" Aries growled. "And who will protect her from you? Or Ophiuchus? Or..." Before she could finish, Silver pulled them apart with his psychokinesis. "That's enough! Phew! Glad GUN's out of the way!" he panted. Gemini crossed her arms as both her friends were placed on the ground. "I don't need protecting. You two do, from each other!" she scolded them. They both looked at the ground. "Gemini..." Libra sighed, "...I'm tired of obeying the council. I want to be strong...like you." she sniffled. Aries looked at her and sighed, removing his helmet. He looked conflicted. "I've been a jerk... Truth be told... I kinda wanted to be stronger, too. Like...her." he sighed. Gemini's expression softened. "I'm nothing special, you two." she said. Copter shook his head. "No, you are... Very special. And... I wanted to be strong enough to protect you..." he sighed, "And Punchy and Rainbow, too. Losing my tailband made me feel so weak...so I went to Cancer to get stronger... I'm sorry." he said. Libra held a paper to Gemini. "Take this...the missing page from Bard's book. Change the past, and change everyone's fate. You can save us from going down these dark paths...save Timothy from the Lost Ones...save the future!" she said. Silver crossed his arms, looking uncertain, but Carrie smiled and winked. "After the wedding, of course! And you two are coming, riiight?" she smirked. Copter and Libra nodded, and while everyone started gathering back at the church, Timothy tapped Gemini's shoulder. "...You were right... Copter's a good guy. I'm sorry I doubted your trust in him." he said. Gemini shrugged. "I've been known to make mistakes. No biggie." she smiled.
Everyone seemed a bit down after all that, and the idea of going on with the wedding seemed crazy considering the fact that the police would likely stick around, wanting to get statements from everyone, and news crews might show up to harass them, too. It's not every day Sonic gets in a fight with GUN right in the streets. Sighing in frustration as he sat down, Punchy shrugged. "Maybe we ought to just elope, huh, Rainbow?" he asked. Rainbow shrugged. "Feels a shame, after everyone came here for us..." she murmured. Gemini was standing nearby, looking thoughtful. "Heeey... Timothy, how's your memory?" she asked. Timothy shrugged. "Mind's like a steel trap. Why?" he asked. Smiling, Gemini took Rainbow's hand. "C'mon, you two! I know where we should move this party! We'll get you married yet!" she said. The priest cleared his throat. "I'm not going anywhere. If you don't get married by a priest in a church, understand, it doesn't count." he said in a snooty tone. "Says who?" came the voice of Fred, who stepped over with Adam, Evelyn and Cuthburt following him. Gemini backed up a step. "Ahh... Teacher?? Are you here to...?" she asked nervously. Fred glanced at Copter and Libra who were chatting calmly with Silver, Carrie and Talon nearby. "At times... it can be difficult to reconcile...what one is expected to do, with what is right. But if you all can put it aside to attend this wedding, so can I. And if you need someone to perform the wedding, well... I did become an ordained minister last year." he grinned. Punchy and Rainbow stood up smiling. "Thank you... I have no idea what's going on between all of you, but I'll never forget this!" Punchy said. "WE won't forget it!" Rainbow added, and turned around. "Everyone! Follow me!! We're moving this wedding outta here!"
Gemini led everyone down to Rainbow's old home: Hidden Ruins. Not so hidden anymore, and now ravaged by human archaeologists pillaging the last remnants of her Raisol heritage. It was a sad sight. "This...is a far cry from a church..." Lucky murmured. "You know, we coulda just gone to Shadow Arc!" Zipp remarked. Gemini whispered something into Timothy's ear before addressing the group. "C'mon, guys...trust me! Go ahead, Tim!" she said. Timothy clutched his wand and took a deep breath before waving it broadly. "Memorewindra!!" he spoke, and with his spell, sparkling lights emanated from his wand, traveling throughout the entirety of the Hidden Ruins! Everyone watched in awe as the underground echidna city began to be restored before their very eyes, the sparkling lights erasing the damage and decay and replacing it with shine and splendor! Timothy was giving them a look at what he saw when he visited this place in the past, and Rainbow's face lit up to see her childhood home looking like new! "Welcome, everyone... to Raisol Sanctuary!" Gemini announced! Rainbow suddenly hugged her. "You two win the prize for best wedding present!" she sniffled, "Err... Sorry, Pinky..." she said to Amy, who shrugged it off. "It's beautiful... I... I'm so happy for you!!" she said, starting to cry.
The guests assembled into chairs at the temple where Rainbow used to live, and finally, Rainbow got to walk down an aisle, this time with Illusi by her side to give the bride away. Fred smiled once Punchy and Rainbow were side by side. "Let us begin... Dearly beloved..."
We gather...to celebrate...two hearts combined as one.
Two of a kind, friends to the end, but their path has only just begun.
Yet somehow, they've already been through everything a duo could ever go through!
And now here they stand across from each other, waiting to say, yes I do!
It hasn't been easy getting here, and yet, at the same time it has.
No matter the danger, no matter the test, together they always did pass.
We gather now to celebrate as two hearts join together as one.
Unbreakable bond, lighting the dark, as their journey together's begun...
"May we have the rings, please?" Charmy flitted over to hand Punchy and Rainbow their rings. "Hehe, so 'Knuckles', how ya gonna wear your ring with those big 'ol gloves?" he teased. Punchy rolled his eyes and removed a glove to show his fingers. "He...has fingers!!" Knuckles gasped, "...I can't remember the last time I saw my fingers!" Sonic sighed and shook his head. "We get it Knux, those Claws are stuck. Boo hoo." Rainbow chuckled and removed her own glove to imitate Punchy, and they slipped their rings onto their bare fingers. Fred chuckled softly. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you echidna and wife. You may kiss the bride." he smiled. Punchy blushed, and Rainbow giggled. "Don't get shy on me now... Pu-" As she was about to speak his name, Punchy grabbed her and kissed her deeply and passionately, dipping her in his arms as the witnesses clapped. "Mazel Tov!" Bucky shouted. "Hey, Punch, you stopped her from saying it!" Copter snickered. As the kiss ended, Punchy stroked Rainbow's hair and smirked. "Call me that in private, okay? Hehe, we don't gotta change everything about our relationship!" he winked. Rainbow giggled. "Whatever you say, One!"
And so, they had a bit of a party to celebrate the finally wedded couple! Amy was a little bummed that the caterer couldn't find them, but Bill had them covered with some Neon Tavern drinks at least. "So, uh, how long does this spell last, Timmy?" Rainbow asked after a bit. "Uhhh..." he mumbled, glancing at Gemini, "It's permanent. It's a very powerful spell, but it only works if the user's memory is recent...or particularly strong." she said. Punchy scratched his head. "I wonder if we can move back down here?" he said. Ridley stepped over to answer that. "Legally, Rainbow's family has a claim on this land. When it was just Rainbow it was easy for the government to just trample her, but with Violet on board and you married into things, you could make a louder case." he said. Vortex was nearby chatting with Whisk. "Sssso... Video gamesss? Medieval kingdomsss? Are you sssure you have to go back to that...?" he asked. Whisk nodded. "We still haven't found the Sonic for our other Tails friend. Not to mention Zeke is making a mess out there." she said. "I'm surprised he didn't crash the wedding!" Lucky added, "Hey, are they bringing in the wedding cake!? Sweeet!!" he cheered, rushing over to Vector who was carefully carrying it. Uncle Chuck was talking to Mighty, as well. "Glad you're doin' well." Chuck murmured. "Yup, things are looking up now that I'm back in touch with 'ol Ray..." Mighty smirked. Sonic walked by and smiled. "Heeey, how are the roomies?" he asked. Chuck shrugged. "Mighty moved out a while ago, Sonic. It's kinda lonely. Lemme know if you're ready to move back in!" he said. Sonic nodded, looking at Tails for a moment. "It's lonely for Tails, too, Unc... I'm not sure where to go..." he sighed. Gator and Big were arguing as they walked up to Rainbow. "It's pronounced booo-cuay!" Gator murmured. "That doesn't sound right... Flowers for the bride to throw!" Big said, handing them to Rainbow. "Oh! This part! Okay, girls!! I'm gonna toss the bouquet!!" she announced. Amy pushed past a number of girls including Shade and Blaze as she tried to get a prime spot to catch it. "I'm next!! Finally, Sonic's gonna marry me!" Amy said excitedly. Sonic spit his drink and raced to the scene as Rainbow was tossing the bouquet. He sped Amy far away, and instead it was Whisk who found the flowers falling right into her arms, even though she wasn't much trying for them! "I...uhh...whaaaa?" she gasped. Vortex and Lucky both looked at her awkwardly, then at each other.
The party would eventually wind down, and everyone would head their separate ways. Copter and Libra would go back to their dark masters. Gemini would return to the past. Lucky would return to his own quest, and Punchy and Rainbow would begin their honeymoon. All of this while Gunner and Fera contend with their own fates. But these are stories for another day. For now, our song is sung...
Mini Episode - Team Dynamics
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
Crash the Rhino, who'd been robotisized by Eggman during his occupation of the world, had been missing too long. Unable to find him on their own, Team GeneX hired Team Chaotix to help in the search. Thus, Charmy and Zipp were teamed together trying to infiltrate Eggman's reclaimed Darkegg Fortress base. They'd gone in through the ventilation shaft, but all the sneaking around had Charmy bored. "C'mon, Zipp, you got all the guns! Can't we just blast our way in?" he asked. "As fun as that sounds, what if Crash is here and we end up shooting him? ...Hey, yeah, let's try it!" he smirked. Charmy gasped. "No, wait! There could be other Robian friends, too! I'm sorry I suggested it..." he sighed, crawling behind Zipp through the vents without further complaint. "According to my helmet's schematic, the control room should be... here!" Zipp said, kicking out a vent and flying in to find Hoover mopping up the control room. "Gah!! We got a bug problem! I told 'em we oughta spray!" he shouted. Charmy rushed in to bonk Hoover with his stinger, only for Alpha, Terra and Firma to surround him! "Yipe! Umm... You guys know where our Robian friends are?" Charmy asked with an awkward grin. Zipp got the robots' attention by shooting at them. "Get into the vent! This operation's blown! We'll have to search another way!" he shouted. Charmy nodded and flew into the vent with Zipp close behind. "...Wait! I was gonna tell them all about it..." Alpha babbled, "I'm so lonely..." the robot whined as Terra and Firma stomped away from him without a word.
Espio and Vortex returned to the tower, using their chameleon camoflauge to sneak deep into the tower. "I don't recall there being a prison sector here before... Where would Eggman put the Robians?" Espio wondered. Vortex shrugged. "Front linesss? I doubt he thinksss of them asss normal prisssonersss..." he said, looking around to try to find Espio. "Are you ssstill here?" he murmured. Espio was so much better at disappearing than him. "Over here!" Espio said, yanking Vortex to the wall as a security bot flew by. They watched it pass before letting out a sigh. "You gotta teach me ssssome ssstealth." Vortex hissed. "My ninja skills took years to master. I can't simply teach it to anyone..." he said. Suddenly, Char the Chao flew up to them. "You guys know we have heat sensors throughout the base now, right? Robots are on the way to tie you both up!" he warned. Vortex came out of camoflauge and glared at him. "Oh, yeah? Essspio, hold thisss..." he said, grabbing Char and tossing the startled Chao to Espio as he turned and ran back the way they came, blasting any robots that came to stop them with Chaos Inferno! "Umm... Why am I carrying this Chao??" Espio stammered. "Yeah, lemme go! Eggman doesn't negotiate with kidnappers!" Char whined. "My massster will know what to do with you..." Vortex hissed.
Char was soon strapped to a table at Shadow Arcangel as Bucky and Vector discussed what to do next. "Errr... Any chance you'd just tell us where the Robians are bein' kept, Chao?" Vector asked. Char looked away from him. "Yeah, right! ...As if I even know that..." he pouted. Bucky scratched his head. "He may be lying. He's Eggman's only non-robotic agent. Aside from possibly Infinite. Anyone know what happened to Infinite?" he asked, gaining a shrug from Vector. "But he IS a Chao. Maybe Eggman doesn't tell him anything?" he murmured. Bucky's fingers sparked briefly. "There are ways of knowing... The body will not hold secrets if life depends on giving them up..." he said darkly, sparks lightly shooting in Char's general direction as the Chao shivered. Vector watched this nervously. "Uhh... Bucky... I know Crash is kinda like your son, but... Ask yourself... Would he want ya to cross a line to rescue him?" he asked. Bucky sneered. "Lines were crossed everywhere in the war. What is this but the aftermath of the same war? Eggman's actions have consequences..." he sneered. Vector stood between Bucky and Char. "That's true. Actions do have consequences. Think about the consequences of YOUR actions!" he warned.
After a bit of soul searching, Bucky let Char go free. Vortex and Zipp both seemed quite frustrated to be back to square one, but Vector felt differently. "I think we've given Darkegg Fortress a thorough enough look over. If Robians were in there, evidence would've turned up by now." he stated. "There wasn't even any sign of Eggman." Espio pointed out. "Where could he be?" Charmy wondered. Bucky nodded. "Darkegg Fortress would be too obvious a place for Eggman to be hiding with the Robians... But where does that leave us? ...He must be at a new, secret location..." he sighed. With that realization, the search now seemed next to impossible, but one thing was certain: Eggman was still out there. He'd surely turn up again soon, and when he did, they'd find the missing Robians...
Episode 9 - Rise of the Lost Ones
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
While everyone else was pretty much enjoying the post-wedding festivities, Gemini was busy looking over the previously missing page from Bard's book. She knew now what point in time to go to, and where. However, Silver was still unsure this was the right course of action. "You know how I feel about making this change. The Lost Ones are a big part of history, Gemini. If you remove them, yes, it's possible you never meet Libra or Copter, their lives aren't affected by you, they don't meet Cancer and Ophiuchus... And also Timothy would be safe. But at what cost? You don't know the full extent of what would change. This isn't like an immediate world-ending event. If the Lost Ones do destroy the world, it could still be hundreds of years before that!" he stated. Gemini was still fixated on the page as Timothy and Carrie approached. "Never mind that, Gem. We got a better reason why you should hold back." Carrie warned, making her look up with an alarmed expression. Timothy had a look of concern. "Gemini...everything we've done so far was all according to Lospecter's plan. What if he's still a step ahead of us somehow? We... we should be careful." he stated. Gemini backed away a step. "I can't believe this... None of you want to go back? Even after Libra asked me to??" she stammered, "Lospecter didn't see my escape coming! This is our chance!" she stated. Silver didn't say anything, but sure looked awkward. Carrie cleared her throat. "I don't wanna go to Zodiac jail again, Gemini..." she murmured. Gemini let out a frustrated huff. "F-fine... Who needs you? I'll save the WORLD all by myself!" she said, running a distance away and flicking her wrist to create a time portal as her magical wings reappeared briefly! Copter and Libra watched her leave from the shadows. "Maybe we should help her..." Copter muttered. Libra nodded. "We owe her that much. Come on!" However, before they could move, a quintet of crabmeat robots scuttled into their path! "Where are you going, Aries?" came Cancer's voice through one of them. "What do you want now?" Copter grunted. "I see you fraternizing with the enemy. You know, there's more than one way to help your Gemini. Ways that don't involve you two losing her. If I get what I want, I can fix everything for all of you..." Cancer promised. Libra looked unsure, but Copter nodded to her. "Lead the way, crabs. We'll hear what you've got to say..." he said, glancing at Libra with a wink. "Let's keep our options open... But be prepared for the worst..." he told her.
Bard, Monty, Spiro, Astra, Gunther and Radia all went together to the dragon temple in pursuit of Rex, William and the captive Luna. When they got there, they found a trail of dragon bodies waiting for them outside. "I know we're mad at Brutus, but this seems excessive, 'specially since Brutus died already..." Spiro babbled. "What's he going to do to Luna?!" Bard stammered. "Nothing! We're going to catch him and put this right before it goes any farther!" Monty insisted. The others nodded and hurried to the temple, gasping as they felt the ground shake! "Wh-what in blazes is that!?" Gunther yelled. "Dragon temples are sometimes designed to pull free of the very earth and fly!" Radia announced. Spiro yelped. "Come on, Rex! You said you wanted us to meet you!!" he groaned, "He did say that, right?" Astra held up her wand and beckoned them close. "We won't miss the flight! Everyone hold on to me! Galaporta!!" she cried, warping the entire group up to the roof of the temple as it tore free of the ground, revealing itself a massive flying fortress as it took to the air! At this moment, Gemini emerged on the roof as well, turning to make her time portal vanish. "Oh, my word... This isn't just any dragon temple... Th-this really is Shadow Arcangel!" she gasped, looking over the side and recognizing the familiar wingspan of the ship that houses Bucky and Team GeneX in the present day. The others on the roof were too busy gawking to notice Gemini, themselves. "How...does this heap...fly??" Monty babbled. Astra rubbed her chin. "I believe it's intended to run long-term using the Chaos Emeralds. Rex must have found an alternative energy source." she stated. Radia frowned. "Could he have taken extra crystals from my home the last time he was there?" Suddenly, Gunther got a devious smirk and shoved Bard, seizing his Chaos Key as he started to fall, grabbed just in time by Monty. "What the heck!? G-gunther!?" the echidna babbled. The old man stepped over to the center of the roof, where Rex and William had emerged, with Luna bound and gagged nearby. "Good to have you on my side, friend..." Rex said to Gunther, "The rest of you should consider joining us, too. Luna wasn't having it, but she'll learn..." Bard turned as Monty pulled him up and clenched his fists. "Luna!! L-let her go! Rex, are you insane!?" he cried. Rex held up his sword, while William kicked the ground with his boots. "If you want to fight us, it'll be a short fight." William warned. "I don't wish to kill you, friends... I'm going to save you... make you eternal..." Rex smirked. Gemini turned and started to watch. "What do I do... How do I stop what happens next?" she wondered.
Spiro tried to concentrate, but there was nothing to use for the Chaos Crown's life-based powers on the roof. "Uhh, good luck, dudes!" he chuckled. Bard accepted the tailband from Astra and charged at Gunther. "Give back that key!" he yelled, only for William to speed by and knock him down! Monty fired several shots from his gauntlets at Rex, but he swiftly parried them with his blade. He saw Astra and Radia approach from the side as well, trying to get to Luna. "William!" he called, sending the raccoon racing across the roof to knock them over, too! Rex then gripped his sword tightly, and it glowed a bit. "Chaos Spear Storm!!" he shouted, holding up his blade and firing dozens of Chaos Spears upward, which then rained down on the group, stunning them! William took the opportunity to speed through the area and separate them all from their Chaos Relics, scattering them and Astra's wand onto the floor! He also dragged Spiro over, leaving him beside Luna. "S-spiro!!" Astra cried. The feline shrugged. "Hey, good news is, he doesn't wanna kill us, right? Let's hear him out!" he chuckled softly. Rex nodded. "Good boy, Spiro. I knew you'd see reason. Stay down and listen, all of you!" he warned, keeping a grip on his sword, "...I have lived for ages and ages... Kept alive by power gifted me by Light Gaia himself, who tasked me with ending the Doomlings. But I have been shown a truth. Once my mission is completed, Gaia's light will leave me, and I will cease to live. However... I can subvert this..." he said. Monty struggled to his feet. "You... Light Gaia...? What!?" he babbled. This was a lot to process. "Hold all questions until the end!" Gunther snapped. Rex nodded in agreement. "The Doomlings have a secret. Like myself, they yearn to remain in this world. To be eternal... But combining with ordinary life destroys both the life and the Doomling. Still they try. I, however, hold the key. The power of Light Gaia within me, while still keeping me alive, can be used to attain true eternal life should I willingly combine with the Doomlings!" he proclaimed, "And then...I will be able to share that eternity with you...with the world! We only need give up one thing. A quibble..." he murmured. Bard interrupted him. "You HAVE gone insane! The Doomlings are in your head, twisting your mind!" he cried. Gunther chuckled. "So? I hear them, too... They reveal great truth!" he declared. "The Doomlings have been our friends all along!" William added. Radia gasped and Astra held her head. "Tell me...you aren't going along with this, Spiro..." the fennec sniffled. Spiro crossed his arms. "...The crown chose me...it was a sign...I am meant for more...for eternity!" he sneered. Monty grunted and looked at the Relics scattered on the floor. "We have to... stop them!" he realized.
Realizing that this was her moment to act, Gemini started towards Rex, focusing to cause the glowing wings to form on her back again. However, her focus was broken by the waving of a hand in her face. "Yoo-hoo! Guess whoooo!" Gemini backed up in alarm to see Lospecter suddenly floating before her! "You!? N-no... You can't be here! It's impossible! The Chaos Key doesn't have time travel powers!" she stammered. Lospecter grinned deviously at her. "Oh, you're cute when you're stunned out of your mind. See you in hell!" he waved as another dark figure stepped beside him and, before Gemini could get a good look at him, shoved her over the edge of the Arcangel! She tumbled down, trying to grab on to the ship's wings only to grasp at air, tumbling hundreds of feet towards the earth! She couldn't focus, couldn't get her wings to appear. It seemed like the end, but her fall suddenly slowed and stopped in midair, and opening her eyes again, she saw Silver and Carrie below her, both of them glowing with psychic energy to hold her up! "Thanks for telling us the date, Gemini!" Timothy said sarcastically, "This was not a short trip for us..." he griped. Gemini began to sob as she was placed on the ground. "L-lospecter... He followed me somehow!" she babbled. Silver looked nervous. "Th-that shouldn't...be possible..." he said unconvincingly. After all, if they could travel through time, who couldn't? Lospecter soon floated down to meet them, snapping his fingers in frustration. "You fluffy cockroach! But I guess that would be too easy. Now you're in for it though. Just wait'll my boss gets back down here." he said with an evil smirk. Gemini stared at him. "So, YOU have a boss? You never seemed to take orders from anyone!" she snapped. "Should we be getting out of here?" Timothy whimpered. Suddenly, a time portal emerged before them, and Lospecter gave a chuckle. "Not a fan of falling, I guess. Well, allow me to introduce him! He pushed you off a cliff! He's the master and daddy of all Lost Ones! Give it up foooorrr... Apocalooooos!!" the ghost announced. Out of the portal stepped a mobian-shaped figure. Dark energy seemed to emanate from his body as slime coated his quills. Gemini and her friends gasped in horror to recognize the figure. It appeared to be Rex the hedgehog...or what was left of him! His pupils glowed an eerie golden color, his back spikes had grown long and menacing-looking, and his jawline was lined with razor-sharp teeth reminiscent of a Jurassic beast. "Your little mission here is doomed to fail... I'm here to make certain of it!" Apocalos declared.
As much as this was to take in, Gemini refused to let things end like this. "Hold him off!" she said, her wings returning before she suddenly warped back to Shadow Arcangel! "It's too late, Zodiac child!" Apocalos cackled. As Gemini arrived, she saw Rex, Spiro and William drop their Chaos Relics on the ground while Bard, Monty, Radia and Astra reeled from another apparent thrashing. "The Chaos Relics may interfere with the transformation... Let us remove those claws, Luna..." Rex said, only for the bound wolf to kick him. "Suit yourself..." Gemini ran to put a stop to this, but slime grabbed at her ankles, holding her still! "No!!" she gasped. "You will watch this...before you die..." came the voice of Losipher. She looked to see Bard and Astra rise up and dash for their loved ones, only for a swarm of Doomlings to crash onto the ship from above, their sinister voices apparent to all of them now! "Death becomes everlasting... Nothing becomes everything... Surrender your souls... Lose yourselves... We are your Apocalypse!!" Gemini could see the Doomlings crashing into Rex's body and subsequently reacting to the Gaia energy inside him, melting away into slime which then began to cover his body! Light Gaia's spell seemed to be wearing off him, and he began to revert back into a Tyrannosaurus, scales fangs and claws joining slime as part of his new visage. "Y-YESSS!! L-lossse... s-soulsss... B-become l-lossst... W-we are... Lossst Onessss!!" he roared as Gemini struggled to break free of Losipher's grip. "Gah... I gotta try to destroy him!! N-now!!" she gasped. As Monty and Radia scrambled to their feet, Bard and Astra tried to approach their loved ones, only for the Doomling slime to increase in volume, reaching from Rex towards the four souls around him, forcing Bard and Astra to step back. "Luna!! L-luna!!" Bard cried desperately. "Spiro...r-run!!" Astra pleaded. Spiro did look a bit nervous, but it was too late. The slime latched on to him, and as he struggled, his body was devoured by it. "G-gyaaaaa!! Wh-what's happen...ackk!!" To Astra's horror, he melted into a puddle, and rose up as a gooey spectre of his former self. Gunther gasped and tried to run, only to be grabbed by the slime as well, while William simply accepted it as Rex had. The slime seemed to simply form a turquoise skin around Gunther, though his eyes became soulless and red. William's flesh dissolved, leaving a raccoon skeleton behind. During this, Bard tried to reach for Luna. "Use your claws... S-somehow... Use them to resist!" he pleaded, reaching for her hands. Luna's gag popped out of her mouth as the slime grabbed her ankles. "B-bard!! I... I love y- AAAAAAAHHHHH!!" A shrill, horrifying scream came from her as the slime quivered in rage from the touch of the Chaos Claws, the golden relics being blackened as Bard grasped at them. "Nooooo!!" Bard wailed, managing only to pull the black claws away, not noticing their gold color slowly returning as he watched the slime devour Luna, her screams only fading when she was replaced with a small black ghost, a symbol of horror. Gemini went limp, tears in her eyes. "Spiro...Lospecter... William...Loskeletor... Gunther...Losipher... Luna...Loscream... They've been in front of me all along..." she stammered.
Astra grabbed for her wand and flung some spells at the transformed Rex in her grief-stricken rage. "Y-you monster!! Y-you've killed him!! You killed them!!" she wailed, but her spells were not bothering Rex, who was well on his way to becoming Apocalos. "Death is a matter of perception. You believe in an afterlife, so by that logic, I'm giving you a rebirth now..." he said in a warped, demonic voice, thrusting his claws into Astra's belly and hurtling her across the roof of the Arcangel! "Y-you bastard!!" Monty snarled, ready to start a desperate fight. Gemini was about ready to try warping out of Losipher's grip and joining in, hopefully not taking him with her, but the Lost Ones had other plans. Losipher yanked her over the edge of the ship again, only this time she fell into a waiting time portal! As she fell through repeated time portals, she saw a quick history lesson on the Lost Ones. "We've taken numerous forms through the years..." Losipher's voice declared as Gemini saw brief glimpses of a zombie-esque Loscream, the formless mass of Losipher, a skeletal dragon for Loskeletor, and the gaseous form of Lospecter she first knew, each form introduced to her as she fell from one time hole to another, scarcely able to notice any details of the time frame she was quickly passing through. Finally, she landed beside her friends underneath Shadow Arcangel back in the past. As Timothy helped her to her feet, she saw Carrie and Silver standing nervously before the present-day versions of all the sentient Lost Ones. The ghost-like Lospecter, the demonic skeleton Loskeletor, the vampiric Losipher, the pumpkin-esque Loscream and their leader, Apocalos. "Have a nice tumble down memory lane, Gemmy?" Lospecter taunted. "I hope they hath shown the Renaissance... Our Bard were nothing compared to THE bard..." Loskeletor stated. "You know we didn't actually catch that..." Lospecter murmured. Loscream cackled. "Don't try to appeal to who we were, kids. There's nothing of our weak older selves left... We are only the Lost Lords! Here to bring a horrifying end to all of you!" he declared. Carrie glanced back at Gemini. "I'm lost...what did you SEE, Gemini??" she asked. "They're all from Rex's group... All of them. Even Lospecter and Losipher... They've been terrorizing the world for centuries!" she panted, the revelations proving a bit much for her. Apocalos crossed his arms and frowned. "Oh, would that were true. Think how much further along my plans could be if technology were so much less advanced... Alas, it's not all good news for us on this day. But now I'm here, and an opportunity is presented to change my own fate for the better... All that's in our way is you four... Easily remedied!" he said with a wide, unpleasant grin. Silver gulped. "Where are those annoying Zodiac time cops when you need them?" he complained.
In order to battle Rex and their now-transformed friends, Monty and Radia went for the Chaos Relics, while Astra focused on trying to heal herself with her wand. She was hurt pretty bad, and wouldn't be any good to the others now. Bard thought to use the Chaos Claws, but Radia stopped him. "Use this instead... I'm sensing a darkness inside those claws. Being worn as Luna lost her soul...seems to have cursed them." she warned, handing Bard the Chaos Sword. Monty reclaimed his gauntlets and Radia put on the crown along with the Chaos Wing. Rex, however, was too busy to stop them. Lospecter and Loscream, formerly Spiro and Luna, had gone below to the inside of the ship and drug up several dead dragons. Now, Rex covered their bodies in slime, transforming them into base Lost Ones... Losol! "Go, my children... Make our friends see the truth. Help them become gloriously lost, like us!" Rex commanded, sending the losol slithering after the four heroes with alarming speed! Bard clumsily swung the Chaos Sword at one, and it quickly collapsed into inactive slime! Monty fired some shots from his gauntlets, also finding that the losol were easily downed by them. "Hey, Rex! There's a flaw in your eternal life plan... The Chaos Relics are your weakness!" he smirked. Rex scowled at him, extending slime from his feet across the roof and over the edge of the ship, leaving limited space for the heroes to walk. "Maybe so, but we outnumber you tenfold!" he declared as the slime stopped flowing, but the ship began to shake! "...He just turned all the dragons on the ship into those things, didn't he?" Bard gulped. Radia flew up with the Chaos Wing, and gasped as losoar bats flew out of the ship to chase her! "Aaaah!! E-excuse me, I need to pick up one thing! Uhh, Chaos Cards or key?" she babbled, diving back down to the ship! Lospides crawled up the side of the ship, and loskulls also flew up to surround Bard and Monty as well. "You better learn that sword quick!" Monty gulped as Bard picked up a tailband and slid it onto his tail. "To avenge Luna... I'll be the warrior the group always wanted... Or, you know, die trying..." he stammered. As the Lost Ones charged at the heroes, they clutched their Chaos Relics and prepared for the worst...
Gemini and Silver were fighting side by side against Apocalos, trying to prevent him from getting up to the ship while Timothy and Carrie were kept occupied by just Loscream and his flailing vines. Silver tried to grab Apocalos with his psychokinesis to hold him still, but it only worked for an instant as Apocalos' eyes flashed purple before stepping right out of Silver's psychic grip! "Don't bore me, hedgehog. I am the oldest darkness on earth!" he sneered as Gemini tried to blast him with a powerful magic spell. "That tickles." he smirked, raising his hand to catch the blast, and then hurl it right back at Gemini! "No!!" she gasped, falling backward, only to be caught by...an alligator? "Can't you stay outta trouble in any time period??" Looking up, Gemini saw that Cuthburt had caught her! Running up beside him were Evelyn and Adam, with Fred in his lion form bringing up the rear. "Look's as though evil has revealed its true face, at last! We won't allow you to change the future, Lost Ones!" Fred declared. Losipher crept up behind them, with Loskeletor coming from the left and Lospecter bringing up the right. "You and what army, future boy? Your pals can't even handle one of us!" Lospecter smirked. Evelyn shot him through the face with her blaster, only for his smoky form to instantly regenerate. "That was rude... Laser her back, 'skelly!" he said, snapping his fingers. Loskeletor fired his laser eyes at the group, forcing them to run for the only opening they had to evade it. Losipher then started to transform, becoming larger and growing tentacles in place of his arms! "I've been waiting to devour each of your souls!" he bellowed. Fred fired a bolt from his wand directly into Losipher's mouth, knocking him back! "Maybe I should have stopped to pick up Capricorn or someone..." he murmured. Gemini ran to rejoin Silver, who was trying to crush Apocalos with tree trunks he'd lifted with his powers, but Apocalos seemed to dodge and weave anything he threw at him with ease, his eyes flashing purple anytime he seemed to almost be struck, and then he'd move at incredible speed to avoid the attack. Gemini observed this and gasped. "That's how he got here... Apocalos can somehow manipulate time. We don't stand a chance!" she whimpered hopelessly.
Radia and Monty did a good job of wiping out the minor Lost Ones that came their way, while Bard did his best to defend himself. Rex was getting tired of this. "Let's kill them, then..." he grunted, glancing at the Lost Lords around him. Loskeletor grabbed a broken loskull and hurled it at Monty, while Loscream flew around the trio menacing them. "D-do you think there's any way we could save them?" Monty murmured. Radia shook her head. "We can't afford to think like that. We need to stop them here... We need to end this!" she said. Losipher came at Bard and grabbed at him, trying to throw him off the side of the ship! "If you won't join us... You'll join Brutus!!" he growled. Bard struggled, but managed to point the sword at him. "Errrgh... Go, shooty thing!!" he grunted, firing a Chaos Spear into Losipher's chest, stunning him! Seeing his opening, Bard proceeded to fire several Chaos Spears at Losipher, filling his body with slimy holes until he collapsed into a formless, writhing puddle! Lospecter slithered next to him and groaned. "Ewww, Gunther, you've looked better... Well, know what? I bet we can fix that. Just feed you a couple yummy souls and you'll be good as new. How many could it take. Two...three tops, right?" he said awkwardly. Bard stared at him. "Y-you're still Spiro..." he stammered. He chuckled. "No, I'm not... I'm better... I'm basically a god." he grinned. As Bard backed away from him, Monty found himself surrounded by Loskeletor, Loscream and Rex. Radia tried to help, but her understanding of the Chaos Cards wasn't great, and only summoned a light breeze. Monty was reduced to punching with the gauntlets, forcing Loskeletor back, but Rex wouldn't have any of it. He jabbed his claws into the echidna's chest, and then again and again as Monty howled in pain! Astra struggled to her feet at this moment. "N-no!!" she panted. Monty collapsed as Rex backed up. He was bleeding and broken. "Surrender...all of you... You can live forever if you surrender now." Rex offered. Monty gagged a little, but managed to speak in a raspy voice. "I...have a plan... Into...the ship!" Rex sneered as he heard Monty say this, but Bard, Radia and Astra were quick to reach his side. "Galaporta!" Astra cried, causing the quartet to vanish! Rex growled, his form shifting. He began to recover his hedgehog quills as he molded his form to his liking. "Get after them! They intend to crash this ship and eliminate us, for certain!" he ordered. "Will that work?" Lospecter asked. "Damned if I know! This is new to me, too. I didn't know the relics would be so powerful against us..." Rex stated, looking at Losipher. The Lost Ones started after the heroes, who found themselves inside the ship and holding Monty upright as Astra tried to heal him. "He's dying... Quickly, what's the plan?" Astra asked him.
It truly looked like Gemini and her friends were finished as the Lost Ones closed in around their entire group. "Well, guys... I think now, at the end, I can safely say... I should have stayed home with Talon." Carrie whimpered. "Oh, now you figure that out!" Silver groaned. Just as it seemed the Lost Ones would tear them all limb from limb, though, time portals opened up all around them, and the entirety of the Zodiac Council emerged! Cancer had set aside his problems with the others to show up, along with Scorpio, Copter, Libra, Pisces, Taurus, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Virgo, Aquarius and of course, Ophiuchus! They surrounded the Lost Ones, looking quite angry. "Back up, Lospecter, or I will END you!" Copter warned. "I like your spunk, kid, but I only listen to my boss!" he snickered. "Eee hee hee! All of us in one place! I guess we all knew you'd bring us together, Gemini!" Scorpio laughed. "Enough!" said Ophi as Apocalos turned to face him. The leader of the Lost Ones crossed his arms. "You promised me the world would ultimately belong to the Lost Ones, but you've been allowing these time travelers nearly free reign to meddle in my history, potentially destroying us before we're even born. Tell me why I shouldn't do the same to your group?" he sneered. Gemini turned to Fred with a look of abject horror. "It can't be true... Tell me you didn't know this!" she stammered. Fred looked at the ground. "I...suspected." he frowned. Even Capricorn looked a little shaken. "We... we don't promise anyone anything..." she stammered. Ophi shrugged. "It is written. The proper course of time will lead our world into the Lost Ones' control. But to keep the time traveling leader here from making it happen too soon, I had to let him in on that fact. None of us may be happy about it, but it's not our job to save everyone! Only to keep the timeline running its proper course!" he announced, glaring knowingly at Cancer. Libra and Copter exchanged worried glances as Apocalos created a time portal of his own. "Very well... We're leaving. I trust you'll put these miscreants in their place. It hardly matters...they now know that I can meddle in time just as they can. If they try this again, I'll make their entire history into a nightmare they'll beg me to release them from!" he warned, leading the Lost Lords through the portal and back whence they came, Lospecter blowing raspberries at them on the way. "...I thought it already was such a nightmare..." Gemini murmured.
Monty told them the plan, but it was he who would carry it out. Brutus had told him about his temple home, and Monty knew of a chamber where he could lay a trap. He waited inside this chamber, insisting that the others keep quiet and stealthy. If he were to die, he planned to take the Lost Ones with him. Rex led the Lost Lords to this chamber, hearing Monty wailing in pain. They entered and surrounded him, pinning him to the wall. "Where did the others go?" Rex demanded. "C'mon, bro... We'll take that pain away and replace it with slime..." Lospecter promised. Monty gasped and panted, and then gave a wide smirk. "Go...to...hell!" he said. Bard suddenly appeared at the entrance to the chamber. "Luna...if you're in there... I loved you..." he said as Radia pressed a switch nearby. The chamber slammed shut, sealed. It was a containment cell for enemies of the dragons, meant to keep them trapped forever if need be! A special cooling substance began to fill the chamber, which would keep them quiet and suspended until the fateful day the cell would be opened. However, before they could be frozen, Rex hurled Monty into Losipher! "Eat up... this may be a long rest!" he stated as Monty wailed, his body being dragged into Losipher's slime, never to be seen again! Astra started to sob for Spiro, but walked away with purpose. "I have to turn this temple around..." she sniffled. Bard nodded. "Dragons will return for this place. We have to warn them never to open this chamber." he told Radia. She nodded and let out a heavy sigh. "The Chaos Relics have completed their mission I guess... though at what cost? I think we'd better have them split up and hidden away... You told me what happened with Brutus and it just seems in the end, the Chaos Relics were largely more trouble than they were worth. But they may be needed again... So, it's best to put them in places where they may be found someday..." she said. Bard nodded in agreement, and took a deep breath. He had one final song to sing.
"Good day, my friends, though the tidings are bleak.
If you'd stop to listen, I've a tale to speak.
A sadness and tragedy carried through song,
Of seven chosen heroes, whose mission went wrong...
Bard is my name, one of seven I was.
A knight, a warrior, a guardian with a cause.
Take heed of my story, my tale of woe.
Lest the evil I speak of return, and grow.
We fought to stave off death and despair,
But greed and lust for power grew thick in the air,
In the end, the worst darkness is in our own hearts!
It seeps into our souls, and tears us apart!
Yet I managed to seal this evil away,
But it may return on one dark troubled day.
Take heed of my story, my tale of woe.
Lest the evil I speak of... return, and grow."
Gemini, Timothy and Silver had to stop at the present day to bring Carrie home. With Fred, Copter and Libra all pleading their case, Ophi decided to show them leniency, but only if they returned to their own times and never crossed through history again. This would mean goodbye to Carrie and all her friends in the present for Gemini. She hugged Carrie tightly, fighting back tears as they were saying their goodbyes outside the building where this all began, Kosmo's house in Troblusk City. Kosmo didn't seem to understand the whole thing, but he was fine with giving Carrie a place to stay. "I can't believe it ends like this... In such total defeat..." Gemini whimpered. Timothy patted her shoulder. "I know... At least it seems like I'm gonna be okay. I'm not disappearing or anything." he sighed. Carrie brushed a tear from her eyes. "I did what I could for you, Gem. Turns out, I'm even more powerless in the grand scope of things than I ever dreamed..." she frowned. Silver cleared his throat, looking devastated to have to bring this up. "We really need to go, before Ophi changes his mind and locks us up..." he said. They were about to leave, too, but at that moment, Libra swooped down, shouting frantically at them. "Stooop!!" They jumped back as Libra skidded to a halt near them, and Kosmo did a double take. "Wait, you're the Deathbringer!? You look just like her!!" he babbled. Libra rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, keep up with the times, would ya? Gemini! I need your help!" she said hastily. Gemini blinked a bit. "You? The Deathbringer should never need anyone's help." she said with a huff. Libra growled a bit. "Look, I'm not proud of what Ophi turned me into, okay!? But I know the truth now, all of it. Gemini... I'm asking you to help me... to defeat the Zodiac Council once and for all!" she announced, raising her fist. Everyone stared at her in absolute shock. "Well... I'm in!" Carrie muttered. Silver shook his head and sighed. "You better tell us everything...and if we're doing this...we're gonna need backup!" he realized. There was only one who might truly stand a chance in a desperate situation like this... Sonic the Hedgehog!
To be continued... BZZZT... ZZZZT... BONUS SCENE! BZZZZT...
Dr. Nammad wearily stepped into the GUN medical center, heading for a particular patient. Richard Gunner had refused to be seen by normal medical doctors...only Nammad would do. It was amazing he was even conscious enough to make demands, what with the blood loss. Nammad nervously walked into his room, stuttering as he wondered if his patient was awake. "Is option A viable or not? Speak, you ninny!" Gunner snapped groggily. Nammad stepped forward anxiously. "I, err... I'm not Frankenstein, general. And, uh... I'm not Bucky, either. I can't reattach your arm. It's dead, Rich." he said nervously. Gunner slammed the side of the bed with his left fist, glaring at the stump where his right arm used to be. "Option B, then...and damn the furry freaks to hell! Damn all of them!!" he shouted, making Nammad uncomfortable. "N-not so loud. You want to, uh, be forced to take a leave of, uh, absence?" he babbled. Gunner glared at him. Obviously he was already on leave. Nammad gulped and produced some blueprints. "Option B, then... Anything special you care to, uh, order?" he asked, showing off plans for what appeared to be arm cannon attachments. Gunner sneered. "Some sort of claw, perhaps... I want to crush the life out of that wolf with the very arm she ruined!" he snarled. A future of murder and mayhem seemed to be in store for Richard Gunner...
Episode 10 - Zodiac War
Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.
When Sonic heard they were planning to assault the group that was using Sally, he moved fast. Joining Tails at Kosmo's house in Troblusk City, Sonic had also brought Uncle Chuck and Sally's dad, Max Acorn. Ridley and Tommy came to help out as well, for the sake of Razor. Gemini tried to contact Knuckles, but with Punchy and Rainbow on their honeymoon, Knuckles had no one to take over guarding the Master Emerald. He refused to comment on who was doing it during the wedding. Carrie had also called her friend Talon to help, but he was away on Bucky's request, helping to search for the still-missing Crash. Fortunately, Amy came along with Sonic...whether anyone asked her or not. "So, tell us again why we're all here?" she asked as everyone sat around a table. "And why my house has to be the meeting place?" Kosmo sighed. "Sorry, Kosmo..." Silver apologized. Libra stood up to address the group. "I've learned the goals of the Zodiac Council, and I've risked a lot to come out here and get help stopping them. First there's Cancer... He just took a trip with Copter to Darkegg Fortress. You may remember that Eggman reclaimed the tower last year. Well, Cancer used his techomancer abilities to take control of the robots there. He plans to take over Zodiac and use their power to change history, placing himself as the ruler of the world!" she stated. Sonic sighed. "Where was Eggman to keep his robots from gettin' nabbed? And why the heck is Copter STILL helping that creep?" he complained. "He's kind of undercover..." Libra said, "He's safer than I am. Ophiuchus is in my head... He did something to me, but not Copter..." she said with a frown. "Oh, Libra... I'm so sorry..." Gemini sniffled. "Don't worry, good news is I'm not a robot anymore so I can help stop this Cancer." Chuck smiled. Libra took a breath. "Cancer's not the only one to worry about. Ophiuchus doesn't care about our world. He sold it out to the Lost Ones because he thinks it's doomed no matter how we change history. He plans to take the Zodiac Council to other dimensions and invade them. With the council united, he believes they can conquer other worlds and make himself a multiversal emperor!" she said with greater urgency. "Wow... Cancer and Ophi are pretty much the same." Timothy remarked. Sonic nodded. "Yeah... They're both real full of themselves! Guess we gotta stop 'em both!" he smirked. "Well, there's about as many of us as there are of them...and I guess Copter's on our side." Tails remarked. Kosmo yawned. "I'm still beat from that wedding invasion Gunner pulled. But hey, call me if it gets outta hand, I guess..." he said, heading for the bedroom. "Aww, I didn't know morphs got sleepy!" Carrie teased. Kosmo blushed. "...Be careful, Carrie." he told her.
Gemini knew how to get to Zodiac Station, the home base of the Zodiac Council hidden in a place beyond time. It was where she and her friends were imprisoned as the wedding was starting. "Chronokadabra!" she said, opening a time portal that would lead the group there. Zodiac Station was a dreamlike place, the walls and floor seeming to be paved with stars and nebulae. This wondrous place was already under attack, though. Sonic and the others found the robots under Cancer's control as they arrived, mostly Egg Pawns but a few different robots mixed in, too, such as the bladed Spinner robots. Cancer was at the center of the robot army, his eyes glowing red as he controlled them all. "Okay, let's split up." Tails suggested, "Some of us will deal with Cancer here, and the others will look for Ophiuchus!" he suggested. Sonic was already rushing to take on the robots, and didn't seem to hear him. "...I'll go with you, Tails." Silver sighed. The rest of the group seemed intent on sticking with Sonic, but weren't as gung-ho about fighting the robots right away. "Where would you guess Sally is?" Max Acorn asked. Libra shrugged. At the moment, they could only see Capricorn out there fighting the robots. Copter was standing near Cancer along with Eddie AKA Scorpio, and also Pisces and Taurus. "If we get close enough, maybe Copter will make his move against Cancer?" Gemini wondered. "Can't be easy for him surrounded by a bull and a shark...and Eddie." Amy pointed out. So, they started to join Sonic in racing to fight the robots. Meanwhile, Silver and Tails unwittingly wandered to the prison area Gemini was previously locked in. "Hey, guys! Get me outta here?" that same creepy echidna asked once again. Silver rolled his eyes at him. "Don't, Tails. Trust me." he said. Tails sighed. "I guess we should head back..." he mumbled. "...B-bard?" Tails hesitated as he heard an elderly voice. Stepping further into the prison, they came upon a cell steeped in shadows. "E-excuse me?" Tails asked. "No... you're not... Bard. Oh...but you have... the Creation Bands..." the elderly voice murmured. Tails raised an eyebrow, and curious to find out what this was about, Silver used his powers to bend open the bars. Stepping into the cell, Silver gasped by who he found. "...Astra!?" he stammered. Indeed it was. The fennec was old, but alive before his eyes. "...Do I know you? Ah... I've been here so long... What's happened?" she asked. Tails scratched his head. "I think we'll need to fill each other in a bit..." he murmured.
Ophiuchus emerged in the room with Cancer and the robots after a bit. Beside him were Aquarius, Razor/Sagittarius and Sally/Virgo. Their expressions were vacant and blank as Ophi pointed them toward the robots. "My faithful servants, clear the path for me... I must cast my spell of control on our comrades." he declared. Sonic's ears pricked, hearing this from behind him as he faced down a lance-toting Egg Pawn. "Spell of control? He's controlling them with a spell? You can do that!?" he babbled before jumping up to attack the bots in front of him! Amy looked worried as she swatted a caterkiller that crawled her way. "If he's using a spell on them, what can we do? Do you know how to break the spell, Gemini?" she asked. Gemini and Timothy glanced at each other. "Mind control wasn't exactly part of our curriculum under Teacher Leo." Timothy sighed. "We just gotta try and get through to them!" Gemini suggested. Uncle Chuck nodded and took Max by the arm. "C'mon, Mr. Acorn, it's time to go see your daughter!" he said, rushing toward Sally as she was busy delivering swift kicks to any robots in her way. Carrie ran up to help Chuck and Max by tossing aside any robots that approached them with her psychokinesis. Meanwhile, Ridley and Tommy tried to approach Razor, only for him to fire energy arrows at their feet! "Bro! It's me!!" Tommy cried. Ophiuchus sneered at them. "Thanks to my mental conditioning combined with my control spell, there isn't a piece of the one you called 'Razor' left! Don't bother trying to free his mind!" he said. Aquarius landed near Sonic and sent a wave of water ahead, not only catching some robots but also sending Sonic sliding away a bit! "Gaaahh!! Hey, I'm fightin' these bots for you! Talk about ungrateful!" he growled, shaking himself dry before turning to face Aquarius. Sally glanced at Chuck and Max as they approached her. "Sally... I still can't believe you're alive! Please, stop fighting...give your daddy a hug!" Max said with tears in his eyes. "Not so quick, sir..." Carrie warned. Sally growled and hurled a piece of scrap metal their way! "Hey! That was uncalled for, Sally!" Chuck snapped, "We're your friends, we're not tryin' to hurt ya!" he told her. Sally growled and grabbed her head. "They're in your way. As your master, I order you to complete your task." Ophiuchus commanded. Sally nodded. "You boys...stand down!" she said with a powerful tone. It compelled Chuck and Max to back away, even as they struggled to resist! "So...she has power over boys? ...Is it wrong I'm jealous?" Carrie murmured.
Cancer scoffed. "Ophi's spell won't work on me. I never submitted to his mental conditioning." he murmured, glancing over at Copter and Eddie, "Go and stop your old friends from interfering..." he ordered. Eddie chuckled. "I think Ridley's the only one that qualifies for me, but I'll throw in the others pro bono, Eee hee!" he said, turning only to find Copter standing in his way! The fox removed his helmet and sighed. "I've been waiting to tell you guys this... I really hate this dumb helmet!" he said, tossing it right at Eddie! The hyena stepped aside and raised a hand to start an attack, but hesitated as he heard Libra land behind him. "Ohhh, you think you'll double-team me, do you? Eeee hee hee... I can do that, too!" he cackled, a second Eddie splitting from him and leaping straight for Libra! Gemini started running their way. "Hold on, guys! I'll zap Eddie out of commission and then we'll get Cancer!" she shouted. A third Eddie popped into her path. "How will you do that if you can't find the right one?" he smirked. Gemini rolled her eyes. "Out of the way!" she snapped, her hands glowing as her wings appeared! During all this, Tails and Silver were arriving, holding Astra's arms to help the old fennec walk. "Thank you, dears... Get me to a wand, and I'll be able to handle myself..." Astra said. "I can't believe she's from way back in Tikal's era...and you created this place?" Tails said, glancing at her. Astra nodded. "I wanted to carry on Rex's work...the good Rex... But my task got perverted into monitoring and controlling time... When I opposed this, I was imprisoned..." she murmured. Silver raised his hand and pushed back an approaching motobug as they entered the room. "Well, Sonic found them..." he muttered. In the meanwhile, the Eddies lured Gemini, Copter and Libra into the center of the room, where the robot presence was the heaviest. Copter was busy using his staff to fend off Egg Pawns and couldn't deal with the hyena. "Dang it, I hate these bots!!" he complained. "They WERE on your side, traitor..." Cancer said through an Egg Pawn before Copter whacked it with his staff. Libra quickly took out the fake Eddies with some well placed bolts, and then together with Gemini headed for the true Scorpio. "Eeee hee... Do you plan to kill me, Deathbringer? Because if you don't, I basically win." he smirked as scorpions surrounded the sisters. Libra raised her hand but Gemini stopped her. "You don't have to be the Deathbringer anymore... Let me help you..." she said. "I'm afraid she IS the Deathbringer..." said Ophiuchus as he approached them, "And you are MY Scorpio! Both of you, to me!" he said, raising his hands to them, "Hypnoconquera!!" Casting this spell, no light or beam left his hands, but the effects were instantly apparent. Eddie and Libra quickly took on the same vacant expressions as Sally, Razor and Aquarius. "L-libra!!" Gemini stammered. "She can't hear you..." Ophi smirked, "Libra is MINE now..."
Cancer growled. "Get in there, you two. We need to crush them all and secure our control of the Zodiac Station!" he ordered Taurus and Pisces. The pair headed out to where Sonic and Amy were caught between Aquarius and some robots. "I say we freeze the wet floor with my trident!" Pisces suggested. "No! I say we electrify the wet floor with my lightning!" Taurus snorted. "Well, I say you do neither of that!!" Amy shouted, whacking an Egg Pawn with her hammer. "Eheh... I don't think we get a vote, Amy." Sonic sighed. Timothy ran to Ridley and Tommy's aid in the meantime, briefly slipping as part of the floor turned to ice. "Ooof!! Thanks a lot, Pisces!!" Taurus yelled. Timothy shrugged and waved his wand, creating a shield around Ridley and Tommy to block Razor's arrows. "Hi, I'm Timmy, by the way." he said. "Tommy..." the young porcupine said, shaking his hand. "Ugh, referring to you two could get annoying." Ridley groaned, their focus returning as Razor shot at the shield again. "Brother!! Why can't you hear me!? You might have changed, but you never seemed not to recognize me before!" Tommy cried. Ridley gritted his teeth. "Yeah, and I've been covering for you at the department for months! The chief is gonna have your head on a pike when you do finally get back! C-come on... you're supposed to be the responsible one..." he said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Timothy frowned. "He's under a spell, I don't think we can get through to him..." he stated. "Isn't there a way to break the spell??" Tommy babbled. Timothy tilted his head. "I don't know. Unless either of you wanna try true love's kiss?" he joked. Razor started shooting the shield more rapidly, growling in frustration. "Yeah, I don't think he's in the kissing mood..." Ridley murmured. Back with Pisces and Taurus, Amy raised her hammer and slammed the ice on the ground, cracking it as Sonic slid by! "Thaaaanks!" he wailed, leaping up in the next moment and striking at Pisces' trident, knocking it from her hand! "Gah!! Zap him, bully, I'll be right back!" the shark said, hurrying for her weapon only to run into Ophiuchus, who's shoe was holding the trident on the starlit ground. "Hypnoconquera!" he cast, putting Pisces under his spell! Taurus turned to see her like that and gulped. "Take over, brain-dead Aquarius. I gotta protect Cancer before my brain turns to mush!" he said, charging back in Cancer's direction. Amy glanced at Sonic. "What'll happen if that snake gets control of all of them?" she murmured. Sonic shrugged. "We stop 'em all...which we were doing anyway." he said. "...Can he control...us?" Amy asked. This caused Sonic to sweat a moment. That would not be good...
Cancer scoffed. "Fine...I'll have to play my trump card." Hearing him say this, Copter dove onto Gemini and started to shield her with his armored body as the roof caved in above them, crushed under the weight of the Death Egg Robot that Cancer was calling in with his technomancer powers! Small meteor chunks fell onto Copter as he strained to protect his friend. Or, he thought he should be straining, but in a moment a shield covered them both. "...Oh..." he muttered, blushing, "You can cast magic on your own, right." he said. "I'm not casting anything..." Gemini whispered. Moving off her and turning around, Copter saw Fred Leo casting the shield, Adam, Evelyn and Cuthburt joining him in fighting back against the Death Egg Robot! "Hey, behind the space roof is more space. Trippy!" Adam remarked. "Pay attention to the giant robot!" Evelyn groaned. Cancer growled in annoyance. "You're all insects! This is an upgraded Death Egg Robot from Eggman's last invasion! You can't defeat it with little blow guns!" he sneered. During the distraction, Taurus was cornered by Ophiuchus, and now his mind was the snake's. "All right. Cancer is right, I can't control his mind. So, finish him off my Deathbringer!" Ophiuchus ordered. Capricorn, who had been preoccupied fighting the robots, gasped at his order. "K-kill?? What??" she stammered. Gemini looked frantically for Libra. "Don't do it, sister! Don't let him make you kill again!" she pleaded. The Death Egg Robot stomped forward, firing its fist toward Sonic! "Whoa! I hate these things!" the hedgehog complained. "Just try and approach me! None of you can get past my ultimate robot!" Cancer declared. "...Unless I was here before it was..." said Libra in a monotone voice. Cancer's eyes widened, but it was too late. A killing bolt pierced through his chest and then slammed the back of the Death Egg Robot, causing it to collapse into a heap! Cancer staggered forward. "Ophi...will destroy everything... You have to...stop him!!" he gasped before falling onto his face, dead. The remaining robots regained their senses and began to scramble about the room in an alarmed panic. "How the heck did I git in this freaky-deaky joint?? Where's mah garage!?" yelped Hoover as he scurried past Copter. "Consider this payback for putting my friends out of their home." Copter growled at him. Hoover yelped as he turned to Copter. "Ehhh... What's wit the knight gitup?" he asked. Tails sighed as he and Silver reached Gemini. "Sorry you had to see your sister do that, Gemini..." he murmured, "Um... got your wand?" he asked. Gemini looked at them and did a double take upon seeing Astra. "Oh... I can't even with this right now..." she said with tears in her eyes, "I have to get Ophiuchus back for making a killer out of Libra!" she growled.
There were four remaining Zodiacs not under Ophi's control. The snake stood at the center of the room, atop the remnants of the Death Egg Robot, and smirked at the others. "I may not have put you through mental conditioning, but my power is enough to control the rest of you!" he declared. Fred stepped beside Gemini. "Try us. We'll overcome you together!" he warned. Capricorn landed next to him as well. "I trusted you! Why are you doing this, Ophi!?" she cried. Ophiuchus shrugged. "I have seen countless possible futures. No matter how we might try to save the world, it is inevitable that our world will meet its demise eventually. I realized that the only way our will could survive was if we moved to other worlds, conquering those worlds for ourselves! But I knew the overall council would never go along with this. So I created the mind control spell to ensure you would do as I command!" he explained. Copter took Gemini's hand as the four of them stared down Ophi. "This time, we'll do this together!" he said as Ophiuchus started to cast his spell! Sonic thought about what to do as the four of them started strainging against the spell. "Hmm..." He saw Max Acorn taking cover in a corner, probably driven there by the Death Egg Robot's arrival. He sped over and grabbed him, dashing him back to his daughter! "If any of these spells can be broken, you can break Sal's!" he said. Max sighed. "I can't... I lost her..." he said. Sonic crossed his arms. "Try, man! She died for you!" he pointed out. Max nodded and approached Virgo. "Sally! You're stronger than this tyrant...I know it!" he said, only for Virgo to growl at him. He kept moving. "You organized the Freedom Fghters...You fought Dr. Eggman... Please, come back to me..." Virgo started to hold her head, groaning as Ophi was too distracted to maintain his spell on one person. Max moved to embrace her. "Please...my princess!" he pleaded. Gasping, Sally collapsed into his arms, starting to sob. "D-daddy?" she sniffled. Sonic wiped his eye as he watched them. "Aw, now that's closure..." he sighed.
The four remaining Zodiacs groaned, straining as Ophiuchus began to overpower their minds with his spell. Gemini and Copter tightened their hold on one another's hand. "G-gemini...I..." he gasped. Carrie moved to help, but Silver stopped her. "Interfering might shatter their minds... Maybe. I don't know how this spell works." he warned. However, Sally suddenly stepped between the four and Ophiuchus. "...STOP!!" she shouted in that powerful tone, forcing Ophiuchus to hesitate. "Grrr... Your power can't control me, girl!" he said, instantly free. However, he'd stopped his spell. Sally next turned to the other Zodiacs. "Turn on the snake!" she commanded, leading Eddie, Razor, Aquarius and Taurus to look at Ophiuchus with angry eyes. The snake glanced around and let out a howl of fury as Taurus jolted him with lightning from his horns and Razor pelted him with arrows of light! He backed up and glanced to see Sonic beside Max, smirking at him. "Clever hedgehog, using my own allies against me... Too bad you fail to save the world in the end!" he retorted. Then, Ophiuchus raised his hands as if in surrender. "You've got me... I shall have to abandon my plans!" he said, smirking, "And what better way than to bury you all in this station?!" He flicked his wrist behind him, forming a dimensional hole before snapping his fingers and causing the many stars comprising the station to glow red! As Ophiuchus jumped through the hole, closing it behind him, Astra stammered in panic. "He set off the self destruct sequence! We must get out of here!" she warned. Gasping in alarm, Fred, Gemini, Timothy and Capricorn all yelled "Chronokadabra!" at once, creating multiple time portals for everyone to escape through and return home before Zodiac Station could go supernova! "Oh, wait, Sonic!" Silver shouted, whispering something to him. Sonic zipped away and hurried back with the creepy prisoner echidna. "What's wrong with this guy!?" Sonic stammered as he joined the others in escaping!
As the last of the group leapt out of the time portals, an explosion flared out behind them, stopped when each person closed their respective portals, except Gemini and Capricorn, who found that they couldn't. "M-my magic!!" Gemini stammered. Timothy handed her her wand. "I knew you'd need this again..." he said as Fred closed the other two portals. "Why did I have to get the late-closing portal? My poor wings..." Adam sighed, batting out some embers. Meanwhile Capricorn was groaning in pain a bit as her wings withered and dropped to the floor. "Wh-what's happening??" she wailed. Astra frowned. "Zodiac Station was the source of your powers...it amplified my own power so I could share it with a team. Now that it's destroyed, only your natural talents remain." she said. Copter tried to fire a shot from his staff, but nothing happened. "Junk... I'm useless again..." he sighed. Gemini hugged him. "You're never useless, Copter... You're my friend." she told him. "Bite her ear off!" said the creepy echidna with a leer. Sonic glanced at Ridley. "You got handcuffs?" he asked. "Way ahead of you!" said Razor, busily cuffing Eddie as the hyena cackled. "Fine, take me in! I hear Fera's back, might be safer in jail 'till I know whether she's mad at me or not... Dames, heh." he said. Tails looked around and scratched his head. "Not to be a killjoy, but shouldn't we go after Ophiuchus? He might still have a plan up his sleeve." he stated. "If he doesn't have power anymore, who cares?" Aquarius scoffed. Amy nodded. "And how would we even find him?" she asked. Sally stepped up to answer that. "I remember something... From my time as Virgo... A dimension he showed me. It was going to provide the council with the power to conquer all other worlds. He brought me there to scout it out..." she said. Sonic started to stretch out for the next round. "Alright, everyone coming?" he asked. "I'm still trying to remember my non-Pisces name..." the shark frowned. "And I feel a bit woozy..." Libra sighed, her wings having decayed along with everyone else's. "I'll stay with Astra. You can count on me." Capricorn said. Silver, Carrie and Timothy stepped up. "You're not leaving us behind!" they stated. Copter glanced at Gemini and nodded to himself, dropping his staff. "I'll help, too... I'll do what I can to make amends for what I've done wrong..." he said with determination.
Combining spells wasn't easy. It helped to have two spellcasters. Fred patted Gemini and Timothy on the shoulders. "You've worked together quite a bit recently...I'm sure you can do this..." he said. They both pointed their wands. "Discovereva!" Timothy called. "Poriftica!" Gemini cast. Her portal combined with Timothy's search spell, enabling them to track down Ophiuchus! Sally glanced through the portal. "...Yes, that's the place... Uhhh..." she sighed, feeling woozy herself. Chuck and Max caught her as she nearly fell. "We'd better watch her. End this, Sonic!" Chuck said. "Sure thing, Unc!" Sonic nodded. He, Tails, Amy, Silver, Carrie, Timothy, Fred, Copter and Gemini hopped through the portal, finding a dazzlingly beautiful world made up of various crystals and gems! "Wow... I can't believe Rouge is missing out on this..." Tails said as he looked around. Everyone looked around in awe. "A girl could get used to a place like this..." Amy murmured. Some nearby rocks shifted, and Timothy jumped. "Ah! Even the people are stones!" he gasped. Gemini looked and raised an eyebrow. "Huh... A Kron??" she murmured. It was indeed one of the stone people she recalled from the Twilight Cage. The Kron glanced at them and shrugged. "Welcome you all to Kron Mining Planet. Jewel Junkyard be this place. Take what you need, you may." he told them. Sonic scratched his head. "Yeaaaah... Seen a creepy snake dude around?" he asked. The sound of Ophiuchus cackling could be heard above, followed by a magic beam coming down and knocking over the Kron! More beams rained down to attack the group, forcing them back! "Proplasmar!!" Fred shouted, casting a protective barrier. Looking up, they saw Ophiuchus at the top of a mountain of gemstones, seeming to draw power from them, his eyes glowing in various colors as he absorbed the power! "Th-that's a mountain of ChaosStones! The gems on our wands!" Gemini said, pointing to the tip of her own wand. "I always wondered where they came from." Timothy mused. Ophiuchus saw something at the top of the mountain and reached for it. "Ahh... A Phantom Ruby! A perfect accent to this power!" he cackled. Sonic whimpered. "Why did he even need twelve mind-controlled minions, then?" he muttered. Tails was glancing elsewhere and suddenly pointed. "Look at that road! The lamps are lit by Chaos Emeralds!" he stated. Sonic nodded. "Good catch, buddy! And the Kron did say, take what we need!" he grinned. There only seemed to be enough emeralds nearby for two to transform, especially if the emeralds' power was partially drained by being lamps. "I'll go, too!" Gemini said, "I... I started this by heading into the past. It's only right I finish it." she declared. Silver and Copter exchanged worried glances, but nodded. "We'll be right here, Gemini..." Silver said. With that, Sonic raced back with 14 Chaos Emeralds. "Just like old times in Soleanna, huh? Let's do this Gemini!" he smirked. The emeralds soon swirled around the pair of them, glowing brightly as Sonic and Gemini erupted in golden glows, becoming their super forms! Ophiuchus glared at them and activated the Phantom Ruby, duplicating himself. "Very well... Before I claim a new home... I'll eliminate you relics of my past!" he sneered.
As Super Sonic and Super Gemini soared towards Ophi, the snake he produced a flurry of crystal shards around him with the magical power he'd absorbed, hurling them at hedgehog and fennec! Sonic curled into a ball and bounced off the shards, keeping up his momentum, while Gemini zapped the shards with various spells, melting them or turning them into marshmallows! "Such determination from you! But my power is infinite!!" Ophi said, activating the Phantom Ruby, which resulted in a giant clawed arm made of crystals from the mountain rising up to grab at Sonic and Gemini! It hurled the hedgehog across the sky to the duplicate of Ophi, who then grabbed him by the throat! "I have trained for centuries... You can't outwit me. You can't overpower me. You are nothing!" he sneered as Sonic struggled. Gemini fled from the clawed hand, but the other Ophi used the Phantom Ruby to reshape the entire mountain into a giant version of himself comprised of gemstones of many colors! Gemini gasped as its fist slammed into her, striking a barrier she'd erected but cracking it quickly! The giant pulled back its fist for another punch. "It's over, so-called heroes. Time has defeated you... And now it's my time!" Ophi sneered. "I'd say Zodiac's time is UP!" shouted Tails, who soared up and smacked the duplicate Ophi with his tails! As the giant fist barreled down on Gemini, Copter suddenly flew in front of her and rammed right into the fist! He...held it back?! Both foxes were in super form! "Keep your slimy hands...off Gemini!!" Super Copter snarled, twirling in midair and striking the giant's hand with a powerful tail whip, shattering it! Super Tails managed to knock the other Ophi away from Sonic, and the hedgehog gave his pal a quick fist bump. "I can always count on you, bro! Knew you'd find more emeralds!" he smirked. Ophiuchus let out a frustrated hiss. "This exertion is pointless, and beneath me!" he snarled, drawing more energy from the ChaosStones to himself. "The power I draw from this world makes me unstoppable!" he said, using the Phantom Ruby to duplicate himself until there were 13 of him. "I AM the Zodiac Council now! I'm my own army!!" he declared as pointed gems swirled around him. Gemini took Copter's hand and smirked at him. "You don't get it, snake boy... We have an army too!" she shouted. At that moment, Super Silver, Super Timothy, Super Amy, Super Fred and Super Carrie floated up to join their ranks and oppose Ophiuchus! Tails chuckled softly. "This place is a real treasure box. We should keep the address!" he grinned. Amy floated next to Sonic with a dreamy smile. "So this is what it's like to go super... Wanna try a super kiss...?" she asked in a flirty tone. "Err... Not now..." Sonic babbled. Ophiuchus snarled at them. "Your army is weak..." he said. "Alone, maybe..." Gemini said, "But together, our friendship can withstand anything. We can even change history itself! Together...we'll stop the Lost Ones and save the world!" she declared. Ophiuchus cackled. "You won't even stop me!! Time to face the full force of a magic-enhanced Phantom Ruby!!" he cried. As Sonic and Gemini led the nine of them in a daring charge against the snake, Ophiuchus once again formed a crystal giant, this time around his thirteen selves. The two groups clashed in a single, mighty blow, an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object! It seemed for a moment that Ophiuchus was simply too strong. Copter grabbed for Gemini's hand. "H-hang on!!" he cried. Gemini reached for Timothy's hand. Tails took Sonic's. Sonic took Amy's. Carrie took Silver and Fred's. Hands linked, they charged in unison, and the crystals started to crack! "N-no! It...cannot be!!" Ophi cried, feeling the Phantom Ruby crumble in his hand. "Nooooo!!" he roared, snapping his fingers before the super heroes could strike him! The planet began to explode below them, and the Kron started to flee for his spaceship in panic. "Explain this to Foreman Krag, how will I?" he grumbled. Fred grabbed onto Ophi as the heroes crashed through his crystal giant. "Think you'll escape to another source of power? Guess again!" he said, "Poriftica!" he shouted, creating a portal and stuffing Ophiuchus into it! "No!! Stop!! It's dark in heeeere!!" the snake shouted before he shut the portal. "This planet's gonna blow! Figures, just when we find an endless source of Chaos Emeralds..." Sonic groaned. Gemini had already created a portal back home. "C'mon! Let's move it!" she cried. Wasting no time, the group fled into the portal, leaving the crystal world to its ruin and Ophiuchus to the fate Fred had decided for him...
"Where did you send Ophi?" Gemini asked as the group rested back at Kosmo's house. Fred shrugged. "It's kind of a Null Space...but one that actually exists as opposed to the Phantom Ruby's version. Ophiuchus will be trapped and powerless there, hopefully forever. It's what he deserves." the lion stated. Silver scratched his head. "What's going to happen to the old Zodiac Council?" he asked. Fred shrugged. "Their lives are theirs now... Most of them have totally lost their power so they shouldn't cause any trouble at least." he stated. Libra and Astra had joined them by this point, and Gemini had dozens of questions for Astra, but first thing's first. "...Teacher...Fred... Is Libra really my...sister?" she asked. Libra leaned in, curious to know as well. Fred took a breath. "...I can confirm that much. The two of you are twins. Ophiuchus was responsible for splitting you up...for taking you from your true families. I only had a part in training Gemini. I couldn't tell you what time period is your true home..." he said sadly. Amy shuddered. "That's awful. Why would he do that?" she wondered. Libra sighed. "He wanted to mold us into his soldiers...but it didn't work. Our bonds with the people we care for overcame his evil." she smiled, hugging Gemini, "I'm glad to properly meet you, sister!" she cried. Copter watched them from the back of the room and felt a tear come to his eye. Kosmo stood next to him. "You're sane now, right?" Kosmo asked. Copter nodded. "More sane than I've been in a long time... I'm starting to see Gemini. Really see her... I... I really like her..." he said with a light blush. Hoover stepped up to him and "cleared his throat" loudly. "Ahem! Well, I'm awol now, so I guess we go home together! Where we goin' then, kid?" he asked. Copter glared at him. "You're lucky my plane needs a mechanic... I'm thinking I'll take Rainbow up on her standing invite to live in that underground echidna city. Plenty of space. If Violet moves there too it might be awkward, but we'll have to move past that... I deserve it if she beats me up." he sighed. Hoover shrugged. "Sounds rustic... I hope I don't rust down there..." he mumbled. Gemini lent Astra her wand, as the older fennec wanted. Astra quietly cast a spell on herself, and her old age melted away, restoring her youth and energy! "Ahhh, much better! And no, I won't be sharing that spell... So, fox boy, why didn't you use the Creation Bands at all?" she asked Tails. The fox held up his Chaos Tailbands. "These are Chaos Relics..." he said. Astra giggled. "The Raisol name stuck, hm? It was a false name to throw off those who would abuse the power. They are the Creation Relics, their powers don't come from Chaos at all!" she told him. Sonic smacked his face. "No, we're not changing the Tailbands' name for a third time. Everyone stick to Chaos Relics!" he shouted.
As Sonic, Tails, Amy and Silver were leaving, Chuck and Sally found them. "Hey, sonny! Good news! Sally's all back to normal and ready to return home with her dad!" Chuck announced. Sally smiled. "I just wanted to thank you...and also get Nicole shipped to my AcornCorp office." she chuckled. Tails frowned. "Aww, I didn't get time to figure out how that AI works..." he murmured. Sonic chuckled and gave Sally a thumb's up. "Anytime you need me, just call!" he winked. Amy growled softly. "Don't flirt, Sonic!! She'll get confused!" she scolded him. Sally chuckled, waving and turning to leave. Sonic then stepped to Uncle Chuck. "Hey, Unc... Ready for me to move back?" he asked. Chuck smiled. "Well, I've been ready for months! I thought you were happy chillin' out with your pal, there!" he said, pointing to Tails. Sonic nodded. "Yeah, it's just... Seeing Sal and her dad... Makes me realize that family's important too." he said with a cute smile. Chuck nodded. "So, the great hero learned a lesson? Hehe! Just kiddin', of course ya can move back! I missed ya, sonny!" he said, hugging his nephew. Tails smiled. "Don't worry about me, Sonic. I'll be just fine..." he said, pulling out his Miles Electric tablet and checking his messages, finding an "I miss you" text from Marine. Gemini and her friends were exiting the house by now, too. "Don't look for me here anymore, I'm moving!" Kosmo remarked, growing wings and flapping away. Carrie smirked and gave chase. "Get back here, you! I've got tons of stories and you're gonna hear 'em!" she chuckled. Gemini sighed. "In order to beat the Lost Ones... we'll need the power of the Chaos Relics." she said, "Even Apocalos fears them, so it's a good start." Fred nodded. "True... I trust you to do what you think is right, Gemini. Me, I'm taking Adam, Evelyn and Cuthburt home. Whether we'll be back, well... Time will tell." he said, going off to find them. Timothy glanced at Gemini. "Well, I'm still with you. So, what do we do about the relics?" he asked. Copter listened and smirked. "Tails, get over here!" he called. "Wha?" Tails murmured, stepping over to the group. Copter pointed to Gemini. "You're getting a crash course in properly using those tailbands. And Gemini's gonna teach ya!" he announced. "Whaaaa??" Gemini gasped. Tails scratched his head. "Really? Um... Thanks?" he muttered. Libra giggled. "Yeah! You can do it, Gem! You saw how Rex's crew used them!" she stated. Astra nodded. "I'll stick around, too. Maybe I can be of help to you... My, but this world is curious isn't it? Is that a horseless carriage over there?" she asked, pointing to a car across the street. Gemini chuckled softly. "Thanks a lot, Copter..." she grumbled, "I got my work cut out for me..." Copter nodded, taking her hand. "Yeah. You have to find the other relic holders and train them too. But I'll help you...any way I can." he said. "...I'll hold you to that." Gemini replied, "Thank you...my friends!" The past might have been in stone, but with the Zodiac Council defeated, the future was for the taking. Together, our heroes would fight to make it a future worth waiting for!
To be continued... BZZT! ZZZZT! BONUS SCENE! ZZZZT!!
Fera stood atop Troblusk Plateau, glaring around in disappointment. "...Our base is gone... The Darkseeker is gone... My dark power has weakened..." she said, holding up a Despair Seal, "Is the Covenant of Despair finished? How did this happen?" she growled, slipping the Despair Seal onto her wrist. "Gone? Oh, child... You could never lose me..." Fera looked around frantically for the source of this voice. "Darkseeker??" she gasped. "Howler... I'm a memory, stored in your Despair Seal. It seems my plans failed, somehow. But you, Fera...my greatest student...you could rebuild. You could continue my legacy!" the voice of Howler whispered. Fera nodded slowly. "...We'll need to find our allies... and I'll need you to retrain me. Light has taken hold in my heart. Weakness!" Fera snarled. The voice chuckled softly. "With my memory to guide you... Despair will soon reign, at last!"
To be continued...in Season 5.
