Foray 2 - Cadenza

Foray – a Sonic the Hedgehog – Sonic Underground crossover.

1 – Cadenza

A Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction

Notes:  Jeeze… Eleven reviews for only one chapter? o.O You guys spoil me. Thanks though! I suppose this could still be considered part of the prologue, because it recaps some of the games, but there's some important stuff dropped in. Gotta build my bridge, ya know. Still, this is the first chapter.

Warnings: Gotta include some warnings or else this thing'll be boring. Let's see… Lots of aaaaaaangst,  and there's some assumed character death so some mourning, some forgotten characters show their faces, drama bombs going off because Eggman's a high maintenance drama queen (but we still love him so), Sonic's still a little angry because Underground keeps hanging over his head, and chili dogs.

Enjoy~!

…:Coda:…

Sonic wasn't exactly sure how he ended up in Green Hill.

His  journey here had quickly become a blur as he rushed off after Dr. Robotnik – and unconsciously put as much distance between himself and the mainland as possible – and he knew that he had eventually lost the human's trail somewhere, so he just randomly started to wander. Ultimately, he found himself in Green Hill Zone, lying on the beach with  a pair of sunglasses over his eyes, his back buried in the sand, and his hands clasped behind his head in a pose of tranquility. All around him, mobians and humans of all shapes and sizes were enjoying the sunny weather as well, their children running around and splashing each other in the water or building sand castles. The whole Zone was peaceful, something that the blue twelve year old so desperately needed after the last year of his life, and he happily welcomed it with open arms, even giving it a hug when it seemed content to hang around for a while.

Sonic  had been here for a few days, and, between siestas on the beach, had taken to running around the unpopulated forests that fringed the beach-front property. The tropical plants offered a nice obstacle course  for the hedgehog, as he always took a different path and every inch of the forest was constantly changing and growing. He especially enjoyed the giant stone loops that were hidden in the underbrush, the rock somehow weathered into a strange checkered pattern, as if someone had built the loops and time had forgotten about them. He had had a little trouble getting up and over the first one he came across, but, with a little practice and determination, he could now handle any that he faced  – with a bit of a run up, of course.

Other  than that, he had been doing pretty much nothing, which was exactly what he needed. The locals were nice and he had taken to talking to a few of them when they showed up on the beach. Two such individuals had caught his attention early on, because they always seemed to be extremely busy in the laid back, relaxed zone. After watching them run back and forth across the beach for three days, Sonic had eventually approached them to see if something was wrong, and they had stared at him like he had grown a second head or something.

They  were very different from each other. One a red and black armadillo and the other a yellow flying squirrel, the latter seemed very shy and timid  while the former seemed more outspoken and friendly. He introduced himself as Mighty the Armadillo and his friend as Ray, after Sonic had convinced them that he hadn't been stalking them like they had originally assumed (hence the second-head staring). Eventually, the three of them got to talking and Sonic hedged his original question.

"What  are you guys running around the beach all the time for?" he had asked, leaning on the table in front of him. Mighty had insisted that they take  Sonic out for lunch, as a way to greet him to Green Hill, and he had graciously accepted, because he hadn't really had a decent meal since he  had arrived.

"We've been looking for the Chaos Emeralds," Ray answered eventually, after sharing a glance with Mighty. The two of them had been fidgety all day, as if they had found something, but Sonic had chosen to ignore it.

"The  Chaos Emeralds?" The name sounded vaguely familiar… Did they have anything to do with the Emeralds that Dr. Robotnik had had?

"You've  never heard of the Chaos Emeralds?" Mighty had asked, flabbergasted. Sonic didn't have the modesty to look embarrassed, though he did look down at the table and shake his head. "Where did you come from?"

"The,  uh, mainland…?" He had winced when his answer came out as a question, but there was no way to take it back, so he simply picked his head up and stared at his companions, begging them not to press the issue. They relented easily, understanding all about troubled pasts

"The  Chaos Emeralds are mythical items of power. They're full of Chaos Energy, which fuels this planet, and, it's said that anyone who posses all seven will unlock an unstoppable power." Mighty answered, sipping at  his drink.

Sonic was going to reply, but a waitress sauntered up at that point, asking for their order. Only after Sonic had requested a chili dog with the works and she had left did Sonic get to voice his response. "Are they about this big?" He cupped his hands to about the dimensions of the Emerald he had encountered in Robotnik's fortress; Mighty and Ray's eyes widened. "And,  green?"

"One of them is green…" Ray said in awe, moving closer with his eyes trained on Sonic's hands, as if  he could see an after-image of the stone sitting there. "You saw one?"

"Well, I guess… It kinda saved my life…"

Mighty sputtered, almost spitting out his drink. "What?"  he demanded, his hands hitting the table flat-palmed as he leaned in toward the hedgehog. "The Emeralds haven't been seen for years, and you're telling me one of them saved your life?"

"Uh,  I guess…" Sonic repeated, putting his hands up when the armadillo tried  to get even closer to him. "Look, at the time I had no idea what it was  an-"

"This is incredible!" Mighty exploded, throwing his hands up. "Tell me, what did it feel like? Did you learn anything from it? Where on the mainland did you come from?"

"Um, in order, tingly, no, and the Mobian Kingdom."

"Wait, Queen Aleena's Mobian Kingdom?"

"Yes…"

"Wasn't that taken over by a human twelve years ago?"

"Yeah," he waved off the question, "the resistance got rid of him."

"Huh. Didn't think the Emeralds liked the Kingdom. They usually only show up on the islands down south. How strange…"

"Heh  heh, strange…" Sonic laughed dryly, looking away when Mighty tried to catch his eye. Suddenly, something occurred to Sonic and he jerked his head up. "Wait, did you say seven?"

"Yeah,  there's seven Emeralds. The last one's lost though… Something about it being the final key and the only person who can find it is destined to unlock the Emeralds' full potential… That's why me and Ray are looking. We want to be the ones to find the seventh Emerald."

Sonic  had excused himself after that, not even bothering to wait around for his food. He knew that was probably really rude and Sonia would have had  his head if she found out, but he had things he needed to think about.

Which  was how he ended up on the beach again. Something about the sun and the  sound of the waves helped to calm his mind and allow him to think a little deeper than he was used to. The past few days had been very beneficial to his health, as if something back home had been making him weak. Two days ago, he realized that his head was clear, as if he had had a headache his whole life and hadn't realized it until it was gone. It was strange, and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly could have caused it, but he was doubly thankful he had left.

Robotnik said something about six Emeralds… he thought to himself, turning his face away from the sun. No wait, he mentioned the seventh being lost forever. I wonder if he knows about this legend.

Of  course he knew, but Sonic couldn't help but be optimistic. The Seventh Emerald was probably the reason that he didn't bother trying to take over Mobotropolis again. From the sound of it, that last gem could help him conquer the whole planet, not just a small kingdom.

o0o

A  few days passed before he started to hear the rumors. He was barely aware of them at first, as he was too preoccupied with thoughts of Emeralds and running. He had taken to spending less time on the beaches as well, instead opting to keep himself limber and increasing his hand to hand skills. His fighting abilities were lacking, because he had been  relying on his medallion more often than he should have, and he had asked Mighty to teach him a bit of fighting. The armadillo didn't seem keen to the idea at the time, because he didn't believe in violence – though when asked why he knew to fight he had clammed up and agreed.

Sonic was slowly becoming more aware of his own body. Before, he had no idea exactly how fast he could run – just that he was fast  – and he eventually managed to break the sound barrier with barely any effort. He had only done it once before – when he had chased Robotnik away from Mobotropolis – and he hadn't really been aware of it at the time, but now he was totally mesmerized by the feeling of the air splintering, collapsing underneath the force of his pushing speed, and, when it eventually broke and that wall of sound blasted away on either side of him, he felt an exhilaration that he had never experienced before. It was addictive.

The first rumor came about when he was walking through town, trying to find something to eat. The locals were pretty good about offering up food to someone who looked weary and travel worn – and, with his wind whipped quills, scuffed shoes, and no gloves, he looked seriously travel worn – and they were caring enough to usually offer him a place to sleep for the night, though he never accepted. He had a place; he just needed food.

So, when an older man called out to him as he was walking along, he slowly made his way to him, careful not to jump to conclusions. The older folks were more prone to seeing a starving twelve year old and to feed him, but he felt a little guilty when he accepted their offerings, as if he was stealing. Of course, he knew that he had extended his newcomer welcome a long time ago, but he didn't have anywhere else to go; this Zone had somehow become his home.

"Yes  sir?" Sonic asked once he had stopped in front of the man. He was an aged lion, with dark eyes and a long, shaggy mane. His fur was a healthy  gold, and Sonic could tell from his hunched form that he had a life left in him, despite his appearance.

"You looked a little lost. Are you alright?" The man's voice was gruff, yet somehow smooth.

"I  was just looking for something to eat…" He felt a little sheepish now that he was staring into the man's eyes, but he could not take back his words and he stared brazenly ahead.

"You  seem to be in need of something else as well…" The lion looked pointedly at the hedgehog's uncovered hands, and Sonic immediately started to feel self conscious, even if only a little bit. "No mobian I've ever come across has been comfortable without gloves, and I've seen  you around quite a bit. Don't you have a pair?"

Sonic  stared down at his hands, realizing for the first time that his fingers  were filthy, the tan skin almost brown with dirt. He clenched his hands  into fists, forcing his eyes away from the thin digits. "Not anymore," he answered truthfully, looking back up at the lion. "My last pair kinda… fell apart."

"Well, then, come with me." The brusque command was punctuated as the old mobian turned and shuffled off down the path. Sonic glanced around, confused, before following at a sedate pace, dodging around people as he went. They walked for a few minutes before the old man entered a small dwelling, holding the door open for the hedgehog. The blue one felt a little apprehensive at entering the stranger's home, but all thought of that left him when the lion barked a quick "Well, hurry up, boy!" at him, and  he darted inside almost too quickly for the man to follow.

He  was directed toward a table and he sat on the edge of the closest chair, watching as his host hustled into a different room. He reappeared  half a minute later, holding out two pairs of gloves for the hedgehog. "Here." He tossed them onto the table and Sonic hesitantly grabbed the one nearest him, running his fingers over the silky fabric.

"But-"

"This isn't a hand out, young hedgehog." The man cut off Sonic's refusal. "I do not work in charity."

"But then what…?"

"Those  were my son's." The lion heaved a sigh, placing himself into a chair with a bit of difficulty. Sonic could practically hear his old joints creak with the strain. "I was saving them for my grandson, but I haven't  seen either of them in twelve years." His tone was heavy, and the words  weighed down onto Sonic, casting dark shadows on his thoughts as he realized what his companion was alluding to.

"You mean…?" the hedgehog trailed off for a second time, unable to put his whirling thoughts into words.

"They  were visiting Mobotropolis when Dr. Robotnik attacked and took it over.  My grandson was only two at the time, and it was nearly impossible for them to escape. My son helped in the resistance and he managed to get word out to me what had happened. I helped him as much as I could, but there wasn't much I could do from the outside." He heaved another sigh, his voice getting quieter the longer he spoke. "He was eventually captured and robotisized. My grandson took up the resistance work, and he kept the correspondence with me going."

Sonic's  eyes were drawn toward the gloves, and he picked up the larger pair, laying his palm against them. They were the perfect size. "I still don't  see what this has to do with me."

"Cyrus  spoke very highly of you in his letters, Sonic Hedgehog." The words came without warning and they thrummed through Sonic like the stroke of dissonance on his guitar. His eyes widened and he jerked to stare at the  lion with an impossibly shocked face. The man chuckled at his expression before continuing. "Even before he knew you were one of the lost heirs of Mobius, he told me of the things you could do – the speeds  you could reach. When I saw you walking in town a few weeks ago, I was struck by how much you reminded me of the hedgehog he talked about. I've  been watching you, and I realized pretty quickly that that hedgehog and  you were the same." He leaned in toward the still flabbergasted blue preteen. "What are you doing so far from home?"

Sonic's expression shut down and he tossed the gloves back onto the table. "Robotnik's gone. They don't need me anymore."

A  bit of shock flickered across the lion's face at the former prince's words, but he quickly schooled his features into a blank mask. "You are next in line to take the throne."

"Not anymore." Sonic crossed his arms. "My sister wanted that more than me anyway."

The man seemed to realize that his argument was lost on deaf ears, so he changed tactics. "They think you're dead."

That stopped Sonic. His mouth snapped closed and his defensive ego deflated a bit. "I figured, but I wasn't sure…"

"Your  funeral is in a few days, on the twenty-third. A bit late, considering how long it's been since both you and Robotnik disappeared." The man shrugged. "Guess they wanted to make sure you were really dead, maybe tried to find a body or your magical necklace. You didn't leave anything  behind though, right?"

Sonic's eyes hardened. "No – maybe a few footprints." Suddenly, something seemed to occur to him. "The twenty-third? That's my – our birthday. I can't believe they would have it then."

"A bit  fitting. A celebratory funeral for a cowardly prince. Cyrus always talked about how quickly you can run. Never mentioned you being so fast to run away though."

Sonic bristled, his quills raising into a defensive position. "I'm not a prince," he bit out, his jaw tight around his words. "Never was, never will be."

"Sure been acting like one, if you ask me. Bumming off the locals for food, lying on the beach, running around the forest."

"Excuse me."  Sonic's voice took on a dark quality and his eyes turned into hard pieces of flint in milliseconds. Suddenly, the person he had turned into  – the calm, relaxed comedian – morphed back into the hedgehog he had left behind – the angry, defensive prince – and he darted to his feet, his fists thick balls at his side and his mouth set in a deep scowl. "For the past six months I've been fighting a war. Forgive me for wanting a few weeks off."

The  old man raised his hands in a placating gesture. "You do not have a purpose," he replied bluntly. "A vacation is warranted, if what Cyrus has told me is true, but it has to end eventually. What will you do when  that time comes?"

Sonic wilted, the fire leaving him in seconds, and he fell back into his seat. "I – I don't know…" he mumbled after a long silence. "I've been waiting for-"

Before  he could finish, the front door of the small house slammed open and a middle aged dog scurried in, wringing her gloved hands. "Apollo!" she called as she caught sight of the lion. "Someone else has gone missing and –" She cut herself off. "Oh, you have company. I'm sorry for barging  in…"

"It's fine, Anne," the newly named  Apollo soothed. "We were just finishing up." He stood and placed his hands onto the back of his chair to stabilize himself. "Take the gloves,  boy." He turned to Sonic, nodding at the pile of white. "Think of them as a thank you from everyone in Mobotropolis." Quickly, he rummaged through a drawer behind him and he threw something else onto the table. "They might be a bit big. Use those straps until you grow into them." Then, he turned and guided the woman from the house, closing the door behind him.

The slam echoed through Sonic's skull, bouncing off his thoughts as they swirled through his head.

o0o

All hell broke loose four days later.

Sonic  was on the beach when it happened, just minding his own business. He had been stewing over Apollo's words for the past few days, steadily getting more and more annoyed with the lion, but he didn't have an answer to the big question. He didn't know what he was going to do with his life. He had expected Robotnik to kick up some kind of fuss eventually – the human had pretty much promised that before running away  from Sonic – but he didn't know how long he was going to have to wait. As far as he knew, it could take years to come up with an evil plan.

Luckily – or unluckily, depending on your point of view – that was the day that robots rained down from the sky.

There  was minimal warning. The sky was overcast, so the shadow of the giant aircraft only appeared when it descended below the cloud line, and at that point, it was too late. Robots of all shapes and sizes dropped from  the sky, landing with sickening clunks all throughout the Zone. They were resilient, staying completely intact when they struck the ground, and they immediately started to terrorize everything in their path. Fliers descended next, equipped with miniature plasma cannons, which they used with gusto. The screams started seconds later, followed by the  sound of running feet and burning fur.

Sonic  had been resting in the sand, half asleep, but the moment the first 'bot landed – right next to his head – he was on his feet, moving so quickly his whole body was a blur of blue light. He backed away from the  small ladybug shaped robot, staring into its blank eyes, trying to gauge what exactly he was up against. The robot was nothing more than a large tire topped with the makings of a metal shell. It was painted red,  with black spots completing the ladybug façade, and had small yellow pincers, which it waved at Sonic menacingly, its inner audio processors letting out a hiss of warning.

The hedgehog could only stare stupidly as it tried to lunge toward him, its tire getting trapped in the sand. He was sure that if it was sentient, the robot's eyes would have widened, but, as it were, it could only sit in the sand, revving over and over again in a feeble attempt to get him.  He blinked slowly before walking up to it and reaching out a hand to poke it.

His gloved finger came into contact with hard metal and the bug's wheel spun harder still, interpreting his gentle prod as an attack. Sonic was rewarded with a spray of sand to the face and he sputtered, falling away from the semi-trapped robot.

"Not cool," he muttered, swiping the back of his hand across his eyes to free them of sand. "Seriously, what gives?" The robot clacked at him, and his ears twitched upwards a bit when the sound of banging seemed to emanate from inside. "What the…" He padded back up to it, and perilously leaned toward it with one ear raised all way the way. The sound came again, this time louder than before and accompanied with the unmistakable sound  of a muffled voice.

Sonic's brow furrowed and he tapped on the metal with his knuckles. He was awarded with a hollow sound and his mind ticked for a few seconds before a crazy  idea occurred to him. Quickly, he ran up the beach for a few meters before turning back around and heading straight toward the robot. He curled into a ball when he was a few feet away and slammed into the hard  shell. It cracked under his sharp quills and he bounced off, flying into the air. He quickly uncurled and kicked his legs out for some drag and landed on his hands and knees, barely winded but a bit dizzy.

The hedgehog twisted around when a loud pop followed by a hydraulic hiss  sounded from behind him, and his eyes widened when he beheld the sight of the slightly smoking robot. A small rabbit was trapped inside, various wires snaking away from its body and into the ruined metallic machine. The wires weren't intravenous, thankfully, though they looked like they were stuck onto the mobian's gray fur with some type of strong  adhesive. The bunny was staring at the hedgehog with huge, unseeing eyes, and Sonic knelt next to the metal death trap. He shoved his gloved  hand into the tangle of wires and wrapped his arms around the rabbit's body, yanking it free with all of his strength. The cables snapped from their holds on the 'bot, remaining steadfastly attached to the long-eared mobian's body.

As soon as the  connection with the robot was severed, the rabbit seemed to come back to himself and he jerked in Sonic's hold. His large feet kicked into the  hedgehog's stomach and the twelve year old instinctually let go to curl  inward, his breath leaving him in a huge huff. The rabbit scurried away, practically falling over himself to get away.

"You're welcome," Sonic wheezed more to himself than the retreating mobian.

When  he recovered, the hedgehog straightened and spied another robot nearby.  This one was fashioned after a wasp, and he didn't get a chance to notice more beyond that, because it suddenly zoomed toward him and launched a plasma ball from a gun shaped after a stinger. He jumped as it exploded at his feet and curled into a ball instinctually. The flared  blue quills on his back plowed into the robot through more luck than design and it went down in a flaming ball, the mobian inside ejected from the sheer force of the metal crippling inward.

Sonic  landed on one knee, his hand fisted into the sand, and he used the planted leg to swing himself around toward the center of town. The bulk of the robots seemed to be condensed there, but a few were escaping into  the forest in pursuit of the fleeing citizens. Suddenly, he felt a great heat flare up in the pit of his stomach, eating away at the calm ball that had settled there over the past few weeks. It licked at his heart, awakening the hardened warrior nerves he had been trying to suppress. Images of Robotropolis – of Argus being robotisized, of Sonia disappearing before his eyes, of Dingo almost grabbing his mother, of Sanctuary and the children that hid there, of Uncle Chuck's robotisized body, of his adopted father telling him run, and don't look back  – flashed before his eyes, and the screams filtering toward him from the Zone's one village blended with the symphony of carnage in his mind and his psyche shifted – his vision tunneling and his ears jerking to full attention.

Suddenly,  he was moving. Sonic's senses sped up, his eyes barely blinking as they  categorized threats and paths of attack, his ears flicking with the most minute of changes as they triangulated the sound of motors and cries of people, his nose picking up the smell of plasma charging and fur burning, his skin dulling out the pain of body slamming a crab-shaped robot and then turning around and kicking another with a leg  that could reach mach 1. The machines crumpled under his well timed attacks, popping open and freeing those trapped inside, but he barely noticed. Everything was a blur, and, soon enough every 'bot was gone, nothing more than shrapnel at his feet.

He  hadn't been in Green Hill Zone for very long, but he felt like he owed these people. They offered him a second chance, unblemished with his title or expectations, and he knew what he needed to do. It hit him with  the force of a ton of bricks, feeding the anger building just under his  skin. It fueled him and he blasted into the forest, his steps ghosting over the foliage and his breath steady and even.

He  went through a loop without thinking. It was natural in that moment, just another part of the path. His inner speedometer sang as he pressed against the sound barrier. Ahead of him, three of the ladybug 'bots rolled toward him, but he simply fell forward into a ball, his momentum carrying toward and through the threat, each and every robot splitting and cracking open. He came back to his feet in-stride and pressed forward again, darting over a bridge with the alacrity of the wind on his heels.

"People of Green Hill Zone, today, June twenty-third, marks the beginning of the future!" an obnoxious voice rang into the clear air, tainting it like the worst smog imaginable. "You  are now a part of the Robotnik Empire! Be happy, your bodies will soon be powering my precious badniks! You will allow me to take over the rest  of this pathetic planet!" The voice cut off its miniature tirade with a loud cackle, and Sonic could imagine its owner throwing his head back in pure glee.

Well, I found Robotnik…  Sonic thought to himself as he bounced off a wasp-bot and used his leftover lift to smash his feet into a spring – not questioning the strange contraption for one second –catapulting himself onto the highest  cliff above him. The sky was clearing up, allowing the beautiful blue of the South Island heavens to filter to life, and Sonic easily saw the dark smudge of Robotnik floating at the edge of the Zone in his Egg-O-Matic.

"Resistance is futile!" The human's voice came again, this time stronger than before. "None of you are a match for my robots!"

"That's  where you're wrong, doc." Sonic mumbled to himself, emphasizing his point when he cracked through two crab-bots without trying. "These things are a piece of cake compared to those huge SWATbots, and I could take those out in my sleep!"

He quickly exploded through the whole Zone, and came upon Robotnik at the fringe of  the forest. Ahead of him, he could see the smoking stack of a volcano and the barest hint of sulfur licked at his nose, teasing him with what was to come.

"Ah, Sonic," Dr. Robotnik's  voice came from everywhere and it did not sound surprised when the hedgehog slammed out of the trees, ripping leaves from the palms with the force of his speed alone. "I see you've crashed my party, though I suppose it's reasonable." Sonic jerked to a stop as the human floated in  front of him. "It is your birthday after all. I even brought you a present!" More laughter accompanied that statement and, despite his attempts not to, Sonic's eyes widened when a large checkered wrecking ball  fell out of the bottom of the doctor's machine, extended by a thick, industrial chain. "Happy thirteenth birthday! I fear it may be your last!"

o0o

*Modulation:*:Requiem*

They don't have a body for the funeral.

They  have scoured the whole blast zone, and have come up naught. Manic himself has been out there, and he has nothing to show for his troubles –  not even Sonic's medallion. It is like his brother has never existed.

Sonia  has been having a tough time with the whole process, so both Manic and Queen Aleena have simply not included her in the preparations. But, even  they cannot protect her from the actual event, and she shuffles her way  into the ceremony space with a blank face. She is clad in a dress so dark, it seems to embody the depths of space. Every step she takes is silent, and one look at her feet reveals that they are bare, her pink toes peeking out from beneath the fabric. Her hair and quills are pulled  back into a ponytail, so tight it seems to pull at the skin of her face.

Manic looks every inch her brother  as he stands next to her. Both of their faces are stony, unexpressive, yet somehow eternally sad. He is dressed in a simple suit jacket. It is hanging open in the front and rumpled a bit, as if he shrugged it on without a care in the world. He is wearing his usual sneakers and his spike cuffs, despite his mother's disapproval at the action, and his medallion is dull in the harsh, artificial lights. Sonia's is nowhere to  be seen, but Manic knows that she is never far from it – it is too painful.

The two royal heirs are complete opposites, in both appearance and mental stability. While Sonia  is very put together visually, her mind is broken. She has no idea how to cope with the loss of her brother, even with her mother and Manic to help hold her up. Her whole life, she has somehow avoided loss and death, despite where she lived. The only close comparison she can make to this situation is when Lady Windemere was kidnapped and robotisized, but, even then, she had her brothers to distract her. It never properly hit her that her adoptive mother was gone, and that kept her strong, provided fortitude that allowed her to fight for her kingdom with everything she had. Now though, there is nothing to distract her. Even with the successful reemergence of her mother as the queen and her future crowning of Crown Princess of Mobius, she cannot break through the fog blocking everything. She can only accept the pain and hurt and try to not let it overrun her.

Manic, on  the other hand, looks messy and unkempt, but he is a wall of reason and  strength. Somehow, with Sonic's passing, he has managed to come into his own. He is the only man of the family now, and he is determined to keep his sister and mother safe and to provide them with what they need and want. He is sure that Sonia would call his thought process boorish and sexist, but he cannot help but believe that Sonic would feel the same way if he were here. The fact that Sonic died doing just that sends  a subdued chill through the green hedgehog's body and he leans into Sonia's side, lending her a bit of support as she offers a condolence-extending noble a small, fake smile, doing her best to seem gracious to their sympathy.

The woman nods in response and moves to take a seat. Manic cannot help but feel slighted for his brother. None of these people knew him; they have no right to be at his funeral. Sonic probably wouldn't have been able to stand any of these people… Rich, stuck up, lazy, and self-righteous, none of them know the meaning of a mobium or hard work. His big brother would have preferred that they have a private ceremony, with only the family, some of his resistance friends, like Cyrus, and maybe Bartleby if he was feeling generous, in attendance. All of these simpering, pretending to be sad nobles are slowly picking at Manic's self control. Every new sweet smelling female that tries to hug him is another chip at  the wall, and each large, male hand that slaps on his shoulder, accompanied by a deep voice telling him he is a good man for being so strong, act as a hammer blow to his restraint.

Sonia  seems to sense his discontent and she shifts a bit so she is leaning back onto him. They hold each other up subtly as another woman tries to engulf them in a hug, and Sonia easily distracts her with small talk. They are the only two left of a long legacy; they are the only two that can tell the real story – Sonic's story. It is the only story that matters, in Manic's opinion, but he knows that that is not true, if only  because of the way that his mother has been going on and on about how they needed to reform political alliances. Of course, she did not come out and say that the funeral was the perfect place to do that – sympathy  could go a long way when dealing with a mother that just lost her child  – but Manic could not help but suspect that it was implied.

He  is being unfair to his mother though. She is just as torn up about Sonic's death as they are. Maybe even more so, if he is completely honest with himself. She never got to truly meet him. Sonia and Manic at  least got a few months to get to know their brother as a person and a hero, but their mother is not so lucky. The only thing that she has is Manic's stories, and he feels as if those are not even half as great as the real thing. It is impossible for him to explain to her the sound of Sonic humming under his breath as he strummed at his guitar, the smell of his breath after he guzzled down a chili dog, the feel of those rock hard muscles – coiled like a spring under his plush, blue fur – when he hugged you, the sound of his voice, or the way that he smiled – something so rare that Sonia had been convinced that it didn't exist. Manic has seen that smile though, and it had been one image that burned itself into his psyche, as if his mind had realized that it was important that he remember his brother happily.

Soon  enough, the line of people in front of the twins dwindles and ends and they are allowed to take their seats. They sit in the front, right across from the empty casket, and Manic glances away when his mother starts to speak, greeting everyone and introducing the man who will lead  the ceremony. She then bequeaths the pulpit to him and pads over to her  two remaining children. She sits down beside Manic and places her arm around both of them, pulling them toward her in a hug. Manic is drawn against her side, sandwiched next to Sonia, and he is suddenly aware of the way the queen's hands are shaking. She heaves a deep breath and her whole body shudders against her son, as if relaxing, and Manic cannot help but feel a bit bad for his earlier criticisms.

Peace  settles over the small family of three, and Sonia worms her hand into Manic's larger palm, gathering strength from her brother's rough gloves.  Manic finally feels safe in that moment. He realizes that he has not felt this way since Sonic departed, but the close proximity with his family – something he never thought he'd have – fortifies his might and security and he starts to think that maybe, just maybe, they will all manage to get through this.

Somehow.

"Happy  birthday, my dears," Aleena whispers under the hum of prayer, and Manic  fells the tension finally go out of his shoulders. This is a new beginning, and he is determined to live as much as he can. For his brother.

o0o

...:Cadenza:…

Sonic  was at an impasse when the factory finally fell. Not literally, of course – there were still newly freed mobians inside, after all – but the whole place was shut down. The six Emeralds in his quills hummed at him as he chased Robotnik to his Egg-O-Matic, urging him to end it,  just solve the problem all together and save Mobius from further strife. But, he couldn't. Despite everything, all of the trouble that Robotnik created for his life in Robotropolis, all of the people he robotisized, the families that Sonic had lost and gained and lost over and over again, Sonic could not do as the gems wished. He didn't owe Robotnik anything, but a small part of him couldn't help but think that the human's plow for power had shaped Sonic's life. He had enabled him to get away from that repressive life of castles, posturing, fancy dinners, and rules. Of course, he had caused suffering for so many others, but Sonic granted the human one last free play.

Sonic  let him go. He watched him float away, in the direction of Westside Island, and he knew that was where he was heading next. The hedgehog would have to follow, if only because he had just created another responsibility for himself. He had deluded himself for far too long that  Robotnik was nothing more than a threat – he was a release, a way for Sonic to justify leaving behind his home and family.

Sonic  could not kill, he knew that. Killing was too easy. It was the quick way out, and he could not have such a cheat on his conscience. Besides, only he would be held responsible, and he was sure that he would be praised if he ever did get the nerve to end Robotnik's life. He could not – would not – be hailed as a hero for taking another's life.

So, he allowed the human to escape, gazed after his retreating form as he floated over the Southside Sea, and he felt good.  It was almost selfish to feel so great, but as he gazed back at the mobians stumbling toward him, some already thanking him for saving their  lives, he felt something click into place. This was what he was meant to do – keep these people safe from threats like Robotnik.

That  was why he let the Emeralds go when he made his way back to Green Hill Zone. Someone else might be in need of them – who was he to keep them from their jobs? They tugged themselves out of his hands and circled above him, creating a cyclone of color and light, and he felt that ball of peace settle back into his belly, finally shoving the anger that had been present for most of his life away; it would never return, not if he  had anything to say about it. The tension that had held his shoulders taught for as long as he could remember finally released and he  smiled, craning his head back to watch as the gems winked out of sight.  He allowed his face to show the wonder he was feeling, and his thoughts  quickly turned to that fabled seventh Emerald – mentioned to him a lifetime ago. He couldn't help but marvel about it, wonder if he would ever see it, and if the others were joining it where ever they were headed.

That Emerald embodied his future. It was all a mystery, but he was excited to see what came about.  He was done living in his past, feeling guilty over his decisions and his failures. He was through with the doubt and indecisive moments where  he just did nothing. He was now a hero – the hero – and he felt like it more in that moment than he did in all of his moments in the resistance in Robotropolis. He was finally, finally, no longer Prince Sonic Hedgehog, lost crown prince of Mobius; he was now fully and completely Sonic the Hedgehog, the hero of Mobius, the one who  could.

And the future?

All he could do was live and run with whatever came at him. After all, that was what he was best at.

Well,  now that we've gotten through Sonic 1, prepare for a deluge of notes about stuff that I don't feel like explaining in-prose. This stuff is important so stop skimming and read it kthx.

As  is painfully obvious, I had a bit of a job shuffling the ages around so  they worked with the messy timeline I set up. The result is that Sonic,  Manic, and Sonia were 12 during the events of Underground, and Sonic is  therefore 13 when the SEGA stuff starts. That means that Tails is five when he meets Sonic, and Knuckles is fourteen. I know that doesn't line up with the head canon for SEGA, but I had to rework it a bit. Hopefully, it won't mess up your inner equilibrium too much.

Sonic, Manic, and Sonia's birthdays are supposed to be on March 4th, but I'm a SEGA nerd and Sonic's birthday will be forever on June 23rd. Deal with it. (Plus, summer birthday. It works better with everything.)

I  spent a good while puzzling over how I wanted to set up the planet for this. You see, my best friend and I have this preconceived version of Mobius that I use for all of my purely gamed based stuff, and it's pretty straight forward (i.e. most of the humans live on a central 'mainland' while most of the Mobians live on large islands), but I had a  heck of a time making it work with Underground and its weird layout. So, I shot all predetermined planet blueprints to hell and moved stuff around. The result is that the place that Aleena ruled is now called 'The Mobian Kingdom' as opposed to Mobius (which is what the whole planet is called), and it spans in a semicircle on the mainland. There are human cities nearby (such as Empire City or Spagonia or Westopolis, or Station Square or what have you), but the Kingdom is pretty isolated and the good ye olde homo sapiens don't want to stick their noses into others' business because they didn't want Eggman to attack them for meddling, but we see how well that worked out. There are still Mobian islands – like South Island, Westside Island, and Cocoa Island – but they're separate from the Kingdom. They're democratic, so they don't want anything to do with Aleena and her set-in ways of the middle ages.

Something  that I've noticed about most of these Underground/SEGA crossovers is that a lot of authors like to choke the story with SEGA characters. Like, I get that Sonic values all of his friends and stuff, but jeeze, he doesn't need them for everything. Having too many characters is a problem that a lot of (beginning) authors have, and I may not be a beginner, but I learn from observation and I'm not going down that road.  Besides, I pride myself on doing things differently, so I'm cutting the  cast down a bunch. I'm trying to keep a nice even ratio between SEGA and Underground. Underground has Aleena, Sonia, and Manic, so SEGA will contribute Sonic (who will always be considered SEGA; I don't care if he  is the show's namesake), Tails, and Knuckles (who was also in Underground until I banished him from it). Amy's not coming in, Cream's not showing up, Rouge is busy stealing stuff, the Babylon Rouges are doing whatever it is they do when Jet's not being all 'I'M THE FASTEST THING ALIVE NOT YOU', the Chaotix are busy playing at being detectives, Silver is in the future, Blaze is in a different dimension, and no one cares where Big is. The only character that MIGHT show up that's not from Team Sonic is Mister Ultimate Moody McEmo Faker (the artificial creation formally known as Shadow) if I can work out a way to shove him in. (Because I pander.)

I probably just alienated a bunch of readers with that paragraph, because you wanted to see Sonic's friends' reactions to him being a prince and stuff, amirite? Well, this story is Sonic's. Not theirs. We are  following him as he evolves to appreciate his past and look towards his  future and all of that inspirational stuff. Tails is in it because his is the only opinion that Sonic honestly cares about (and I'm a Sonic/Tails brotherhood nut), and he plays the role of Mr. Plot Device later on. Knuckles is in it because Knuckles.

Of  course, Eggman's there too, but he's so much of a character that if I included him in the weigh in, he'd tip the scales so much that the world  would explode.

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