FicWad

Sonic brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the light, and he jumped slightly when the spirit touched his shoulder. The oddity of it all didn't occur to Sonic all at once, although he came to appreciate it... he felt something and nothing at the same time, and he wasn't jumping off of anything.

He shivered.

It wasn't from cold. It was from the unnerving feeling he was getting out of simply being in this situation. He had fought many battles... against Robotnik, and against others who felt that they deserved to be rich, putting to use deceit and treachery to greedily suck in what they believed to be their right to have in the first place. He had braved time travel more than once, had gone to a planet smaller than an atom, and had become an infinitely powerful psychotic more times than he cared to even think about.

And still, this was bar none the strangest situation he had ever found himself in.

We have arrived.

Sonic slowly brought his hands away from his eyes and blinked several times, trying to focus. He could make out the strange figure... a smile was flickering across its face. Apparently, it was amused with him. Its cloaked left arm left his shoulder and waved towards the scene in front of them.

It was a barren wasteland.

The sky was dark, a strange greyish-black color, polluted almost beyond belief. Thick black smoke rose in the distance. No trace of blue sky could be seen, and the only sign that there was even a sun in existence was a misted circle tracing its way across the dark clouds. Unnatural lights illuminated various places, each one pouring sickly yellow light upon the ground. There had obviously been vibrant, healthy grass here at some point... but it was all dead now... listless... killed by the unbearable pollution in the air, unable to even stand upright. No flowers, trees, or foliage could be seen.

There were many buildings... houses that had obviously not been lived in for many years. The windows had all been broken, shards lying on the floors inside and hanging from their window panes. There was no sign of life anywhere.

Sonic's eyes went wide. Nothing... nothing at all could have ever prepared him for this. He tried, and failed, to suppress a shudder.

For all the sights he had ever seen, none had unnerved him as much as this.

In a halting, shaking voice, he asked, "Where are we?"

This is the place you know as Green Hill.

His eyes went even wider. This was the Green Hill Zone...?

He didn't want to believe it, but upon closer inspection, he could see that the houses were like the one he had stayed in when he had run away after Kintobor's transformation... with Johnny Lightfoot and his parents... His eyes pricked and he could feel tears building. A few sprung out and dropped down, and he wiped his eyes with the back of his glove. Johnny must be much better off, he stubbornly told himself. Just because it looks like this, he's got to be OK...

The spirit shook its head and smiled sadly. You still believe that... I shall show you soon his life here... but first, we shall go to the base.

"Base?"

The spirit nodded, his dark cloak allowing only his face to show... and even then, it wasn't clear what species he was, if he was a species at all...

Robotnik exists here just as he does in your world. There is a small band of fighters who oppose him, but their circumstances are much different than yours.

They made their way through the zone. Once or twice, Sonic became apprehensive... he was almost positive he saw something or someone move in the shadows...

But, not seeing it again, he dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him.

But Sonic could no longer dismiss it as a figment of his imagination, because something crept out from behind a bush. Sonic launched into a defensive stance, his mind shifting to "battle mode", ready to take on whatever this new threat might be. Whatever it was, its species was unrecognizable from beneath the black cloak it wore. Evidently, it didn't want to be seen. It passed them without so much as a glance. Sonic watched the figure curiously.

We can hear and see people, but not vice versa.

A slight frown passed across Sonic's face, but he nodded.

The spirit gestured, apparently intent on following the figure. They followed it closely for a minute or so... it wasn't moving very quickly. They soon came to an abandoned house, not much different on the outside than any other house they'd seen thus far. Making their way inside, they followed the figure into one of the house's few rooms.

The figure came to a stop just behind a faded rug on the wooden floor. Other furniture, such as a table and chairs, was on the other side of the room. some was upright, while some had been overturned.

Sonic could see his breath come out as a cloudy mist, and he noticed that it was the same with the figure they were following. The spirit, interestingly enough, did not seem to be breathing.

Sonic felt goosebumps rising on his fur. No matter how good his intentions, this... this being, whatever it was, still creeped him out.

Sonic forced his attention back on the olaked figure. A hand came out of the cloak, a white glove covering it. It reached down into a pocket and brought out a small electronic device with several red buttons dotting it. A white-gloved thumb pressed one of them, and then the owner of both the thumb and the device stepped back. The rug, or what seemed to be the rug, began to shift forward, little by little, until a short staircase became visible.

Intrigued, Sonic followed the figure down the stairs, the spirit right behind. They soon came upon what Sonic knew had to be the base.

The room itself was fairly large, about the size of a shop or a small house. The main area, in which Sonic and the spirit now stood, housed a multitude of consoles and general machinery, and branched off into several smaller rooms. A figure sat on a chair beside one of the consoles, his long grey tail hanging over the side. He ran a hand through his hair. The cloaked figure sighed heavily, making its way to the one with the grey tail. The cloaked figure pulled its hood down to around its neck. It was a brown, female hedgehog who possessed many spines... she reminded Sonic of the way he'd looked before the treadmill incident with Kintobor. A few brown bangs hung over her eyes, and those eyes matched the color of her spines.

Sonic and the spirit followed her just a meter or so behind. She approached the chair. The hedgehog placed her hand on the other figure's shoulder. The other figure, which was apparently a fox, startled and whirled about in the chair. He looked to be about ten years older than the hedgehog, and his black tipped ears and shockingly purple hair provided a standing contrast to his otherwise grey fur. His green eyes looked dull and weary.

The girl nodded. "He's being held in one of Robotnik's bases. I found out he's scheduled to be put in a badnik shell tomorrow... we need to get him out before then..."

She closed her eyes, shook her head for a moment, and allowed a shuddering breath to escape her. "We have so few Freedom Fighters as it is... we can't let that happen to him!" She slammed her fist onto the console, fortunately avoiding any of the button. If the hit had hurt her at all, she wasn't showing it. Perhaps her anger at the situation was deterring any pain she might have otherwise felt.

The fox nodded. "I brought up the schematics Tekno sent us. She said that if we need her to, she can create a distraction long enough for us to get inside, rescue him, and hopefully get out again..." He paused. "But we'll need to move fast. With only three of us, it'll prove much harder."

Sonic listened with wide eyes. He'd recognized Tekno's name straight off, and the two figures looked familiar. He turned to the spirit. "Who are they...? I think I know them..."

The spirit glanced at Sonic, offering him only a somber expression. The hedgehog is Amy Rose.

Amy?! Sonic thought, not wanting to believe it at first... but as he looked at her more closely, he did see the resemblance... the same fierce eyes and the bangs hanging over her eyes were the same, but her coloration was all wrong...

Do you remember Amy Rose telling you of the experiment Robotnik created to duplicate the circumstances of your own transformation?

Yes... she had told him. She'd been the only one in her village who'd wanted to sabotage the experiment, so she had gone there alone. But when she'd tried to stop it, he'd thrown her into the path of the explosion caused by the malfunction... the incident had turned her pink and fused her spines, just as it had happened to Sonic, all those years ago.

As if reading Sonic's thoughts, the spirit turned to face the blue hedgehog. Because you did not exist, the experiment never occurred, and therefore Robotnik had no reason to attempt duplication. Thus, Amy Rose did not undergo her transformation.

"She looks so... sad... and determined..." Sonic trailed off for a couple of moments. "She's always so optimistic..."

One of the spirit's cloaked hands gestured back to the Freedom Fighter pair, indicating to Sonic that he should turn his attention back to them. They saw that the FF's were discussing tactics to get their acquaintance out of Robotnik's grasp.

The reason Amy Rose is optimistic in your existence is because she feels she must try and help people. The crush she had on you for so many years helped her to be happy, despite the fact that you did not return her affections. Even after it dissipated, she still feels as though she should try to cheer you up whenever you are sad. Without you, she has no reason to be happy. Because of the circumstances of this world, she had to adapt to the role of a leader, and that has changed her.

Sonic chewed his upper lip. He could never have imagined that Amy could turn out like this... he knew that although her cheerful nature got her into trouble sometimes, but that she could be determined and focused when depended on... but never had he imagined this.

And yet, the thought that things could still be better off without him remained firmly implanted in his mind. It would not let him rest.

"Who is the other one, then?" he asked. Sonic felt a faint prickle of recognition at the fox, but it was at the back of his mind, unable to grasp it.

That is Kharis Starfire. You rescued his younger sister, Aura, from the fire in their home when Robotnik first attacked. The incident took place in what you call the Green Hill Zone.

"Yeah!" Sonic burst out. "I remember..." He looked somber. "I got her out in time... she was scared half to death... but I couldn't get her parents out... then, when I stopped Robotnik, her brother came and took her to stay with him..."

Sonic's regret over the incident became more apparent as hecontinued. "Then, a few years later... those Metallix..." The word was spoken with obvious disgust. "They came and attacked the city that he and she were living in... we didn't hear about it 'til the day after, but it was already too late..."

Kharis had sacrificed himself for his sister by taking a lightning blast from one of the Metallix robots, and Aura had disappeared. The entire world thought she was dead, along with Kharis... only Sonic knew that she was not. He had met her in extremely unusual circumstances before she had been born, and had learned of her ability to traverse dimensions. She had left soon after their meeting, and Sonic did not know if she would come back... or even if she was still alive at all.

But she had not died from the Metallix. That much he knew.

That had been his very first encounter with time travel. It had confused him, since he'd only been six years old at the time.

"But why would Kharis be here now...?"

You were not there to save his sister. She did not survive the fire. Kharis, therefore, did not take her to live with him. He travelled for many years, eventually joining the Freedom Fighters when Robotnik became more ruthless and aggressive than ever before. He is now the oldest of the Freedom Fighters, running the missions alongside Amy Rose. His technical skill has proven useful.

Sonic paused for a moment, something terrible stirring in his mind. "Johnny..." he murmured. "Johnny was there, too... when I rescued Aura..."

The spirit sighed sadly. Johnny Lightfoot attempted to pull Aura out of the house, but he did not have your speed...

Sonic's stomach seemed to fall to the floor, and he clasped his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear anything else.

Johnny Lightfoot did not survive...

Sonic trembled. He had thought if he hadn't existed, Johnny would still be alive... but here, he'd died many years before, and still because of him. But in the world where Sonic did exist, Johnny had at least had more of a life... Maybe... maybe it wasn't my fault...? Sonic wondered.

Inside his mind and soul, a small seed of belief was planted.

- - - - -

Amy and Tekno were ifinitely glad they had donned the warm clothing. The weather back home might have been cold, but here, it made home feel as though they came from equatorial islands. The snow crunched crisply under their booted feet as they walked along the frozen landscape. They marvelled at the tall, maestic mountains, but they kept their focus on the task at hand.

Finding Sonic.

Kintobor was now on the portable computer. His face was spread across the screen, though it remained two dimensional. As they walked, he gave them descriptions of important locations he recalled from that time, such as the large mountain in front of them, tising in the sky, much like the shape of their base back in Emerald Hill. Instead of that base being one or two floor, it was a good five floors, each one with several rooms... a control center resided at the top of that base.

Mostly, they walked in silence, usually exchanging words only for a few moments as they adjusted their direction and confirmed their location. Even then, each word was laced with a considerable degree of concern. Even in the silence, one could feel the tension, broken only by the sound of their chattering teeth. It was bitterly cold, even with the warm clothing... Kintobor found himself infinitely glad he was simply a simulacrum now, recalling the frigidity of the realm. Even now, even so many years after, he could still remember almost every detail.

The cave loomed into sight well over an hour later. By this time, a storm had begun, and sleet and heavy snow pelted down on them. Amy and Tekno ran like mad, making directly for that cave, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when they entered it. They pulled back their hoods and took deep breaths as they recovered from the sprint. Their euphoria, though, soon disappeared as they gazed around and realized there was no sign of Sonic... he hadn't been here, after all...

Amy began to shake slightly, and her head shook from side to side in denial. In a frenzied tone, she wailed, "He... he's not here...!"

This prompted Tekno to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder, trying to calm the pink quilled hedgehog down. "It's OK, Amy. Sonic might be somewhere else... just because he didn't find this cave doesn't mean there isn't another one around here, somewhere..."

Amy sniffed once, then wiped her eyes and nodded. "I guess you're right." She smiled sadly. "I'm just worried... I mean, he was so upset when he left... it kinda knocked me for a loop. He's taking Johnny's death really hard."

Tekno nodded. "Yeah... he didn't tell us what happened before Robotnik, but he did tell us he stayed with Johnny and his parents when Robotnik appeared, and he and Johnny were best friend after all that..." Tekno's hand on Amy's shoulder gave a determined, affectionate squeeze. "You're my best friend, Amy... I know I'd be depressed if something happened to you, so I can imagine, a little bit, what Sonic's feeling..."

A sad smile answered Tekno's efforts to cheer Amy up. They both sat down, and Tekno pulled out a protable heater unit. Tekno activated it, and it began to radiate heat throughout the immediate area, changing the frigid temperature of the cave to something they were more comfortable with. The heater unit was another of Poker Lewis's inventions, powered by the energies emitted by a strange stone discovered from the Lava Reef on Floating Island. The stone had the ability to perpetuate heat without any power requirement, and Porker had incorporated it into this machine.

They now had to wait for the storm to die down before they could continue. Each minute seemed to strecth into an hour, as time has a habit of doing in situations such as this. The wind, however, did gradually die down. Tekno poked her head out the cave entrance for a moment, then came back to Amy, a satisfied smile on her face. "It's OK to go now..."

As they made their way outside, they were met with the dazzling white of fresh snow. There remained only the faintest traces of their footprints left. They turned in the opposite direction and continued their search for Sonic. They found no more caves, but they did find a strange and vaguely disturbing sight.

Along the slope, they saw that strong-looking trees had apparently been knocked over through some misfortune. Some still stood, but those that did were without foliage of any kind. Puzzled, they stopped, gazing around, until Tekno spotted the large mountain a fair distance away. Its jagged top reached up to the sky; it looked like every other mountain they had seen thus far, but it bore one important difference...

The side that now faced them was completely bare. No snow covered it at all.

Tekno turned the visual monitor of the portable computer to face the mountain so that Kintobor could take a look at it. Her suspicions were confirmed when he claimed to recall that mountain... he recalled the extremely distinctive shape, But, she thought, her thoughts turning for the worse, it should have snow...

"Avalanche..." she breathed.

Amy nodded and began glancing around. "Sonic might have been caught in it..." She paused for a moment. "That might explain his communicator..."

She tried not to imagine what could have happened, setting her mind instead on finding any trace that Sonic had been there. Tekno did the same, using the special detector on the portable computer... it supposedly had the ability to detect a trace of someone that had been there recently. But only very recently. Amy emitted a small yelp and waved her hand frantically to Tekno. The green feathered canary quickly rushed over to her friend, and Amy pointed down at the snow, where one faint, but still recognizable print could be seen... in the shape of one of Sonic's sneakers.

There was no trace of the other one, and with that, it seemed rather clear that Sonic had been running, almost definitely from the avalanche.

They continued their now frantic search, and they discovered his other sneaker a short distance away. Their determination increased a hundredfold, and they continued down the slope... the sneakers had been roughly in a straight line, so perhaps he was further down, and had left them behind in his flight... They came to a strange mound of snow. Amy knelt down, and she spotted a small gap in the top, and she thought she could hear something through it.

She jammed her finger into the gap and began to pull away at it, ripping the dome of snow and ice away piece by piece, until she could get both of her hands digging. The wetness of the snow seeped through her gloves and made her hands soggy and frozen, but she ignored it, her determination to find Sonic overriding any concern for herself. Tekno watched on as Amy scooped away more and more of the snow, until a large crag in the ground was revealed.

Amy's eyes went wide and she inhaled sharply, backing away from the crag for a moment. It was large enough for someone of Sonic's size to fall into, and whatever trail Tekno had been seeking evidently stopped there.

And as Tekno glanced down through the hole, her face took the same horrified expression as Amy's. For they could see, down at the bottom, the unconscious form of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Motionless.

- - - - -

The spirit patiently waited, watching as Sonic spied Amy and Kharis plan their strategy for rescuing their acquaintance. Sonic soon discovered that they'd been talking about Tails, although here, he was called by his true name of Miles Prower. He had apparently been performing reconnaissance when he was captured... and from what she'd found out, Tekno told them that he had yet to reveal anything at all, which was good news for Amy and Kharis. The base was all that they had... if they were seen anywhere else, they ran the risk of being spotted and captured.

Sonic frowned. "Miles?"

You gave him his nickname, did you not?

Sonic nodded, then turned back to the scene in front of him. The plan was simple enough: get in, get him, get out. It was much like what he had done on rescue missions to save Mobians from transformation to Badniks.

However, despite the light humor of the simplicity of the plan, there was no humor appreciated here... only a feeling of tension spreading throughout the room. If Sonic had had a knife, he knew almost for a fact that he would have been able to cut through it, so tangible was the sensation.

He got the same unnerving feeling as the spirit tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to face it.

We have seen enough here of those who fight for freedom. Soon, I shall show you those who do not, but first we shall visit those you call Tekno and Tails.

At Sonic's disappointed nod, they disappeared again, leaving Amy and Kharis to plan their mission.

- - - - -

They reappeared in a hallway. Shining metal walls towered on either side of them, and Sonic ran his hand along one. He could tell, just from the feel of it, that it was one of the more durable metals on Mobius, one of the alloys that even he was unable to saw through. Any conventional weaponry of the time was useless against it, and only something akin to a nuclear explosion would be able to take it down.

Several badniks passed them as they walked. Sonic could not hear his shoes tapping, and the spirit simply floated along. Although he recognized some of the Badniks, many were new to him. He knew that each one contained an innocent Mobian, and he found himself wishing that he was real so he could break them free.

You cannot. We are merely here to observe and learn.

Sonic growled a deep growl as he continued to pace through the hall. His depression was now being overcome by another emotion... Anger.

How could this world have come to be? he asked himself. Could all this really have happened without me?

He knew he was a hero, seemingly always rescuing people and helping the planet... but for the first time he could see how important being a hero was. How his life could affect other people. The seed sprouted, and the sprout grew.

They came to a small room. Sonic immediately recognized Tekno; she sat working at a computer terminal, her green hair hanging down over her eyes. She wore a plain black outfit, a strang bracelet on her arm. Her fingers flew over the keys, and for a moment, she paused, taking a drink from the glass on her desk. She resumed her furious typing a moment later.

Sonic peered at the screen, watching the text come out as Tekno typed. Most of it was garbled nonsense to him, but a few names caught his eye... some were Badnik names, some were Freedom Fighter names, and the rest was technical jargon, something Sonic had always left to Tekno and Porker. Tekno herself looked less drained than Kharis had, yet still tired... but she typed as fast as he had ever seen her do it.

"What's she doing?" sonic asked, turning to the spirit.

Tekno Canary works for Robotnik. She designs weapons for him, and she is very good at her work

Sonic blanched... Tekno working for Robotnik...? It didn't make sense... but then, there was what he'd heard from Amy and Kharis...

The spirit had anticipated his question. She, like many others, serves Robotnik. Many do so simply because they do not wish to be Badniks, which now comprise over a third of the population. some do it because their families are threatened, but she is one of few who do so to sabotage. Tekno works on these weapons so that she may provide information to Amy and the remaining Freedom Fighters... she has proven an extremely useful double agent. She feels guilty because she must hide her tracks carefully, so as not to attract Robotnik's attention.

"Poor kid," Sonic muttered, a sad expression crossing his face.

She is only a few years younger than yourself, the spirit reminded him.

Sonic smirked slightly, and it developed into a sad smile. "Yeah... but really, we're all kids... we shouldn't be doing this... so many lives have been ruined..."

Many more are ruined here. Your Robotnik is not nearly as cruel as his counterpart here. As Kintobor, he had your kindness and innocence to rely upon, which in turn, carried over to his tranformation, though he does not remember. The Kintobor of this world had no such reliant soul. He felt an outcast even when he worked with others. He became more lonely as the years passed, devoting all his time to his experiment with the emeralds.

Sonic's head hung low. He was ashamed. "I... I never knew... I was this important..."

Your life touched many people, young hero, as you have seen... those connected to you were all affected. Even those who were not connected to you personally, but knew of you as a hero, felt hope because you helped them.

The scene changed again. Now they were in some sort of cell. And hunched over in the corner was Tails.

He wore a long brown jacket, and his two tails were curled around him protectively. He was curled into a fetal position, his knees to his chest and his arms wrapping around them. Tear stains trailed down his cheeks and his eyes were red. Several marks on his fur showed he had obviously been dragged to this cell unwittingly... none were bleeding, but the skin had been scraped away.

Miles Prower is also a Freedom Fighter. His ability to fly has been of great asset, but he is still young. His innocence has been replaced by fierce determination. He does not cry for himself, but for his friends. They are all he has in this world.

But Sonic couldn't see any determined about the boy he saw now. What he saw was the young child he'd met all those years ago, scared and shunned, teased mercilessly for the fact that he was a fox that possessed two tails. With Sonic, he had learned that it wasn't a curse, but a gift... and because he, like Sonic, had no real family, they had become good friends. Just as Johnny had been.

Physically, he looked the same age as he was in Sonic's world, but now, he seemed to be years younger. He was obsiously scared, almost to the point of shock... Sonic wanted to comfort him, but he could not. All he could do was walk up to him and whisper in his ear, "It'll be OK, kiddo..."

Tails twitched. He could have sworn someone had spoken to him, but the room was empty...He felt a little better, now, nonetheless.

Sonic spotted the reaction, and he was somewhat startled. He turned to the spirit. "He heard me?"

He did not hear your words, but he felt the emotion you placed in them.

Sonic nodded silently "Will Tails be OK?"

I cannot tell the future. I can only show you what is now. I would be relutant to show you even if I were able, for knowing your future is a dangerous thing.

"It's not my future..."

If you decide against your wish, this will never come to pass. Think carefully.

Sonic said nothing. Within his mind, the small sprout of belief metaphorically grew even more.

The spirit waved a hand and the scene disappeared, as had all the others. It was replaced by a control room with a huge bank of compters at the forward center. There was a figure sitting at that bank of computers, and it was obviously Robotnik. But instead of wearing the red and black clothing Sonic had known him for, he was wearing something different... it was similar, but definitely not what he had in Sonic's world. He was also thinner, but he still possessed the long moustache and bald head, two features that would forever remain in Sonic's memory.

Someone walked into the room, and Sonic turned to see who it was. To his shock, it was Knuckles.

The red, dreadlock-laden echidna was holding a stack of paper in his arms, his footsteps echoing across the room as he made his way to Robotnik. He silently passed the human the stack of papers. Knuckles's appearance seemed to be unchanged, the same crescent-shaped mark underneath his neck still there. Even his expression was familiar. His eyes were narrowed as he watched Robotnik shift through the papers.

"Badnik control has gone down... why?"

Knuckles gulped. "Well, sir... we have had several setback caused by the Freedom Fighters..." He looked more nervous now, pausing for more than a moment. Robotnik said nothing, and Knuckles continued, his words rushing out in a frenzy. "They sabotaged the backup Badnik plant a week ago and we're still working to get it back online..."

"And?"

The tone was menacing, as with the Robotnik of Sonic's world. Still, there was something different about it... darker, more sinister... whatever it was, it caused a shudder to pound through Knuckles's body, and Sonic found himself doing the same.

"We... we have Miles Prower scheduled for Badnik conversion tomorrow, sir... that will be one less Freedom Fighter to worry about."

Robotnik's bald head bobbed. "Good... we have already converted five Freedom Fighters to Badniks... unfortunately, none of them told us any useful information... determined pests," he spat. "Put triple guard on the brat's cell. I don't want his friends coming in to get him."

Knuckles bowed, then left the room. Robotnik tapped a few keys on his console and a screen came up. On it was Tekno, working at her station. He grinned, an evil glint in his eye.

"I've had my eye on you for a while, my dear," he purred. "You honestly thought I did not realize you were a double agent..."

He heaved himself out of the chair, bringing his hands behind his back as he paced the room. "Prower shall have a companion tomorrow morning."

Sonic whirled around. "He knows!"

The spirit nodded We can do nothing to help her.

"What about Knuckles?" Sonic implored. "I mean... he ain't exactly friendly a lot of the time... but still, he was on our side..."

Robotnik tricked Knuckles into helping him when he discovered Floating Island. Since you were not there to stop him, he willingly served Robotnik. He believes in Robotnik's cause. He has doubts at times, but he still serves. Robotnik threatened him with destruction of the island he has sworn to protect to gain his loyalty.

"If Knuckles is with him, doesn't Robotnik know about the emeralds?"

Yes. But he does not use them. Knuckles's loyalty to the emerald and the island is stronger than that to Robotnik. He did allow Robotnik to use them, but because he did not reveal the grey emerald, Robotnik could not control their power. He believes the emeralds to be a power source too dangerous to control, even for his considerable power.

They vanished again, leaving Robotnik to his planning, scheming, plotting, and unforgettable maniacal laughter.

They reappeared in some sort of factory. Sonic was shocked to see Mobians working on conveyor belts... from the appearance of the parts on the belts, it was clear that this was a Badnik plant. These people were making the very shells which would contain others of their kind. Each worker had a downcast expression, their eyes and minds only on their work. No one talked, and the pace never changed.

These are who work for Robotnik, rather than be confined to a Badnik shell. They do not wish to do this, but they have been given little choice. As Badniks, they would cause destruction and chaos... but here, although they build the shells, they are at least minimally safe from that fate.

"This world is really messed up," Sonic muttered. He shook his head, not wanting to believe. "I can't believe my existence was important... but... I guess it was..."

I will allow you to make your wish soon, but first, we shall see the events of tomorrow morning.

"I thought you said seeing the future was dangerous."

The spirit chuckled. I did, but in this case, I believe that seeing this will help you to understand more fully.

The spirit waved his hand through the air, and the scene around them, like all others, faded away in a tangle of mist. A slight dizzying feeling rolled around in Sonic's head, and his stomach flipped, but he put it down to moving forward through time.

-----

They reappeared in Tails's cell. Alarms were wailing in the air, and the guards outside could be heard rushing away, leaving the cell unguarded. Sonic turned to the door and heard something... almost like a clicking or scraping sound... and a second later, it swung open.

Tails jumped up, a hopeful look on his face. His friends had come to save him--!

Knuckles walked through.

Sonic turned to the spirit. "He's going to take Tails, isn't he?"

Watch.

Sonic turned his attention back to Tails and Knuckles. The twin-tailed fox now had a dejected look on his face. He knew of Knuckles's allegiance, and he growled softly. "Come to take me away, have you, Red?"

"Shut up!" Knuckles whispered. Sonic stared in surprise as he watched Knuckles take a key to Tails's chains. "Your friends have been captured. Robotnik found out about Tekno being a double agent for the Freedom Fighters. She's going to be changed into a Badnik too if we don't free them!" He placed an imploring hand on Tails's shoulder.

"Why do you care?!" Tails spat, slapping Knuckles's hand away. "You work for Robotnik... you were probably the one that told him about Tekno!"

Knuckles's head hung low. "I didn't tell him about Tekno. He found out himself. I didn't want to work for him, but he deceived me... by the time I knew what he was really up to, he had the resources to destroy Floating Island and threatened to do it... I was sworn to protect it..."

Tails sighed an impatient sigh out his nose. He didn't know how he could trust this creature. "So... does this mean you're on our side now?"

Knuckles allowed a small smile, his eyes glinting. "Not quite. I've been on 'your side' for a while. I guess... I'm kinda like Tekno. I get to work a lot of projects for the big guy and I carefully make sure something goes wrong with them... something that looks like an accident."

Tails allowed himself a mirror image of Knuckles's smile... but only for a moment. His expression changed to one of suspicion. "How can I trust you?"

Knucles nodded, keeping a somber expression. "I know you don't want to trust me fully... I mean, I have been on the wrong side... but I want to help you and your friends. Tekno knows about me wanting to help, but only by a code name. She does get to work on some stuff, so she can send info to you guys, but I supply her with quite a bit as well... she's the only one who knows my code name, so she can verify it."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Is he really good, though?"

The spirit said nothing. He simply pointed at the scene before them.

"What about Floating Island? Robotnik said he'd destroy it," said Tails, as they raced out of the room and down the corridor. Sonic and the spirit had no trouble following.

"I can use the emeralds as a cloaking device, so that Robotnik won't be able to find it." Knuckles breathed heavily as he ran.

Tails winced as the scrapes under his fur made themselves known, but he didn't say anything. "Where are they?"

"In the main Badnik plant. Robotnik's going to covert them in less than five minutes." They kept running, leaving the stockade behind. They headed for the biggest building in the area... it was rectangular, no windows, and only a pair of smokestacks at the top, belching out thick black smoke, to signify that anything remotely productive was happening within. They bypassed the main door and instead went around to the conveniently located rear door. Knuckles slowly shoved it open, and he and Tails slipped inside.

Upon their entrance, they were met with a ladder. They quickly climbed it and soon found themselves on a walkway. Below them was a group of Badniks, holding Amy, Kharis, and Tekno within their firm grips. Robotnik stood in front of them, an evil look on his face. Tails's fur bristled and he prepared to launch himself towards the menace... but something grabbed him by the arms.

He twisted around, about to ask Knuckles why they should stop now... but instead, he saw a Badnik.

"Knuckles...?" he whispered.

The echidna was standing next to the Badnik, and the smile on his face gave Sonic no doubt of his true intentions. "You really feel for it. I should have been an actor." He turned to the Badnik. "Take the brat down to Robotnik. He'll be pleased to know the plan went so well."

"No!" Tails cried out. His exclamation attracted the attention of those below, and he slammed his feet into the Badnik holding him. The Badnik stumbled back and released Tails for a moment. Tails didn't waste the opportunity. He jumped over the railing and spun his tails furiously. He arced downward and bashed into the Badniks holding his friends as hard as he possibly could. The Badniks lost their balance and went down, and the three other Freedom Fighters freed themselves from their grasping metal hands.

Sonic chuckled nervously as he noticed something... Robotnik's Badniks seemed to be as inept here as they were in his own world. One of them had foolishly kept Amy's crossbow nearby. Amy also noticed this and didn't waste the moment... she picked it up and immediately began to fire while Kharis picked up a piece of Badnik weaponry from one of the conveyors.

Tekno and Tails took to the air and disposed of the airborne Badniks, tricking them into flying into walls or other surfaces. As each one was destroyed, another Mobian fell out. The four of them quickly found themselves on the reatreat, however, as Robotnik's reinforcements arrived. A shot impacted Kharis's shoulder, and he dropped his weapon, grunting in pain. Amy jumped in front of him and used herself as his shield and sword, but only for a few moments... she motioned to him and the others to run. They sprinted out of the complex. Several of the freed Mobians were recaptured as they attempted to retreat as well... by the time the Freedom Fighters' trail had been lost, there were only two freed Mobians left.

Sonic and the spirit watched all of this. The former did so in shocked silence. It was all so very different here... Robotnik was nowhere near as cruel, and they did not have to hide anymore. Most of the planet was free.

The scene dissipated and Sonic found himself back in the strange void, where his journey had begun. The spirit was still there.

"Will they be OK?"

Those who escaped will continue their fight... with no sign of their plight ever ending.

Sonic fell silent. What he had seen shocked him to the very core of his being. He could never have imagined all this happening simply because he did not exist... life could have been like this. The Freedom Fighters still underground, Johnny still dead, but with a meaningless death... and a more sadistic, more destructive Robotnik. Once, in Sonic's world, they had even worked together... but here, the only way he could see such happening was if he were evil himself.

He turned to the spirit.

Have you made your decision?

Sonic nodded. "I want to live."

The spirit nodded. I had hoped as such. You have seen what would happen without you. Remember, it is not just your actions, but the actions of those around you. Do not let yourself think, even as you have seen, that the fate of your entire world rests on your shoulders. You are a hero... but you are also mortal.

Sonic nodded gravely, and he fingered the pendant around his neck. "I'll try and remember that, pal. Thanks."

I will assist you with your journey back to your body, to connect the mind and soul... which now seem to be healing. The seed of belief within you has now grown to its fuller extent.

A feeling of pins and needles washed over Sonic, and he took a deep breath. "Will I see you again?"

Perhaps.

And then, he could see nothing. He became consumed by darkness, punctuated by sparkling lights. One seemed to sparkle more brightly than the rest, and he reached towards it. It seemed to fly out of his reach, but he kept going after it... he felt the strange sensation of the spirit's hand on his, helping him to reach what he sought.

His fingers clasped around the star... he felt the light encompass him... and then he felt nothing.

-----

Amy Rose sat huddled in a chair, holding a cup between her palms. It had long since gone cold, just as Sonic's hands had been when they had found him. His fur seemed to have gone more blue that it had already been. There had been dried blood on his head, and of course, the cuts, bruises, and scrapes all over his body. He'd been cold to the touch, and they had hurriedly wrapped a blanket around him. They hadn't known exactly what to do with him, and it would have been much harder to get him out of the hole if Tails had not turned up at that moment. With Tekno's assistance, he'd carefully pulled Sonic out of the hole, subsequently pulling Amy out, as well.

Then they'd rushed him to the nearest city. The doctors had carefully settled him onto a gurney and rushed him away. Those waiting there had all looked on with concern, some clamoring around the trio. Tekno, Amy, and Tails had all been cold, tired, upset, and had been becoming very irritable. A nurse had seen this and showed them to a room where they could be alone.

And now they sat in silence, waiting to see if Sonic was OK.

The cup in Amy's hands shook as she trembled, some of the cold liquid splashing onto her coat. She didn't notice. Tekno was seated next to her and Tails was pacing about the room. He was too anxious to stay still. The only sounds were of their breathing and Tails's sneakers scraping across the linoleum.

"He was so still..." Amy breathed, breaking the tense silence. She raised the cup to her lips, and winced at the cold temperature. She placed it on the table and tried to settle back into her chair. She leaned backwards and stared up at the ceiling. She began to count the tiles, trying to find something -- anything -- to keep herself distracted.

"He'll be OK!" Tails stubbornly declared. He didn't stop pacing, but instead flung his arms wide for emphasis. "Sonic's always OK!"

Tekno began to interject, but as she opened her mouth, the door creaked open and a doctor bearing a clipboard walked in. He was a fox, with dark brown fur and a fringe just above his eyes. He took in the trio with a glance... they were obviously very worried for their friend, as had been those patients and visitors who had noticed their arrival. He understood their concern.

He coughed slightly to get their full attention, and when he had it, he smiled.

"He's OK?" Amy ventured, hope shining in her eyes.

The doctor nodded. "Your friend will be fine. He wasn't in the cold long enough for any permanent damage, though he will still feel cold for quite a while. His injuries are not that serious, either, although we'll be keeping him tonight for observation. That knock on the head caused a slight concussion." He flipped through the notes on his clipboard as he spoke. "The leg is just bruised, not broken... but I'll advise him to stay off it for a few days, although I suspect he will want to be up and about as soon as possible... that will be fine, for the most part, but absolutely no running until it's healed."

Amy smiled at Tekno.

"The arm, however," the doctor continued, "is fractured... not enough to warrant a full cast, but it is bandaged and will need to be in a sling for at least two weeks. After that, it should be okay for him to remove it. His cuts and scrapes are cleaned up... that's the extent of his injuries."

Can we see him?" Amy asked loudly, interrupting whatever the doctor had planned to say next.

The doctor chuckled. "You may. He woke up a few minutes ago... remarkable constitution, I must say... however, he is groggy. Your visit must be short. We want him to rest."

"Thank you."

"If you hadn't gotten there as soon as you did, it could have been much worse. We could have been looking at pneumonia and/or hypothermia. You should thank yourselves."

They made their way out of the room and followed the doctor down a veritable maze of corridors, most of which did not have anyone in them. The doctor finally stopped outside one particular door, then turned to the trio and waved his arm at them, signalling that it was okay to come in. After a brief discussion about who should go in first, they chose Amy... Tail and Tekno waited outside and decided to contact Porker on Floating Island, since he would also be concerned. The group dissipated and the doctor continued down the corridor, chuckling to himself. It was the first time he could recall seeing a hero in his hospital.

-----

"Sonic...?"

Amy looked down at the blue-quilled hero lying in the bed. His eyes were half-open, and he smiled up at her. He was pale and had a large bandage wrapped around his head, but he looked far more cheerful than the last time she had seen him conscious.

"Hey, Amy..." He sighed for a moment. "Look... I'm sorry for the way I acted before... I was too busy blaming myself for Johnny's death... I didn't stop to think that it wasn't my fault..."

"You? Think?" Amy revealed an expression of mocking surprise. The tension of the last few days seemed to evaporate in that instant. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Yeah," Sonic chuckled. "I guess I deserved that... how did you find me?"

Amy paused, unsure of what to say. "Well..." She took a deep breath. "Kintobor told us... about what happened before Robotnik... how you felt you were responsible... that you thought we'd hate you because you felt you were to blame for Robotnik..." Her eyes shone down on him. "But you weren't responsible, Sonic... you should have told us."

Sonic expression became more somber. "I... I was afraid... there were lots of times when I wanted to tell you. I could just never get myself to do it..." He reached up and ruffled Amy's bangs. "I didn't want to worry you."

Amy smiled, then leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. Sonic flushed and remarked, "Guess I can't stop you... for now, anyway." A smile answered him.

"Yep!" Her expression turned more serious again. "Are you OK now...? I mean, you seem happy now, but you looked so sad when you left..."

Sonic seemed to space out for a moment, his eyes becoming distant... he broke out of it after a moment. "I had... a weird dream when I was in that hole," he said.

"Dream?" Her tone was one of confusion. "What kind of dream?"

Sonic yawned and seemed to relax, settling more comfortably into his bed. "A... really strange one..."

Amy pulled the covers over him, thinking how small and innocent he seemed at that moment.

He yawned again, relaxing even more.

"I guess..." He smiled, eyes almost closed. "I found out it wasn't my fault..."

"Johnny's death?" Amy queried.

Sonic nodded, his eyes closing fully. Soon, he seemed to be in a restful sleep... possibly one of the best he'd had in a long time. Amy watched him for a few more minutes, then walked over to the door and opened it carefully. She stole one last glance at him before stepping out and quietly closing it. She made her way to her friends.

-----

Epilogue



"Hi, Johnny."

Sonic stood in front of the large stone that marked the grave of his friend. A slight wind ruffled his spines, but he ignored the cold. It had been several days since he'd left the hospital. He'd wanted to make this trip the day he'd left, but Amy and the others hadn't let him. They had only now relented, but the stipulation of walking was still in effect. His leg was still feeling sore, and the cast was still on his arm. It would be a good two weeks before he'd be free to begin the fight again. Robotnik had made no new moves as of yet, but there were suspicions that he was building a fortress somewhere.

It wouldn't be long before Robotnik would be back, and Sonic was determined to stop him. He had high hopes that someday, they migt be able to reverse the transformation... that Kintobor could be flesh and blood once again, and the threat would be gone. Of course, others would try to take his place... but Sonic was confident.

Standing here, it felt almost as if Johnny was here with him, smiling the same way he always had... the same friend who had helped him defeat Robotnik the first time, and many times afterward. The same friend who had, when Sonic had been consumed by fear of Chaos, had gathered the strength he'd wielded, like the staff he'd fought with, and had done what Sonic was unable to do.

But when he managed to connect the cable of the machine, the creature had seen him and...

Sonic paused. He didn't want to think about that anymore. He knew Johnny would not want him to dwell on the past, but to look forward to the future. Sonic now understood what everyone had told him. It wasn't his fault.

He felt something brush past him. He turned.

There was nothing there.

"Thanks for all your help, buddy." He smiled, placing a bouquet of flowers Amy had given him in front of the tombstone. "I know you wouldn't want me to blame myself. I understand now that it wasn't my fault... thanks to that strange spirit..." He clenched the fist on his good arm, and his tone became defiant. "We'll stop Robotnik. What you did for us won't be forgotten... I know it might sound weird, but I think you're up there... watching me... right?"

The same feeling seemed to brush by him again. He smiled.

"Sayonara, Johnny Lightfoot."

-----

He'll be fine now, right?

He understands now that you do not blame him for the events that occurred then. He simply needed the lesson so his mind could hear what his heart was saying.

I feel kinda sorry for Sonic. I would never have blamed him for it. He saved so many from Chaos.

He is healing now. There will be more obstacles, as with any other life... but he has friends who believe in him to overcome them.

The two cloaked spirits disappeared. If anyone had seen them, they would have sworn to their dying day that one had long, grey ears.

-----

Sonic paused for a second. His ear twitched. He could have sworn he heard something... something that reminded him, vaguely, of the strange voice the spirit has used.

But there had been something else... something he couldn't quite place.

A small smile touched his lips. Friends to the end, Johnny. You lived up to that promise. Now you're going beyond. Just like you always did.

He looked at the cemetery gate. His friends were waiting there for him... and with them, the next adventure.

His smile grew as he left Johnny's grave, and with it his guilt, behind.