(This story takes place shortly after Sonic Heroes, and bridges the gap between it and Shadow the Hedgehog. It also makes references to Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis), Sonic CD, Sonic R, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Battle, Sonic Heroes, and the Archie comic series. Contains several suggestive themes and mild to moderately severe fantasy violence, and may be slightly canonically inaccurate on the comic series’ behalf. Disclaimer: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Amy, Cream, Cheese, Chocola, Vanilla, Big, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Metal Sonic, Metal Knuckles, Dr. Eggman, Tikal, Chaos, and Maria and Gerald Robotnik are © SEGA and Sonic Team. Hope Kintobor is © Archie Comics. All other characters, named or otherwise, as well as this story, are (c) Kazaki the Hedgehog, a.k.a. The Joiner of Sonic Fans!)


                                            Chapter 1- The Beginning


Sonic had nothing better to do today.

He had just defeated Dr. Robotnik and Metal Sonic a couple of weeks ago, and they were nowhere to be found. Surely Egghead could build something faster? Then maybe I wouldn’t be so bored, Sonic thought to himself. Tails went off to his laboratory in the Mystic Ruins, and Knuckles went back to Angel Island to guard the Master Emerald. Amy’s probably looking for me, but that’s about as fun as a sack of bricks. Cream and Big are off somewhere, playing with Cheese and his brother, Chocola. Shadow’s gone as usual (most likely with Rouge and Omega), the Chaotix went back to their HQ, and there’s no one around here to do anything with. He figured the least he could do was get something to eat. He hadn’t really eaten anything satisfying since he took on the Egg Fleet with his friends, and looking for food in the Mystic Mansion wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Sonic walked over to a hot dog stand in the heart of his home away from home, Station Square. There was nothing he loved more (except maybe traveling at the speed of sound to wherever he pleased, or foiling one of Robotnik’s grand schemes) than a fresh chilidog in Speed Highway. As he walked up to the stand, the vendor behind it greeted him with a friendly “Morning, Sonic.”

“Hey there,” Sonic replied casually. “Got any chilidogs?”

“Sure do.” The vendor got to work immediately. “Hey, you know, you were on the newspaper again today. Here’s my copy.” He tossed it towards Sonic, who caught it with one hand and began to read a random line in the article.

“’Dr. Eggman’s threat of world domination was once again stopped cold by the heroic Sonic the Hedgehog. A ceremony will be held for him and his friends at City Hall.’” Sonic couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of embarrassment at these words.

“You know, I’m grateful for the things you’ve done in this town. If not for you, we might all be slaves of that Eggman person,” the vendor said, finishing the first chilidog as Sonic closed the newspaper and placed it on the counter.

“Eh, it’s nothing. Eggman and I go way back. So far back, it’s insane,” Sonic said. “It’s really a repeat process. So, how much do I owe you?” For he saw that the second chilidog was finished as well and ready to be eaten.

“Not a cent. After saving the world twice, and Station Square three times, you deserve all the chilidogs in the world!”

“Cool.” Sonic took his chilidogs and took a huge bite out of one of them. I wonder where Eggman is hiding now, Sonic asked himself. The very thought of it made him want to pursue Robotnik, even though he had no idea of where to begin to look. An instant later, Sonic sped off to parts unknown, blazing a trail of dust in his wake. “See ya!”

No sooner had Sonic left Speed Highway than a large lightning bolt dropped out of the cloudless sky.

“What the-“

ZAP.


That afternoon, in the Mystic Ruins, an 8-year-old yellow-orange two-tailed fox by the name of Miles Prower (better known by his nickname, “Tails”) was hard at work making yet another invention in his laboratory. His azure eyes quickly scanned the workplace for the tool he needed next. By his side was a pink hedgehog with grass green eyes, sporting a red dress, red boots, a red headband and gold bangles on her wrist, known as Amy Rose.

“What is that you’re working on?” Amy asked curiously.

“It’s a little something I like to call the Chaos Jetpack. It allows the user to harness the power of Chaos, allowing for Chaos Control, like Sonic or Shadow would.” He effortlessly snatched up his next instrument and continued working.

“Does it need a Chaos Emerald as well?”

“Yeah.” Tails went over to his well-known biplane, the Tornado II, and pulled a Chaos Emerald out of its storage compartment. “This one I made, as a matter of fact.”

“I like that shade of pink,” Amy complemented. “I had no idea you were into pink, Tails,” she added teasingly.

“I’m not, because this isn’t for me.”

Amy got the picture then and there. “You mean... it’s for me?” she squealed.

“I made it behind Sonic‘s back. Don’t tell him where you got this, OK?”

“You got it! You’re the best!” Amy shouted joyously as she pulled Tails into a powerful hug that knocked the wind out of him.

“Agh... Can’t breathe...”

“Oh, sorry.” Amy released her mighty grip on the fox and started to put the Jetpack on. “Look out, Sonic! You can’t escape from me this time!”

“Hang on! Don’t use it yet!” Tails warned.

“Huh? Why not?” Amy complained.

“I haven’t worked out all the bugs in the system yet. At this stage, it could be potentially dangerous to use. I’ll tell you when I’ve done that.”

Amy took the Jetpack off and placed it on a bench near them, looking ecstatic despite the wait.

Just then, a loud slurping noise was heard, like something out of a toilet.
“Huh?” they said in unison.

The garage door busted open and fell into the abyss of a vortex that looked like it was about to swallow the lab whole. Tails and Amy both started to get sucked in.

“What is this?!” Amy cried out.

“Hold on!” Tails yelled, as he grabbed the desk he was working on with one hand, and the back of Amy’s dress with the other. However, it was no use. The vortex seemed to become stronger with each passing moment, and Tails’ grip on the desk began to falter. Eventually his arm gave out, and both were swept into the vortex as if they were dust bunnies.


Knuckles sighed as the day wore on. As a Guardian of the Master Emerald, things tended to get boring extremely quickly. He was to guard it- endlessly, perhaps. Nevertheless, to him, duty came first, before anything. He laid down, crossed his arms, put on his sunglasses, and got ready for the final leg of the long day ahead of him. The Chaos Emeralds- red, blue, yellow, green, silver, turquoise, and purple- lay next to him. He had been entrusted with them by Sonic, who had been chased off the scene by Amy.

“Back to work,” he said, and everything seemed right with Angel Island, his home. However, when everything seems right, that’s when something bad happens. Moreover, this “something” happened to be in the form of a bat familiar to him. This wasn’t just any bat, either. This was the world-famous treasure huntress and government agent, Rouge the Bat.

If Rouge were known for any two things, it would be her reconnaissance/thievery skills, and her work as a seductress. Her ability to combine them made her just about the best of the best. She also had a passion for jewels, gems, and the like.

As she closed in on the Master Emerald Shrine, she noticed Knuckles’ head lying on the Emerald. This won’t be as easy as expected, she thought. But then again, when hasn’t he been tricked? I bet this’ll be a snap. She landed inches from the steps of the shrine. This is where it got tricky. If she made any noise whatsoever from this point on, she would wake Knuckles, and there would be trouble. She took off silently and landed next to the Master Emerald in the same fashion. Now remained the arduous task of absconding with it.

She made her decision. In one fluid motion, she kicked the massive Emerald out of the shrine. As she dashed to catch it before it landed, she woke up Knuckles, who banged his head on the stone surface.

“Who...?” He then spotted the trademark pink heart-shaped top. The black tights. The white boots with pink hearts at the bottom. The perfect figure of-

“Rouge! Not you again!” Knuckles sprinted out of the side of the shrine and made a leap for Rouge. She took off, but a split-second too late- Knuckles had grabbed her foot at the last second. “Let go of the Master Emerald!” he shouted.

Even though she had been caught red-handed, Rouge had no problem keeping her cool. Looking over her shoulder, she shot back in her deep, sexy voice, “No way, hon. You need a life way too badly for me to give it back.”

“WHAT WAS THAT?” Knuckles fumed, starting to climb her leg in order to pry the Master Emerald from her. Rouge simply flew in circles, twisting and reversing direction, hoping to throw off his equilibrium and get him to lose his grip. “Had enough?” she asked. “Or would you like to lose your lunch as well?” She winked at him, to add insult to injury. The way she saw it, Knuckles was playing his role perfectly. Knuckles, however, would have none of it.

“I don’t want to hit you, but boy, are you pushing it! This is not the day to mess with me!”

“What makes you think you can? Don’t make me laugh.”

That did it.

“THAT’S IT!” Knuckles wound up for a punch, but as he did, Rouge countered with a sharp dive, breaking Knuckles’ grip and pulling away. She stopped as Knuckles fell uncontrollably.

“Thanks for the treasure,” she said softly, and blew him a kiss before flying away.

Alternatively, rather, she would’ve flown away, had everything in the area, including them, not frozen in time. The area had grown dead silent. Rouge felt as if an anvil were pressed onto her, depriving her of air. She wasn’t sure how much she could take. She tried moving out of the area. She could not. Her body was stuck in place. She tried calling out to Knuckles. She couldn’t speak. This sucks, Rouge said to herself, trying to draw breath. You finally get the Master Emerald, and then what happens? She saw Knuckles below her. He wasn't moving either. She could only conclude that he had been affected too, before everything around her was faded to black...


                                      ~~~End of The Beginning~~~