Title: Crimson Twilight: Act 1, Chaos
Author: Murdoc Keizer
Rating: Mature
Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, it’s related games/shows/comics, characters, and I make no money from this. Twilight, Xeros Dimori, Raze Dimori, and Lilac Faith are my characters and shall not be used without my permission.

Summary: Two months have passed since Robotnik was defeated and Mobius is now undergoing a time of peace. Yet, something is amiss. The world is about to change and nobody sees it coming!

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Pairings: I’ve decided to not list any pairings, as I’m not sure if all of them will stay…and to not spoil anything (though some will be/are obvious). Please don’t kill me if I don’t have your favorite pairing. I’m a fan of many different couplings. If you have some suggestions or anything you want to see, let me know (I will take them into consideration).

*Important Note: This is a revision of my story old creation Crimson Twilight. It has been over 2 years since I updated it last and since then has gone through many changes. If you read the previous version, don’t worry. Though I changed a lot, I kept some things as well. I mainly changed the setting and made slight changes to the storyline. If you haven’t read the original, then no worries. You aren’t missing out ^_^ (end note)

This story was originally my first piece of writing to take form and to be posted, but was only made after I was inspired by another’s work. What inspired me (got me off my a** and writing again) was Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy’s “A Rose and a Thorn”. It is one of the best Sonic fan fictions I have ever read (and has many sequels!) and I highly recommend it.

This story is based after issue #200 of the Archie Sonic Comic series and issue #4 of the Sonic Universe series (they meld), and with a different twist at a certain part in the issue. Note: Don’t worry if you don’t read the series (or follow Sonic much at all!) I wrote it so almost anyone can pick it up and follow through without needlessly sacrificing the story to a lot of explanations. It sure does bloody help to know some background though, right?

For those that follow the series, *think of this as an alternate reality, like a fork in the road and taking a different path than the comic does.* You should be able to notice the twist I made in that issue if you read it (it’s pretty big after all). I don’t have any plans on adding anything from future issues, but will do so if it helps uphold the canon of the story (character details, past histories, etc.)

Some games tie into the comic story in some way (for those who don’t know). Some bits may be tweaked here and there from the series and games, so please don’t kill me if something doesn’t seem right =P (Though please do mention anything you notice. It might help me out.)

Last important note is the Story Key’s. It’s simply a list of how certain transitions and speech patterns are represented.

Story Key
Speech
“Dialogue”
‘Thought’
{Telepathy}
[Communications Device]

General
^^^^^^^^^^ ----- Change in Time and/or Setting
*Sound* -------- Significant Perimeter Sounds
Italic Text ------ Flashbacks

All right! I’ve said waaay too damn much already! Here ya go!
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Chapter 1: Forecasting Shadows

Dawn breaks as the sun casts its light over the boundary between the Great Forest and the ruins of Robotropolis. Calm, peaceful winds flow through the trees as the harmful radiation floats above the crumbling buildings. A constant harmony of birds chirping can be faintly heard while just over the divide, the lingering silence of the dead city assures no life remains within its borders. All the while, the crevice between the two domains lingers, ever firm and desolate.

The winds start to rapidly flow over the valley, reaching a small cliff on the southern end, flowing up the wall and finally resting upon the ears of a figure clad in ebony and crimson. Frowning, as his tattered brown cloak sways in the wind, he surveys the boundary thinking to himself, ‘Everything appears normal, but something…just doesn’t feel right…’

He already had a hunch as to why he felt uneasy, though something else lingered in the air, which didn’t sit well with him. Trying to pin point his thoughts as to why, he traced his thoughts all the way back to the time of the doctor’s demise. That was two months ago. It was at that time he received a mission that brought him to where he is now.

Though an agent of G.U.N., he was free to come and go as he pleased for he was more of an asset to them than the other way around. Working for them granted him access to vast amounts of information and, with their intelligence network, could quickly gain info on anything of his choosing if they didn’t yet have it. This and he could be close to and work with Hope, the only friend he had far as he was concerned.

Long ago, he would never think of working for another…yet many things have changed since he had awoken. Hope befriending him, coming to terms with the blue hedgehog, learning what his purpose was, and even his clash with the powerful Enerjak…it opened his eyes, no, his mind to the world around him. He had been sent to many different places during the course of his last mission, though the last place he was assigned to investigate…it was nothing like he expected it to be. What he witnessed that day…it forced his ever-questioning mind to go and seek the answers. Even G.U.N doesn’t have the answers to everything, but he felt he needed to go out and find them on his own regardless.

He had been traveling for a while now, with only a few having had contact with him while gone. During his journey, he had found few answers and at the same time unveiling numerous mysteries. With what he has learned, he finds himself looking for the ones he know will help. Looking onward into the Great Forest, Shadow mutters to himself with a solemn look, “Wonder if they fixed up the place…”

Many things have happened, many things best left forgotten…and now, more is sure to come. Obscure events are occurring, as Shadow freefalls down the cliff’s wall, breaking into a run along the slope, and swerves into the forest below. Incomprehensible movements in the fabric of the universe are beginning to merge together, forming an unstoppable swirl of chaos and uncertainty. These are interesting times in Mobius, indeed…

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The once proud Kingdom of Knothole, a village that stood against countless times of turmoil and prospered through it all…now lay in ruin. In an attempt to rid himself of his primary foe and opposition, Dr. Robotnik leveled the village, burned everything to ash, and captured just about everyone. He made one mistake however once defeating Sonic…he let him live, believing he was defeated and thought the sorrow of losing would eat away at him. With all of his dealings with the members of this resistance, one would think he’d learn. With immense determination, Sonic rallied those that remained and rescued everyone…and their reward for their struggle, a new home. New Mobotropolis.

Walking through the village’s remains, Shadow scans over the area and taking in the damage. The palace had not a single stone standing. The people’s huts burnt to ashes. Any signs of hope or life that thrived here…all was gone from this place. The ruins of the once lush village now remain as a reminder of what had happened and what will happen if they ever lost the war.

‘It’s hard to believe that the most resistance the doctor dealt with as well, as deliver him his demise, came from a village in the woods…’ he thought while coming to a stop as soon as he entered a clearing outside of the village. It wasn’t his thoughts that stopped him, but what he saw in the distance. He never paid it much attention before, but he knew what he saw…the Freedom Fighter HQ.

“At least they fixed something up…” he mentioned aloud, making his way to the base. It was the one thing they rebuilt from the attack on the village it seems. Built into a low cliff side, it had a couple windows and a doorway in the front. A portion of the land atop the cliff had a dome-like extrusion, with a steel hatch at the top. Standing just above the door way was a blue flag, labeled with the symbol representing the Family of Acorn. Remarkably, it looked as if never had a single scratch on it.

Reaching the compound, he enters it to find a new structure. In front of him was a steel door, most likely leading to the lab. To the right there was nothing but a small walk way, but to his right lead to a staircase. Most likely the bunks and kitchen were at the end of it, including the path were the secret oak slide, the entrance being the stump just outside the base, exits into. Figuring where he needed to go, he moved forward and entered the lab.

‘Impressive,’ was the lone word that crossed his mind as he made his way through the room. They had practically everything in here that made this an effective base of operations, right down to an uplink to-

“Attention! Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!” a female voice blasted over the speakers as pairs of repulse turrets emerged from the ground and walls, primed to fire. Seems they have upgraded even more than he originally thought.

“Hello to you too,” Shadow replied, seemingly to nobody but himself, without losing his cool. It was as if he expected this, seeing as he merely crossed his arms and stared at the monitors. The screen flickered on, revealing the face of a female lynx with black hair, whom looked simply shocked.

“Shadow? Is that you?” the woman asked, realizing it was him without his need to reply. “Oh no, I’m sorry! The system simply informed me that someone not registered in the Freedom Fighter or NMR database had entered the facility…and so I activated the low level security measures.”

“It’s fine Nicole,” he assured her, while she deactivated the system, taking the gun’s targeting off of his head. ‘NMR? She must mean the New Mobotropolis Registration database.’

“May I ask why you are here then?” she questioned, unsure what he could want here. He knew where the new city was after all and never really held any interest in the base before.

“I’ve been gone for a while…never did see what became of Knothole,” he admitted, but he kept his other reasons to himself. It was his way after all, not one to reveal more than he has to. “Regardless, I wish to meet with Elias and the council.”

“Certainly, though they are in the middle of a meeting right now. No telling how long they may be,” she reported.

“Understood. Regardless, I’ll be there shortly,” he replied, turning to leave for the city.

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The aspiring city of New Mobotropolis; Home to all who wish for peace, strive for a better tomorrow, and the heroes who defend them, the Freedom Fighters. Many changes have occurred over the years, in which the people that live here will always remember. Back to the days Mobians were roboticized to the formation of the Council of Acorn, which was formed after denouncing the need for a king. Now, a new change in their daily lives has come. One that they haven’t seen for a long, long time and were uncertain would ever come. A time of peace has come to the people of Mobius, which was wrought upon the final defeat of Dr. Robotnik.

This should be his last defeat, unlike the past, for it was certain he was no longer among the living, as per what the reports claim. Also it was thought that another should not emerge from one of their parallel universes, but they would be prepared just in case. The truth of the matter being that this is not the second time defeating the doctor, but the second Robotnik they have defeated…odd as it is.

Now, although the troubled times will never be forgotten, the people have begun to move forward with their lives. The people have been ever so eager for this peace to come to pass, which was evident for the smiles upon their faces. They have begun to branch out and work in different fields, others work towards their ambitions and dreams, and even the school system has been reinstated. Though it is peaceful now, implements are still being taken to make the world a better place and able to meet any threat that may appear.

Shadow made his way through the woods past the HQ and stopped upon a cliff side, gazing over the city that lay below. A marvelous city, shaped as a gigantic circle, spanned over the wide, grassy field while its massive walls protect it. The city comprised of housing, places of recreation to their own military facility, and even their own forest. While scanning the city, he noticed that they have added new structures to the city’s outer perimeter. Two massive semi-circle areas; one attached by the central point of the residential area which added more housing. The other located a little to the right of the residential addition, from his viewpoint, is near a stream that connects to the waterfall that runs off the cliff where he stands and seemed to be a park of sorts.

‘They don’t waste anytime getting things in order. Not surprising. They were always quick to act,’ he thought as he made his way to the city, by way of running down the cliff side. Taking a mere few seconds, he soon stood by one of the city’s entrances. The security of this place was beyond any other place on Mobius…even rivaling G.U.N.’s HQ.

There was still use for such security in this time of peace, for even though one of their biggest enemies is gone, there are still many others out and about…just not so many and not as dangerous. He walks up to the one of the wide doorways and spots an indenture in the wall to the door’s left side, with a clear-covered panel inside. Standing in front of it, a small beam emits from inside and targets his left eye. Apparently verifying him as acceptable, the lid slides open to display a keypad. Inputting the verification code given to G.U.N. officials, a horizontal beam then emits out from the display and quickly scans Shadow from head to toe, the process taking only a few seconds. Confirming his identity, the door opens and he speeds through and makes way to the Castle Acorn without hesitation.

Coming upon the building, an unusual thought crossed his mind, ‘Huh…how should go about this? Aside from the Commander, I haven’t spoken to officials of their level in a proper manner.’ Thinking this, he looked over his cloak, matting any debris that clung to it in an attempt to clean it. Strange that, since he never put much thought towards tidiness much in his life. This made an odd fact apparent; that he never gave officials any kind of regard or considered how he should act. ‘I’ve changed…haven’t I?’

Spotting the entrance, guarded by two bulldogs wielding spears, he walked towards it with the usual intent of walking right past them with little thought.

“Halt!” the guards’ bark, crossing their spears in front of the door. “State your name and business!”

He stops, but only out of surprise. ‘These two must be new to the city,’ he thinks, for most who live here know who he is by now and wouldn’t get in his way. He was here for a reason, in which he wished to discuss something. Not to be a pain. So, he figured to play it their way for now and responded in his usual coarse yet reserved tone, “My name is Shadow the Hedgehog. I am here to see the King and his council.”

The guards look at each other, apparently confused, with who seemed to be the senior sentry speak up, “They are currently in a meeting right now. Further more, there are no other appointments as of today. You are mistaken.” The dark hedgehog grimaced at this for a moment. It would seem that Nicole was unable to relay the message…or perhaps these two were simply not informed. Either way, he was going to meet with them and would not be turned away. One of the guards noticed he was not pleased with this knowledge and inquired, with a glare, “What issue of business do you have that’s so urgent?”

This obviously didn’t sit well with Shadow, which he made clear immediately, “I’m not sure who you think you are, but the matter I wish to speak of is between the King, his council, and me alone. For that matter, I do have an appointment, but it seems that you aren’t kept up to speed all the time. Do you know what that means, hmm?”

It appeared that Shadow’s arrogance, as well as the implied insult of being unimportant, struck a cord in the senior sentry as he hastily pointed his spear right before Shadow’s face, only inches away from his eyes. “You should watch your tongue! We have clear orders not to let anyone through without good reason or the authority to enter the castle!”

With a frustrated sigh, he closes his eyes and contemplates to himself, ‘In the past, I wouldn’t bother with such insolence...Yet, I’m not here to make enemies to meet my objective…but, there is no reason why I can’t enjoy myself.’ Deciding not to force his way through, he choose a more subtle yet sly way of obtaining his goal. With a devious smirk, he declared, “I may not be permitted in, but I will not move from where I stand. I have an appointment and I will not miss it. Until the current meeting is over, I will wait here.” Thus, he shifted his stance, crossed his arms over his chest, and stood his ground; the guard still pointing his weapon at the hedgehog. ‘Heh, maybe I haven’t changed that much.’

“Insolent hedgehog! How dare you speak to us in such manner and giving us orders! Leave here now or you will be forced from the premises!” The younger guard blatantly stated, as he raised his weapon to meet him as well. Shadow remained silent, knowing that he would trigger such a reaction. If he couldn’t coax his way inside, he could try to draw the council’s attention outside. The guards realized that he would not move unless persuaded otherwise, so they prepared to strike. The smug hedgehog continued to pay them no mind, his eyes remaining shut.

Just as they move to attack, as if on cue, the doors swing open and knock the guards out of the way. Shadow opens his eyes in response to see what happened, only to have a blur of purple collide into him, knocking him flat on his back. Gradually, he managed to sit up to see what it was that crashed into him, only to find a female fox, clad in black clothing and purple fur, sitting before him. At this time, the guards slowly regained their composure and tried to make sense of what just happened.

“Oww…what did I just run into…” the vixen mumbled as she rubbed her forehead, as her gaze fell upon Shadow. “EEP! I’m soooo sorry mister! I was in a hurry and didn’t watch where I was going! Here, let me help ya up!” she said in a panic, grabbing his hand and yanking him off the ground and to his feet. “Are you alright?!”

Wiping the dirt off his cloak, he grumpily replied, “Eh, yeah...I’m fine.” His mind was more fixated on how he didn’t notice her right away. Most likely, he was wrapped up in his "fun" more than he originally thought.

“I’m real sorry mister, really! Ah...umm, I’d stay but I have something I really need to do! See ya!” she quickly apologized before dashing off into the direction of the residential area. Watching her as she vanished among the housings, he swore that he sensed something unusual about her, aside from her energetic disposition. His thoughts were cut short as he sensed a new presence at the door to the castle.

“Ah Shadow, I’ve been expecting you,” King Elias , greeted Shadow, “I’m guessing you had to wait, being that you more than likely made it here rather quickly. I apologize for you see, our last meeting took a little longer than I expected.”

“Sire!” the guards acknowledged his presence and snapped to attention, “Your highness, we seem to be having some form of trouble with the hedgehog.”

“Oh? Please explain,” Elias demanded, crossing his arms, knowing very well he wasn’t going to like what they had to say.

The senior guard began to explain the situation, “Uh, well he claims he has a meeting with you and the council, yet our information says otherwise. Further more, he also wouldn’t divulge the reason for his visit, has shown a lack of respect, and-”

“Enough!” Elias cut him off, with a displeasing look upon his face. “I will forgive the matter on not knowing about his appointment, for it seems Nicole is busy with working aiding the Brain Trust on their latest work and was unable to notify you. Thus, I also had no idea. However, I’m willing to surmise that your subtleties in informing him of what he can do were lacking and were moved to action. Do remember your place and what weight your actions hold. Also, keep this man in your memories, for he is an ally who has helped us plenty of times before…and pray to the Source he played nice.”

Both guards felt the depth of his words, grimacing and grunted that they understood what has been said. “Now, Shadow, please do come inside and we can discuss what business you may have.”

Making their way towards the council chambers, Shadow made mention of the previous incident, wearing his trademark smirk, “Heh, I believe your guards are a bit touchy.”

“Hmm, yes it’s true. They wish to enforce the law and may even overdo it at times. They mean well, but they must remember what we stand for,” Elias said, leading them before the council. Leaving Shadow’s side, he takes his seat among the other members.

“May this meeting come to order,” the king ordered, “Shadow the Hedgehog, what is that you wish to bring before the council to discuss?”

A solemn expression slowly dawned upon Shadow’s face, as he considered the subject, then replied, “What I have to tell you is drastic and demands some form of attention. I come here today for I feel you have the best means of acting against what I have discovered. The details I have are rather vague, yet unquestionably require action to be taken. Along with this information is a sense of intuition I have come to pick up upon acquiring this data. It aided in driving me to seek help in this matter. Something is coming…something far worse than Mobius has witnessed before.”

The council was speechless at this brief statement, even though it lacked detailed information as to what he was exactly talking about. The very fact that Shadow, of all people, is worried enough to request help with this matter is enough to explain their astonishment. “Along with this, there is something else I wish to ask of you,” he informed them, remembering his secondary reason for coming to them.

“Very well. Please do continue with your report,” Elias requested, curious as to what possible dangers they may possibly face.

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‘Where could he be?! Where could he be?!’ the lady kitsune wondered as she frantically ran about the city. “I’m supposed to find him, round up the Freedom Fighters, then bring them all back to the castle,” she managed to go over her orders, almost running into a tree. “Oooooh, but for some reason I can’t find the guy. Is he even in the city right now?!”

She kept on searching, asking anyone she passed if they have seen the one she seeks…but no luck. She retraced her steps, from the castle, to the residential block, by the school, the theater, and even “Uncle Chuck’s” Diner. Making her way to the next building, the Science Center, she noticed an orange colored fox sitting on a bench just outside the facility. For some reason, she felt that this was just the one to ask about her missing person.

“Hey there! Can I ask ya something?” she called out as she came upon the young fox, who, she noticed as she approached him, strangely had two tails. Thinking little of it a the time, she continued to try and get his attention. He was busy sipping down some sort of cold drink, staring up into the sky, apparently lost in though. Her attempts of getting his attention got through, as he snapped back to reality and almost chocked on his drink. Turning to whoever it was calling him, his sights fell upon the female fox, almost dropping his can.

“Uh…yeah, sure. W-what do you need?” Tails asked, curious and slightly dazed at the same time. He has never seen her before, he was sure of that. He would have noticed if she was there, for there aren’t many foxes in New Mobotropolis, aside from Fiona, his family, and himself. Not to mention he would remember someone as cute as her! He sat there and took notice of the girl’s look and attire. The way she dressed was slightly unusual. If he was correct, the style of clothing she wore was called gothic. She wore a short black skirt with a thick silver chain belt complemented by a gray tank top, with a small amount of white fur pouring out of the top in a fluff. She wore a pair of sleek, fingerless black gloves with a white gem on her left glove and a silver chain bracelet on her right wrist; a strand dangling from it with a green gem at the tip. Her sandals were black as well, with the straps crisscrossing up to her knee. Even her fur had a rare black mix, mainly the tip of her tail and her bangs, which split evenly to each side of her face. Her bangs framed her pink eyes and the white fur around her lips perfectly.

‘Cute?…No…Beautiful is more like it!’ Tails thought, still in a daze, having forgotten what he was thinking about in the first place.

Catching her breath at last, she asks, “Do you know where I can find Sonic? Elias wanted me to find him and then meet with his highness back at the castle.”

Snapping out of his trance, he answered excitedly, “Oh! Sonic? Yeah sure! He should be in the park! I can lead you right to him,” He got up from his seat, began to spin his tails together, and lifted off the ground, hovering slightly off the ground.

The fact he had two tails that enabled him to fly hit her with sheer amazement. This kid was talented! Shaking off her initial surprise, she had to show her gratitude, “Thanks a lot…ummm…”

“My name is Tails! I’m Sonic’s best friend and one of the Freedom Fighters!” he responded to the supposed question of who he was, accompanied with a friendly smile. “My guess is that he’s relaxing right now, so he shouldn’t move for awhile. Follow me!”

Making his way to the park, the vixen made sure to tag along, and replied to his introduction with her own and matching smile, “I’m Lilac Faith! It’s nice to meet ya Tails!”

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An hour passes by quickly, as the sun casts its warm glow across the city’s landscape. The castle doors open, and Elias and Shadow walk out into the morning glow. The guards pay no mind to Shadow, as if they had never met.

“I trust that I have been of some help,” the black hedgehog assumed, with a hint of concern in his voice. “I feel as if I wasn’t able to provide the enough information. It may not be sufficient when the time comes to act.”

“There is no cause for worry right now. In the least, you have given us a warning and time to prepare. That alone is beneficial. More so, I’m glad you came to us friend. The citizens, soldiers, and I thank you for your support and cooperation. I’m sure that the issue at hand will be-” Elias reassured him, only to have his speech cut short by a sudden gust of wind and the familiar figure that now stood before them.

“Hey faker, didn’t know you were in town. What’s the occasion?” Sonic asked coolly, not expecting to see his “double” anytime soon. The normal tension between the two, aside from blatantly slinging names at each other, seemed to be absent this time around.

“Well, work tends to make me do a lot of traveling,” Shadow replies, his usual confident composure remained strong before of the blue hedgehog.

Moments after Sonic’s arrival came Tails and Lilac, with the rest of the primary Freedom Fighter force, Sally, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, Fiona, and even Mina appearing one after the other. Rotor and Uncle Chuck then emerged from the castle and joined the encircling crowd. A few of them were also surprised to see Shadow, which makes relative sense in his case. Usually he only appears when he is on a mission or they call for his help, though his reasons for being there be his own for once.

“Thank you all for meeting me like this. There is something I wish to discuss with you all,” Elias announced, bringing everyone’s attention to him. “I’ll start off with some good news. Mrs. Faith. Shadow. Would you two step forward please.”

At his request, the lovely kitsune and dark hedgehog walked out from the crowd and stood by the king’s side, facing the others. “I’d like to welcome Shadow the Hedgehog and Lilac Faith, the latest residents of New Mobotropolis and members of the Freedom Fighters main unit!”

Whatever puzzling looks they all had, minus Rotor and Uncle Chuck, instantly changed to that of shock. Everyone looked practically speechless, all except for Sonic who as the first to speak up, “Umm, would you care to explain that one?! Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to have more help, new and old friends alike…but I’m a little lost.”

The others promptly agreed with his inquisition, for it seemed rather strange and sudden. He continued further, “Ok, so these two are joining us. Lilac I’m not sure of, but that’s only because we just met and we will understand why later, I’m guessing. As for Shadow…he’s going to live here and join the Freedom Fighters?! What happened to G.U.N. and living in Station Square?”

“I have my reasons. Simple as that,” Shadow replied, crossing his arms over his chest once again. This obviously didn’t answer Sonic’s question fully, as anyone listening would suspect. Though it is typical for him to respond with simple answers and hiding details, he had other reasons as to why he gave a blunt response.

Noticing Sonic’s discomfort with Shadow’s answer, the red furred fox Fiona spoke up, “I think we still have another new member we need to get to know, don’t we? Lilac was it?” All attention then shifted to her, who slowly shifted from a highly energetic personality to that of a more nervous look.

“Uh...yeah, that’s me,” she answered, giving a weak smile. Shadow took notice this change, curious as to why she became so timid. Not to mention he swore the white gem on her left glove emitted a faint glow, sending off a faint energy signature making him even more curious. It was certainly not just a reflection of light.

“So, why did you want to become a Freedom Fighter?” the curious pop star, Mina, asked.

“Umm, well I heard about the brave people that have tried their best to save the world, and have done so many times; including getting rid of the evil Robotnik. When I left my village, I decided I wanted to be just like them and do my part to help. I just arrived today…and before I know it, I’m meeting with King Elias, being welcomed to live here, and even granted permission to join you all. I must admit, I didn’t expect on becoming a part of the main group though…heh heh…” she explained, grasping her left arm, obviously still nervous.

“Not to sound rude or nothin’, but why is this here lady made apart of ouh main group?” the southern Belle, Bunnie Rabbot asked. It was evident that Elias seemed concerned with this question, but it would be foolish to assume he didn’t have an answer ready.

“I could tell you, but as Sonic mentioned, you will all learn in time why we appointed her to your ranks. In the meantime, let’s make her feel welcome to our fair city. I think introductions are in order, eh?” Elias proclaimed. “Why don’t you start sister?”

“I’d love to,” Sally replied gracefully, reaching her hand to the shy fox, “My name is Sally Acorn and on behalf of everyone here, I welcome you.” Lilac returned her kind gesture, feeling slightly more at ease.

“My name’s Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog! Mobius’s greatest hero and all around way past cool guy. Glad to have ya aboard!” the blue hedgehog said with a huge smile. “I believe ya already met my good buddy Tails here.” Tails simply smiled and waved, obviously happy to know another of his race.

“Hello my dear. I am Antoine D’Coolette. It eez a pleasure to meet you madam,” the gentleman coyote said with a bow, taking her right hand and kissing it, causing her to blush lightly. Bunnie gave him a quick glance, causing him to back away with a slight chuckle, scratching his head nervously. It seemed some of his mannerisms remained, though she hoped he would leave some of them behind when they married.

“Hiya! Mina is the name and singing is my game. Hope ya enjoy your stay here and that we become good friends!” the mongoose exclaimed happily. This seemed to cheer Lilac up even more, now appearing relaxed. The faint glimmer coming from her gem faded away along with the trace of energy.

‘Is that a Chaos Emerald? No, it couldn’t be…it’s much too small and weak to be one. Maybe it’s a fragment…’ Shadow thought, perplexed by just who this fox is and determined to find out what that stone was.

“Hello, I’m Amy Rose!” the pink hedgehog said happily. “Pleased to meet ya and welcome to our little family!” Amy always was Sonic’s self-appointed girlfriend and wished for a family of her own. More than ever, she considers anyone a part of the Freedom Fighters her family. Well, almost everyone...

“I’m Fiona Fox, and I gotta say, it’s great to have another fox around,” she said with a warm smile. Apparently, Tails wasn’t the only one to notice the lack of foxes in the village. Lilac immediately took notice that Amy was staring at Fiona with a nasty glare. She was very sure that she didn't want to figure out why.

“Hello again, I’m Rotor. We met before. I’m one of the council members along with Uncle Chuck here,” the modest walrus mentioned, while introducing Sonic’s uncle, Sir Charles Hedgehog, who bowed to the young lady, “We, as well as Tails, are also part of the Brain Trust, the intelligence group behind the workings of New Mobotropolis.”

“An’ I’m Bunnie Rabbot. Hope ya have a good ol’ time with us sugah. There is always somethin’ to do around here,” the bionic bunny said in her usual lively fashion.

Lilac was thrilled that she had such a friendly welcome and great new friends, and now felt a lot more relieved and accepted. Taking in all that has happened today, she took note of the black hedgehog that she ran into earlier. He hadn't said a word to her since then and felt as if she had to patch things up, "Umm, mister?"

It only took a moment for everyone to realize whom she was talking to, with Shadow instantly becoming the center of attention. Being the last to pick up on it, since he was lost in thought at the time, he cleared his throat and muttered, “I’m the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog. There isn’t much to tell about me that you need to know right now.”

She seemed surprised at his lack of emotion, in tone and introduction. The others seemed to think nothing of it, and Sonic merely chuckled lightly towards his rival’s attitude. Shadow already felt out of place as it was…but now he wasn’t sure what to feel for once. It was at this time he thought out of character once again, thinking that he needed to at least put her at ease, “About before, don’t worry about it…and, it’s nice to meet you.”

Everyone was relatively surprised to hear him be thankful like that, but Lilac was satisfied with his response. In the depths of Shadow’s mind, he thought, ‘I better not regret living among these overly happy people…’

“Now that everyone knows each other, I will now address the other matter at hand,” Elias said aloud, refocusing everyone’s attention once more, “As you all know, even though our greatest threat, Robotnik, has been dealt his final hand, we are not fully at peace. Those like Mammoth Mogul and the Dark Legion. Both of which haven’t made a move in quite some time, which frankly worries me.”

“We can take care of the legion at any time! We showed them when they were working for Robotnik, they don’t stand a chance. As for Mogul, he may be a tough one, but we will get him one day,” Sonic mentioned, sure of himself that they were nothing to worry about.

“True, we can deploy certain measures against them to a certain extent, but only because we have faced them before. What we must truly worry about, is the unknown,” the king mentioned, garnering a bundle of confused expressions. He continued, “We have reason to believe that someone is at work to disrupt our time of peace, and to an extreme like Robotnik once proved possible. Since what we know is minimal, we feel it best to strengthen our defenses. As such, I feel a visit to the president of Station Square is a good place to start. This will also allow us to establish a stronger line of communication. I have been meaning to make a trip to meet with him, and now seems to be just right time. While I make the trip, most of you will be escorting me.”

Everyone seemed a bit confused at this, while the one to speak up and actually ask about the situation was Tails, “Umm, why are all of us needed to escort you? Shouldn’t your royal guard be enough?”

“Heh heh,” Elias chuckled lightly then replied, “Well, there is no telling what may happen on the way there. I also want it to be more like a day to relax, for those coming with me. You all have certainly earned it!” Everyone seemed delighted at this wonderful news. Though things are peaceful in the city, they were all still hard at work. A day off is just what they needed.

Uncle Chuck took this time to settle anyone’s doubts, “Now, for anyone worrying about things here why the aid the king, put them aside. We have Nicole and many others are here to help defend the place. Even Shadow and Lilac volunteered to remain here and do their part.”

“Which is good since we still need to register their info into the main database,” Rotor mentioned, enlightening them to what their first task was.

“Now, I’m not in favor of rushing anyone, but I’d like to leave right away. The sooner we can settle this matter, the better. Are there any objections?” Nobody seemed to have any trouble with heading out right away. It seems they have become accustomed to on the go life. “Very well then. Charles. Rotor, Shadow. Lilac. I wish you a good day. Everyone, follow me to the airbase.”

Everyone says their goodbyes, with everyone heading off to the Fredrick Airbase to make their way to Station Square. Lilac, now eager to get settled in, asked with anticipation, “So, what was it were are to do now?”

Rotor took her question, “Usually, we would have you become familiar with the ins and outs of the village. You know, how things work around here. We will set that aside for later and instead get your entered into the database, so the city will recognize you with ease.”

“Wait…what?” Lilac asked, simply confused by what he meant.

“Oh yes, you don’t know, do you?” Uncle Chuck said, remembering that they didn’t inform her of that bit of information. “This city is unlike any other, in which it is composed and molded completely out of nanites. Microscopic robots form everything from the buildings to the trees. As such, it also allows for easy analysis of anyone that is in the city. Once you’re registered, you can access many things simply by speaking it aloud or presenting your DNA in some form or even eye scan.”

“As for Shadow, we request an in-depth study be done, so we can measure you’re your strength and abilities,” Rotor pointed out.

“Very well. It will be amusing to see my power measured,” Shadow said, now intrigued to see just how powerful he really is.

“Then lets us head to the Science Center. There we can get everything taken care of,” Rotor said, leading everyone towards the center.

“I hope I enjoy living here! There seems to be so much to learn about this place and its people!” Lilac mentioned, now back to her energetic self.

“Well then, I’ll share a couple tales on the way,” Uncle Chuck said, leaving the castle behind.

All this would bring a slight feeling of comfort to most, but Shadow was busy lost in thoughts, ‘The measures the king will take…they better be enough. I can only do so much, and there is no telling what we will be forced to face…’

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Alrighty! That be Chapter 1! Please rate and review to your hearts content! I really want to know what you all think! All supportive and constructive (positive or negative) reviews will be taken into consideration, all opinions (good or bad) and compliments will be taken to heart, and all flaming and the like will be ignored, for the most part. Don’t worry; I know the difference between a review and a real flame. Hope to hear from you!

Tis be the introduction...ya know, the usual boring stuff. Things will definitely pick up after this, starting with the next chapter. Not everything is final is this story! I don’t have an exact idea on how it will end, so any changes/ideas you wish to share, I encourage you to do so ^_^ Credit will be given to those whose ideas I use.

Oh, and if something in the story seems like it's out of place...that might just be something I'm working into the story (Fiona not with Scourge, Robotnik being dead, Shadow not sticking close to Hope, etc). These will be explained in time...it's all a part of the plot ^_^

Note: This chapter had not been proofread as of yet, so if there are some grammer errors and the like, that is why. Do feel free to note upon them however, for it will help in the long run.