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Chapter Text

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Prologue: The Breakout
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According to the city’s security systems, it was an average night in Onyx City. No out of line criminal activity- And note the usage there. Out of line. Drug deals and other illicit activities took place almost 24/7 around the city, but the Chaos Council had long since stopped caring about such useless things. They had much greater priorities now. 

Almost two weeks ago, at this point, someone stole the Prism Shard they keep in a highly secure place, all without setting off any sort of alarms or alerting any cameras. The Council was at a loss for how such a thing could’ve possibly happened. 

So, for the past two weeks, Onyx City’s security has been looking for very particular signs of wrongdoing, but so far… Nothing. 

The problem, in the main, is the existence of The Underground Metro. It was supposed to only be transport for the city’s inhabitants, but someone went and sealed off most conventional entrances to the place, and, since then, The Council has noticed more and more citizens absent from the surface, with no regulation in place whatsoever to catch them. They’ve tried sending people down there to check what’s really going on, but none of them have ever resurfaced. Probably just those damned cave-dwellers assimilating them into their society. 

The past two nights, however, strange occurrences have taken place on the surface. Unfortunately, the sector power sources are all locked up in the Underground Metro, and the citizens down there finally smartened up enough to figure out how to temporarily shut down entire sectors of the city. The cameras still worked, but as any security guard will tell you, cameras are practically useless when you can’t see anything on them at all. 

Tonight in particular is odd. Despite all the search drones around the city, nothing has been found. Only the usual crimes and millabouts of the citizens who haven’t defected over to whatever rebellion lives underground. 

As it stands, in this exact moment, everything appears to be going just as normal. Keyword: Appears to be. The Council can’t prove it, but they know something is up. It just has to be. 

Inconveniently for them, without the Prism Shard, the Council loses a large majority of its power as an entity at all, so, especially lately, they’ve had less and less control over the citizens of Onyx City. 

However, not all is lost. They do have a few key bargaining chips they still can lord over the city with. The first and most important is Chaos Sonic, Dr. Valentine’s pride and joy. The second, and slightly imperative asset is Kit.

Kit is… Strange. They found him some two months ago in an alley, fighting Dr. Finitevus’s finest patrol mech all by himself. The Council isn’t quite sure where the boy comes from, but they do know two things: 

One: Kit is very powerful. He has electricity powers the likes of which they had never seen.

Two: Someone is looking for him. Someone the Council does not know the identity of, but, if Kit is to be believed, is also extremely powerful.

Thus, the facilitation of his captivity in a run-of-the-mill jail cell, no electric locks to speak of- Thanks in no part to Dr. Finch’s genius, as per usual. 

Tonight, at the prison his cell is contained in, it’s rather foggy. The searchlights guided by some of the prison’s guards can hardly pierce through the thick veil of clouds, while the security cameras have long since become ineffective due to their imaging devices becoming shrouded with inconvenient condensation. Tonight, of all nights, the Council has no idea what’s going on at the prison.  

The outside guards of the prison barely notice as a device latches onto the door. They pay even less attention to the disguised figure taking position as they wait. And they wait. And they wait. 

Boom!

The prison’s doors blow open at exactly the same time the western sector’s power goes out, killing the guards and preventing any alarms from sounding off. 

The figure sneaks in carefully, combing briefly over each cell with his eyes before finally, he makes eye contact with one very awake, slightly jittering cat, who, even from here, is already making sparks. 

The figure chuckles. 

“There you are,” he mutters. 

When the power to the western sector comes back, all of ten minutes later, the highest priority prisoner has already vanished from sight. By the time the guards have noticed, it’s far too late. 

“NO!” Doctor Eggman slams his desk upon receiving a radio transmission from one of the city watchmen. “Who was it?! Who stole him?! Give me a name, right now!” 

“I can tell you who it is,” the agent says slyly, voice no longer filtered. “But you won’t like it.”

Eggman growls. 

“Just. Tell. Me.” 

The agent chuckles.

“Well, you should know… My name is Andrew Finch.” 

Before Eggman can respond, the signal goes dark. Doctor Finch destroyed his communicator. 

Eggman sighs. 

“I should’ve known something like this would happen. Finitevus, prepare the fleet. We’re going hunting.” 

Finitevus blinks.

“For whom, sir?” 

“I want Surge here by this time next week,” he says firmly. “She will be our ultimate weapon against the Underground Metro.” 

“A-are you sure, sir? Kit said-”

“I know what he said,” Eggman cuts in venomously. “I don’t care . Get that tenrec here, or I’ll finally make you regret creating that fluke of a lizard. Do you hear me?!” 

Finitevus nods hastily. 

“Y-yes sir! Right away sir! Where do we even begin, though?” 

Eggman smiles. 

“I have an idea, Finitevus, and it just so happens to be in our interest. I was thinking, you know. Our city… It’s small. I think we could use a little expansion , wouldn’t you say?” 

Finitevus scoffs.

“You’re asking me to mobilize against the nearby kingdom of Soleanna?” 

Eggman scowls. 

“Will you do it with us?”

Finitevus’s face twists into a devilish smile. 

“It will be my pleasure, Doctor Eggman. Just remember… When it comes to New City, I’m in charge.” 

“Naturally,” Eggman says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

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Chapter One: Nine Tails
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(Scourge the Hedgehog)

It’s been five months since I started a band of sorts here in the Underground Metro. 

And I say “of sorts,” because it really is. We don’t play together like a regular band would. No, instead, we’re the leaders of the Revolution, the figureheads people look to in our eventual uprising. Every day, day by day, more people join our cause. 

But you can’t upend a government in a day, no more can you get work done quickly when your people are spread out over an entire society built into the former metro system. But the Revolution is already under way- Our discovery of the city’s power grid has been a huge boost in our efforts, but that doesn’t mean things are a lot faster. It still takes months at a time for anything to get done. For instance, our recent procuring of Kit, a valuable asset cooped up in a prison on the surface, took five entire months of planning to pull off. In different times, I’d be miserable, but I’ve more than learned patience in the twelve years that this city has been ruled by the Chaos Council. 

It’s strange… Despite being the leader and figurehead of our entire operation, since the day it started I’ve mostly walked alone. I shouldn’t be surprised, though- I’m nearly the entire reason we’re down here to begin with. 

I still won’t forget it… Twelve years ago, Eggman came up to us all with new tech. Just as usual. Standard fare, y’know? That’s what we all thought. Then the army came. But that wasn’t my concern, either. 

He called himself “Infinite.” I’m pretty sure that wasn’t his real name, but it didn’t matter. Because he beat me, he locked me up, and trapped me in a void of endless darkness. 

I promised my uncle, when the world broke apart, I would never give up on an adventure. That day, Infinite showed me my worst nightmare- My lifelong brother, Tails, beaten and bruised, standing alone with blood on his hands, but entirely still. Not crying, not scared, nothing. Cold, blank, and uncaring as he stared at the bodies of nameless fallen comrades. But Infinite didn’t stop there. He showed me Tails and all of my friends. Somehow, despite their strength, none of them could resist the sheer power of Eggman’s army, and Infinite showed me each and every last one’s defeat. 

I’m not sure when it was that I woke up. I just know that, when I did, it started all over again. I saw everything I already had, and everything I hadn’t yet, all at once, again, and again, and again.
Six entire months. Six entire months, nonstop, of that same horrifying, haunting routine. Even though the visions were always silent, I swore I could hear screams and crying and more. 

After six entire months, I tried to escape. It was the only chance I had gotten thus far. Heh… 

It’s been twelve years. It doesn’t get any easier explaining where the two large scars come from. I remember vividly when I woke up on Angel Island, Knuckles just barely having gotten there in time to save me. The Master Emerald saved my life by patching me up… And as a side effect, it turned me green permanently. 

I’m not sure when it was that I stopped going by “Sonic.” It’s been so long since anybody has said the name out loud, I half-suspect people are starting to forget it ever happened in the first place. I’m not sure how to feel about my new name. It certainly fits my look and choice of dress- Yes, seriously, for once in my life I am wearing clothes. It’s just a jacket I got from Shadow, though, and I’ve discarded my old gloves in favor of partially fingerless ones, and I’m not wearing shoes at all anymore. Better to let the paws actually stretch than restrict them, I say. 

I still remember the day I went back to the Resistance like it was yesterday. On that day, twelve years ago… I cried harder than I ever had in my whole life. Because on that day, twelve years ago, myself and my team knew we had lost. No matter how much power we sent towards Eggman’s army, he would always be ready with so much more, we could never hope to challenge him. On that day, twelve years ago, Sally Acorn and Blaze agreed to build the Underground Metro together. If we were ever going to stand a chance at fighting Eggman, we’d need a much bigger force of our own, as well as a plan. It seemed so hopeful all those years ago. That was then.

This is now. Twelve years later. 

I still remember when I returned to the base, seeing Tails and Amy and Knuckles glare at me like I had somehow started the war and killed those people. It wasn't that surprising- Being gone for six whole months is inconvenient, but I could feel their judgement from across the room. The biggest reason we lost is because I gave up. Before my rescue mission went underway, I vividly recall giving up. I didn't run away from the visions. I let Infinite say whatever he wanted. What point was there in fighting anymore? No one was coming for me. My friends had either already lost, or were about to. Little did I know the visions were thinly veiled reskins of reality, or in other words, lies. I can’t believe I fell for them…

Ever since becoming the figurehead of the Rebellion, I haven’t had much time to myself. In fact, today is a vanishingly rare example of what happens when I do get off time- I get to remember all of my mistakes, all the ways I could’ve, just maybe , prevented all of this nastiness from ever happening at all. But I never did. Because I gave up. I turned away. I betrayed everything I ever lived for, all because of some damned lies. I can barely recognize Tails, Knuckles and Amy these days… As a matter of fact, it’s been four years since any of us have spoken a word to each other. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to say anything, I’ve been desperate to, but circumstances have dictated that, for the past four years, I haven’t had enough downtime to care about anything but the next day, and the future. No friends or relationships to speak of. Today is the day that changes, because today, finally , I’m getting a break. Today we not only recovered a valuable asset, but a new Rebellion leader, Gadget, finally stepped up to the job after two years of training with me. So today… I suppose I’m righting at least some of my wrongs. Or trying to, anyway.
I still can’t get a hold of Tails, and Knuckles… Only Gaia knows where he is. So it starts here. With an old friend. Though… They look a lot different now that I get a good look. 

“Hey,” I say awkwardly, still not quite used to how deep my voice has gotten in the past half year. 

The pink hedgehog waves idly, not turning to look at me. 

“Listen… I’m sorry,” I say honestly, “for everything . None of you deserved what I did, and these past four years especially, I haven’t had time, and-”

“Scourge,” A firm voice says. It takes a few moments to register- That’s the pink hedgehog’s voice. It sounds way deeper than mine, not something I expected at all. “Listen to yourself for once, can’t you?” The hedgehog shakes their head, finally turning to look at me. “You’re stressed, and I get it. You don’t have to apologize. I already forgave you a long time ago.” 

“You coulda told me,” I say defensively. “Then I wouldn’t have spent so long thinking you still hated me.” 

“Scourge, the only one who still hates you is Nine,” the hedgehog says frankly, standing up. “And that’s a fact. But I’m telling you right now,” they say warningly, “do not go to him and try to explain. He’s been suffering just as long as you, but he went through all that at twelve. Let him have his time to himself and let him talk with Kit. This is his journey.” 

“And he’s my brother,” I say pointedly. “Do you really expect me to just leave him alone and behind? I already did that once before!” 

“That’s exactly my point,” the hedgehog says sharply. “He needs time… Just trust me on this.”

Ugh. If they say so. I don’t like it, but if he needs that time, I’ll give it to him. 

Though, now that I think about it…

“Sorry this is a little off-topic, but who are you?” I lean to the side, tilting my head to try to see if that helps. It doesn't, so I quickly stop. “I just realized I don’t know your name.”

“It really has been that long,” he mutters. “Heh… Well, I suppose it’s about time you knew, anyway. I’m Spyke Rose,” he says with a two-digit wave. It’s only now I realize he’s not wearing gloves. “You might remember me as someone else, but let me make something clear, okay?” He walks up to me, leaning in uncomfortably closely. 

“That little girl is dead . Don’t you dare utter her name, or I really will despise you.”

“Y-yes sir,” I say hastily. I can feel my heart racing, but I’m not entirely sure it’s because I feel threatened. I’ve been in situations like this with Shadow before, and he also made me feel like this. Funny, after I got out of prison, he was practically the only person that wasn’t mad at me… Weirdly enough, we hung out a lot because of that. 

We had our first kiss nearly ten years ago. We said “I love you” that same day.

Spyke backs off, smiling once more.  

“Good. Let me ask you something, then. What will you do now that Gadget’s taken over?” 

“I was going to talk things over with Tails, but clearly that can’t happen,” I say bitterly. “So instead, I suppose I’ll settle for the next best thing: taking back all these years I’ve lost with everyone else, including Shadow.”

Spyke nods. 

“Sounds like a plan to me. Will you be there for the concert this weekend?” 

“Concert” doesn’t refer to an actual music event in this case, it refers to a type of operation the Rebellion often engages in. I had scheduled one this weekend so we could raid an Egg base as standard procedure, but really haven’t known what we were going to do with the mission since then. 

“I kinda have to be, considering we have essentially no plan,” I say honestly. “Seriously, what are we even looking for, at this point?” 

Spyke shrugs. 

“Good question. I think at this point, it’s less a matter of looking for resources and more a matter of keeping Eggman’s militia as debilitated as we safely can. Now that Infinite is long gone from his armada, missions like this actually accomplish something, even if it feels like they don’t.”

That’s true… Ugh. I feel like I’ve spent every day of my life doing what Spyke just described, though. 

“Maybe I’ll sit that one out, then,” I say dryly. “Sorry, Spyke, but I’d rather take more important missions.” 

Spyke shakes his head, smiling. 

“I knew you were gonna say that, and frankly, I agree. Though, for this one in particular, I will be going. I have an old friend to meet.”

“Andrew?”
Spyke scoffs at the mention of Tails’ father. 

“No, though now that you mention it, if you have time you should definitely speak with him since you’re staying behind,” he says. “No, for me, I’m meeting with Miss Valentine.” 

Miss Valentine. The infamous idol herself, and one of the members of the Chaos Council… And, as it so happens, one of two members who are absolutely, in no way, actually allied with Doctor Eggman. She used to be known as Rouge the Bat, a legendary jewel thief, but she’s gotten very good at hiding her true identity from the Council. Miss Valentine is a persona, but not much more, and it’s genius. 

“Well, good luck,” I say idly, knowing how tricky it can be to talk to her. 

“Thanks,” Spyke says with amusement. “But I’m still around here for a good couple days. If you need me, I’ll be here.”

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine, probably,” I say without as much confidence as I’d like to have. “You know… Even with this new member, things aren’t going to move quickly.”

“No, they’re not, but at least the Revolution has properly begun,” he says earnestly. “The Council is already panicking from this move, I’m sure. They’re bound to take desperate measures, and that makes them vulnerable. While the battle still rages as it always has today, tomorrow is another day. They won’t last much longer.” 

“Maybe not,” I say softly. “I do wonder, though… What was so important about Kit that they had to lock him up?” 

“Whatever it was, we have him on our side now,” he says firmly. “Isn’t that enough?”

“I sure hope it will be,” I say nervously. 

“Realx, Scourge,” Spyke says with a wave. “Even if he doesn’t do anything, we’re still at the advantage. You should know already… This is our revenge.” 

“You’re right,” I say with a nod. “I shouldn’t be so nervous.”

“I understand, hedgehog,” Spyke says kindly. “It’s hard for me to believe this is really happening, especially after all this time. We all remember what happened the last time we thought victory was assured, so it’s only natural we’d be a little nervous. But if we don’t take this chance now, it’s unlikely we’ll get it again.” 

“Right… It’s good to know I’m not alone again,” I say meekly. 

Spyke chuckles. 

“You’re never alone, Sonic. Not anymore.” 

Sonic. My old name. Heh… I barely even register it as my own anymore, even when I think about it. Maybe I should finally get around to finding myself a better name than Scourge. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool, but it paints me as a rough and mean vandal, which I’m not. Heh… Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to start going by Sonic again. 

Twelve years ago, Sonic was stolen away from me, and I was lost in a void of my own mistakes. Twelve years ago, The lives of everyone changed. 

Today, the Revolution is finally under way, and I’m done running from my past mistakes. It’s past time to make things right. 

I might not be the same hero I once was- In fact, I know I won’t be. But that’s okay. I learned well from the war- I was never meant to be the ideal hero.I was simply the hero Mobius needed, but never deserved. People idolized my name, but I never wanted that, because I always understood that people like The Chaotix, Tangle, and more, the people that supported their communities, they were the real heroes of Mobius. 

I once thought, before the war started, that one day, Tails would take my place as the true hero of Mobius. 

That was twelve years ago. Now, I barely recognize him as the same boy. The war damaged us all, but I never expected to be resented by my lifelong brother. I hope that soon enough, he’ll be willing to talk again, because frankly, spending all these years with a brother that hates me has been miserable. 

I still wonder… Infinite always showed me the least of what happened to him… What really happened? What the hell turned my brother from the boy I always knew to… Whatever this is? 

Part of me wants to know. A greater part of me knows that the truth won't be pretty. Tails was forced to be the hero that, back then, he wasn’t ready to be. All because of a simple mistake… 

It’s been twelve years. I have to let him have his space, like Spyke said. I have to bridge the gap with others, and that all starts with my longtime boyfriend.

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(Kit the Cat)

I was told I’d just be going down here for safety. I was told I’d be the key to revolution. I was told that the Rebellion would take me in. And yet, I have no idea where I am. This place is a disaster, with parts and tools scattered about carelessly, the fox typing away at his keyboard not paying any heed to the mess. Sticking out of his swivel chair are eight furry tails, barely concealed by a single metallic tail.

Without looking back, the fox says: “You’re awake.” 

It’s true, I am awake, but why am I here? And who is this? 

“Um, excuse me, but who are you?” 

The fox scoffs, his right ear twitching slightly. 

“I’m Nine,” he says, still without turning around. “Nine Prower. You should remember the name, because I saved your life.”

He… He did? As best I know, my life wasn’t in all that much danger. Sure, I had been put in a high-security prison with almost no means of escape, but it was a man named Andrew who saved my life, not this kid. 

“What am I still doing here? I’m supposed to be helping the Rebellion.” 

Nine growls, shaking slightly. 

“The Rebellion,” he says venomously, “is trying to use you, just like they’ve tried to use me. But I won’t let them. Not anymore. They always say it’s to spark the Revolution, but I’ve heard that mantra enough times to know it’s complete bullshit,” he spits. “What chance do we really stand against the Council? I remember the last time we fought just as well, if not better than most,” he says bitterly. “Nothing can change the simple fact that we’ve already lost, and we’re just waiting for the gallows.”

Damn. What the hell happened to this kid? I’ve never heard someone so utterly defeated by the war… Then again, he must’ve been really young… Just like I was when The Storm came around.  

“Nine,” I say firmly, standing up. “I’ll only say this once. We haven’t lost. Not yet. As long as there’s still a chance at all to get back at the people who destroyed my whole world, I’ll take it.” 

Nine sighs exasperatedly. 

“Whatever. You do you. If you want to die, having let them poison you, go ahead. I won’t be missing you if you go, because I’ll know what happened.” 

“NINE.” 

The fox yelps, turning to me with an expression of fear as I deliver a small shock to his body. 

“Y-yes?”

“Giving up is exactly what they’d want us to do. Giving up means we submit ourselves to misery, giving up is-”

“Realistic,” Nine cuts in coldly. “Be honest with yourself, cat. What do we have that they don’t? How can we possibly still win?” 

…Kit. Stay calm. Retaliating with anger is what he wants, I can see it in his face.
For the past twelve years, I’ve hardly had a goal or a purpose in this world, but if nothing else, I will be kind to this boy. 

Just breathe. Don’t talk too quickly. If I want to repay him for his kindness, I’ll have to be very patient. But that’s okay. I’ve waited twelve years to find a purpose. I can wait another few months to fulfill it. 

“I don’t know,” I admit sadly. “The fact of the matter is, these past twelve years have been a giant game of guessing for me. I’ve just… Hoped things would work out in the end. I’ve had no reason to… But what else am I supposed to believe in? Myself? When I failed to protect my own people from harm? Heh… No,” I say angrily. “You said they’re using me as a tool, but if I don’t have them, who do I have, Nine?” I let my arms fall to my sides as I let out a heavy sigh. “Sure, I’m strong, and the Council is afraid of me, but I can’t fly on my own. I’ve always been too weak for that. Always. ” 

Nine looks away from my gaze, clearly lost deep in thought about something . Eventually, he also sighs. 

“Kit,” he says quietly. “Do you trust the Rebellion?” 

“More than I trust Eggman,” I say simply. “I’d need to get to know them better before making a decision, though.” 

Nine smirks. 

“Kit,” he says firmly. “Listen to me. I was once exactly like you were. If you really want to fly, I can show you how to fly.” 

“Y-you mean it?” 

Nine nods firmly. 

“Kit, I need to make sure of something first, though. What I’m asking you to do with me is dangerous, even riskier than the kind of stuff the Rebellion gets up to. But right now, it’s a hell of a lot more effective than whatever the fuck the Rebellion is doing.” 

“Nine, for the past twelve years, I’ve had almost nothing to really do,” I say honestly. “If you want to take me with you, so be it.” 

Nine chuckles. 

“Alright then. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.” 

“Where are we going first, anyway?”

Nine smiles serenely, hopping into a stand. Or, more accurately, he hops off of his chair and his tails float him just above the ground. 

“There’s a kingdom not too far from here that I suspect Eggman will be gunning for, and for good reason. If we can intercept them first, we’ll gain the upper hand. It’s called Soleanna, and there, they worship a sun god. I expect we’ll see no shortage of fire, if that matters to you.” 

My hometown was burned… But I can’t let that get in my way. Not now. Not anymore.

“It doesn’t,” I say. It’s only partially a lie. 

“Good,” Nine says with a curt nod. “Prepare yourself, then. We’re leaving at noon tomorrow. I’ve already arranged it so that security will be low when we leave, a luxury courtesy of Doctor Finch.” 

Doctor Finch… Only one of the many members of the Chaos Council. I suppose he must be in the double agent business. 

“Okay…”

“And Kit,” Nine says, leaning close. “The Rebellion is starting a fight they can’t win. We’re the ones throwing a revolution. Don’t get me mistaken: I don’t believe there’s a strong chance this will work, but I know for a fact we have a better chance than the Rebellion. I haven’t given it all up. Not yet.” 

Heh… Well that’s nice to know. 

“Just one question before tomorrow, really.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Nine… Do you trust me?” 

He sighs, scowling slightly. 

“I’m going to be completely honest with you,” he says frankly. “Trust is something earned, not given, and we’ll need to work together more before I can say I can rely on you like that. But, I will say I trust you more than most, because you’re an actual ally, Kit. I can’t say that about a lot of others.”

Well, there's some progress, at the least. Heh, it’s weird… The longer we talk, the less desire I have to go back to the Rebellion. Despite his obvious mistrust of me, I have complete trust in him - Not that I should be surprised, I have kinda made it my mission to work with him. Heh… 

My old life, whatever it was, is long behind me, dead and gone like many victims of the war. This day, today, is the start of my new life. And you know what? 

It’s not half bad.

Chapter Text

(Gadget)

“What are we going to do with it, anyway?”

The Prism Shard shimmers oddly in the light, reflecting the lamplight dimly onto the walls. 

The jackal beside me- My boyfriend, Zero- scowls. 

“I don’t know,” he says quietly. “Us having it in the first place works to our advantage, but what exactly it does is something that I’d love to know,” he growls. 

It’s been a debate between the two of us for the past two weeks, ever since he stole it from the Chaos Council. 

“And I assume we’re still keeping it-”

“Gadget,” he says firmly. “Don’t even think about suggesting going to the Rebellion with this. You know, just as well as I do, that they don’t trust either of us.”

“Well, that, but I also wanted to ask something else,” I say, pretending that he didn’t just interrupt me. “Isn’t it a little stupid to keep going at this alone?”

Zero scoffs. 

“What other choice do we have? Surrender?” 

“Not quite,” I say slowly, “and… hell, maybe this is stupid , but what about Nine?” 

Zero takes a step back without realizing it, but he’s not shocked.

“You’re right, Gadget, it is stupid,” he says softly. “Why the hell would I trust someone that I… I…” he trails off, sighing. 

“That wasn’t you,” I insist, “it was the mask.”

“What difference does it make?!” Zero huffs angrily. “The fact remains: it was my body. Those were my hands and my voice. I don’t care if it wasn’t my choice. He won’t see the difference, and I couldn’t blame him.”

“He might not even recognize you,” I say irritably, poking a claw at the gem in Zero’s chest. “It’s been, what, a decade? And the mask is long gone. This might be our only chance at justice, if you keep your identity on the down-low.” 

Zero blinks. 

“You’re right,” he mumbles. “I almost forgot I never showed my face in the war. Eggman never let me…” 

“Listen, though,” I say, “we’re gonna have to move quickly, or we won’t get to him. Do you understand?” 

Zero nods. 

“Good. We’re leaving in five minutes, pack your things and prepare to do some talking, if needed.” 

He frowns grumpily. 

“If I must.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Blaze)

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Silver flinches violently with each of the resounding bangs of the uncomfortably close fireworks, our grand vessel slowly but surely making its way to The Flame of Soleanna- The centerpiece of our kingdom. Lighting The Flame is the event that will finally properly begin our yearly Festival of the Sun, a celebration devoted entirely to the flames that built the ground we stand on today- Solaris, the God of the Sun. 

“It’ll be okay, Silver,” I say firmly. “We’re safe.”

He nods, shivering despite the warmth of the night. 

“I know, sis,” he says frankly, “but we still have The Scepter.”

Right… The Scepter of Darkness. The Chaos Council two nations away has shown interest in it before. On a night like tonight, it’s very likely to be entirely unguarded. 

“That is true,” I say with a shrug. “However, do you really think they’ll be here?” 

Silver fidgets, scratching his head. 

“I don’t know. That’s what scares me.” 

“Brother,” I say softly, “Prince Silver. We will be safe tonight. You remember what to do if we come under siege?” 

He nods. 

“We’ve only practiced it every day.” 

“A necessary measure, to say the least,” I say pointedly. “We are Soleanna, and we must understand we hold power that others may want to take for themselves. As long as we guard this kingdom and our people with our lives, though, they can take whatever they’d like. The fact remains: They will never take our spirit, they will never take our flame.” 

“Do you even know the Chaos Council? They’ll stop at nothing to crush us if given the opportunity.” 

He scoffs. 

“Listen, Blaze, I’m not saying you’re wrong, far from it,” he snaps, “I’m just trying to say that if they do come, we’ll have to be ready .”

“We will be,” I say confidently. “Why else do you think we’ve been training all this time?”

He scowls. 

“Are you listening?” 

“I am,” I say briskly. “And let me tell you this: When we retaliate? Hell is coming with us.” 

He smiles wryly. 

“I like the sound of that.” 

“I thought you might.” 

The vessel comes to a complete stop, a priest clearing her throat pointedly. 

“It is time,” she says. 

I glance at my brother. We both nod as our hands summon forth flames. 

“Go,” I mutter. 

A brilliant trail of flame runs up two diverging paths, shining all sorts of different paths before finally reaching the apex of the structure, where a truly gigantic torch alights in a fire that burns in every color of the spectrum, the echoes of a hundred fireworks heralding the beginning of the Festival. 

“Where to next, Princess?” 

“I’m not sure,” I say honestly. “Any ideas, Silver?” 

He clears his throat. 

“The Temple, sir. I want to make sure the Scepter of Darkness is safe.” 

“Got it,” the priest says. “Marine! Set the sails! We need speed!” 

Silver smiles awkwardly at me. 

“You understand,” he says quietly. 

“I do,” I say kindly. “And, besides, we’ve needed a better place to put it for quite some time now. This is a great opportunity.”

Silver shivers. 

“Blaze,” he whispers. “Did you hear that?” 

“All I hear is fire, fireworks, and a cheering crowd” I admit. “It’s a little difficult to discern very much right now.” 

Silver scowls. 

“Sis… Those aren’t all fireworks. Listen closer.”

A crackling shot rings off in the distance… It sounds like it’s coming from-

“New City,” Silver and I say at the same time. 

“Gunshots,” Silver says nervously. “We need to get over there, now. MARINE! REROUTE! WE’RE GOING TO NEW CITY!” 

“But Silver, what about-”

“Not a priority,” he says, wincing. “As much as that hurts to say, what matters more than anything is protecting our people. It’s like you said. They can steal away our treasure if they’d like, but I won’t let them steal our flame.” 

“Silver, shouldn’t we-”

“Blaze, listen to me,” he growls. “We’re going to New City. If the Scepter gets stolen, the Scepter gets stolen.”

“I… I understand,” I say uncomfortably. “O-okay. Priest?” 

“It has already been done on Prince Silver’s orders,” the priest says. “It’ll probably be another five minutes.”

Five minutes… Silver’s glance of worry at me tells me we’re on the same page: that’s a long time to wait with the circumstances, but, as it stands, we have very little choice. Silver is still training his psychic powers, and he doesn’t have nearly enough strength to take us all the way there. Damn it… If only this could’ve happened any other time. 
Just as I’m thinking, a distinct, nasty smell arises in the air of the night, stronger than it has any right to be.

“Blaze…”

He doesn’t even have to tell me. Even before looking, I already know it’s smoke. One I do, I see a horrible scene before me:

New City is on fire. 

Five minutes, huh… By that time, a lot of people will die in the fire, and they’ll have had the time to get to the Main City…

“Silver,” I say quietly. “Can you lift us onto the bridge above?” 

“I can, but why?” 

“We’re going on foot,” I say firmly. “Or else we won’t make it in time. We have no time to waste. Let’s get going.” 

He nods solemnly. 

“Got it.”

Sure enough, in just a short few moments, we land safely on the bridge. Silver doubles over on the ground, heaving heavily as he tries to catch his breath. Ignoring his current heart rate, the fact that I can hear all the chaos of his mind, and the fact he has a nosebleed, I hoist him over my shoulder, scowling at the flames as I pull myself into an awkward stand. 
“Alright, Shiro,” I say a little more bravely than I currently feel. “It’s showtime.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Nine)

Entrances and exits to the Underground Metro are rare, and usually highly secretive.

One such place is an old, abandoned robot factory outside the city limits, on the very outer edges of the Eastern Sector of the Underground Metro. Though, I will admit, it’s been so long since I took this way out, I entirely forgot that some scrappers still worked out of here. Scrappers are, as the term would imply, mechanics that work with scrap recovered from the city and certain suppliers within the Underground Metro. Usually, anything they build they take with them on their journeys, but on occasion they’ll leave something behind. What I didn’t expect, especially not somewhere like here, is to see a mostly complete robotic shell, split into many individual segments that can all be connected and disconnected. Whatever project this was, it’s clearly not going to work anymore, because someone went and waterlogged the whole thing. Seriously, there’s a giant puddle of water that all the parts are casually sitting in. Though… Weirdly enough, no circuitry seems to be present. Even stranger, the materials themselves are unlike any I’ve seen before. They don’t seem particularly advanced, though- Quite the opposite. Somehow, these materials seem older than the city itself, which I thought wasn’t possible anymore. 

Kit tilts his head curiously as he watches the parts from a respectable distance. 

“What is it, d’ya think?” 

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” I say quietly. “I have no idea.” 

A few parts rattle slightly as the whole puddle shifts before our very eyes, suddenly coming to life as it expands and stretches its tendrils of water into each individual segment, a satisfying click echoing as each part, one by one, locks into its respective place. The whole construct stands upright as the final few pieces lock in, finally concluding with a helmet that quickly covers whatever watery form the thing has. 

The construct’s eyes light up as it shifts awkwardly. It clearly hasn’t been awake for a while, and isn’t used to moving just yet. 

“You are… Miles Prower…” its voice is… unexpected. Usually, for such a construct, I’d presume some sort of digitized voice or otherwise cybernetic implementation, but none of that exists here. Rather, it sounds filtered, almost as if whatever the creature is saying is being filtered through a voice box to translate it to English. I wonder how it does it, though…

The construct turns to Kit.

“You are… Kitsunami.” 

Kit scowls. 

“No one calls me that,” he mutters. 

The construct stares blankly at him. 

“How curious,” it says softly.

It is curious. Somehow, this construct knows my original name… My real name. 

“Wh-What are you, anyway?” 

The construct turns to me, and its face forms something that technically qualifies as a smile, though it’s rather primitive, and obviously limited by the restricted nature of the mask’s construction. 

The construct sighs. 

“A good question,” it says sadly. “I’m afraid I don’t know the answer, however. I know I once had a name… Though what it was… I’m not sure. Such is my curse. To know others, but never myself.” 

Huh. The way it’s speaking… It implies something that, from the very moment it moved, I had already suspected. This… This isn’t just an ordinary construct. This is a very alive being, speaking for the first time through a construct. That’s fascinating. 

“What do you think, Kit?”

“Huh?” The cat looks at me, confused. “Why me?”

“Well, since we’re here, we could give it a name,” I suggest with a shrug. 

Kit stares at the construct with a frown. 

“It’s not super creative… But how about Talon? Since you look like you have talons on your hands,” he says meekly. 

The construct nods, making a noise that is whatever watery approximation of a chuckle it can produce. 

“Talon it is,” it says pleasantly. “I quite like that name. Thank you, Kitsunami.” 

“Please, it’s just Kit,” he says desperately. 

“And I’m Nine,” I say idly. 

Talon shifts slightly. 

“Really? How curious…” it trails off. “I will keep this in mind,” it says. “If I may inquire, by the way, are either of you going anywhere?” 

“We are,” I say with a nod. “We’re going to Soleanna to intercept the Chaos Council.” 

“If you do not mind, can I come with you?” 

Kit and I shoot a brief, knowing glance at each other. 

“Sure,” I say with a shrug. “I don’t see why not. Just as long as you know… This’ll be dangerous.” 

Talon shakes its head. 

“That is alright,” it says. “As I have no purpose, one could say I have ‘nothing better to do.’ Danger or no, it makes little difference at the time. I’m sure once my memories return, I will think differently, but for the time being, I am more than happy to assist.” 

“Well… Okay, then,” I say awkwardly, not entirely sure how to respond to that. “Let’s get going, then. The more time we waste, the more chances we give the Council to steal something important.” 

“Understood. Do I follow the two of you, then?” 

“That would be ideal,” I say with a nod. 

“Understood.”

Well… This was rather unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. I guess we’ve got some sort of weird robot controlled by a water monster on our side. I gotta say, of all the teammates I expected to get, this was not one of them. Not that I’m complaining. 

I suppose all that’s left is getting to Soleanna, now… But it’s so far away. 
But… Maybe that won’t be such a problem. As we head outside, there’s a large moving truck idling, almost as if waiting for us. 

A red wolf hops out of the driver’s side, scowling. I know this wolf… His name is Gadget. We fought together, albeit very briefly, during the war. I haven’t seen him since then… I know the Rebellion banished him, but I have no idea why. 

“Get in,” he says firmly. “We’re going to Soleanna.” 

“Really?”

“Really,” he says with a nod. “We’ll take you and your two friends.”

“W-we? We who?” 

Gadget smiles. 

“My boyfriend and I.”

“Be honest with me,” I say seriously. “Will you hand us in?” 

Gadget scoffs. 

“Please. I’m better than that, Miles. Especially after they cast me out, I have no interest in their operations. Though, I don’t entirely disagree with them. The way I see it, the more people we have doing the real work, the better.” He laughs. “Sure, I might technically head their operations now, but the truth of the matter is and always has been I never did it out of respect. We need as many resources as possible, so I lied to them,” he says with a grin. “On the surface, I’m a strong leader. Underneath, when working like this? I’m fighting the real fight. No strings attached.” 

“Heh… I respect that,” I say. “I’m in. How about you, Kit?” 

Kit giggles nervously. 

“If you’re in, I am.” 

“And Talon?” 

“Nine Prower, must you even ask? I was already on board with you and your friends. I have no stake in any alliance except for yours. Where you go, I will. If this is your choice, I shall follow,” it says firmly. 

Gadget blinks. 

“He’s weird.”

“Eh, it’s an ally, and I can’t exactly say no to a real ally,” I say pointedly. “Anyway, are we gonna go or not?” 
“Oh, right,” Gadget says with a laugh. “Thanks for reminding me.” He clears his throat. “Alright, everyone! Get in, and we’ll be off!” 

Kit taps me on the shoulder as we climb in. 

“Yeah? What’s up?” 

He sighs. 

“Are… Are you sure you trust him?” 

“I don’t have much of a choice,” I say quietly. “He’s the only way we’re getting there in time. Trust or not, he’s useful, so I’ll take his help for now.” 

Kit sighs softly. 

“It’s just… What if he betrays us?” 

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I say dryly. “But that’s a what-if, Kit. If it does happen, I have you and Talon can help bail us out. I, however, trust that he won’t.”

“Why?” 

“Gadget has no reason at all to trust the Rebellion,” I say frankly. “Even if he’s telling the truth and does work for them, I fully believe it’s just for resources. I may not know him well, but Gadget is first and foremost a mercenary who works best in small teams. He wouldn’t trust a system like the Rebellion to do anything for him if he returned us.” 

Kit fidgets. 

“If you say so.” 

“Kit, it’ll be fine, I promise,” I mutter. “I need you to trust me on this. Can you do that?” 

Kit blinks. 

“Y-yeah. I can.”

“Good.” 

He shifts awkwardly. 

“H-hey Nine?” 

“Yeah?” 

“You used to be… Miles?” 

I flinch at the mention of the name. It’s been over a decade since I went by it as a proper name, but… Whether I like it or not, it is still my name. 

“Miles Prower,” I say exasperatedly. “Engineer genius and brother of Sonic the Hedgehog,” I say bitterly. “But that boy died twelve years ago.” 

Kit blinks. 

“W-why? What happened?” 

“Kit,” I say firmly. “If you really trust me, you won’t ask that question again. Do you understand?”

He nods. 

“Y-yeah. I’m sorry. I was just curious…” 

“It’s fine,” I lie. “It’s only natural…” 

“When Talon said Miles… I remembered the name,” he says softly. “It’d been so long since I heard it, I almost forgot… That was my idol. The boy who saved my life.”

I look up at the cat, who pointedly avoids my gaze. Now that I get a good look at him… He’s right. It was a long time ago, but I did save him. 

“You’re welcome,” I say dryly. 

Kit giggles. 

“It was weird… Because our whole village was burning, and the kids were screaming, but I wasn’t scared. A yellow fox told me everything would be alright, and he was right,” he says with amazement. “He left not long after his brother came back. Supposedly, everyone in the village thought it was the blue one who saved them, but I knew differently.” 

He’s talking about Sonic. Of course he is. I should’ve known… I thought he was talking about the time in the war I saved his life… I must’ve forgotten the first time. 

“Hey little bro! What’cha doing?” 

“Making sure he’s alright.” 

“Well, no need anymore. I got things taken care of. He’ll be fine.” 

Heh… I can still clearly picture exactly the scene. The whole family, staring in horror at Sonic in his werehog form as he reported the news… 

The same brother that left me. 

The blue hedgehog smiles warmly, holding out his fist. 

“You killed it today, little bro. Up top!” 

The same brother that betrayed us. 

The scarred green hedgehog laughs as he hugs Shadow. 

“I’m sorry. For everything.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Kit the Cat)

“Nine?” 

I stare at the two-tailed fox in concern as he shakes himself.

“Nine, are you alright?” 

The fox looks back at me with a stare, a certain kind of stare I’ve seen every time I look in the mirror. The kind of unfocused, yet intense stare of loss. 

He doesn’t say anything. He simply collapses into an embrace with me, sobbing loudly. 

I don’t bother asking what’s wrong again, choosing instead to reciprocate the embrace as tightly as I can. 

Talon stares at the both of us sadly. 

Nine shudders as his tails thump against the floor. 

“I can’t believe… I can’t… I…” he trails off incomprehensibly as his sobs overwhelm him. My shirt is thoroughly stained, but I’m past caring. 

He takes a sharp breath, tails curling up as he sniffs strongly. He retracts slightly, still choosing to sit on my legs as he wipes his eyes. 

“Kit… Kit, I fucked up,” he says bitterly. “I’ve been wrong the past twelve years.” 

“R-really?” 

He nods, sniffing. 

“I was lied to,” he growls. “Completely and utterly lied to by Infinite…”

“What did he say?” 

Nine scoffs. 

“He told all of us Sonic had betrayed us and left us behind, and we believed it. In the face of nothing but misery and loss, what else were we supposed to believe? It made all the more sense when Sonic came out of it injured and broken, but that was just another part of his elaborate lie,” he spits. “I can’t believe I fell for it, especially for that long… He’s my brother, too.” 

“Well… It’s like you said. There was nothing else to believe,” I say sadly. “When my village was fully and properly burned during the war, I was convinced it was your fault,” I say honestly. “But then I met you, and I realized that couldn’t be farther from the truth.” 

Nine chuckles humorlessly. 

“Just how many lies did he tell, and we believed?” 

“I don’t know, but the longer we stew in regretting it, the longer he wins,” I say simply. “If I still regretted thinking you were an enemy, I wouldn’t be here.” 

Nine snarls. 

“Kit,” he says, “I’m going to ask you again. Do you really trust me?” 

“Of course,” I say with a shrug. “No reason not to.”

Nine smiles, eyes gleaming. 

“After this… We’re upgrading our crew,” he says boldly. “Will you still be in?”

He means to tell me Sonic will be joining… I’m not as familiar as he is, so I suppose I won’t say no. Not that I would anyway, all things considered…

“I’m not leaving over something like that,” I say. 

He nods, wiping his eyes dry.

“Good. Glad we’re on the same page, then.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 Months Ago…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Data report,” the scientist demands. 

“Here it is, sir,” a scruffy fox says hastily, handing the tall, slender platypus a clipboard. 

“Thank you, Andrew,” the scientist says. “You may go.” 

Andrew slinks off as the scientist turns to the test subject. 

The subject in question, a lanky and thin middle-aged man, groans as he awakens. 

“How are you feeling, Reese?” 

The man called Reese scoffs. 

“Awful. What did you do?” 

The scientist sighs heavily. 

“What I had to.” 

Reese scowls. 

“The hell does that mean? Just who are you really?” 

The platypus chuckles humorlessly. 

“ Really now, Mister Kintobor. You should already know who I am,” he says theatrically.

Reese Kintobor growls. 

“I’ve never seen you before in my life.” 

The platypus flips his hair, scoffing as if offended.

“You know of Rouge the Bat, correct?” 

Reese blinks. 

“Yes, I do know of Miss Valentine. Why do you ask?” 

The platypus leans back, grinning devilishly. 

“She’s not alone, you know. This Revolution can’t be achieved alone… Which is why she turned to me for help. My name normally is Starline… But you may call me Mister Valentine,” he says dramatically. “If you have any more questions, I promise I can answer them in due time, but trust me when I say… It all starts with you.” 

Reese shakes his head. 

“No, no, no. That can’t be right. With me? But I’m-”

Valentine glares at him pointedly. 

“Only one of the most important pieces? Of course.”

He files his nails carefully, then glances back at Reese. 

“Please listen very closely to what I’m about to say, and do not interrupt me. Do you understand?” 

Reese nods. 

“Y-yes, sir.” 

Valentine smiles serenely. 

“Reese Kintobor… Did you ever meet your older sister? I would imagine you didn’t, because she died a long, long time ago.” He turns away, sighing airily. “In case you were wondering,” he says slowly, “her name was Maria Kintobor.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Present Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Silver)

Phew. They didn’t make it here yet.

“I told you it wouldn’t be a priority,” Blaze says proudly. “Not if they’re going full-scale war mode against us. By the way, I told you so.” 

I choose to ignore the snark, instead saying: “Yeah… By the way, what should we do about that?” 

Blaze scoffs. 

“What else? We fight back as best we can.” 

“I get that,” I say patiently. “But what about, y’know, stuff like this, that they’re actually aiming for?”

Blaze sighs heavily. 

“As much as it hurts to say, things like the Scepter absolutely cannot stay here, especially not while our whole kingdom is on fire. We’ll have to hand them over to the Rebellion until a time comes that it’s safe to bring them back, which I don’t imagine will happen until the Revolution does.” 

Yeah… That’s also what I was thinking. As unfortunate as it is, we can’t just leave these unattended.

“Luckily for us,” I say slowly, “We have people from the Rebellion here, helping us.” 

“Heh, that’s true,” Blaze says with a nod. “We could ask them to rescind their support in return for the guarantee of safety for the Scepter.”

“I don’t see many other better options,” I say honestly. “This may very well be our best way out.”

“I agree,” she says. “But of course, we’ll have to wait until we can contact them. Do you think you can keep it safe until then?” 

“I can certainly try,” I say nervously. 

She smiles brightly. 

“I believe in you, Silver. It won’t be as hard as you think. You can do this.” 

“T-thanks, sis,” I say softly. “Truthfully, I know I can… It’s just…”

“I understand,” she says firmly, gripping one of my arms. “It’s scary. Now that mother is getting weaker, we’re having to fend for ourselves… But this is what we’ve trained for our whole lives. If we fail now… We don’t deserve to be the royals of Soleanna,” she says coldly. 

“Right… Anything to protect the Flame,” I say half-heartedly. “We’re not the fire.”

“We’re the spark that lights it,” she says automatically. “Listen. I know this is a lot, but I know you can do it. Just don’t freak out, and you’ll do fine.”

“Easier said than done,” I say bitterly. 

Blaze scowls. 

“That was one time. Don’t let it hinder you, Silver. Please , just listen to me.”

“I’m sorry,” I say meekly. 

Blaze shakes her head. 

“You don’t have to apologize. I get it. And, Sil-” 

“Blaze,” I say abruptly. “What’s gonna happen?” 

She blinks. 

“Y-you mean, when mom’s gone?” 

I nod hastily.

She sighs. 

“I imagine you’ll take the crown, and-”

“No! I don’t want that!” I shake my head, backing off as I hold the Scepter close to my chest. “I’ve never wanted that! You really mean… You really think…”

“I don’t think, Silver,” she says faintly. “I know. It’s how we royals work. It’s a lot to think about, but think about how much you’d be leaving behind if you betrayed us,” she says with venom.

“Would you really do that, brother? Would you let us fizzle out? Aren’t we the ones meant to protect the flame?” 

I… I’ve never seen her so angry before… I never thought… I never even once imagined I’d have to take the crown. I always wanted it to be her, I always wanted to have an excuse… But it’s always felt so wrong… How the hell am I supposed to tell her like this, that I’ve never wanted to take the crown, that I don’t even want to be royal. That… That…

No. Don’t think that, Silver! That’s horrible! Of course I want to be her brother! We’ve always been siblings, we always will be! Right?

…Oh, Solaris. 

“Silver.” An all-too familiar voice in an all-too-familiar dreaded tone. She’s mocking me. She hates me. She… 

She Knows. 

“Silver.” 

Where is there to go? The Rebellion? Will they even have me? I don’t see any other options, though…

I just have to go. I have to leave, or I’ll be trapped forever in this eternal hell. Blaze… I thought… I thought I trusted you… but… 

Not anymore. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Blaze)

Silver bolts off, sobbing loudly, still gripping the Scepter tightly. 

“Silver?! SILVER!” 

A sigh comes out of my chest before I even fully register my own movements. 

“Damn it! What’s gotten into him? I was trying…” 

I was trying to tell him it was going to be okay, and that I’d help him. Why did he run? 

No. You know what? Silver and I have always been siblings. Whatever his judgement was… I’ll trust it, even if it pains me to do so. He clearly has a reason for wanting to protect the Scepter so badly… I’ll let him go with it. 

I shouldn’t have shoved all that onto him at once, though… That was really my bad. I know he’s prone to panic attacks, too… Damn it! 

Solaris, I knew it. I made him completely crash out, didn’t I…

No. Blaze, believe in your brother. Everything will be okay. We’re fine, and I’ll be able to resolve this soon enough. All it takes is a conversation, right? It won’t be hard. 

Just breathe, Blaze. You’ll be fine. 

The kingdom may be on fire… But I’m still here, aren’t I? 

That means there is still a fight to fight, a hope to be had. And as long as that’s the case, I will fight , damn it. Even if it kills me. 

I just have to believe, in the interim, that wherever he is… He’s doing alright. 

Solaris, I really hope so.