Hello, and welcome to an adaptation of Sonic's story and the Last Story of 06/Next-Gen! It is one of three stories that together make up the "Several Wills Trilogy", which is technically the complete version of this novelization. I absolutely won't make anyone read all three, but I highly recommend at least checking out two (and remember, Sonic's the canon story).

Um, I can't think of any to say that's different from what I said in Absolute Dreams, although I must ask you to go easy on any "Elise bashing". If you want to discuss how I personally portray her, sure, fine. I can fix that. But going on about useless and terrible she was in the game and how she should die or burn isn't gonna help anything. I do my best to make her interesting (later on, anyway; she's a bit plain in this chapter, I'll admit), but she still has her flaws, and we all know that. And before I forget- any suggestions of SonicxElise is purely one-sided, and we all know which side THAT is...anything on Sonic's end is just him being Sonic, I swear. Not supporting it, not bashing it...but I can't ignore it either. XP

Anyway, just have fun with it and I hope you enjoy. ^^

We Both Remember

Soleanna…a peaceful little kingdom with kind and gentle people, far from any of the cities of more crowded civilization. It was a kingdom out in the countryside, where winds blew through wild grasses out on the prairie, beaches lined the boarders and were home to a glorious ocean, and a place where everyone knew everyone, and rarely did a thing out of the ordinary happen.

Unless, of course, it was the Festival of the Sun.

Every year, people from all walks of life would cross the globe and arrive in Soleanna, just to partake in our annual festivities. There was dancing, fireworks, feasts, and a parade on the water…oh, it was all glorious, but I could never enjoy it to its fullest extent. That was because I had certain…obligations to attend to during the celebration. As far as I can remember, every festival went by without a hitch; all the citizens and tourists were happy, our god was pleased, and everything was just as it should be, without even so much as a stir in the wind…

But for whatever reason, there was one year in particular; the year I was seventeen…yes, the festival passed by with nothing happening, but I can't help but look back and recall things that shouldn't have happened but knew they had regardless. And in each and every one of those memories…was a hedgehog, and during our time together, he had been very dear to me, because not only had he saved me physically…

…but he freed my spirit, which I think is what truly saved me.

Prologue: Memories of Our Meeting

The moon was full on that fateful night; the waves of the river stirring as my boat sailed gently through its waters. Fireworks launched up into the purple night sky, and everyone had gathered to watch the celebration, and play their part in it. All the buildings were adorned with simplistic lights that gave the city the right amount of ambiance, while the flocks of gondolas were mesmerizing just by the way they smoothly glided through the water.

I stood at the helm the lead boat, greeting all of my citizens with constant graceful waves, and while I was proud to shower my people with simple gratitude, it began to become…stale. Boring. The festival may have only been an annual event, but tending to my people and being a princess was a full-time thing. I know people clamor to be in my position, but if they were to just have a taste…they wouldn't like it. No one would.

Even with all the eyes of the kingdom and beyond on me, I always felt so lonely. No one truly understood how I felt, instead shooting down my desires. They would say things among the lines of "You're a princess! Be proud of who you are!" or "What have you to complain about? You have everything you could ask for!"

But I don't. No family, no friends, no freedom…I put on a smile and greet the masses, but could none see the sadness that built behind my eyes? Some days I just wanted to find the most out of the way place I could and cry.

But I couldn't cry. I could never cry.

So there I was, making my grand entrance, with elegant dancers making graceful motions on the deck, and soldiers and ladies in waiting always on hand to assist me if need be. Everything was under control, however, and I knew that their anticipated assistance was unneeded.

And almost, just almost…I wished I was wrong. Just for something different. But that would have been selfish of me, and a princess thinks of all else above herself…

The sound of applause filled the air in a unanimous roar, sounding deafening in my ears. I bore my bright –and much practiced- grin, constantly waving and letting my presence be known. This carried on until my boat docked at the very center of Soleanna, a ceremonial piece for occasions such as this, where we worshiped our god, Solaris. I never quite understood why we worshiped Solaris so, but it was customary, and as the last in the line of royalty in the kingdom, the duty fell unto me…in more ways than people knew.

Walking onto the platform in the same dignified manner I always did, I passed out a few more waves to the people before calling for some silence. I paced towards the three robed figures who were waiting for me, eager for me to complete the ceremony. Two followed me off the boat, with one handing me the ceremonial torch.

Oh, how I hated that torch…it was heavier than it looked, and even after years of holding it, I despised every moment it was placed into my hands. Worse, every time I even took the slightest of glimpses into its flames…something deep inside me would awaken, and I'd lose track of all my thoughts.

This year was no different.

I just blinked for the quickest of seconds, finding my gaze accidentally locked with the enteral fire of the torch. I was instantly drawn into its intensity and power, finding myself lost in its flourishing flames…and for a moment, I wanted that sort of power; wanted to be that destructive…wanted the flames to ravage through Soleanna like wildfire! Boil the serene waters and let all the buildings fall in fire-!

"Miss Elise?" one of the robed figures whispered to me, being the woman who had handed me he torch. She had snapped me out of my trance, like she had every year, and I gave her a reassuring nod.

"It…it's all right," I finally stammered, shaking off my visions. She gave me her questioning look, but backed off for the time being.

Everyone on the platform proceeded to bow, including myself with the accursed torch in hand. It was then that I recited those same words I've preached for the last ten years…

"We give thanks for the blessed flames. May we always continue to have peace. Sun of Soleanna, guide and watch over us with your eternal light…"

I stepped forward and lowered the torch; in an instant, the whole platform I was on lit up in snake fire, working its way around the sides and toward the top, igniting in a fantastic display of light. Fireworks took to the sky again as cheers permeated the air, and I only wished I could've been a part of that uproarious pleasure…

But still, I raised my hand and waved- my part had been completed, and now I was designated to go back to the castle, tending to my duties until the festival rolled around again…

…but that was also the moment my life became…rather explosive.

I'd been busy with my wave when my lady in waiting sudden gained a fear-stricken look on her face, grabbing me and pulling me toward her. I barely had the chance to look over my shoulder when a horrendous boom shook the entirety of Soleanna. I'd assumed it had been some stray fireworks, but when everyone started scattering in extreme panic…I figured that wasn't the case.

Random explosives went off all throughout the city, with me being tossed to and fro just by the force of the detonations. A thousand questions rushed through my head, but the biggest one was answered when the source of the bombing arrived in a garish-looking carrier, filing the sky with its ominous presence. Some strange machines started dropping out of the cockpit, and I was stuck with nowhere to run on my little platform, finding myself suddenly surrounded by the deadly creations.

From the carrier descend a smaller craft, one that looked like it had enough room for a single person…although, I was just surprised that the one person even managed to fit, given the man's size.

"Oh, ho ho ho…!"

He descended on his personal craft with a dignified bow, and I wasn't sure if he was truly trying to be polite during his ruthless attack, or if it was a sarcastic gesture; an insult to injury, if you will. His red coat reflected the raving flames his missiles had caused, the light also reflecting off the glasses on his nose and the goggles on his forehead.

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Princess of Soleanna," he greeted, his shielded gaze locked directly onto me. "I am Doctor Eggman. I've come here to obtain the secret of the Flames of Disaster from you…and to take the miracle gems that are the key to its secret…the Chaos Emeralds!"

The Chaos Emerald, my blue gem of security…I'd been told when I was young that having even one Chaos Emerald was considered lucky. It did tend to give me protection and a feeling of comfort, but faced with this new strange threat…I could only wonder if it was going to be enough.

"Now, Princess; this way, please…" Eggman beckoned to me, kind enough but with malicious intent carefully lacing his tone.

I could only silently stare back and shake my head, backpedaling away from him solely out of instinct. This man, who came from nowhere and attacked my city and my kingdom was not welcome to anything of mine…! But if I didn't give in, he'd either take it from me by force or destroy the city or both, and with his drones all having their weapons trained on me, I felt utterly helpless in that moment…

More helpless than I'd ever been, and I hated it, because I was always useless…

And it was then that the wind suddenly picked up, but it was no natural gust…it was almost like it was alive; forceful, full of life, and simply seeing it and feeling it first hand was enough to make the adrenaline pump through my veins.

The wind became more like a blue blur, spinning rapidly around the platform in many circles and taking out the dozens of robots that had us all surrounded. It was a fierce whirlwind that served to take my breath away, out of sheer amazement alone!

"My, that's a pretty snazzy performance there!"

In an instant, the blur had settled and perched atop the peak of the platform was a hedgehog, colored in cobalt blue and grinning with a smile that radiated friendly confidence.

I gasped, as I had seen something like him before…only the hedgehog I recalled had been white, angry, and surrounded by flames…

"You…? It can't be!"

They had to be two different hedgehogs, but the resemblance was relatively uncanny. However, he turned in a confident pose, and I swore I saw a twinkle in his eye that said he could do no wrong before he acted. There wasn't any time to focus on who he was, as I was too busy mesmerized with his fast-paced movement.

In one moment, he'd been at the top of the platform, Eggman's drones going mad with rapid fire, and in the next, he had jumped, flipping out of the explosion and dismounting a kick with a smile, knocking out one of the drones on the spot. He didn't miss a beat; he whisked himself from drone to drone, his several fluid motions simply blending into one unpredictable move. One by one, the opposing robots were taken down, and yet the heroic hedgehog practically flew through the air, sailing right through his enemies like they were made of paper. He didn't even blink as he committed astonishing feat after feat, like he did this on a regular basis, and never got bored of it…

If this was the case, I'd be jealous.

I found myself flinching to protect myself from the sudden onslaught of debris he created with every defeat of a robot, but I finally caught another glimpse of him as he landed at the feet of a drone, alighting in a rather challenging stance, making an impressive shockwave. The drone in front of him was teetering on the edge of the platform, so he simply nudged it off with his foot and grinned cheekily as it plummeted into the burning water below.

He'd been ferocious and destructive, yet graceful and breath-taking at the same time…and I wondered how one person could be one way and the opposite at the same time. I didn't even know his name, and yet with the quick gazes of his bold green eyes, I realized he was a balance of kindness and ferocity, and carefree spirit with also being driven by determination, and he was so strong in many ways while being gentle all the while…the paradox of his personality was just so palpable that I could even tell from a distance, and his contradictory ways were just so mystifying…

And I'd gotten all that just by the way he fought and the way he smiled.

He then dashed over to me, doing a short and speedy bow that contrasted Eggman's before giving me a friendly two-fingered salute.

"I'm Sonic!" he said brightly. "Sonic the Hedgehog!"

He then literally swooped in and swept me off my feet, careening away from the destruction with me securely in his arms…loose enough to be comfortable, but tight enough to provide support. I was surprised he was able to carry me that easily- I really wasn't that heavy, but I was so much taller than him…

Sonic whisked me away like the moment had been choreographed, not looking the least bit worried, even as Eggman raised a fist in protest to the turn of events.

"Not that irritating hedgehog again…!"

So this HAS happened more than once?

"ATTACK!"

A swirl of missiles launched from his airship and his army of drones; I clutched Sonic protectively simply out of instinct while he didn't even flinch. He merely sidestepped all the attacks just by sensing where they might end up; he hadn't even needed to look over his shoulder!

I screamed in spite of myself, grabbing Sonic tighter as he tore through the streets and the world around us went up in explosions and shrapnel scattered all over the place. I thought I had a close call before, but seeing something detonating just an inch in front of your face brought things to a whole new level!

Regardless, Sonic managed to evade every one with vigor and finesse, and suddenly, I found myself able to relax in his arms, even though my heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest.

E-S

Talk about perfect timing…!

What can I say? I'm a magnet for mishaps. I really try not to, but wherever I go, Eggman is sure to follow, and this is exceedingly true vice versa…

It'd been a year since anything of true interest had happened, that I knew, and I remember heading toward a little kingdom known as Soleanna. I had always wanted to completely travel the world, to see every aspect of life from every different angle I could, and I decided a foreign kingdom that was different from the forests of Mystic Ruins or the bustling cities that surrounded it was a good place to start.

…and that's kinda where my memory gets a little…interesting.

Yeah, I went to Soleanna, and I know I was there during the Festival of the Sun…but my memories kind of…split at that point. There's a clearer version of the events that I know for sure had happened, but there was also a batch of fuzzier memories, ones that I could lucidly remember but was unable to piece just exactly when they had occurred, or if they had even occurred at all.

I already had bad experiences with memories, but this must've been a special case.

Since everyone only believes the version of the events that they know for sure are true, being that there was a recent Festival of the Sun and nothing happened…I'll share the side of the story that no one else seems to recall; my crazy version of the events that should've happened but didn't, or whatever the case may be…

If only someone else could remember like I did, and then maybe I wouldn't feel like I'm partially crazy or something.

Anyway.

Yes, I went to Soleanna during the celebration; that much can be confirmed…but I remember Eggman on the rise, which no one else does…

I remember dashing through the streets and enjoying myself, partaking in every activity the fest had to offer. The food, music, and attractions were definitely of a different appeal and variety than what I'd previously experienced, so I reveled in the change of pace.

Then Eggman showed up and dragged me back into what I was used to.

He stormed the sky with his latest airborne armada and upgraded machinery, moving from the simplistic and narcissistic Egg Pawns to the more realistic and efficient drones he currently had…but no skin off my nose; they actually looked pretty fragile, in contrast to their amazing power. I then noticed that he was going for the princess, badgering her and tormenting her…and harming the city she probably worked hard to protect, and far be it from me to let Eggman get away with his constant underhanded tactics!

And I intervened, trashing every last one of his robots and whisking the princess to safety…in style, no less.

I could tell she was far out of her element in this crisis, especially after I picked her up and she was clinging to me like a lifeline. I didn't mind; had I been her, I probably would've been scared silly too! I hoped I hadn't startled her with my risky and bold rescue, which I hadn't even realized could've been dangerous at the time, but once I got her out of harm's way, even just for a moment…she relaxed, and I could calm myself down after that, simply focused on keeping her away from Eggman's clutches.

At least, until she spoke to me.

"Um…" she began softly, as if she was unsure as how to address me. "…why are you helping me?"

Hmph, I wouldn't question assistance…!

I just glanced at her and gave her a quick grin. "No special reason."

She looked a bit stunned at that, but what could I say? She was in trouble, I helped her. S'what I do.

"…so, Your Highness, what's your name, anyway?" I asked, still whisking her away through the city in the dead of night. She glanced up at me and replied in a small whisper.

"Elise…"

"Elise? Huh, that's a nice name," I stated truthfully. "So, um, Princess Elise or Your Majesty or-"

Elise started to correct me, but something clicked in her mind and she relaxed again.

"You can just call me Elise…" she trailed, a bit conservative in the way she spoke. "It'll be nice not having to be constantly reminded that I'm royalty."

I couldn't help but crack a grin. "Well, all right then! I'm not much for formalities or fancy titles myself, so you can just call me Sonic!"

Elise nodded. "Certainly, Sonic."

"So, anyway…" I began, dashing the streets and constantly looking over my shoulder to make sure we weren't being followed. "Are you normally this shy, or am I just a special case?"

"Wh-what…?"

I smirked. "Well, when you were giving that speech earlier, you were so full of confidence and life, and that was in front of thousands of people…!"

Elise gripped something in her hand and shrugged. "It's just…I've never met anyone like you, and it's a lot to take at once…I never seen someone gallivant into danger like that! Someone who moved that fast! Someone…who thought of me in the midst of destruction…"

"You put me on too high of a pedestal," I chuckled, shaking my head. "When you get to know me, maybe you'll find that I'm not much different from you!"

"For some reason I doubt that," she said coyly. Eh, she'd find out eventually.

I then took a daring leap from one side of the river to the other, sailing through the air until I landed on the solid ground of the other side. I could feel her breath hitch against me when I initially took off, and she released the breath she'd been holding once we landed.

Oh goodness, if THAT made her flinch, then she hadn't seen anything yet!

"Sonic!" she suddenly squeaked, and I snapped to attention. I braked to a stop when we found ourselves cut off by Eggman's seemingly endless supply of drones. Seriously, the guy had far too much spare time…he needed a hobby. Like, Sudoku or something.

I set her down carefully before running toward the robots, casually throwing myself into the one closest to me and landing in between two. One went to shoot me; I leapt up and allowed it to hit its comrade instead. I then came crashing back down on that one, followed by homing attacking any that remained.

I landed with a knee and a hand on the ground, creating a stir of wind with my dismount. The princess could only watch in awe, the wind of my landing brushing her dress and wafting through her hair. I turned to ask her if she was impressed, only to find her snatched up by Eggman.

All my previous efforts, gone to waste in that single moment…

"I'm afraid our little game ends now," Eggman said stoically, staring down at me with an emotionless expression. He said nothing more after that, opting to get away while he had his prize and before I could interfere anymore. I was ready to sprint after him, until I caught Elise squirming in the clutches of her entrapment, freeing herself just enough to toss something at me.

"Sonic, take this!"

Something blue and shiny came cascading down toward me; I lifted my hand and caught it flawlessly, finding that it was a Chaos Emerald. I stared at it with surprise, stunned not only at the fact that the princess had one, but also the fact that she knew to keep it from Eggman!

"…huh, I guess there's more to that girl that I thought," I chuckled under my breath, tossing the Emerald in my hand.

I then saw that Eggman was almost out of earshot, so I hurried and called out to her.

"I've got it! And don't worry, I'll rescue you…!"

And I'm not known for breaking my promises.

Eggman had seen Elise's move and simply sneered, casting his hand out. "…it's only a matter of time before its mine. Until then, you can hold onto it for me!"

As if.

Eggman and Elise departed into his carrier, leaving me left on the ground with no way to reach them. I was left to watch them careen across the sky, leaving me with nothing but a lone emerald dangling in my hand…

I…I'm really in for it this time, aren't I?

You have no idea, Sonic. Anyway, next chapter starts my favorite trend of Sonic despising pointless side missions and things in the plot that lead him to nowhere! And also Tails makes an apperance, which is always awesome. :D